Skip to main content

Apple iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S II: Spec showdown

galaxy-s-ii-iphone-4s
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple just unveiled the new iPhone 4S, it’s newest addition to the most-popular smartphone line in the US. While demand for the device sits at an all-time high, Apple faces stiff competition from a growing array of high-end Android handsets. The iPhone 4S won’t be available until October 14, when it ships in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and Japan. An additional 22 international markets will receive the device on October 28. So we haven’t yet had the chance to get our hands on the device. But let’s take a look at how the technical specs of the iPhone 4S stack up next to those of our favorite new Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Apple iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S II
iPhone  4S  Galaxy S II
Price (with contract) $199 to $399 $199.99
OS iOS 5 Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) w/ TouchWhiz 4.0
 Processor  Apple A5 (dual-core) Samsung Exynos (dual-core)
 Display  3.5-inch 960×640 IPS 4.3-inch 800×480 SAMOLED+
Dimensions 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 (mm) 129 x 66 x 8.9 (mm)
Weight 140g 117g
Cellular  CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A/GSM/HSPA GSM/HSPA+
Max. speed 14.4Mbps down/5.8Mbps up 21.1Mbps down
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (single-band) 802.11 b/g/n (dual-band)
 Rear camera 8-megapixel AF w/ LED flash 8-megapixel AF w/ LED flash
 Front camera VGA 2-megapixel
 Video capabilities
 1080p at 30fps 1080p at 30fps
Internal storage  16GB/32GB/64GB 16GB
Mini SD No Yes (expands storage up to 48GB)
Max. battery life  8 hrs talk/6 hrs browsing 3G/10 hrs video/40 hrs music 8 hrs talk
 Construction Glass w/ aluminum band Plastic

*For this comparison, we pitted the iPhone 4S against AT&T version of the Galaxy S II. T-Mobile and Sprint versions have a few different specs, but are more or less the same phone inside. The same model of the iPhone 4S is available on AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Apple has just fixed one of the weirder iPhone bugs
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple has squashed a bug on the iPhone and iPad that caused deleted photos to reappear on the devices.

As smartphone bugs go, this was surely one of the more bizarre ones. Reports of the strange issue began to surface following Apple’s rollout of iOS 17.5 last week.

Read more
Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals: Save big on unlocked models
The back of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus.

While the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 are Samsung’s more recently released smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is still a worthy consideration. The S22 has made for some of the best phone deals available over the years, and now that it’s a couple of generations old you can find some pretty impressive Samsung Galaxy S22 deals out there. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals below, and they offer several ways to save from several different outlets. If you’re in search of the latest and greatest you can also check out the current Samsung Galaxy S23 deals, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals. And if you’d like to check out phones by Apple that are comparable to the S22 you can check out iPhone 14 deals and even refurbished iPhone deals.
Samsung Galaxy S22 deals at Samsung

Samsung isn’t currently carrying very many older models of the Samsung Galaxy S phone. You’ll find some newer models like the recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 there, but if you’re looking for something from the S22 model lineup there are a few options at Samsung. New models of the S22+ and S22 Ultra are available, thought you'll need to buy Samsung Certified Renewed if you're looking for a Galaxy S22. Pricing for these starts at $679 with up to $300 in savings available via instant trade-in credit.

Read more
All of the iPhone 16 colors just leaked. Here’s what’s coming
iPhone 16 mockup with vertical slim camera module.

iPhone 16 design renders MacRumors

Apple could be prepping new colors for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro series this fall. However, the change could also mean that other colors will be discontinued.

Read more