Comparison: samsung galaxy s2 vs htc titan
Following our series of comparisons, today we are going to face two very different terminals, although each one in its segment raises enormous expectations. You already know the Samsung Galaxy S2. It is considered by many to be the most powerful and complete smartphone in the Android segment, a privilege that others would share with the HTC Sensation (or its evolution, the HTC Sensacion XL).
On the other side of the ring, another terminal from the Taiwanese firm: the HTC Titan. Beyond opinions, this terminal is one of the most aggressive beasts in the market for phones with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. Not so much in power (mobiles with the Microsoft platform do not have dual-core processors) as in presence: a 4.7-inch screen testifies to this. That being the case, the contest could be very close. Or not? Let's take a look to check it out.
Design and display
The most notable difference at first glance is in the format proposed by both devices. The Samsung Galaxy S2 is a mobile that balances as few (if not none) a wide screen that is installed in a thin, light and very comfortable device. We are talking about 4.27 inches of brilliant Super AMOLED Plus screen in a chassis that is only 8.49 millimeters thick and weighs 117 grams.
The HTC Titan, meanwhile, bets on a canvas that shoots up to 4.7 inches. In spite of everything, it manages to condense a depth of less than ten millimeters of housing. Although in weight, we will confirm the robustness of the device, which marks 160 grams on the scale.
The result of these values marks a more than remarkable difference between the two. The HTC Titan will not be prescribed for all users, and of course we will notice how the screen is too large in our hand. Many times we have stressed that the question of panel size is something subject to user preferences, but whoever subscribes these lines cannot boast of having small hands, and of course they have come to notice some discomfort at some point when it comes to manage one-handed touch commands.
On the other hand, the HTC Titan headset may be located too far to the edge of the chassis on its front, so it could become uncomfortable until we get used to the correct position when wearing it to the ear.
Camera and multimedia
The sensor of both phones is eight megapixels, although this is where the similarities between the two terminals begin and end. While HTC Titan installs a double LED flash and a lighting system designed for low light conditions (BSI, the guys from the Taiwanese have called it), the Samsung Galaxy S2 opts for a single LED. However, the Samsung phone allows you to record video in FullHD format at 30 frames per second, while the HTC Titan stays at 720p. In the case of the HTC mobile, it is interesting to be able to retouch, within theflicker options, the resulting video setting at 50 or 60 Hz, something that is not usually common on these terminals.
As for the multimedia players of one and the other, the simple fact of each one working with platforms so different in terms of philosophy of use already sets the standard for how each terminal will be. The Samsung Galaxy S2 allows you to play practically all audio and video formats that we can imagine, and in fact, there will be no problems storing movies in high definition and MKV or DivX format in its memory to be able to view them on the device itself.
The HTC Titan is not so lavish in compatible formats, although it makes up for it with a user interface that integrates all the multimedia playback systems that the device has installed. Thus, from the same application (which we distinguish in the Music + Videos tile) we could launch the music that we had stored, as well as the Spotify playlists (by the way, the application of this popular service on Windows Phone is probably the most convenient and complete of all mobile ecosystems) or YouTube videos.
On the other hand, both phones have their own music download systems: the Samsung Galaxy S2 opts for Music Hub, while the HTC Titan is based on Microsoft's portal, called Zune.
Hardware and connectivity
The processor and memory are fundamental points for this latest generation of smartphones . But from Microsoft they have been clear giving the guidelines to manufacturers, and warn that Windows Phone does not require hyper-powerful features. That is why the contest between the Samsung Galaxy S2 and HTC Titan apparently starts with a disadvantage for the HTC mobile marked by those from Redmond.
Thus, while the Samsung terminal takes muscle with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and a one GB RAM memory, the Taiwanese device remains on a single- core chip that, yes, develops a speed of 1, 5 GHz. Also, the RAM is in the middle. And in terms of storage, both have an internal memory of 16 GB, although in the case of the HTC Titan the memory expansion option through microSD cards is conspicuous by its absence.
