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Galaxy S2 or Sensation?

Which and why?

Sensation because it´s HTC

I have never used a Dual Core phone so is it MUCH faster? Is there like 0 lag in those phones? I remember my inspire couldnt play vids properly and they would lag.

I have the same question... Sensation or Galaxy S2? I'm running a T959 with Trigger, but it's time for an upgrade. Any input would be appreciated - especially comparison of speed, ease of rooting, and ease of installing custom ROMs. I use wireless tethering and GPS navigation a lot... so those 2 things are very important to me.

I really want this thread to get interesting so I'll post my two UK pennies.
I'm still deciding between these two phones. I've played with both in the shop and they're very different beasts.
The S2 is a stunning slab of a phone. It's ridiculously light and feels plasticy yet amazingly sturdy. The screen is superb. I'm coming from an AMOLED Desire (same screen as N1) and the screen is a huge step up. The WVGA res genuinely doesn't bother me in the slightest. Everything is big and clear and bright and gorgeous.
The Sensation feels a lot more solid in the hand. It's a more classy piece of hardware. It is considerably fatter and heavier than the S2 and feels like it could take some knocks. As someone who has used older versions of Sense quite a lot and not especially liked them, I found the Sensations's interface to be a big disappointment. Sense 3 felt just as slow and the earlier Sense version that ran on my Desire (before rooting/flashing). I'm sure it would be super slick with an AOSP rom. The screen is good but not a patch on the S2 IMO. The power button is impossible to reach with one hand - why HTC is still putting it on the top of the phone I have no idea.
So at this point I preferred the S2s screen (and camera by small margin from testing in the shop) and the Sensation's hardware.
In light of the court case I ordered an S2 and have now had it for 24hrs. With the exception of the lack of notification LED it's everything I'd hoped for. It's fast. Not iPhone smooth, but the closest I've seen in an Android device. Still running stock firmware.
Unlike the Sensation, it's not possible to replace the camera lens of the S2 without replacing the whole phone. The camera lens is not at all recessed and this this makes me nervous about putting it down on a flat surface. The S2 needs a case to protect it IMO whereas the HTC seems sufficiently tough to survive without one.
I'm still not 100% and still have a few days left to return the phone...
Does anyone else have experience with the two phones?

Thanks, bedeabc

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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Exactly my thoughts.

The SGSII has a much better CPU and GPU than the sensation. I don't want to get technical, but Samsung's processor is better than HTC's. I would also suggest Samsung's GPU in the SGSII over Sensation. I have had Sense and Touchwiz and Sense is very slow and a memory hog, whereas Touchwiz is light. Both phones running AOSP would be great, but I feel that the SGSII is just better as far as internal hardware goes. HTC is better at updating their devices software wise, though.

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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lowandbehold said:
Exactly my thoughts.
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Come on guys, that's lame. I too have more faith in HTC than I do Samsung but I bought the S2 because (albeit by a very small margin!) I believe that it's the better phone. That screen is just amazing. I already FAR prefer Touchwiz to any version of Sense. But obviously here I am on XDA so the root will happen tonight I hope!
biggeorgef said:
Thanks, bedeabc
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Click to collapse

Right now i think the best phone at sale is the galaxy s ii. Ports will obviously be easier to make with the sensation, but talking about stock roms, the s2 is by far the best phone:
More free ram (not only because of 1gb of ram vs 768 but because of sense 3), and in my opinion has a better processor.
I'm not a samsung fanboy, there are tons of things i could say they've done wrong, but i think the s2 is better.
And by the way, even though the sensation feels more solid, i'm no longer deciding for a phone due to this, not only because of coversbut because my sgs has resisted many falls, even one 3m fall and it fell on a pool for 1-2 sec and survived, it didn't even turn off, so just because of this i can say that even though it doesn't feel resistant, it may resist more. I've tried none of this phones, and i can only give my point of view from what i've read and my experience.
I don't know if samsung will do the same with the s2, but the s1 has been updated from 2.1 to 2.2 to 2.2.1 to 2.3.2 to 2.3.3 to 2.3.4, much more updates than most phones have had, and there have been many improvements even though the s2 is out there and the sgs hasn't been forgotten.
Back to htc and sense, I can also say that sense is really good, but it consumes a lot of ram and may feel laggy, but on other htc phones i've seen with sense 2.1, it was really fluid and i really liked it, more than touchwiz.
There is no real way of comparing this two phones in a fair way unless they're running the same rom.
No matter which phone you choose out of these two, you are going to get an amazing phone.
The decision is yours, so think carefully about which phone you think is best for you

