Galaxy S II US names: Attain; Function; Within.

[Ns1]

O rly? I could buy unlocked Nokia phones with no contract to any provider, and have done so for the past few years. How exactly did the original iphone save us when it was available exclusively on ATT, and couldn't even be used without activation on an "authorized" carrier?

Scroll down?

What Apple did has nothing to do with exclusive contract with AT&T. Most of you are too blind by fanboism to see the great thing Apple did in standing up to the carriers. Zero branding other than Apple on the iPhone is just one byproduct. The great thing Apple did was they took control of the design and features of the phone. Prior to Apple and the iPhone, the carriers decided what features the phone could have. Not the company that made the phone. If carriers thought certain feature could strain their network or cause them to lose any kind of potential revenue, that feature was forced removed. Nokia always had to hold back features on their phone because carriers told them to. Apple was/is the only company that forced the carriers to play by Apple rules, not carriers. Apple decided what features got added on the phone, not carriers. Apple decided how the phone was going to look, not carriers. Apple decided what programs were going to be preloaded on the phone, not carriers. Apple App store further removed power from the carriers. Apple wanted zero carrier logo on the phone. Apple stood up to the carriers and won. They forced innovation on phone design and features and opened the way for Android. Yet Google and Android hardware makers are still carrier bitches. Galaxy S II shows how far we still have to go especially here in the US.

 

[Munky]

Scroll down?

He's lying. Nokia phones have been available unlocked with no carrier branding, and even having features like video calling, when no US carrier supported said features. And when Apple seized control from the carriers, they didn't make their phone any more open or customizable than before.

 

[Ns1]

And when Apple seized control from the carriers, they didn't make their phone any more open or customizable than before.

That wasn't his point.

 

[Munky]

Scroll down?

That wasn't his point.

His point would be more valid if Apple didn't try to have an iron grip on what the user can/can't do. I don't see the benefit in going from being the carriers' b!tch to Apple's

 

[Ns1]

His point would be more valid if Apple didn't try to have an iron grip on what the user can/can't do. I don't see the benefit in going from being the carriers' b!tch to Apple's

Well, going the other way, I can't get stock vanilla Android on a multitude of Android devices.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Well, going the other way, I can't get stock vanilla Android on a multitude of Android devices.

You can on one line of the Android devices though. One line of products is all the iPhones are.

 

[Ns1]

You can on one line of the Android devices though. One line of products is all the iPhones are.

Not the one I want, so a moot point. Also goes with Naustica's point of, stop putting your crappy shit on these phones (moto blur I'm looking at you)

That said, I agree with the business decisions behind differentiating your product.



over this argument, same shit different thread.

 

[sciwizam]

Could this be the AT&T Galaxy S2?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/11/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-for-atandt-ratted-out-by-its-own-hdmi-dock/

 

[Imported]

Looks more like the Infuse than the SGSII. No home button.

 

[sciwizam]

The US versions of the original Galaxy S also didn't have the huge home button like on the international version. Also, this looks a bit skinnier than the 4.5" Infuse.

Though, the ATT Infuse site lists a similar dock for the Infuse...maybe they are reusing the design or this is a mistake by Samsung Singapore.

 

[evident]

just release this damn phone already

 

[Bateluer]

just release this damn phone already

I would think the AT&T version would be first, I mean, what do they really need to change from the international version? Doesn't AT&T just need to stamp 'AT&T' on the front somewhere?

 

[zerocool84]

I would think the AT&T version would be first, I mean, what do they really need to change from the international version? Doesn't AT&T just need to stamp 'AT&T' on the front somewhere?

No, they need to put some AT&T crap on it.

 

[QueBert]

I want to break my Droid X in half and upgrade to this thing. I can't believe my phone used to be ultra high end in September with its fancy 1ghz proc and 512 mb of RAM, now less than a year later, we're at dual core 1.2 ghz and 1gb of RAM.

ME. WANT. Damn you Verizon, and your 2 year contracts.

It lacks GPU acceleration, I used a dual core Android phone and it didn't feel faster than my EVO. I still noticed scrolling wasn't butter smooth. Basically I want GPU acceleration before I buy another Android device. The one I demoed should have made my EVO feel slow, and honestly if I didn't know it had some uber new dual core cpu I wouldn't have never guessed it.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I would think the AT&T version would be first, I mean, what do they really need to change from the international version? Doesn't AT&T just need to stamp 'AT&T' on the front somewhere?

you would think carriers wouldn't even need to change anything and just release phones like that... but nope.

someone needs to slap the US carriers into shape

 

[Bateluer]

It lacks GPU acceleration, I used a dual core Android phone and it didn't feel faster than my EVO. I still noticed scrolling wasn't butter smooth. Basically I want GPU acceleration before I buy another Android device. The one I demoed should have made my EVO feel slow, and honestly if I didn't know it had some uber new dual core cpu I wouldn't have never guessed it.

GPU acceleration in Gingerbread isn't going to make a difference when the carriers and manufacturers load that dual core phone up with bloatware and saddle it with a bloated UI like Sense or TouchWiz.

The Thunderbolt is liquid smooth when that junk is stripped away and a real launcher is used, and thats on Froyo and completely lacking any GPU acceleration.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Basically I want GPU acceleration before I buy another Android device.

You might have your EVO for a long time then, as Google isn't giving any indications that they are moving to a composite-based interface anytime soon. Gingerbread and Honeycomb brought in some basic GUI acceleration, but nothing from Google has indicated they are willing to go through the painful process that would be needed to have a composite interface on their devices like iOS has.

