Jumping ship from Apple iOS 5 to Googles Android Gingerbread November 16, 2011

Reviewer:  Adrian Ayala  (San Diego, Ca) -

WOW That's an awesome phone.
Those are usually the words I have been hearing from my coworkers, friends, and family. I bought the phone Sunday after putting up with my iPhone 3GS shutting down at 7x% battery life and reading my ebooks on its small display, which probably was not good for my already bad eyesight (especially reading at night). The build quality appears to be great, the material used for the phones body is plastic and I would have liked it to been something more durable, like what the Apple Macbooks (aluminum I think) are made from. But I'm sure there are engineering considerations and costs that prevent.

The phone itself looks beautiful, but it feels really clumsy in my small hands and I am always afraid of dropping it, which is one of the draw backs to this phone (my iPhone was perfect in my hand and I could easily grasp it and walk around like a boss! (like Ari Gold in Entourage!)).
The weight is unbelievably light, as if there's no battery or internals.
The display is quite possibly the best I have ever seen on phone, I have not been this impressed since my first iPhone 3G; the displays colors are very vivid and I enjoyed watching movies like Lilo & Stich, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and Macross: Frontier (wear your headphones to get the 5.1 sound going).

iOS 5 to Android Gingerbread 2.3
Migrating from the iOS to the Android platform has been a bit difficult for me since I don't have many (if any at all) friends with an Android device to show me around and how to do things or what the various notifications along the top mean (why are some grey and others in color?). The UI is very, very intuitive after a hour of playing around (I keep forgetting to go to Applications to find my apps instead of scrolling across the screen) and the default Home screens are already populated with Widgets and Shortcuts.

Talking and browsing on the phone.
Right off the bat, the first thought that went into my head as I talked for the first time on the phone was that I was holding my 1st gen Sony PSP (cause of the display being so beautiful) and then I thought or a Texas Instruments TI-86 to my head.
I live in San Diego, CA and I believe we are in the 4G market (the 4G icon appears), and so far the only apps I have used to transfer data is Tumblr, Facebook, and E-mail, and some web browsing. The data transfer is seems to be

Shutterbug
I love taking pictures and never go anywhere without my Nikon D90 near me. My iPhone 3GS was my secondary and used in conjunction with apps such as instagram and tumblr, I was very happy. The Skyrockets camera is so much better with its quicker response and additional features. I will miss instagram since the developers are only focused on the iOS platform.

Simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  Jeff Edwards "RadioJeff"  (Twin Falls, Idaho) -

I recently began working for AT&T, so let me get that out right away. As a current Verizon subscriber (my personal phone is a Droid Razr--and I LOVE that phone, too), I wasn't able to get a GS2, even though I wanted one bad. My son (uses Sprint) got his GS2 and I gotta say, after examining his phone for about 15 minutes, I was almost ready to jump the Verizon ship to get one, too...almost. What essentially keeps me where I am is pretty simple: I am grandfathered into my Unlimited Data plan with Verizon and they currently have the largest 4GLTE footprint and I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Even in our area, Sprint STILL doesn't have WiMax 4G capability, so why bother with a provider who probably won't evolve up to LTE until just after the next ice age, by which time everyone else will be up to 5 & 6G? 'Nuff said.

So, as I wrote before, I recently did a career change and now work for an AT&T service provider and as a result, I was given a GS2 to use personally as an employee. Weird, but I signed my new 2 year agreement with Verizon just about 4 weeks before getting the job, otherwise I may not have...First off, there is a slight difference between the Galaxy S2 and the GS2 Skyrocket. The original GS2 only has 3G and HSPA+ (kinda like 3G on Steroids, but clearly not in the same category as LTE), and the Skyrocket is both HSPA+ AND 4GLTE. You get the best of both worlds. It also has a slightly larger display. You may not think going from a 4.3 to a 4.5 inch screen is much, but honestly, I found it truly amazing. One of the guys I work with has about the smallest touch screen phone I've ever seen and cannot wrap his head around a phone with a screen so huge. He'll come around, trust me. Once you get used to a screen 4" or bigger, you simply cannot imagine how you'd ever go back. I hear it from iPhone users almost daily--but keep in mind, this is a personal choice. For some, bigger is better, for others, not so much.