bedeabc said:
I really want this thread to get interesting so I'll post my two UK pennies.
I'm still deciding between these two phones. I've played with both in the shop and they're very different beasts.
The S2 is a stunning slab of a phone. It's ridiculously light and feels plasticy yet amazingly sturdy. The screen is superb. I'm coming from an AMOLED Desire (same screen as N1) and the screen is a huge step up. The WVGA res genuinely doesn't bother me in the slightest. Everything is big and clear and bright and gorgeous.
The Sensation feels a lot more solid in the hand. It's a more classy piece of hardware. It is considerably fatter and heavier than the S2 and feels like it could take some knocks. As someone who has used older versions of Sense quite a lot and not especially liked them, I found the Sensations's interface to be a big disappointment. Sense 3 felt just as slow and the earlier Sense version that ran on my Desire (before rooting/flashing). I'm sure it would be super slick with an AOSP rom. The screen is good but not a patch on the S2 IMO. The power button is impossible to reach with one hand - why HTC is still putting it on the top of the phone I have no idea.
So at this point I preferred the S2s screen (and camera by small margin from testing in the shop) and the Sensation's hardware.
In light of the court case I ordered an S2 and have now had it for 24hrs. With the exception of the lack of notification LED it's everything I'd hoped for. It's fast. Not iPhone smooth, but the closest I've seen in an Android device. Still running stock firmware.
Unlike the Sensation, it's not possible to replace the camera lens of the S2 without replacing the whole phone. The camera lens is not at all recessed and this this makes me nervous about putting it down on a flat surface. The S2 needs a case to protect it IMO whereas the HTC seems sufficiently tough to survive without one.
I'm still not 100% and still have a few days left to return the phone...
Does anyone else have experience with the two phones?
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Click to collapse
Yup, here's what I posted elsewhere:
I've got an O2 Sensation, colleague has a Vodafone SGS2
The sensation feels much stronger, she commented that her SGS2 felt like you could snap it if you weren't careful, and I have to agree, while you couldn't actually do that, it does feel like you could.
SGS2 is easier to hold though, the rounded smooth edges of the Sensation are just begging for it to slip and drop.
Not got a problem reaching the power button on the top of the Sensation even with my stubby fingers.
The speaker on my Sensation is much louder than her SGS2, she's complaining that she can't hear the SGS2 in her bag. I was surprised as to how quiet it was on max volume.
The SGS2 has a lovely screen, the Sensation has a very nice screen.
My Sensation has the landscape wifi issue losing a bar or 2 of signal. From what others have posted, the OTA update or a custom ROM can fix this rather than a warranty claim for a replacement back cover.
The lock screen on the Sensation is much more responsive and the ability to jump straight to certain apps from the defaul lock screen is great. She often has to swipe two or three times to unlock the SGS2 as she's not moving the lock screen image far enough.
Sensation has Sense 3, which for me wipes the floor with the SGS2 interface, I really don't get on with anything but Sense, however I know a lot of people don't like sense and prefer the stock Android interface.
Sensation has Trace keyboard. She's activated swype on her SGS2 to make typing easier as like me can't get on with the stock Android keyboard. Swype is much better at doing the job than Trace, but I prefer the HTC keyboard and type faster with my thumbs than with either Swype or Trace.
Don't know about battery life on her SGS2, but my Sensation is getting about a day out of it and that's with push mail on two accounts and a bit of browsing.
To be honest, the only thing that would make my Sensation perfect would be a replacement back panel with squarer sides and a better WIFI antenna.
If you try a Sensation and it isn't fast and smooth, then there's something wrong with it.
Likewise there could be something wrong with her phone with regards to the speaker not being as loud as mine.
They are both at the top of their league, and the decision will be down to which one suits your needs better.
If you're not sure, get it over the phone/web so you have 14 days to return it if you're not happy (in the UK that is)
Play with them as much as possible in shops, go to several shops too.

