galaxy-s2-xperia-arc

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc and Samsung’s Galaxy S II are the two gladiators currently fighting in the smartphone Colloseum. Which is better? What are the strong points and weak points of the two devices? Well, this is what we are about to see, so let the gladiators’ fight begin!

Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Galaxy S II comes with a huge screen of 4.3 – inch and a Super AMOLED Plus cutting-edge Gorilla Glass HD display with a pixel count of 480X800.  At just 8.5 mm thickness, the device is very slim. Samsung have chosen not to cram the front with buttons, therefore this smartphone has only one à la iPhone button on its front and its Menu and Back button are activated by touch. Galaxy S II has an 8 megapixel flash camera featuring image stabilization, face and smile detection and geo-tagging. It has a 1080p video capture. It incorporates a 1 GHz dual-core Exynos processor with an impressive 1GB RAM. Galaxy S II offers a 16/32 GB storage capacity and another microSD allows users to gain another 32GB. The additional HDMI-out port allows user to plug the device in their HD display for media transfer.


Xperia Arc offers a nicely sized screen of 4.2-inch and a 480X854 pixel LCD display powered by Mobile Bravia Engine. It is a slim device with only 8.7 mm thickness. The Back and Menu buttons are placed on the front but their usual position has been switched by Sony Ericsson. The device has an 8-megapixel autofocus camera featuring Sony’s Exmor R lens. The camera offers image stabilization, geo-tagging, face and smile detection and 720p video capture; the maximum resolution is of 3264×22448 pixels.  Arc is powered by a 1 GHz single core Scorpion CPU Adreno 205 GPU processor. Xperia offers a 512 Mb storage capacity extendable up to 32/8 GB via a microSD. Talk time battery lifetime is estimated at 7.0 hours and the standby time at 400 hours. Arc also features a HDMI-out port.

Both smartphones run on Android operating system. In regards to the screen size, Galaxy S II offers a slightly bigger screen at 4.3 –inch compared to that of Xperia Arc (4.2-inch).  Samsung Super AMOLED display provides excellent sunlight legibility and needs only 1/3 of the power amount used by Xperia’s LCD display. Only Samsung Galaxy S II comes with a Gorilla glass which makes it extremely hard to scratch or break. Samsung have managed to created a slightly slimmer (8.5 mm versus 8.7 mm for Arc) and lighter device (116 g versus 117g for Arc).  Again, Galaxy’s dual-core processor is better, it allows heavy video editing and lightspeed apps opening and closing. Compared to Galaxy’s processor, Xperia’s processor has a lag of one millisecond.  Galaxy uses a Li-Ion 1650 mAh battery but no talk time/standby time estimation is available. Unlike Xperia, Samsung Galaxy II incorporates some of the most popular codecs so users need not visit Android Market.

All in all, Samsung Galaxy II appears to be the winning gladiator scoring excellent in processor speed, video capture, Gorilla Glass display, incorporated codecs, storage capacity and sunlight legibility.

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is the Managing Editor of Technically Personal. Sometimes, he writes about Science and Discoveries on MainDevice, believes that technology is the main engine of civilization.
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Whats of when it lags of millisecond! sony ericson rocks my world!. until now, my sony ericson k800i looks fine since 2008. and you know before sony leads the way k800i cyber shot! where is samsung? now!! how could you compare samsung Gs2 to sony e xperia arc? well,, find out the truth. here is the link how sony e experia arc s leads the way and better than iphone 4s!....

What about prices?
Actually arc costa half of s2.
Is this differenze justified?

I have used HTC HD2 earlier and this time S2. There is a visible difference in performance. S2 is far better and beats HD2 in every aspect. I am not sure of sony arc. however my earlier experience with sony vivaz has not been good.
Although S2 is a copy of iphone, it beats iphone-4 and my friends who are iphone fans have agreed to it. Applications load as soon as you select it. I HAVE NEVER SEEN S2 HANGING. That should sum it all.

I am waiting for SE xperia arc S. when wll it be in the market? Anyone knows?
Almost wanted to buy s2.