The Skyrocket also has a slightly faster processor. Both have dual-core, but the Skyrocket gets a micro-burst from 1.2 up to 1.5 gigahertz. Honestly, I don't think I can see much--if any difference in practical use, but again, to each his own. As for the screen, yes its a tiny bit bigger and yet shares the same pixel density. I must admit, hands down Super Amoled screens not only beat the competition (including the all-mighty iPhone's Retina Display), they demolish it. Now--add to that the fact that both Galaxy S2 phones have a Super Amoled PLUS screen and things that were already great are made even better, NOT an easy task mind you. Just comparing the Atrix 2 with my Razr is night & day...The ONLY screen I say is actually better--today that is--would be the one on the Galaxy Nexus. The HTC Rezound has about the same pixel density as the GN but the difference is clearly in the Super Amoled Plus. Quite literally you've got to compare them yourself, side-by-side to appreciate how awesome the screens are.

The GS2 line are expected to receive the update to ICS 4.0 sometime in 2012--but not yet from what I've heard. That update seriously ought to make an awesome phone truly amazing. As for performance, the Android platform has undergone a bit of a transformation from Froyo to Gingerbread and the gain in stability is definitely appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT an iPhone hater by any stretch. Heck, I sell the darn things, of COURSE I like them. There are two significant reasons why my personal platform of choice is Android: #1 I must have a larger screen. #2 I tinker with my phone almost every minute of the day and as such, being able to customize my phone endlessly as you can with Android is my absolute favorite thing about owning one. The shell looks the same, but from week to week almost everything else changes, and I have yet to find and end to how different I can make it look and act. For me, this is super big. It isn't as obvious to those who are fans of the iPhone because without jailbreaking your phone, you are stuck with what the phone looks like, save changing the wallpaper. What I am constantly surprised from apple is the lack of serious change to the overall LOOK of their UI. Take an original iPhone and compare it with a brand new 4S model and essentially the layout is the same. Unchanged in several years and platform updates. For those who appreciate stability, this may be just fine, but for those who like a new-and-improved fresher UI every now and then, you have an alternative.

As for the build of the phone, what can I say? At the moment, the Razr just very well may have the toughest build for a phone without using a case. The Skyrocket and the regular GS2 are a bit flimsy by comparison. I always recommend buyers to insure their phones by purchasing a case which will help to protect their expensive investment. No case is full-proof, but they are not all created equal, either. Screen protectors are important as well--even if your phone has Gorilla Glass, which, while extremely scratch resistant, is still not scratch proof--no phone screen is. The back of the Skyrocket is plastic and honestly this is going to be another one of those items which will either be fine with you or may very well be a deal breaker. Some have referred to the back as so cheap that it would fracture if dropped two feet onto plush carpet. While I can assure you that isn't the case, I WILL be honest and say the phone build is far from super durable. Depending on how you treat your device, you may see fit to protect it--as I encourage everyone to do. The upside to the Skyrocket/GS2 build is how light and thin it is. That is pretty big these days and something you seriously ought to consider before purchasing. Back when HTC introduced the 4GLTE Thunderbolt, when I first examined the phone I immediately decided against buying for the simple reason that it was just much too thick for my taste. Put the HTC inside a carrying case and it becomes even THAT much thicker. It was a deal breaker for me personally. The GS2 phones are thin--not as much as the Razr (or even the Razr Maxx BTW), but still, pretty dang thin, especially considering all it can do. Since this is another personal thing for each individual buyer, I HIGHLY recommend before buying ANY phone, go to a store and wherever possible, handle a phone yourself and get a feel for how it sits in your hands before spending your hard-earned money to buy it only to be upset a week later because its too big--or too small for your hands.

The apps available are growing exponentially in the Android Market (over 450,000 at last count, fast approaching apple) which almost makes it a wash if that is why you are choosing one phone over another--but even so, there still are apps exclusive to apple and also to Android. Once again, research is key to making this particular decision.

