Alert icon
We're changing our privacy policy. This stuff matters.  Learn more  Dismiss

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Review & Specifications

Loading...

Sign in or sign up now!
Alert icon
Upgrade to the latest Flash Player for improved playback performance. Upgrade now or more info.
5,723
Loading...
Alert icon
Sign in or sign up now!
Alert icon

Uploaded by on Nov 11, 2011

By being a member of the Galaxy S II family, you've already come to know what to expect in the Skyrocket's hardware. The usual suspects are present: 1GB of RAM, an eight megapixel rear camera with an LED flash and 1080p video capture, a two megapixel front-facing camera and a WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display with a tried-and-true RGB matrix. Yet each device that bears Sammy's Galaxy S II logo still adds a few unique characteristics to give it a personality of its own, and the Skyrocket's definitely no exception.

The Skyrocket is known as the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE in other parts of the globe for its obvious inclusion of next-generation network connectivity, a feature that certainly helps the phone stand out from the rest of the pack. It, like the HTC Vivid, has the heavy burden of ushering in a new era of smartphones on Ma Bell's lineup -- not unlike the LG CU500, the pioneer for HSDPA (3G) on Cingular a distant five years ago.

The Skyrocket brings back recent memories of T-Mobile's design sensibility. On the front it offers a 4.5-inch WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display and brandishes the same rounded corners and four capacitive touch nav buttons on the bottom. Underneath the glass, it follows T-Mo's lead by switching from the stellar 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos CPU to a 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 (a Snapdragon S3) -- likely due to the lack of LTE support on Sammy's homegrown SoC. It also has virtually the same dimensions, measuring in at 5.11 x 2.71 x 0.37 inches (129.8 x 68.8 x 9.49mm), making it thicker than the T-Mobile iteration by 0.1mm. With the international model measuring 8.49mm and the Epic 4G Touch 10mm, this puts the Skyrocket near the beefy end of the GS2 spectrum. Oh, and did we mention beef? At 4.6 ounces (130g), the Skyrocket is actually lighter than the 4.77-ounce (135g) T-Mobile model and stays even with Sprint's Epic 4G Touch.

But even with its extra heft, we didn't seem to mind. Sure, coming out with the thinnest phone is all the rage these days, and we enjoy a wafer-sized device as much as the next person. However, level of comfort is more noticeable than fractions of a millimeter, and we felt right at home with the Skyrocket, with only one major exception: its battery cover is as smooth as a baby's cheek, making it incredibly slippery in our hands. We appreciate the textured back found on the other phones in the series because they add just enough friction to keep the device from getting dropped. On the bright side, at least Samsung and AT&T refrained from giving the Skyrocket a glossy finish, which would've made the handset a surefire fingerprint magnet. It actually reminded us of the battery cover found on the T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G.

As to be expected, the Skyrocket's Super AMOLED Plus display is always worthy a mention. Our minds still haven't been changed about the gorgeous non-PenTile screen, though we're looking at the horizon with hesitancy as new handsets featuring 720p HD resolution are making their debut this holiday season. The RAZR's qHD PenTile display pales in comparison to the Super AMOLED Plus found on every Galaxy S II, but the 1280 x 800 resolution on the Galaxy Note would defeat either device soundly in a bar fight. And it's only getting better: the HTC Rezound, for instance, sports a full HD display on a 4.3-inch screen, resulting in 341ppi -- which, if you recall, is higher than the iPhone's Retina Display. Regardless of how beautiful the Skyrocket's screen is, keep in mind that it's now two steps behind the top-of-the-line -- a fact that display connoisseurs likely won't overlook, especially when they're forking out $250 for a brand new handset that they'll commit to for two years. How's it going to compare with the state-of-the-art devices that come out at CES 2013, just a little over a year from now?

Source : Engadget

  • likes, 1 dislikes

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (12)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • is it the same as the sprint version???

  • @rokkero564  yes but the price is higher. $ 300 with 2 year contract

  • @rokkero564 yes it is

  • Is this phone available for tmobile?

  • @TechFeenz It's a bit slower too than the Exynos processor as well. I don't think it's worth getting LTE on your phone, unless your phone has an amazing battery life.

  • Qualcomm = Poor battery. Exynos = Battery for life!

  • Fast enough to get you to that 2gb cap in 3.5 seconds! BOW!

  • Damn, this thing has more processing power than my laptop.

  • what type of screen does it have?respond asap

Loading...

Alert icon
0 / 00Unsaved Playlist Return to active list
    1. Your queue is empty. Add videos to your queue using this button:
      or sign in to load a different list.
    Loading...Loading...Saving...
    • Clear all videos from this list
    • Learn more