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A Great Mid-Range Phone – The Nokia Lumia 800 Vs. The Samsung Galaxy S II

Last updated on February 19, 2014

We all want a highly sophisticated smart phone with high-quality features; however, we don’t all have the budget to purchase those high-end handsets. It is discouraging to purchase a less costly phone only to find it is less than impressive, and not good value for money. However, there are mid-range, mid-priced phones which are not as costly but still offer some pretty superb functions. In order to find the best of these mid-range options it is imperative you do research and a comparison. This article is a review of two of the most popular of these types of handsets – the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Samsung Galaxy S II.

The design

It is important to consider the design of a mobile phone when looking to purchase a handset. This is significant as it identifies the size, shape, weight and make of the item. When looking at this comparison one will note that there is not much difference when considering size and shape; however, the Nokia Lumia 800 and Samsung Galaxy S II differ greatly in weight. The Samsung Galaxy S II is 26g lighter than the Nokia Lumia 800 making it more convenient, despite being larger in dimensions (4.93 x 2.60 x 0.33 inches over 4.59 x 2.41 x 0.48 inches).

It should also be noted that the Galaxy S II operates on an Android 4.1.2 operating system and the Lumia 800 operates a Windows Phone 7.8 system. This is important to consider as it determines the amount and types of apps one may utilise.

The display

Because many consumers utilise their phones for multimedia purposes nowadays, there is a strong need for a large and effective screen. It is clear that neither the Nokia Lumia 800 nor Samsung Galaxy S II have notable screen sizes when compared to other more costly phones. In its day the S II was top of the range, but sadly no more.

The colour resolution of 489 x 800 pixels with 252 ppi (Nokia Lumia 800) and 218 ppi (Samsung Galaxy S II) are of low quality among smart phone crowds today. However, they are light and proximity sensitive, with scratch-resistant glass.

The hardware and memory

It is vital one consider the hardware as this determines the effectiveness and abilities of the handset. Although the majority of Samsung phones utilise a Qualcomm Snapdragon system chip, the Samsung Galaxy S II uses a Samsung Exynos 4210 chip. This device also presents with a 1200 MHz dual core processor and an ARM Mali-400 graphics processor. The Nokia Lumia 800 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM825 system chip and, unlike the Galaxy S II, it has a 1400 MHz single core processor with a simple graphics processor.

Looking at this comparison one will notice that the Samsung Galaxy S II is more powerful. This can also be seen within the random access memory capacity, as the Galaxy S II boasts a 1024 MB RAM and the Lumia 800 a 512 MB RAM. Furthermore, the built-in storage is greater within the Galaxy S II. offering 32 GB, double that of the Lumia 800’s 16 GB. Finally, despite both offering a micro USB chip only the Galaxy allows for mass storage expansion.

The battery life

Before purchasing a mobile phone, one must always consider the battery life of the handset; no-one wants to have to charge more than once a day. It is believed that the more costly phones offer sophisticated, longer-life battery time; yet, there are mid-range options that will offer as impressive choices. The Samsung Galaxy S II presents with a talk time of 18.80 hours and a stand-by time of 29.6 days, both of which are far above the standard average time of smart phones. However, while the 3G stand-by time is also above the standard average the 3G talk time is 4 hours below the average battery life.

When looking at the Nokia Lumia 800 as an option, one will see that the talk time and stand-by time are less than impressive when compared to the standard average time. The talk time stands at 13 hours in comparison to the average 12 hours; and the stand-by time of 11 days in far below the average of 20 days. The 3G time is also far below the standard average, making this handset a somewhat weak option as a mid-range phone.

The camera

Many consumers believe that the camera and multimedia facilities are far superior among the high-end smart phones. It is thought that the higher the price the more sophisticated the functions; however, the Galaxy S II and the Lumia 800 have shown a similarity to many other costly handsets. So, which is the more impressive of these mid-range mobile phones?

While both offer an 8 megapixel camera, it is the Lumia 800 phone that offers a dual LED flash (in comparison to the Galaxy S II LED flash), an F 2.2 aperture size and a 28mm focal length. It also offers the following additional options, whereas the Galaxy offers only the digital zooming and geo-tagging. The Lumia features are:

  • Auto-focus
  • Touch to focus
  • Digital zoom
  • Geo-tagging
  • White balance pre-set
  • Exposure compensation

As mentioned above, the Galaxy S II offers geo-tagging and digital soon; however, it also offers smile detection and panorama, which is not available on the Lumia 800 – nor is the 2 megapixel front-facing camera.

The multimedia facilities

Multimedia facilities are important for many of us nowadays. We choose to use our phones as music and video players, and as internet browsing devices. This comparison attest to the fact that the only similarity seen on this front is the ability to tune into an FM radio station. Beyond this ability, the Galaxy S II has the advantage offering a music player and a lot more.

It should be noted that despite being unable to play music or upload films, the Lumia 800 can browse the internet using the Internet Explorer 9 browser. It also offers built-in Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter options. The Galaxy S II also offers these options, excluding the Flickr app; although this can be downloaded from the app store.

Final words on the matter

In conclusion, when choosing the best mid-range handset you must take various aspects into consideration with the most important being your requirements. If you are interested in music and require a long talk time then the Samsung Galaxy S II would be the best option. You may prefer the look and Windows experience on the Lumia. Overall the S2 is the best phone in the opinion of most experts.

Phil Turner has a daughter who rang him recently about the phone he is buying for her birthday. She was most insistent that Phil should only be looking at pink mobile phones. Crazy.

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