2011 is set to be the year of the dual-core powered Android phone and two of the biggest upcoming releases in Australia are the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation.
Read our detailed previews of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation, and check out our roundup of the best upcoming smartphones in 2011.
Both of these Android phones have similar specifications — the HTC Sensation sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3in qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera and wraps it in a unibody aluminium design.
The Samsung Galaxy S II on the other hand also has a 4.3in display, but uses Super AMOLED Plus display technology. It matches the Sensation's 8-megapixel camera and 1080p HD video recorder, but the Galaxy S II's most desirable feature is its design: the handset is just 8.49mm thick, making it thinner than the iPhone 4 and likely the thinnest smartphone in the world.
So how does the HTC Sensation compare against the Samsung Galaxy S II when it comes to specifications?
HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S II: Specifications
| Feature | HTC Sensation | Samsung Galaxy S II | Verdict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system (OS) | Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) | Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) | Draw |
| Display size | 4.3in | 4.3in | Draw |
| Display technology | Capacitive S-LCD | Capacitive Super AMOLED Plus | Galaxy S II |
| Display resolution | 540x960 pixels (qHD) | 480x800 pixels | HTC Sensation |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Camera | 8 megapixels, dual-LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation, face detection | 8 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation, face and smile detection | Draw |
| FM radio | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Internal memory | 1GB | 16GB or 32GB | Galaxy S II |
| Expandable memory | microSD card slot | microSD card slot | Draw |
| Dimensions | 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3mm | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm | Galaxy S II |
| Weight | 148g | 116g | Galaxy S II |
| Application store | Google Android Market | Google Android Market | Draw |
| Processor | Qualcomm MSM 8260 dual-core (1.2GHz) | ARM Cortex A9 dual-core (1.2GHz) | Draw |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 | Galaxy S II |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n | Galaxy S II |
| Bluetooth | 3.0 with A2DP | 3.0 with A2DP | Draw |
| NFC (Near Field Communication) | No | Yes | Galaxy S II |
| HDMI-out | Yes (via MHL) | Yes (via MHL) | Draw |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 6 hours 40 minutes | Unknown | Unknown |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 400 hours | Unknown | Unknown |
| Adobe Flash support | Yes | Yes | Draw |
HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S II: Design
One of the most lauded features of the Sensation is HTC's unibody aluminium design, which has also been used on a number of HTC's other Android phones including the original Desire, the Desire HD, the Legend and the recently launched Incredible S. The HTC's unibody casing is constructed from a single piece of aluminium. If HTC's other Android phones are anything to go by, the Sensation will look and feel every bit a premium piece of industrial design, and the finish won't be easy to scratch or mark.
The HTC Sensation Android phone uses a unibody aluminium design that is constructed from a single piece of aluminium.
The Samsung Galaxy S II on the other hand is an entirely different proposition. It is just 8.49mm thick, making it likely the thinnest smartphone in the world (at least until another competitor trumps it). The Samsung Galaxy S II has an attractive carbon-like finish on its rear battery cover, and although it is constructed from plastic rather than metal, it felt well built during our brief hands-on with the phone.
Samsung deserves a huge amount of credit for managing to make the Galaxy S II so thin, but we can't help but award the winner here to the HTC Sensation. Its aluminium unibody design means it will more than likely feel like a premium handset should. Although the Sensation is thicker than the Galaxy S II, the extra girth is a trade-off we would be willing to make for the durability of the unibody design.
The Samsung Galaxy S II measures just 8.49mm thick, which makes it likely the thinnest smartphone in the world.