Call quality with the Skyrocket is good to near excellent--thus far. I am happy to say the strength of the calls have been great with strong signal everywhere I've personally taken the phone. I had a vastly different experience with my old Blackberry Bold and the HTC Tilt 2 some years back, and I am happy to report that AT&T has handled this issue--at least where I currently live. The volume on calls has been excellent as well. The speaker phone is maybe a shade above Good, but thats about it. I'm still waiting for a good mobile phone to provide me with a speakerphone which will suit my needs--meaning loud and crisp without being too tinny on the higher end. So far I have yet to find a model on ANY network which I would endorse as having the perfect speaker. I expect that will change as technology continues to improve, but how long it'll be before one becomes available is anyone's guess at this point.

As far as AT&T Bloatware is concerned, I expect it these days and struggle to find a work-around without the need to root my phone (and void warranty). AT&T has listened more to customers in this regard than Verizon has. Some bloatware with these new phones can actually be removed whereas Verizon simply doesn't allow it. Again, as another reviewer has noted, just because we have pretty much all come to expect this invasion and use of OUR precious memory on OUR phones, certainly doesn't make it right. ALL wireless companies do this to some degree or another. I personally believe that whoever first allows their customers to delete ANY bloatware from their phones (which isn't critical to phone use), will eventually be the winner in my book. Some of these useless apps take up a ridiculous amount of memory and automatically starts running in the background, whether you want it to or not. Sure, I understand that Android allows for this and re-directs systems processing power when necessary...however, it STILL bugs me. No matter HOW much system resources it uses, I'd really rather not have it use up ANY unless I ask it to. This right here is my biggest complaint with Android. On my previous phones, it would only do what I wanted it to--and only WHEN I wanted it to. Don't get me wrong, Androids ability to multi-task with multiple apps running simultaneously, runs--for the most part--almost flawlessly. Even so, it still bugs the heck out of me. I also know I'm not the only person who thinks this way. There is safety in numbers and if enough of us complain, something is bound to change in our favor. I hear that with the upgrade to ICS 4.0 the ability to delete or disable more bloatware will be fairly standard on most phones running it, but I cannot say that with any certainty...although my fingers ARE crossed.

In short, the Skyrocket is just amazing. It works, it does what I want and then some--all in a sleek and thin frame. While not as durable as maybe the Razr, with a good shell on it, ought to provide you with exactly what you bought it to perform. The screen is absolutely brilliant and almost the best I've seen (outside of the Galaxy Nexus). The color saturation with the Super Amoled Plus simply must be seen to be believed. With that being said, I know several iPhone owners who argue that NO phone has a better screen than the iPhone 4 and 4S...again, this is one of those personal things I mentioned before. If you honestly believe the iPhone to have the best screen, then it does...if you believe its the Skyrocket, then THAT phone does. Perception is everything, and as I like to remind myself regularly, everyone is different.

I believe you can't go wrong with this device. I DO recommend buying no less than a 3Gig Data plan. You'd be amazed how quickly you can run through the gigs without even realizing it. Better safe than sorry. If you end up not using that much you can always go down a tier to a smaller rate and Data plan which better suits you and your wallet. Again, everyone is different...but you get the picture. Now, if only my company would gift me a Galaxy Note to use for free...

Great Phone; Worth Purchasing March 28, 2012

Reviewer:  JohnD 

I've had it about a week now, and it's definitely the best phone I've ever owned. The screen is big, so you can see everything clearly. The camera is sharp, and the flash helps out a lot. The touch screen takes a bit of getting used to, I admit, but even so, it's relatively intuitive.

I've seen a lot of reviews complain about the battery life, and admittedly, it can lose a charge quickly. But I have the feeling that most people don't bother turning their phone off at night, which would cut the battery life down. And honestly, the short battery comes from the fact that it runs far better and is far more useful than a non-smart phone. The last two phones I've own got three day charges out of the box, but those quickly went down to two-day. The shorter life is a small price to pay for the 4G (and LTE, if you live in such an area), as well as the app access.

