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 4Samsung Galaxy S II
Price$65$15
Our rating8/108/10
Battery1,420 mAh1,650 mAh
RAM (max)—1 GB
Storage (max)32 GB32 GB
Screen size3.5 in4.3 in
Main camera5 MP8 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)137 g116 g
ReleasedJun 2010May 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.

Display

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
TypeIPS LCD, LED-backlit, capacitive touchscreenSuper AMOLED Plus
Size3.5 inches4.3 inches
Resolution640 x 960 pixels480 x 800 pixels
ProtectionScratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coatingCorning Gorilla Glass
Pixel Density~326 ppi (Retina display)—

Platform

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
OSiOS 4, upgradable to iOS 7.1.2Android 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
ChipsetApple A4Exynos 4 Dual (Exynos 4210)
CPU1.0 GHz Cortex-A8 (800 MHz underclocked)1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9
GPUPowerVR SGX535Mali-400MP4

Memory

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
RAM512MB—
Internal Storage8GB, 16GB, 32GB—
Card SlotNo—
Card slot—microSDHC (dedicated slot), up to 32GB
Internal—16GB 1GB RAM, 32GB 1GB RAM

Main Camera

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
Single5 MP, f/2.8, autofocus—
FeaturesLED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, HDRLED flash
Video720p@30fps1080p@30fps
Modules—8 MP, AF

Selfie Camera

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
Single0.3 MP (VGA)—
FeaturesFaceTime over Wi-Fi—
Video480p@30fpsYes
Modules—2 MP

Battery

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
TypeLi-Po 1420 mAh, non-removableRemovable Li-Ion 1650 mAh battery
Stand-byUp to 300 h (2G) / Up to 300 h (3G)Up to 710 h (2G) / Up to 610 h (3G)
Talk timeUp to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G)Up to 18 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 40 min (3G)
Music playUp to 40 h—

Body

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
Dimensions115.2 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
Weight137 g (4.8 oz)116 g
BuildGlass front (Corning Gorilla Glass), glass back, stainless steel frame—
SIMMicro-SIMMini-SIM

Comms

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz only)Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR2.1, A2DP, EDR
GPSA-GPSYes, with A-GPS
RadioNoStereo FM radio, RDS
USB30-pin dock connectormicroUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out)
NFC—Optional

Launch

Apple iPhone 4Samsung Galaxy S II
AnnouncedJune 7, 2010February 2011
ReleasedJune 24, 2010 (GSM model); February 2011 (CDMA model)—
OS at LaunchiOS 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.

Best phone lists →