Am little surprised , almost everyone has commented that S2 is a copycat of Iphone but why is everyone forgetting that if someone who is paying 30K to buy S2 why wouldnt he/she spend another couple of thousand and buy Iphone for real. Its all about choices & preferances.

I just love my arc....anything you do on it is simply the best...with impressive looks.....not like iphone copies SGS2....dual core cannot be optimally used unless you are multitasking at much extent.
Also SGS2 looks fake/copied...and Samsung did not do any creative work... :)

Dual core. Don't go after it. There are no apps that utilize the dual core capability. So at least as of now it is useless. Photographers and experts here have not tried to look up what is Exmor R and went onto state there is no difference . Actually there is. Exmor R is for low light photography. Google it. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is just too stylish. Samsung AMOLED is really good. But so is Arc's display running Sony Bravia Mobile Engine. AMOLED colours are bright but are not true colours. If u have 12000+ cash to spare and not bothered much abt the style of a phone, go for Samsung. I bought Arc and am facing no probs till now. U shud maintain ur smartphone no matter which one it is. Sony has also updated their Arc software(not Android). Along with new themes it brings the xLoud feature which enhances the music of the phone when in speaker mode. I donno abt Galaxy sound but Sony is known for its sound systems. Also Sony is know for its cybershot cameras.

@ Rahul.. U r right Dude... Exmor R is da technology which attracts many professional photographer..
Nice Comment....

My honest opinion about Samsung and Sony. I have heard and captured by Sony E's in terms of phone's durability and design... As for Samsung, honestly ever since I am not a fan of their phones... But it doesn't mean I wont be owning a Samsung Phone in the future... Things change with my impressions about Sony E when it comes to SMARTPHONES... I have now Experias and all those negative comments said above are REALLY TRUE, Sonny E's battery life will drive you madly crazy... no matter what you do, I swear!!! the battery life will be your problem... It also has so much lags... Screen rotations has much delays... As for the camera, well don't be too impressed... I am photographer and i would say, it doesn't really matter so much, you wont see the difference, not too important unless you wish to used the pictures for official photography.. Screen displays and design, YES SONY leads the way with its extremely nice looks... but always remember that it is not the design that will test your patience but it is the PERFORMANCE and usability which matter most for the rest of time when using your phone... Me, as a mobile person, battery life is very important! I dont want my phone to be dead when it is most needed... It is really the battery that has so much problem with Sony E... I am not sure yet with Samsung but I hope they do good on this aspect...

I am still a good fan of Sony E but perhaps my experience with Sony Smartphone made me thought of switching to other Phones and Samsung is under my observation and seems a good option :-) I started to like Samsung based on reviews and comparisons...

Again, this is just an honest opinion...

have an arc n seen the S2...i'd say arc is a much better phone in terms of design..so wat if if the S2 has a better processing speed and so on ARC is not far behind... S2 cud do better if it had a better look n nt the conventional Iphone look(copycat)...
Damn and the product is Samsung.... kiddin me v should compare SE v/s HTC...

@ graham : from ur post it is abvious that u are a samsung plant! nxt time use ur brains better to promote ur product .. both the phones are almost equally good with some advantages nd disadvantages considering each other. if you want a sexy looking fone , choose sony! ;)

Xperia Arcs strength is its Camera,that Xmor sensor is really tempting.Check the picture quality of both,sony will be miles ahead-well sony is always known for that nothing new i said here.

Also sony's display powered by bravia engine isnt that far behind,the curvy build of xperia makes it look much sexier.

What about prices?
Actually arc costa half of s2.
Is this differenze justified?

Very Intelligent comment..

ok the s2 beats the arc by a few features but now that the arc s is here the s2 can go die..........im buying an arc s in a few days,XPERIA ARC S FTW!!!

The real lag about arc is the battery life. Gs2 does much better with the battery and i think thats the only tangible difference here. But the arcs design is killing so irresistibly so.