Doesn't play well with Yahoo mail March 14, 2012

Reviewer:  A. Corredor "mav63"  (Alexandria, VA) -

After going through the Iphone 3 and 4, it was time for change. I decided on the Skyrocket based on friends and reviews. First thing I noticed, it is big! But at the same time it is lighter than the Iphone 4. It is packed with features as listed in the product description so you will drain the battery VERY FAST playing with it.

Now my complaints:

First, I have a yahoo mail account that is tied to my old ATT/Bellsouth account. You would think that since it is on the ATT network, the phone would take all my contacts from the yahoo account. I went to contacts, more, add accounts, added Yahoo account and ....nothing. No contacts. After 48 hours of trying, I called ATT and they said call Samsung. I called Samsung and they said...uh, it is a Google phone and they don't play well with Yahoo. They recommended a few Apps to try and still nothing. Then it hit me, just export your Yahoo contacts to a CSV file, import it into Gmail contacts, sync contacts again, then delete the gmail account. Complicated but YES, Success!

Second complaint, you would think a Samsung phone would have all the features to use a Samsung Bluetooth WEP200 headset. It doesn't. As of Q1 2012, there is no Bluetooth Voice Command. You can't push your button on the headset and say call XXX, it doesn't even open the Voice Command. So, to use your "hands free" device, you need to grab your phone, hit the Voice command icon, say call XXX and it will dial them up, then your hands are free to talk using your Bluetooth. Huh? Makes no sense..hopefully they will fix that soon!

**Update 03-16-2012** Found APP called "Hands-Free Voice Dialer" that finally activates the phone via Bluetooth Headset. Works great and it will even open "Voice Search" when you say it.

So other than that, I love this phone. I am waiting for a good bike mount to come out so I can use it to track my rides. I have had many compliments on it, especially picture quality and the beautiful screen. I use it with my work email using TouchDown and of course personal email also. Call quality is great and I get plenty of 4GLTE in the DC area.

Get this phone and you won't be disappointed. If swapping from an Iphone, be prepared for a learning curve but it is worth it!!

Good but not Great February 27, 2012

Reviewer:  MzBinkyLove 

Loved the size of the phone, had been researching it for weeks and was excited to get it. It is not very user friendly and if you never had an andriod before you'll be lost. The back light is BRIGHT! And it drains the battery even if you turn it down. I came from a Blackberry Torch and the Skyrocket takes longer to charge than any phone I've ever had in my life!!!! The battery normally lasts me through the school day but anywhere past 6hrs and the battery is in the yellow. The back cover is garbage,its made of very thin plastic so you DEF need a cover. Another thing that upset me was that you cant customize your text message ring tone, and on my Blkberry I could customize the text and call ringtone to to the specific person. You also have to power down the phone every other day just to keep it running correctly cuz the 4g will stop, and the browser and some apps wont load. I really do love all the other aspects of the phone such as the volume, screen size, home screen customization, picture clarity and internet speed (when its working correctly) but I'm starting to wonder if I should have gotten the HTC vivid...

Best Android phone I have owned. January 20, 2012

Reviewer:  William C. Howard "DynamicLynk"  (ALABAMA) -

This phone has a very crisp display, and extremely fast.

prior to this phone I was using the DroidX with VZW.

I have owned the following prior to this phone:

DROID (OG)
DROID Incredible
DROID 2
DROID X
LG Ally
Galaxy S

Obviously a great phone, but here's what you should know first January 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Anonymous Bosch 

There's no doubt that the Galaxy S II line are among the best phones you can get today, and the Skyrocket is no exception. That said, it isn't perfect, and there are a few things you should know before jumping in.

1) LTE is extremely fast, but it drains the battery like you wouldn't believe. This isn't an issue for me, because I turn it off when I'm not using it, and the phone lasts me 16 hours. But with the LTE on and cranking, you might be done in 5 hours. HSPA+ speeds are very good anyway, so this might be reason enough to consider the phone's non-LTE counterpart.