For Tmobile, is the Hercules going to be the S2, or am I just so retarded that I simply have no idea what I'm talking about? http://www.phonedog.com/2011/08/23/...-the-galaxy-s-ii-missed-its-window-in-the-us/

before i went to buy a phone
the best things were the sensation and the SGS2
i got the SGS2
1. i wanted a phone as smooth as the iphone in scrolling
2.very good flash player experience (HWA)
and from my knowledge the SGS2 is the only (partial) hardware accelerated phone out there the sensation is not as smooth as the sgs2 and not as powerful go watch some youtube vids out there
3.future proof (samsung gave free SGS2s to the CM team and currently we have nighties)
4.amoled screen (dont tell me about resolution what i want is the contrast that makes you think "is the phone on or is that my stupid black background pic"
+ colors are to die for
5.sturdy (this phone is solid as a rock if u try to twist it u wont hear a squeak at all its hard as a rock
cons with this phone
1.people who first got it experienced very bad battery life but after updates that issue went away for most people i can get 4 days with my phone
2.people get heating issue with their phones
but the heating issue was just a warm feeling for me near the camera lens
3.my biggest issue if you record video 720p and over (in doors ) the phone goes down to 10 fps for 2 seconds and then speeds up then speeds down etc - this issue is still not fixed - but out doors works perfectly
4.you can get finger prints on the screen if you dont have a screen protector
5. people are reporting volume issues when calling
you can fix this manually from what i understand (using a code)
6.there are a couple of high end games and emulators that have issues with the Samsung's powerful gpu

To be honest, using the two side by side, I noticed no difference between the smoothness of the two.
Didn't know that the SGS2 had hardware acceleration until today!
However, that's comparing UK phones. US phones appear to be borked by carriers as standard. No idea why, but there are more reports of slow phones from US carriers than UK ones, likewise with the amount of bloatware, US carriers (from what I've seen posted here) load phones up with it while in the UK (on O2 especially) they don't which is going to have an impact on performance.

xaccers said:
To be honest, using the two side by side, I noticed no difference between the smoothness of the two.
Didn't know that the SGS2 had hardware acceleration until today!
However, that's comparing UK phones. US phones appear to be borked by carriers as standard. No idea why, but there are more reports of slow phones from US carriers than UK ones, likewise with the amount of bloatware, US carriers (from what I've seen posted here) load phones up with it while in the UK (on O2 especially) they don't which is going to have an impact on performance.
Click to expand...
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coudnt you notice it in the stock browser

Sensation hands down

I haven't had any experience with the Sensation, but 3 people I know have the S2 and I was playing with 1 earlier and I fell in love.
This prompted me to install 'droid on my Topaz.

joker2428 said:
Sensation hands down
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Oh that settles it then. I'm running out right now to buy one. Thank you so much!
Sarcasm out.

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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what the answer~

sgsII has better hardware and better design too

[Q] Do you regret buying your Sensation?

I'm trying to decide which mobile to buy and I've narrowed it down to the Sensation and the Galaxy S 2, I've had the HTC Desire which was fine but more recently I've had and returned 3 HTC Incredible S handsets. All 3 suffered with signal drop on the O2 network here at my home (the Desire seemed OK).
After looking through the Sensation forum, I'm getting concerned that HTC may be loosing a grip as far as standards go?
Now that you've owned your Sensation, what do you think? Would you still buy the Sensation if you were once again in the Market for a phone?

Not really
What only makes me ever say I regret buying it is the spec increase only mere months after it's release. I love the phone, a few software problems, but that isn't a deal breaker. I was an early adopter and haven't really had any problems with it. Screen is great, no scratches, feels great in the hand. However between the two I wouldn't know what to pick. I love my Sensation and also want a Galaxy SII. It is really up to which one you can get your hands on. From what I can tell there is a better screen on the SII, but I prefer the resolution on the Sensation. However the Sensations speaker isn't fantastic, but I use headphones anyway so no big deal. Battery isn't too bad on the Sensation. I can easily get a days worth out of it. So to answer your question no I don't really regret the purchase.

I have no regrets. I have had to return two of them but the third one was perfectly fine. I had no problem returning them cause it never costed me a dime and I was never without a phone. If I were in the market today I wouldnt get it though. I would go for the Amaze. Also I am not a fan of Samsungs. They feel too light and cheap for me. I like my phones to feel like a solid piece of hardware and Samsungs just dont.

Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated. I did actually post a similar thread in the Samsung forum a day or so ago.
I also posted my list of pros and cons over at the Hotukdeals site, would you say it's a fairly accurate list?
Galaxy S 2 Pros
S Amoled screen, great viewing angle
Better battery life than HTC?
Cons Plasticky/cheap finish?
Sensation Pros
High res screen
Build quality S
ense interface (OK, maybe just a plus for me)
Cons
Poor viewing angle P
oor battery life
Dust under screen issues (but not every phone) L
ooses Wifi signal in landscape/grip of death?
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Click to collapse

Nope, but I wouldn't get one right now.

UKseagull said:
Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated. I did actually post a similar thread in the Samsung forum a day or so ago.
I also posted my list of pros and cons over at the Hotukdeals site, would you say it's a fairly accurate list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Battery life is just fine. Never had dust under my screen. The viewing angles are actually pretty dang good. Bright whites was out to yellowish but all the others hold fine even to extreme angles.
The SAMOLED screen on the TMobile GS2 is bigger but lower resolution causing everything to be really big. Perhaps root will fix that.
I am SERIOUSLY loving InsertCoin 3.2.7 which is a Sense 3.5 rom. The only Rom I've ever tried that was nearly as smooth and fast was an AOSP Rom on my mytouch 4g. It's like buttered silk AND I have 200mb free ram.
My ONLY con now is the app storage or lack therof. Even the low volume speaker was fixed via ROM and Volume+

I don't regret it. Too bad I have to say goodbye though....its a solid device with a lot of ongoing support and tweaks.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio

My main gripe about the Sensation is Sense 3.0. I've owned a heap of HTC devices and I'm just not sold on the new sense. There's an SGS2 on its way to me right now so I'll offer a more objective opinion when it arrives.

No regrets at all and it continues to rock with the Developers!

no regrets here at all. i have gone through alot of android phones through tmobile. i must admit this has been the best phone i have owned. If i was shopping for a new phone today i would go for the amaze over the sensation only bc of the higher specs. besides that this phone is amazing especially with CM installed. it felt like a brand new toy once i installed it

There is absolutely ZERO reason to get a Sensation right now (or ANY phone really), until the Nexus Prime details are (officially) revealed.
That being said, I also have zero regrets about purchasing the Sensation. It was hands-down *THE* absolute best phone for T-Mobile at the time and I've certainly loved using it for the past 4 months.
Bottom Line: If you're looking to purchase a smart phone in the near future, it would be foolish to not wait until the Nexus Prime is officially revealed. It has the potential to change the Android landscape, and while we don't regret OUR purchase of the Sensation, the Prime might make YOUR purchase an instant-regret. Just wait

I have to say yea i regret purchasing my Sensation. Not because of all the new Phones that are pretty much updated versions of it... but because of all the manufacture defects i've encountered.. such as dust build up around top and wedged in between the front camera that cannot be removed, Also randomly unresponsive screen due to static build up between the battery cover and pin. And the worst, a Screwed up headphone jack that decides to pause/play/skip music as well as make random calls whenever headphones are plugged in. Pisses me off that i need to carry an extra device (ipod) just so i can listen to music..
Im really conflicted as to what to do with my phone or whether i should switch to another device..
Samsung Galaxy S 2 has some great specs but the cheap flimsy plastic is a killer. (former Vibrant owner and hated the cheap toddler toy feel)
The HTC Amaze looks sexy as hell but at it turns out it has the same Battery cover design as the Sensation which will most likely lead back to Dust and unresponsive screen issues..
Hopes the Nexus Prime comes to tmobile and really hopes samsung doesnt screw it up by making it out of plastic so cheap that it makes a McDonald's toy look like a quality build

UKseagull said:
I'm trying to decide which mobile to buy and I've narrowed it down to the Sensation and the Galaxy S 2, I've had the HTC Desire which was fine but more recently I've had and returned 3 HTC Incredible S handsets. All 3 suffered with signal drop on the O2 network here at my home (the Desire seemed OK).
After looking through the Sensation forum, I'm getting concerned that HTC may be loosing a grip as far as standards go?
Now that you've owned your Sensation, what do you think? Would you still buy the Sensation if you were once again in the Market for a phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd definitely buy it again - I was also worried because of all the griping on this forum, but my Sensation's been perfect and it's the best HTC phone I've owned. Feels a lot better in the hand than the Galaxy S 2, has a better aspect ratio and (to me) a better, less over-saturated screen.
Plus, Sense 3.0 (with Android Revolution HD) is a dream to use.

