Apple iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S II
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S II, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 1,420 mAh | 1,650 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 1 GB |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Screen size | 3.5 in | 4.3 in |
| Main camera | 5 MP | 8 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 137 g | 116 g |
| Released | Jun 2010 | May 2011 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S II is ahead on battery, screen size, main camera, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S II is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD, LED-backlit, capacitive touchscreen | Super AMOLED Plus |
| Size | 3.5 inches | 4.3 inches |
| Resolution | 640 x 960 pixels | 480 x 800 pixels |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Pixel Density | ~326 ppi (Retina display) | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| OS | iOS 4, upgradable to iOS 7.1.2 | Android 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean |
| Chipset | Apple A4 | Exynos 4 Dual (Exynos 4210) |
| CPU | 1.0 GHz Cortex-A8 (800 MHz underclocked) | 1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX535 | Mali-400MP4 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| RAM | 512MB | — |
| Internal Storage | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | — |
| Card Slot | No | — |
| Card slot | — | microSDHC (dedicated slot), up to 32GB |
| Internal | — | 16GB 1GB RAM, 32GB 1GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.8, autofocus | — |
| Features | LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, HDR | LED flash |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Modules | — | 8 MP, AF |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Single | 0.3 MP (VGA) | — |
| Features | FaceTime over Wi-Fi | — |
| Video | 480p@30fps | Yes |
| Modules | — | 2 MP |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1420 mAh, non-removable | Removable Li-Ion 1650 mAh battery |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h (2G) / Up to 300 h (3G) | Up to 710 h (2G) / Up to 610 h (3G) |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) | Up to 18 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 40 min (3G) |
| Music play | Up to 40 h | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm (4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37 in) | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49 mm |
| Weight | 137 g (4.8 oz) | 116 g |
| Build | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Glass), glass back, stainless steel frame | — |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | Mini-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz only) | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 2.1, A2DP, EDR |
| GPS | A-GPS | Yes, with A-GPS |
| Radio | No | Stereo FM radio, RDS |
| USB | 30-pin dock connector | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out) |
| NFC | — | Optional |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|
| Announced | June 7, 2010 | February 2011 |
| Released | June 24, 2010 (GSM model); February 2011 (CDMA model) | — |
| OS at Launch | iOS 4 | — |
| Status | — | Released May 2011 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S II?
Samsung Galaxy S II — 1,420 mAh for the Apple iPhone 4 versus 1,650 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S II?
Samsung Galaxy S II — 137 g for the Apple iPhone 4 versus 116 g for the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S II?
Samsung Galaxy S II — Jun 2010 for the Apple iPhone 4 versus May 2011 for the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Is the Apple iPhone 4 or the Samsung Galaxy S II rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 4 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S II 8/10.
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