2) A version with a better screen is coming soon. The Skyrocket HD is virtually identical, except it has a 720p HD screen. In addition, some people complain of faint ghost lines on the current skyrocket in low-contrast areas with the brightness turned down. I don't see them on my device, but it's apparently a very common problem, albeit one that is ameliorated by operating at a higher brightness.

3) The 1.5 Ghz processor in this phone is not more powerful than the 1.2 Ghz Exynos in the regular Galaxy S II. The Exynos is not LTE-capable, which is why the part was changed, but the two are roughly equivalent, despite the higher clock speed on the Skyrocket. In fact the CPU may even be a little slower, but the GPU is a little faster, so it's more or less a wash.

4) Sound through headphones is not very good on this, there's a low hissing all the time. Not so bad you can't listen to music or anything, but it'll irritate audiophiles. Listening via bluetooth fixes this issue.

THAT SAID, it's a terrific phone, thin, light, big, and vibrant, and very powerful. I'd take any Galaxy S II over AT&T's other phones on offer. But with the standard Galaxy S II available and a little cheaper, and an HD Skyrocket just around the corner, it might be best to consider your options before you pull the trigger. I got a good deal on mine and got it for less than the standard Galaxy S II, and I'd make that decision again, but I might not if the prices were what they are now.

Great Phone! January 1, 2012

Reviewer:  Mike 

I've owned this phone for about 2 months now and love it! I love its huge screen, long battery life, 4G LTE, 1.5 GHz dual-processor, and light weight.
You won't regret getting this phone if LTE is available in your city, because it is ridiculously fast! Great for streaming videos and downloading big apps, and even web surfing - the webpages load instantly. Also, the GPS is awesome - it locks right away and very accurate (for most of the time).

Draw back: screen resolution could be better for this size of screen. The speaker acts kind of weird sometimes. And I think the touchscreen is way too sensitive at times.

SUPER FAST, ICS COMING SOON!!! January 7, 2012

Reviewer:  rahd25 "Kids, you tried your best and you failed misserably. The lesson is "never try." - Homer Simpson" 

I am the consumer who LOVES to do a TON of research before buying a product. My hope is that regardless of the price, if I am convinced I am getting the best value for the price I won't have to face buyer's remorse or resort to cognitive dissonance. If you're anything like me then let me tell you, you WILL not face buyer's remorse after purchasing this phone!!!

My previous phone was the BlackBerry Torch 1, and while I loved that phone's QWERTY keyboard and BlackBerry Messenger, the phone was starting to drive me insane with slow speeds. I just COULD NOT be satisfied paying $25/month for a data plan and only get the equivalent of dial-up speeds on the 3G network. I knew it was time for an upgrade but I was hesitant about switching to an on-screen keyboard...don't get me wrong, touchscreen is fine with me, but I played with each of the first 3 iPhones in-store for about 2 hours and I just could not bring myself to liking on-screen keyboards (or the iPhone for that matter).

Before the BlackBerry Torch I owned the BlackBerry Curve, so I thought I'd be a BlackBerry user for life. It took one mall visit during Christmas shopping where I just happened to walk into an AT&T store, without actively looking to purchase a phone and played around with a sales rep's Galaxy SII for about 90 seconds before I knew this will be my next phone. I went into my usual research phase and could NOT find a phone that I wanted more than this one. The Galaxy Nexus was another option, but ultimately the thin design of the Skyrocket beat out the design of the Nexus (which reminds me of a "TI-83 Plus"). Now I am eagerly waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich for my Skyrocket!

The only (minor) complaints I have against the phone are:

1) Battery life - But then again, I was ready for this as I know today's smartphones consume a lot of power.

2) Samsung's "TouchWiz" UI on top of the stock Android UI - A minor inconvenience...but the phone is so great is something that you will quickly forget and might even come to like.

Overall, AMAZING speeds, great picture quality, awesome multi-tasking and just an overall GREAT PHONE!!! Oh yeah, and if you play around with the keyboard settings, you will find something that is comfortable for you, I know I did and thought I'd never get used to it. Get this phone now!