I cant tell you how much I regret buying mine. Awesome hardware specs, huge screen, but HORRIBLE build quality and constant ongoing issues. In addition, Sense is just terrible and I do not think I will ever buy another Android phone that isnt bone stock with no carrier modifications. Its honestly not worth the headache waiting around for people to mod a ROM just so it can finally be up to par with a vanilla Nexus type phone IMO.

I bought my Sensation when it first came out in June. I have zero regrets buying it and it has been a great phone to date. I haven't really had any issues, although now I believe I have some dust under the screen. With that said, I still have no issue buying it then as it was the best phone on the market at the time. There is also tons of development for it - which I really like. I was actually looking at giving my wife the Sensation and upgrading to either the GS II or Amaze. I went and checked out both of those phones today and have to say I was underwhelmed. The GS II is big and has a plastic feel to it. I also noticed a lot of lag when scrolling thru the home screens and felt my Sensation (running ARHD ROM) was more responsive. Also, not really a fan of Touch Wiz. The Amaze is nice, and it is very similar to the Sensation. However I am not sure if it will get rooted (quickly) and the amount of development that it will get. Not sure if it's worth the upgrade.
My 02¢....hope it helps.

krayziebydaflesh said:
I have to say yea i regret purchasing my Sensation. Not because of all the new Phones that are pretty much updated versions of it... but because of all the manufacture defects i've encountered.. such as dust build up around top and wedged in between the front camera that cannot be removed, Also randomly unresponsive screen due to static build up between the battery cover and pin. And the worst, a Screwed up headphone jack that decides to pause/play/skip music as well as make random calls whenever headphones are plugged in. Pisses me off that i need to carry an extra device (ipod) just so i can listen to music..
Im really conflicted as to what to do with my phone or whether i should switch to another device..
Samsung Galaxy S 2 has some great specs but the cheap flimsy plastic is a killer. (former Vibrant owner and hated the cheap toddler toy feel)
The HTC Amaze looks sexy as hell but at it turns out it has the same Battery cover design as the Sensation which will most likely lead back to Dust and unresponsive screen issues..
Hopes the Nexus Prime comes to tmobile and really hopes samsung doesnt screw it up by making it out of plastic so cheap that it makes a McDonald's toy look like a quality build
Click to expand...
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curious as to why you haven't gotten a replacement

F no! And many ppl sayig manafactuer defects, I just think bad use.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium

Absolutely regret it. Sense was nowhere near optimized for the Sensation and it shows in the way that the fastest custom Sense ROMs for us are still a little bit slower than the newest stock HTC devices that run Sense 3.0. I will never buy a LCD screen phone again because it is worthless in the sunlight and is in general washed out in light. The speaker is bad; ROMs or Volume+ apps that barely increase the volume do not fix the fact that it is a hardware problem.
That said, I do enjoy tinkering with and using my Sensation. I still think it is perhaps the most beautiful looking device of the year, I enjoy the fact that we have decent dev support on here, and the screen res is enjoyable. I'm also really waiting to see what this phone can do with ICS and when CM7 comes out of Alpha or whatever (I'm very nitpicky and will only install full on ROMs that only have minor issues). In that sense, I'm enjoying what I can with this phone even though I wish I would have waited for a better one (but heck, I was put in a hard position because I had to get a new phone at the time the Sensation came out and it was the best Tmob phone available). But, if I was in the market for a new phone right now I would absolutely wait for the Nexus Prime. The SGSII seems like a good step up, but I would hesitate to get a phone that isn't a 100% upgrade over the Sensation (some things like the screen res are a step down).

I regret it. If I knew as much about this phone as I know now... I would've keep my Glacier.
Thing is a piece of crap, really. Sure, it has top specs... but software is a mess and build quality is dissapointing. I wanted to love it but I can't. Ready to sell if for whatever I can as soon as next Nexus device drops.
Sorry HTC, you really dropped the ball lately and I'm going to speak with my wallet from now on.

ZERO regrets.
I love this phone.
Amaze might be a slightly better hardware but it's ugly as F to me.
only thing XE offers is the headphones basically. Software we can get, no big.
having said that, if you are in the market now for a new phone I'd say wait til Nexus Prime is officially announced.
we don't know the full details yet but it should be a beast.

[Q] Upgrade to which phone?

Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai

Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry to tell you, but I think you are at the wrong place. Everyone here likes his desire s.
If you need a big screen, try galaxy note or use pc
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App

Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would advise you to wait for the Mobile World Congress before upgrading... you'll have many more options within a couple of months...
But if you still want to upgrade now, here's my input :
1. Sensation : ? Why would you want to consider that? It's an average phone, and from whatever time i've spent on it on my friend's phone, it's nothing to write hone about. Does anyone even remember the original Sensation anymore (Especially after the XL and the XE?)
2. The SGS2 is a very very fast phone, with great hardware, but i have two issues with it : The screen has a bluish tinge to it, and colour reproduction is inaccurate across the spectrum. Secondly, it looks like a plastic business card holder
3. The Galaxy Nexus is a lovely looking device, the form factor is very attractive. In my discussions with zeekiz (who bricked his DS and migrated to the GN) he says he loves the phone and it's not slow or anything like you mentioned. Plus, you'll be the first person to get the next Android version update (Jellybean). Thirdly, it always makes sense to go for the newer device, both for the gains in hardware, as well as company support that comes more easily and lasts longer for newer (especially) flagship phones.
Best of luck choosing your next device!!

Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a small note here, with my experiance the 3.7' of the Desire S is the largest screen size for a mobile that I can -almost- fully use with one hand, whenever you go beyond that, you may have to get used to work with both hands, and that made me drop the sensation in favor of my DS
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium

I came from a HTC Sensation to the Desire S as i found the Sensation too big. Surprisingly i have found the Desire S not much slower.

I would also wait for the MWC...but if you can't wait, IMHO Sensation is a good device especially after it's rooted and equipped with the custom ICS based roms made for the XE version (with CPU at 1.5 Ghz)...i think capy's work.
Anyway you have a lot of roms to try even with ICS out there.
Regarding the SGSII it's ok if you want a plastic phone....
Galaxy Nexus has a good screen and it's not slow but i think it's a little big, you will clearly need 2 hands if you want to use it properly.

cpx07 said:
Regarding the SGSII it's ok if you want a plastic phone....
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Click to collapse
No-go for me... Plastic toy feeling
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App

eyahl said:
No-go for me... Plastic toy feeling
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App
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Click to collapse
Right on! Exactly my thoughts about the SGS2. It feels like a business card holder!

Wait for mwc and HTC edge if price isn't the big deal
Otherwise, i personaly would buy a sensation, the gs2 is sure a nice device, but like mentioned above the screen isn't the best and the plastic body feels weird.
The galaxy nexus isn't a device for me, there are 2 dealbreakers at my opinion, even if the resolution is better than at the gs2 the grapic chip is wors and there is no sd slot.
The update cycle is sure a point and the nfc also, but for my opinion it's a pure developer phone.
The sensation is from hardware almost the same like the sensation xe and every rom can be exchanged between those 2 devices, there is no nfc, for sure, but the gs2 also haven't got one, so this isn't a point of interest for you i think.
Also even if all of them have them same frequenzies the sensation runs at a stock speed of 1.5 ghz with an xe rom, so it got the highest frequency of those phones.
Swifted from my Desire S far away from my PC

yeah i'd wait for MWC but if not galaxy nexus for all the reasons above. It is definitely not a slow phone, especially since google probably built ICS for the nexus. The only thing i hate about the nexus phones is the fact that they're always released at awkward times. By awkward, i mean right before all the new hardware comes out. My brother has an S2 and it does have a horrible plasticky feeling. While the galaxy nexus is the same, it seems to hide it better. The white S2 is even worse! It has no grip on the back which makes it absolutely horrible to hold, not to mention a liability too.