Continuing in this section, the connections of one and the other are also quite similar. We are facing two phones that connect to 3G networks (the Samsung Galaxy S2 through HSPA +, with a theoretical download rate of up to 21.1 Mbps, while the HTC Titan remains at 14.4 Mbps), as well as Wi -Fi, EGDE or GPRS, in addition to allowing sharing the connection with another device through the tethering system. They also each carry a GPS location sensor with assisted function.
The microUSB 2.0 connector is not lacking at the party of both, as well as a wireless Bluetooth port, where there is a difference that will stand out between the two. While the Samsung Galaxy S2 installs version 3.0, the HTC Titan carries the 2.1 model. Perhaps excessive differences should not be noticed for this reason, but we have to say that after a test using the HTC Titan linked to a Bluetooth system installed in a car (to use the vehicle's speakers as an output to the phone's music player), we were able to verify jumps in the connection that did not occur with the Samsung Galaxy S2.
Operating system
The main difference between both mobiles lies precisely in the platform that each one uses to function. Surely you are already familiar with the one that comes standard on the Samsung Galaxy S2: it is Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Google's most advanced platform so far , with almost 300,000 applications in its online storefront, a perfect integration with Twitter and extensive customization options, as well as compatible with a complete notification system.
The HTC Titan carries the latest Microsoft system for smartphones . It's called Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. It already has an online store with some 40,000 applications, despite the fact that it was released only a year ago. It is a closed system with few customization options. And you don't need to. Its user interface is called Metro, and it is distinguished by three sections. On the one hand, the main screen is built with squares or rectangles with dynamic content, whose locations we can modify. They work both as application launchers and as floating windows ( widgets), although not in the way these elements behave in Android.
In a second point, we would have a secondary interface, with the complete list of applications installed on the phone, and that we could place on the main screen in a similar way to how we do it on Android or Symbian. And finally, we would have some submenus with which to manage each application once opened. These submenus are controlled by a horizontal interface that moves the contents in different planes, giving an aesthetically pleasing impression, as well as being comfortable and highly organized.
The notifications are also present in Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. They manifest themselves in a small bar at the top of the screen, as well as in simple icons on the system's lock screen. The best of these notifications is in the wide range of application integration: SMS, Facebook, Twitter, missed calls, LinkeIn, Whatsapp, Exchange, Hotmail or Gmail, among others, can nurture the Windows Phone notification system.
Precisely, integration seems to be the flag of this system, which is capable of bringing together all similar functions in the same sections regardless of the source from which they come. Thus, if we enter the Messages application, we will see how not only can we consult the SMS, but we would also see reflected the Facebook inbox or even the chat of this same social network.
Autonomy
Both devices carry very similar batteries, with 1,750 milliamps in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S2 and 1,600 mAh if we talk about the HTC Titan . In practice, it translates into an autonomy in intensive use of eight hours and 40 minutes in theoretical terms if we talk about the Samsung Galaxy S2 and almost seven hours if it comes to analyzing the HTC Titan. It should be noted here that Windows Phone 7.5 Mango does not look like a very efficient platform at this point, since all its operation is based on attractive and colorful animations that can significantly undermine the battery of the device.
Feedback
Being phones based on such essentially different proposals, it is complicated, and of course it is the user himself who should decide after fiddling with one and the other. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has in its favor the fact of having a very balanced screen-format-weight ratio, while the HTC Titan is committed to a more resounding proposal that may not meet the expectations of all customers.
The system is the fundamental workhorse. Windows Phone behaves with a very reasonable stability, although from time to time it drags some bugs that are the product of Microsoft's inexperience in this specific section (the development of platforms for new generation smartphones ). Overall, the experience of using the HTC Titan with Windows Phone has been good, although perhaps its 4.7 inches may define for many users an exceeded limit in terms of reasonable panel formats.