I got mine from an AT&T corporate store for $150 around Christmas week (2011).

Great hardware, buggy software, poor battery life December 1, 2011

Reviewer:  Todd 

After using this phone for a week, I ended up returning it. The physical phone is phenomenal! The build quality is great, screen is great, camera is good but none of that means much when you can't use the phone because the battery is alwasy dead. I would charge the phone every night and by 2-3:00PM the phone would be dead. I found myself putting the phone on the charger every chance I had. To add to the frustration, many times the battery life indicator would still show full charge after 4hr of use....then shutdown for low battery. I worked w/support and tried different battery/phone combinations. My final though....Android + LTE are not suitable for users that want all day battery life.

I'm going to try the Window version of this phone (Focus S) because I really did enjoy the physical build.

Battery Life Sucks February 26, 2012

Reviewer:  Kris 

I just bought Samsung Galaxy SkyRocket II phone 10 days back and I started using this phone and the Phone display and Android apps are good but battery life sucks. I was using Iphone 4 and the battery life is good and the phone charges back with in 30 Minutes. Samsung galaxy to charge fully you need to plug at least 3 hours . The phone shows 100 % charged with in few minutes the battery goes down (Not sure its happening for me alone) ,I faced this situation couple of times in 10 days. The battery status shows 100 % and when I try to make call immediately the phone gets switched off. The phone apps and rest and all are good but think about battery life before you buy this item.

Love my Skyrocket September 23, 2012

Reviewer:  Bookseller "pbtad"  (Pittsburgh, PA) -

I got my Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket last April as my old Rugby rugged phone had it's screen break and I was eligible for an upgrade. Once I figured out how to run things I was in heaven. It is my second smart phone after a Blackberry I used to have and it leaves that the dust. Love all the apps available from Amazon, especially the kindle for android app. Now I can read multitudes of books while waiting for appointments. The WiFi feature is neat for connecting to my home network or to the local Starbucks hotspot, makes downloads really fast with no data plan usage. 4G speed is great for non-WiFi use. Usually I can get 1 1/2 days out of the battery without a recharge and I carry a car charger in my glove compartment just in case. Owning this pone decided me to get a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Note tablet a few weeks ago, I love that too. The best part is that it is NOT an apple product.

Great Phone August 6, 2012

Reviewer:  DBG 

This is a great device, much MUCH better than the standard SII.
It is extremely fast and eats everything you give it to. Haven't had any issues for the 3 months I was using it.

Since I got the new S III as a gift I am selling my great Skyrocket on Ebay:
[...]

Honestly if I didn't get the S III for free I'd never spend the money since the Skyrocket is as good as the S III

Locks up too often, unreliable August 4, 2012

Reviewer:  Norberto Perez 

By far, when I first received the phone, I thought it was great...after not even two weeks of use, I have to say, this is the worst phone I've ever owned. It takes 15 minutes plus to even reboot after 4 times when it decides to lock up...not good when you need to make a phone call as fast as you can. I took out the SD card, thinking that would help...it did, but at the same time it corrupted my SD card since it locked up after "reading" the card...I WILL NOT Buy this phone ever again, by far, it's given me more headaches than pleasure

From Blackberry to the Galaxy---there's no turning back!!! July 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Bella Ragazza "Andrea"  (Kansas City, Missouri) -

I parted with my Blackberry Torch a few days ago & let me tell you there is NO going back to my (former) beloved Blackberry. The Galaxy is just a fantastic phone!! I LOVE, LOVE the graphics---they just pop at you & you can SEE all the words, letter, numbers, pictures, etc with a clarity that hasn't been seen on any phone. (I always thought everything was too small on the Blackberry, iPhone, etc...and "no," I'm not old). The phone has great sound quality, fits really well in my purse and is super fast. Stop reading all the stuff about battery life----just charge the thing if it needs to be charged. My charge keeps the whole day---no biggie. The phone is just cool! Save your money on that iPhone you really want---the Galaxy blows the iPhone out of the atmosphere (pun intended). :) Best wishes!

