Samsung Galaxy S2 - Wrong CPU from T-Mobile?

[Collider]

Hi all,

So as the title may suggest I just got a new Galaxy S2 from T-Mobile and very surprised to see a dif CPU from what I expected.

As many articles point out it should have a version of a latest Snapdragon CPU but, when I open AndroidSystemInfo I see an ARMv7 Processor rev2 (v7l).

Does anyone know if they changed the specs last minute? or is the App not reporting CPU type correctly?

MOD EDIT: Moved to more appropriate forum. - Zap

 

[postmortemIA]

all snapdragons have ARMv7 instruction sets. snapdragon is just brand name.

 

[BoomerD]

I don't know anything about the phone, but I know this is the wrong forum...

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37

 

[Collider]

I don't know anything about the phone, but I know this is the wrong forum...

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37

Thanks for pointing that out, I'll transfer the tread.

 

[AkumaX]

Hi all,

So as the title may suggest I just got a new Galaxy S2 from T-Mobile and very surprised to see a dif CPU from what I expected.

As many articles point out it should have a version of a latest Snapdragon CPU but, when I open AndroidSystemInfo I see an ARMv7 Processor rev2 (v7l).

Does anyone know if they changed the specs last minute? or is the App not reporting CPU type correctly?

MOD EDIT: Moved to more appropriate forum. - Zap

T-Mobile switched to Snapdragon 1.5Ghz because ".. the Exynos (1.2Ghz) processor is not compatible with T-Mobile's 42 Mbit/s HSPA+ network"

 

[s44]

T-Mobile switched to Snapdragon 1.5Ghz because ".. the Exynos (1.2Ghz) processor is not compatible with T-Mobile's 42 Mbit/s HSPA+ network"

Specifically the use of dual-bandwidth connections vs. previous versions of HSPA(+).

It actually does double the speed, though, which is something.

 

[tommo123]

isn't exynos the better SOC though?

 

[zinfamous]

isn't exynos the better SOC though?

supposedly. there was a quick and dirty (supposedly unreliable) benchmark recently that showed that TMo's version was faster than the standard Exynos, on this one test.

I'm waiting for Anand to bench it, though.

 

[s44]

isn't exynos the better SOC though?

In GPU, yes. In CPU, the clock speed on the Qualcomm (T-mo) gives it a slight edge, although its Scorpion cores are dated compared to the A9s in Exynos (AT&T/Sprint/world). The Adreno 220 GPU in the Qualcomm should still be "good enough" to record/play back video, etc. -- it's just games that suffer.

So T-Mo customers trade off connection speed for processor speed. Looks like a good chance Verizon customers will have to do the same.

Btw: the Qualcomm in the T-mo is the same one as in the TouchPad.

 

[alent1234]

ARM v7 is like x86. Even Apple a5 CPU is recognized that way. It's an ARM thing

 

[bearxor]

It's my understanding that the CPU power is roughly equivalent, but the GPU power is a little less.

Regardless, this type of fragmentation shouldn't be happening in phones from the same manufacturer that are supposed to be the same phones.

 

[alent1234]

T-Mo has crazy frequencies and the radio chip didn't work with the exonys or something like that

 

[Oyeve]

So how is the phone? im looking to dump my vibrant to the tmo sgs2 when one of my contracts is up in a couple of months.

 

[smartpatrol]

Reviews have been very positive so far. Network speed is excellent. Browsing speed is supposed to be even faster than the other GS2 variants.

The only downsides compared to the other GS2 models:
- slightly lower battery life (although still really good)
- worse 3D gaming performance -- Adreno 220 is a good GPU but Mali 400 is the leader of the pack by a long shot
- fraction of a mm fatter than the others

 

[JACKHAMMER]

So the APQ8060 in the SG2 is essentially the same chip as the MSM8260 in the HTC Sensation, coupled with the same Adreno 220. Essentially the choice between the two is screen size and manufacturer as they essentially have the same SOC. Interesting.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I don't think the sensation has a gig of RAM.

 

[Raduque]

I don't think the sensation has a gig of RAM.

Correct, it has 768mb. The Sensation 4G also isn't 42mbps HSPA+ capable. I THINK the SGS2 and Amaze are the only 42mbps HSPA+ phones on Tmo right now.