Android phones continue to rise in popularity in Australia. The Telstra-exclusive HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S are two of the most popular models sold down under and both are being succeeded in 2011 by the HTC Desire S and the Samsung Galaxy S II, respectively.
Read our detailed previews of the HTC Desire S and the Samsung Galaxy S II, and check out our roundup of the best upcoming smartphones in 2011.
The HTC Desire S has a 3.7in SLCD display with a resolution of 480x800, a 5-megapixel rear camera that doubles as a 720p HD video recorder, a 1.3-megapixel front camera for video calls, and an aluminium "unibody" design that HTC claims makes it stronger than the original Desire.
The Samsung Galaxy S II boasts a large 4.3in Super AMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 800x480, an 8-megapixel rear camera that doubles as a 1080p HD video recorder, and a 2-megapixel front camera for video calls,
So how does the HTC Desire S compare against the Samsung Galaxy S II when it comes to specifications?
HTC Desire S vs Samsung Galaxy S II: Specifications
| Feature | HTC Desire S | Samsung Galaxy S II | Verdict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system (OS) | Google Android 2.4 (Gingerbread) | Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) | Draw |
| Display size | 3.7in | 4.3in | Galaxy S II |
| Display technology | Capacitive SLCD | Capacitive Super AMOLED Plus | Galaxy S II |
| Display resolution | 480x800 pixels | 480x800 pixels | Draw |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Camera | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation | 8 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation, face and smile detection | Galaxy S II |
| FM radio | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Internal memory | 1.1GB | 16GB or 32GB | Galaxy S II |
| Expandable memory | microSD card slot | microSD card slot | Draw |
| Dimensions | 115 x 59.8 x 11.6mm | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm | Galaxy S II |
| Weight | 130g | 116g | Galaxy S II |
| Application store | Google Android Market | Google Android Market | Draw |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon (1GHz) | ARM Cortex A9 dual-core (1GHz) | Galaxy S II |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 900/1900/2100 | Draw |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n | Galaxy S II |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 3.0 with A2DP | Galaxy S II |
| NFC (Near Field Communication) | No | Yes | Galaxy S II |
| HDMI-out | No | No | Draw |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 7 hours 10 minutes | Unknown | Unknown |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 455 hours | Unknown | Unknown |
| Adobe Flash support | Yes | Yes | Draw |
HTC Desire S vs Samsung Galaxy S II: Design
HTC claims one of the best features of the HTC Desire S Android phone is its design; unlike its largely plastic-bodied predecessor, the Desire S uses an aluminium "unibody" casing, the same design used on the HTC Legend and HTC Desire HD Android phones. HTC claims this unibody design makes the Desire S lighter but stronger than its predecessor.
The HTC Desire S uses an aluminium "unibody" casing, which HTC claims makes it lighter yet stronger than the original Desire.
The Samsung Galaxy S II is just 8.49mm thick, making it thinner than the iPhone 4 and likely the thinnest smartphone in the world. The Galaxy S II has an attractive carbon-like finish on its rear battery cover; in our brief hands-on with the phone it felt both well built and extremely light.
We’ve seen HTC’s unibody design in previous Android phones and were left feeling extremely impressed. Although the Galaxy S II is super-thin, a plastic build can’t match an aluminium one, so the Desire S wins in this department — just.