It's been a while since I did a megga-post.....
From what I'm hearing about HTC's line-up for MWC, I hope they also announce a sensible phone. At the moment I really don't know what I'll get, as the current rumours all seem to have several problems for me.
1. Screens too big.
I have a non-upgradable 2.5" thumb. I've spoken to my network provider but they wont give me a larger one. I do not want to have to change grip or use two hands to turn screen on/off. The DS screen size is perfect. It is fine watching films on Netflix.
2. Quad core. Really?
Does anyone remember the Coca-Cola/Sprite stunt yo-yo's from the eighties? (Bear with me here, work is a little slow today and I feel a rant coming on.) They were a massive craze when I was at school. They came in two versions. "Standard" and "Pro". The Pro ones cost nearly twice as much. Why was that? It was because the Pro version had "Pro" written on the side. That was it. They were the same size and weight as the standard version. But every kid in my class practically sold a kidney to get the pro version, because to show up in the playground with the standard version stood you out for ridicule, and everyone was certain the Pro version could do better stunts. What is quad core going to give us? How often is it going to be running on more than 2 cores? Can it do better stunts? My single core phone can render web pages quickly, run any game I've asked it to, record 720p video at 30fps, and has a smooth and lag free UI. It just doesn't have "Pro" written all over it. That word seems to brain-wash kids into doling out dosh! Kids love the idea of being "Pro". Look at what every premium version of any app on the Android Marketplace is called.
3. Skinny form-factors
Leading to phones being bendy and having a non-removable battery. I like my solid aluminium DS. I've held the SGS2. It feels like a kinder surpise egg. Squeeze it too hard and I worry it'd break. Plus if we are having to have a (pro) Quad Core phone don't we need a bigger battery? Did you know the HTC Edge has a fifth core (super pro) that is a very low power companion core for when the phone is off in your pocket? Turn your phone on (without dropping it changing your grip to reach the button) and expect laptop battery life from the 40nm chip. Will it come with a Pro Charger?
4. No SD Card slot.
OK most of the phones with these also claim built-in 32GB storage which is fine for capacity, but what if I brick my phone larking about on XDA? What if it just packs in? Currently all my music/photos/documents would simply be removed and put into another phone. If it's built-in and your phone wont boot.....Are the cloud-storage sites encouraging phone manufacturers to do this?
5. Build Quality.
HTC seem to have really dropped the ball with this one. They used to be fantastic. However I know 3 people who have bought the DS since September (on my recommendation) and all of them have been back for repair at least once. One of them died for the second time two nights ago with the dreaded eMMC chip failure again! WTF? Did they replace the faulty board with another one prone with the same weakness? She also waited 6 weeks to get that phone back the first time. I feel guilty now. Also check Amazon for the reviews of the DS. Since September it's started getting a load of 1 star reviews and they all read the same. It seems I was lucky in buying my DS on it's release, before it seems HTC moved production to the local wine bar/crack house. There is no way I'm spending £450 on something I'm not confident will last a year or will take me 6 weeks to get repaired.
If HTC...no if ANYONE announce a phone that has: A screen under 4", solid build, removable battery, SD card slot, improved camera optics, decent amount of RAM, reasonable battery life and justifiable processing power, then I'll get my wallet out. Or if it comes with a free Pro Yo-Yo. They do better stunts.
Basically I want a DS with a nicer camera and bigger battery. And a sticker that says "Pro" on it.

wnp_79 said:
It's been a while since I did a megga-post.....
(Bear with me here, work is a little slow today and I feel a rant coming on.)
Basically I want a DS with a nicer camera and bigger battery. And a sticker that says "Pro" on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brilliant!
Love the rant (and i thought i was the only one with this illness)
I agree on mostly everything you've said above... especially HTC screwing up on its strengths... build quality, sub-par components, and progressively bloat-ier (i know that's not a word) Sense... Though i'd still buy an HTC instead of a Samsung, all things set aside, they do better stunts!!

Yeah. Your words seem to come right from my mind.
a desire s pro would be really cool
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App

If i had the choice, i'd choose the sensation in a heartbeat.
First, it has the beat build IMO. The SGS 2 is too plasticky and since it's far too thin, it feels weird in my hand. The galaxy nexus is waaaaaay to big. The sensation is perfect
Second, HTC Sense. It is just too good and i can't get a device that has no chance of getting Sense. Besides, touchwiz sucks and the stock experience on the nexus can be acieved through an AOSP ROM.
That said, the super amoled screen is quiet good ad a plus point of both sammys.
That said, i recommend you wait till MWC. Something awesome will surely come up. There is a thread, full of leaks on the two upcoming htc devices, the One X and the One S.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1476788

it has to be the htc amaze, i think its a great phone, in addition to that htc has quality in its build, as in our desire s the aluminum feel is way better than the plastic in most samsungs

Do we really need this much horse power?

Hi all.
I know this is an HTC One S forum, but I want to ask a more general question regarding the decision to buy a new phone.
Up until a few weeks ago, I was set to buy the Galaxy S2. It felt like an adequate replacement for my S1 in term of CPU power and daily needs. Then I saw the One S and sort of fell in love with its design and theoretically strong build. Needless to say the latest reports on the MAO issue have made rethink of buying this phone.
I went through a lot of comparisons between the HTC One S and other phones (Xperia S, SGS2 to name a few), and then I stopped and thought to myself - after the initial enthusiasm, what will I benefit from having HOS instead of say the SGS2?
So, what do you think? What made you choose HOS over SGS2 (or other phones for that matter)?
Thanks,
Boaz.

