10 Differences – Galaxy S2 Plus Versus Galaxy S2 – In-depth Comparison

Samsung has recently launched its new Dual Core boosted Android smartphone Galaxy S2 Plus (I9105) that is now available on many trusted e-commerce website for Rs. 22,990/- INR. This smartphone is basically an updated version of its predecessor the Galaxy S2 and this Plus model comes with latest Android v4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box which also costs (approx.) Rs. 2000/- INR less than the old S2 model (I9100G). Both of these two handset models look identical at the first instance, both are having same body dimensions of 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm but the new Plus model weighs 121 gm where the previous S2 is not so heavy if compared and weighs only 116 gm. You can easily found the previous Galaxy S2 model at around Rs. 24,000/- INR and we have listed below the reasons for picking up the best among these two smartphones while testing these two devices’ specs & features for your convenience.

1. As we have already stated above both of these handsets have the same body dimensions and look identical initially but the newest S2 Plus model does not come with any front display screen protection to prevent the regular scratches that can ruin the beauty of this great looking smartphone. However, with the old S2 you can use it hassle-free as it comes with Corning Gorilla glass protection at the front. The screen resolution of these two devices are also same  of 480 x 800 pixel, both feature 4.3 inch (~217 ppi pixel density) Super AOMLED Plus Capacitive Mufti-touchscreen with 16 Million colors. The old S2 has the advantage here for its Gorilla Glass protection over the new S2 Plus model.
2. The latest S2 Plus model features a new Broadcom BC28155 Dual Core 1.2 GHz processor whereas the previous S2 model has TI OMAP 4430 Dual Core 1.2 GHZ Cortex A9 processor. Samsung demands the new CPU will enhance the performance of the new S2 Plus model. But the old S2 is also not so bad if compared and it can also perform well. But we have to admit that the new Broadcom 1.2 GHz Dual Core CPU is better performer than the previous A9 Dual Core 1.2 GHz CPU.
3. If we now consider the latest Android Jelly Bean operating system, the older S2 model does not run on this OS but the newest S2 Plus model comes with Android v4.1.2 Jelly Bean pre-installed. Previous S2 model still runs on Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but Samsung has confirmed that the old S2 model will get the latest Jelly Bean update very soon. In fact, GT-I9100 model has already received JB update. For the time being S2 Plus has the advantage of the latest OS that runs on its system which offers more features and smooth touch UI capability. What’s our concern is that whether S2 Plus will be upgraded to Android 5 Key Lime Pie in future, as Samsung has already announced that Galaxy S2 will not be upgraded to Android 5. The S2 Plus model offers the latest Samsung TouchWiz UI v5.0 which also can be found on other higher priced smartphones of Samsung like Galaxy Grand, Galaxy S3, Note2 etc. This v5.0 UI features ripples effect and many more touch UI functionality which cannot be found in the old S2 model that has TouchWiz UI v4.0. But this is not a big issue and if you want to have the ripple effects on your Galaxy S2 then you can search our website for the details.
4. The biggest concern is the inbuilt memory space these days if you are a gaming person and also use your device as a mini portable multimedia device, then S2 Plus will not impress you as it has just 8 GB of internal memory while, the previous S2 has 16 GB internal memory space. Out of 16 GB of S2, user will be able to access about 11.24 GB. But out of 8 GB in S2 Plus, user will have access to only around 4.5 GB. By the time you install some HD games like Asphalt 7, Nova 3, etc. it will be full. And once you’ve come close to this 4.5 GB limit, the phone will start performing a little bit slow, which will be a big ire. Eventually, you will have to buy a microSd card to expand the memory to store more contents. But in the case of old Galaxy S2, you don’t have to bother at all as you have the freedom to install a lot of HD games and other apps without any flaws.
5. Graphics processor used in S2 is Mali 400MP and that performs much better than the Graphics processor comes installed with the S2 Plus which is Broadcom VideoCore IV. Under the GLBenchmark to test run off-screen 1080p video resolution, the Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU failed to beat the Mali-400MP, but scored pretty close to it, nonetheless.
6. The older Galaxy S2 has USB OTG (USB on the go) feature but S2 Plus doesn’t offer this must have latest feature to its adapters. This indicates buying a latest smartphone having all the latest hardware and operating system does not come handy while you want to view some important documents stored in your USB pen drive. That means every time if you need to watch or view something important on your S2 Plus you have to copy those elements into your handset first which is irritating and time consuming. But if you are a Galaxy S2 user, then you can roam without such issues of copy-paste and with USB OTG, you can connect a pen drive directly to your phone as if you were connecting to your laptop/desktop. No need of transferring data first to your laptop and from there to your handset. You can not only connect your USB pen drive directly to your handset but also can connect a USB keyboard to your device. You will regret not having USB OTG if you opt to save your Rs. 2000/- INR by going for galaxy S2 plus.
7. The contrast ratio of Galaxy S2 is also higher than the latest Galaxy S2 Plus. For S2, the contrast ratio is 2.832:1, while for S2 Plus it is 2.801:1. As we all know better contrast ratio offers better visibility under sun.
8. Another extra features that the latest S2 Plus offers that is additional GLONASS support for better A-GPS locking which is according to us much not affect your GPS locking specially if you use both devices in India.
9. The camera of both S2 and S2 Plus are of same Megapixel and the offered resolutions of the captured images are same. Both are having 8 Megapixel auto-focus rear shooter with LED flash support and produce equal resolutions of the captured images i.e. 3264 x 2448 pixels and also both of these models sport same 2 Megapixel front facing camera. Both of the devices are capable of recording 1080p videos @30fps with their rear cameras and feature the same camera UI.
10. Although another unique feature that comes with the previous Galaxy S2 only – TV out (via MHL A/V link), which is rarely used by anyone these days, however, the latest S2 Plus does not comply this feature of connecting your phone with your LCD / LED TV.

The above mentioned featured and functionality are major that both of Samsung Galaxy S2 (I9100G) and S2 Plus (I9105) offers. But choosing the right one according to your budget and needs completely depends on your views. We have just mentioned above the major specs comparisons to help you to decide as both of these smartphone are unique and feature oriented and both offer great look. The price difference is only of Rs. 2000/- INR (approx.) which is very nominal if you are not price conscious.

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