I have used HTC HD2 earlier and this time S2. There is a visible difference in performance. S2 is far better and beats HD2 in every aspect. I am not sure of sony arc. however my earlier experience with sony vivaz has not been good.
Although S2 is a copy of iphone, it beats iphone-4 and my friends who are iphone fans have agreed to it. Applications load as soon as you select it. I HAVE NEVER SEEN S2 HANGING. That should sum it all.

So sad ........I hate copy cats even if sony produces trash its way better than samsung....with all the specification samsung has got...what more can they bring to the table..I own the arc and am loving it all the way...the display is so vivid..one huge talk about here is the dual core thing which seriously I don't need..how many apps incorporates it? S2 is a good phone...but in terms of customisation sony rocks my world

I am waiting for SE xperia arc S. when wll it be in the market? Anyone knows?
Almost wanted to buy s2.

Samsung s2 is really an awsome fone guys as d comparison of sony arc.......go 4 samsung s2,,!!

Want to exchcange my old but good satio to a really premium android phone...
I like the speed of the Samsung, but arc S (1.4)is coming out now.
So speed should not be important.
Camera should go to SE... And the styling.
But how does it feel to operate?
Samsung looks like its more user friendly?
Easier to use? Or is it the same?
Video quality? On a 50 inch tv?

What kind of rewiew is this?
Galaxy is better because?
8,5 mm vs 8,7...
4.3 inch vs 4.2
116 gram vs 117
A lag of ONE MILLISECOND?
Have you tested them at all or are you only reading data to us?
The info on the gorillascreen was good, but otherwise?

i bought xperia arc its camera is the best and galaxy s2 is nice but not tha xpera arc xperia is such a simple fone not much advanced from6 months in never hanged

Wait for Galaxy S2-3D...... This will be the winner.....

Am little surprised , almost everyone has commented that S2 is a copycat of Iphone but why is everyone forgetting that if someone who is paying 30K to buy S2 why wouldnt he/she spend another couple of thousand and buy Iphone for real. Its all about choices & preferances.

Please tell me, Galaxy s2 or htc sensation or Xperia arc???

Not sure about Radu Tirsina, but I would choose Samsung Galaxy S2 amongst the three

Well one more feature where S2 leads from Arc is seccondary camera for vidio calling. S2 has a 2 MP camera in front where as Arc lacks it.

which one is better???arc or s2..actually i wanna buy 2mrw..plz tell me

i dun just ger it s2 blows arc away.........seriously the reviews says it all..... i was a se arc fan as well but when i went to buy it , it was diacouraged by many shopkeepers because of xperias lag......and other flaws like the wifi.......so many sugestes s2 i bought it and man it is sum monster.....trust me stop comparing single core with dual core.......s2 is milss ahead of arc.......and about the i phone thingy......it is not copied the complaint was denied by law made by i phone.......it is ok if u r obsessd by s ericsson but keep ur heads straight and stop comparing s2 with arc and about the camera......see for urself and there us the 1080 hd video......i leave the judgement to u

I just love my arc....anything you do on it is simply the best...with impressive looks.....not like iphone copies SGS2....dual core cannot be optimally used unless you are multitasking at much extent.
Also SGS2 looks fake/copied...and Samsung did not do any creative work... :)

Dual core. Don't go after it. There are no apps that utilize the dual core capability. So at least as of now it is useless. Photographers and experts here have not tried to look up what is Exmor R and went onto state there is no difference . Actually there is. Exmor R is for low light photography. Google it. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is just too stylish. Samsung AMOLED is really good. But so is Arc's display running Sony Bravia Mobile Engine. AMOLED colours are bright but are not true colours. If u have 12000+ cash to spare and not bothered much abt the style of a phone, go for Samsung. I bought Arc and am facing no probs till now. U shud maintain ur smartphone no matter which one it is. Sony has also updated their Arc software(not Android). Along with new themes it brings the xLoud feature which enhances the music of the phone when in speaker mode. I donno abt Galaxy sound but Sony is known for its sound systems. Also Sony is know for its cybershot cameras.

@ Rahul.. U r right Dude... Exmor R is da technology which attracts many professional photographer..
Nice Comment....