In fact, the dual and quad core phones give Google even less of a reason to move to full GPU acceleration, because now they can just throw more CPU power at the problem of a lack of smoothness (just like Windows XP with a dual core back in the day).

Apple had generations of PowerPC users to learn how to make a composite interace. Windows had the whole Vista fiasco that represented much of their growing pains in the area. To get to a point where you have a GPU accelerated GUI many things must break, many things must be deemed incompatible, just to move forward. I just don't see Google doing that until a lack of smoothness starts to hurt their market share, which may never happen.

 

[QueBert]

You might have your EVO for a long time then, as Google isn't giving any indications that they are moving to a composite-based interface anytime soon. Gingerbread and Honeycomb brought in some basic GUI acceleration, but nothing from Google has indicated they are willing to go through the painful process that would be needed to have a composite interface on their devices like iOS has.

In fact, the dual and quad core phones give Google even less of a reason to move to full GPU acceleration, because now they can just throw more CPU power at the problem of a lack of smoothness (just like Windows XP with a dual core back in the day).

Apple had generations of PowerPC users to learn how to make a composite interace. Windows had the whole Vista fiasco that represented much of their growing pains in the area. To get to a point where you have a GPU accelerated GUI many things must break, many things must be deemed incompatible, just to move forward. I just don't see Google doing that until a lack of smoothness starts to hurt their market share, which may never happen.

I won't be getting another Android phone, if my EVO breaks I might look for another, if not hopefully in a year or so I'll be able to get an iPhone 4 for less than $300, I know dreaming. Google needs to add GPU acceleration more than anything, but I fear you are right. And it doesn't help that people truly believe their dual core Android devices are 100% smooth. I guess since the masses seem to be content with a choppy device I need to suck it up and settle.

 

[bonkers325]

I won't be getting another Android phone, if my EVO breaks I might look for another, if not hopefully in a year or so I'll be able to get an iPhone 4 for less than $300, I know dreaming. Google needs to add GPU acceleration more than anything, but I fear you are right. And it doesn't help that people truly believe their dual core Android devices are 100% smooth. I guess since the masses seem to be content with a choppy device I need to suck it up and settle.

if you truly, TRULY need a polished end-user experience you will go to the ends of the earth to create that experience, regardless of platform. that is why people jailbreak and root.

and for the masses, a polished smartphone experience boils down to fast and easy facebook and twitter access. if you point out minor flaws like stuttering UI and lack of GPU acceleration, most phone users will probably go "oh yea... never noticed that before... oh well" and promptly move on with their lives. its simply not that important to most users.

 

[poofyhairguy]

if you truly, TRULY need a polished end-user experience you will go to the ends of the earth to create that experience, regardless of platform. that is why people jailbreak and root.

Exactly.

On this particular issue, Google's saving grace is that unlike Apple they let programs replace core functions, so some third-party developers have bolted on GPU GUI acceleration to Android by basically creating web browsers that act like video games. If you replace the default launcher with Launcher Pro, and use Opera Mobile as your main browser you get GPU accelerated GUIs on the two most used parts of the Android interface.

 

[Bateluer]

I won't be getting another Android phone, if my EVO breaks I might look for another, if not hopefully in a year or so I'll be able to get an iPhone 4 for less than $300, I know dreaming. Google needs to add GPU acceleration more than anything, but I fear you are right. And it doesn't help that people truly believe their dual core Android devices are 100% smooth. I guess since the masses seem to be content with a choppy device I need to suck it up and settle.

Wait, so you're going to buy a 4 year old phone?

I'm not sure what you're doing, but plenty of Android phones are perfectly smooth even without the GPU acceleration that comes with a Gingerbread update, which manufacturers have been lazy as hell getting out the door. It is somewhat sad that in order to get that smoothness, users have to root, remove manufacturer's UIs, and install a LP/ADW/Go, etc.

Thunderbolt with Sense, laggy. Thunderbolt de-Sensed and running ADW.Ex, perfectly smooth.

 

[Anubis]

QueBert like to complain about everything Bateluer

 

[iahk]

The problem is it seems that a lot of users are just obsessed with scrolling or something. OK, there is a little bit of choppiness when you scroll down your app drawer.. but seriously? You're going let that be the make/break of your phone decision? I basically use folders only now since it seriously is a pain in the ass the scroll through your app drawer to choose an app to use. Especially since 75% of the apps in my app drawer are apps that you only use once to set a setting and forget about it.

But even so, if you can't get over that, Android really isn't the platform for you. Especially if you can't see over it and see everything else it has to offer.

 

[Bateluer]

QueBert like to complain about everything Bateluer

Maybe AT GG&P should take up a collection, get him an iPhone 4 so we don't have to listen to his 'Android is crap/slow/choppy/needs GPU acceleration' stuff in every thread?

Back on topic though. No new information on the SGS2 US versions, at least, I haven't heard anything.

First ROMs have started to appear for the Charge though, but its basically a Galaxy S 1 with an LTE radio.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I did notice at Best Buy that the Infuse dropped $50 in price to $150. That might be a hint that the Attain is on its way, as the Infuse is a $100 phone at best once the Attain hits. The Galaxy S 1 came out at $200 on AT&T and I am hoping for the same from the S 2. The original hit July 18th on AT&T, so I am hoping from the same for the sequel.