Samsung Galaxy S II vs Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

08 July 2011 – While there is no denying the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S II currently stands at the top of the hill as the King of Android smartphones, the many challengers to the throne are still a force to be reckoned with. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is one such phone with the hardware even worthy enough of opposing the Samsung Galaxy S II. 

At a quick glance, while the Samsung Galaxy S II (125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm) is the slimmest Android phone at the moment, the Sony Ericsson (125 x 63 x 8.7mm) does not trail too far behind, as it is equally as slender. Both devices are just as lightweight, with the Samsung Galaxy S II weighing in at 116 grams while the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is a mere 1 gram “heavier” at 117 grams. 

The Samsung Galaxy S II’s 4.3-inch SUPER AMOLED Plus display dishes out the eye-candy with its 480 x 800 pixel resolution while the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc boasts a 4.2-inch screen powered a Mobile BRAVIA engine with 480 x 854 pixels in resolution. While technical jargons are being thrown around here, the bottomline is that both offerings are just as great. 

Dual-core processing at 1.2GHz means that the Samsung Galaxy S II trumps the slightly older Sony Ericsson Xperia Play’s single-core 1.0GHz chip, though performance-wise, the latter can still hold its own. 

As Google is still working on rolling out the Ice Cream Sandwich, you will have to make do with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) for Samsung Galaxy S II and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. A 1650mAh Li-ion battery powers the Samsung Galaxy S II, whereas the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has a slightly smaller 1500mAh Li-polymer battery. 

Both devices sport an 8-megapixel shooter which churns out top-notch photos. However, the Samsung Galaxy S II is capable of full HD 1080p recording at 30fps while the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc only does 720p at the same framerate. 

While we would heartily recommend the Samsung Galaxy S II any day solely due to the fact that it is one heck of a powerhouse, its price tag might put some buyers off. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, on the other hand, still manages to put up a good fight against its newer Android overlord, and with a much lower asking price, there is no reason not to go for it.