12000 bucks extra...? check in Flipkart ... S 2 costs 29 K where as Arc costs you 27800 hardly 2K difference...!

My honest opinion about Samsung and Sony. I have heard and captured by Sony E's in terms of phone's durability and design... As for Samsung, honestly ever since I am not a fan of their phones... But it doesn't mean I wont be owning a Samsung Phone in the future... Things change with my impressions about Sony E when it comes to SMARTPHONES... I have now Experias and all those negative comments said above are REALLY TRUE, Sonny E's battery life will drive you madly crazy... no matter what you do, I swear!!! the battery life will be your problem... It also has so much lags... Screen rotations has much delays... As for the camera, well don't be too impressed... I am photographer and i would say, it doesn't really matter so much, you wont see the difference, not too important unless you wish to used the pictures for official photography.. Screen displays and design, YES SONY leads the way with its extremely nice looks... but always remember that it is not the design that will test your patience but it is the PERFORMANCE and usability which matter most for the rest of time when using your phone... Me, as a mobile person, battery life is very important! I dont want my phone to be dead when it is most needed... It is really the battery that has so much problem with Sony E... I am not sure yet with Samsung but I hope they do good on this aspect...

I am still a good fan of Sony E but perhaps my experience with Sony Smartphone made me thought of switching to other Phones and Samsung is under my observation and seems a good option :-) I started to like Samsung based on reviews and comparisons...

Again, this is just an honest opinion...

Hey guys.... I know its too old to comment here by now as the world knows now GS2 way ahead of Arc. Arc is better in looks, nice to hold it, but the only problem is, its slow and battery, I am selling my Arc... If anybody interested let me know... Going for S2.... Furthermore, can anybody tell me about GS2 battery life... I know its better then Arc's but still I wanna know how much better??
Thanks,,

have an arc n seen the S2...i'd say arc is a much better phone in terms of design..so wat if if the S2 has a better processing speed and so on ARC is not far behind... S2 cud do better if it had a better look n nt the conventional Iphone look(copycat)...
Damn and the product is Samsung.... kiddin me v should compare SE v/s HTC...

I had wanted to go in for the sony today but i have change my mind.informative arcticle you have putting out there.

@ graham : from ur post it is abvious that u are a samsung plant! nxt time use ur brains better to promote ur product .. both the phones are almost equally good with some advantages nd disadvantages considering each other. if you want a sexy looking fone , choose sony! ;)

Design is not so important rather than the features.. :p

Xperia arc is very well designed unlike the samsung s2 which is almost a copy of the iphone!!! If looking for perfect design consider the Arc!

What a Blunder: "Galaxy S2 incorporates a 1 GHz dual-core Exynos processor with an impressive 1GB RAM." It actually incorporates "1.2" GHz dual-core Exynos processor with an impressive 1GB RAM.

How is the Samsung Galaxy Ace?

I bought the SE Arc and thought it was nice. I then changed it for the Galaxy S2. Thought it was GREAT.

The Arc is laggy at times with apps but the Galaxy S2 has never lagged on me yet. Browsing on the S2 is actually smooth even with flash videos, unlike the Arc which a bit laggy then.

The Galaxy screen has its plus and negatives, the blacks are actually black and doesnt use power, but on lower brightness levels white colours looks yellowish. The colours look better on the Arc but the contrast is better on the S2.

Galaxy S2 battery life beats Arc noticeably. If you have the phone on stand-by it doesnt use any power (only a tiny amount unlike the Arc).

Exmor R is a bunch of rubbish, you cant see the difference and it means that you get less contrast and colour. Its just a fancy name.

The Arcs front buttons broke on my phone in the first week!

Spend a little bit extra, on contract its about £50 more. I am so happy I traded in my Arc for the S2.

The Galaxy S II has a nice specifications, design, and its features but Xperia Arc has more great features than the galaxy. Xperia Arc has a nice slim type and curve design that adds its beauty. These is very informative article, it has a complete details on the two phones. Great article!

When you compare phones with such vast difference in spec i.e dual core Vs single core, Please use cost also as a matrix, this post didnt serve the purpose

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