Get the grey one
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA Premium App

both phones are very good...In terms of spec there isnt a lot separating them.
i doubt you will be disappointed with either device, but for me the One S is superior.. The build quality is awesome, Samsung tend to produce 'plasticky' phones that are very brittle..
If you do get the One S, get they grey version, It doesnt suffer MAO issues. and just looks totally cool, especially with the blue camera, Thats a nice addition

The reason I went for the HOS was... *drumroll*... HTC...
HTC made the Hero.
HTC made the Desire.
Enough reasons right there.
Yeah... I am an HTC lover.
But!!!
I won't ever deny that Samsung makes good hardware (atleast on the inside). But as I don't like plastic things that acts like fingerprint magnets the choice was easy to make.

i have the grey version which seems to be less prone to the chipping condition . Two weeks in and mine is still OK.
I had the S2 and I can tell you that I like the S because
1) The battery time is excellent
2) Screen is great
3) Build is far better than the S2 . Not so plastic
4) It's fast and I mean fast
The only thing I would have liked was the expansion of memory but 16gb is holding up well for me .

New phone ?!?

hi all,
my Nexus One is dying and now I'm crazy for buying a worthy successor.
I'm undecided between the One S and Galaxy Nexus ...
The thing that worries me most is the pentile screen, often criticized by many reviews. True, both have a pentile display, but the higher resolution on the nexus hide the pixel matrix.
So, I wanted to ask you an opinion about the screen, because I saw him quickly into the store, but it made ​​not a great impression.
Which is a shame because the rest (hardware, ergonomics, power and battery life) looks very good ...
GNexus is a little bit older, but is equally beautiful (the shape and design are simply awesome for me) and it is much more supported by community, and also it cost me 100 euros less.
What would you do in my situation?
one last thing, I'd like the black version, have been solved the problems of paint stripping? I tried out the gray S and aluminum seems a bit too slippery ...
thanks and sorry for my bad english

Well, if you don't like the screen, then you should probably choose the nexus. I can't really say I notice it at all, but then I'm coming from a Hero. Overall I completely LOVE the phone! It's fast, has good battery life and sense is nice as well. Also it feels and looks nice, and the size is perfect; a big screen and it still fits perfectly into one hand. I've tried the X multiple times in store and it just is too big for me
I have the black version and I haven't had any issues yet, not my mom either (she has an identical phone, It's kind of awkward, but is it my fault she has good taste? ). I'm still waiting a bit longer before rooting ,though, jic I have to return it
Edit: my biggest concern is the limited storage, but It's okay. I had 8 gb on my hero and never filled it up
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA

I see no problem on the display--gorgeous
I did, after testing both in stores, find the One S renders web pages much faster--
Perfect size--

i see no problems with the display too. it look better than the amoled screen i had in the past (galaxy s1, nexus s)
i believe its safe to say the processor on the one s beats the galaxy nexus.

One S has a far superior CPU
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium

I was actually in the same boat as you.
I had previously come from another carrier where I was using an EVO 3D and switched to a contract free plan with an Nexus One.
I found the Nexus One to be great but needed to upgrade.
I thought the Galaxy Nexus was a great phone. It's fast, sleek and, if buying unlocked, cheaper than the One S. The One S was just so cool when I got my hands on it. It's got a far better CPU than the Galaxy Nexus which really pushed me to it. Also, I find the form-factor of the One S to be perfect while at times I thought the Galaxy Nexus was a little bulky.
As for the screen on the One S. I was very hesitant to buy it because in the store I did notice the screen was not at the quality I was used to. Having previously used a true qHD LCD screen, it was easy to tell the PenTile display was not of the same caliber as far as resolution goes. BUT... It does still look great. The colors are fantastic! And, I thought the little niggles of the PenTile display would bother me day to day, but they have not.
Overall, the One S is a fast phone that looks amazing. I like pretty much everything about it (except that HTC is still witholding source code )

I eventually chose the cheapest option...
I got a great deal and for more than 100 euros less and other small details (see the screen resolution or the unconfortable power button on the One s), I took a Galaxy Nexus ....
Anyway, thanks to everyone for the advice