The phone that does everything with Bluetooth issues. June 27, 2012

Reviewer:  Joestuff 

Powerful, fast and it runs Adobe flash! Hundreds of thousand's of Apps to choose from. Games, top social networking, information Apps and amazing apps to really run a small business on your phone.

I have been having Bluetooth issues. There is always a crackling sound when talking. And somethimes the Bluetooth won't connected at all. I often have to reboot the phone to get it to Connect.

Loving so far ! May 23, 2012

Reviewer:  A. Mohammed "Mohammed"  (Los Angeles, CA) -

This is a great phone ! Loving it so far..found few glitches like call drop / network reset but not sure yet if it is due to power saving mode or any bug in the phone. UI is smooth and display is awesome. Didnt like the camera much ,but then you have tons of android apps for camera.. I hated my previous Android phone - Google nexusOne and thought of waiting for a while before I try a different one. And glad to buy this device. The samsung keyboard is awesome too!
Pros: Awesome display, easy and cool UI, Google Navigation is a Plus plus ! , Widgets and shortcuts and light weight (lighter than my Iphone 3GS)
Cons: No voice app in Android which can update the calendars , bloatware from AT&T which can't be uninstalled, Not so great speaker but the music plays pretty good in my BMW. (By the way - dont use the AT&T navigator app that comes preinstalled in the phone. When you click on Terms and Conditions - you are agreeing to pay $9 monthly for that service. It is absolutely ridiculous since the Google Navigator is free and does the same job !)

The Best Phone I Have Ever Owned March 9, 2012

Reviewer:  E. Ward  (Raleigh, NC) -

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is by far the best phone I have ever owned. I just recently upgraded from an iPhone 3Gs and the leap in technology is similar to the leap I experienced two years ago when I went from a Blackberry Curve to an iPhone. The Skyrocket blows my old iphone out of the water in every respect - faster to open apps and get information, faster connection on LTE (which AT&T has done a great job on btw), bigger screen with great resolution, more customization, etc. After having this phone for a week, it's safe to say that I am an Android convert and could never imagine going back to IOS or moving to any other platform (something with boring tiles).

Pros:
-LTE is very fast and HSPS+ is faster than 3g (may depend on area)
-Beautiful Screen
-Easy to customize to make it your phone (see Go Launcher in Android Market)
-Audio quality is great compared to my old iPhone 3Gs
-Android Gingerbread is a great OS. Very polished and fluid (not what Apple or MS fanboy tech sites like CNET will say)
-Speed of processor - opening apps, moving from screen to screen, etc. is very fast

Cons:
-Really none that I can think of. The battery life is average but when you have an LTE connection coupled with a large screen that should be expected with the currently battery technology. However, the battery life is better than my old 3Gs. I typically get around 17 hours (100 down to 5%) before I need to recharge with moderate use. One thing I would recommend is that when you first get the phone, be sure to charge it to 100 and then fully drain the phone below 10% before plugging in again for at least the first week (should almost always do so though). This will increase the longevity of your battery (number of charges) and increase how long a charge lasts.

Met or exceeded all my criteria January 16, 2012

Reviewer:  Sharey 

I waited a long time before upgrading my prepaid Motorola Razor to a high-end phone with a contract. My patience and research paid off in spades. I love the larger screen size, voice and hotspot capabilities, superb screen quality, front and back cameras, and superior speed and connectivity. There is a bit of a learning curve when you first get the phone, mainly because there is so much it can do. The music and videos I've downloaded are amazing audio and visual delights. I invested a lot of time, hope, and money into gambling on this phone and I am one hundred percent satisfied with my choice. I also purchased the Jambox, again five stars, and a hard snap-in case with a firm clip to avoid pocket/purse issues in transport. Simply delightful.

WOW what an upgrade December 29, 2011

Reviewer:  Travis S. Race 

I upgraded from the original DROID and this phone is incredible. It's speedy, photos are amazing, network (LTE) speeds exceed 50mbps, and HD videos look great. External SD is a plus since I could bring my DROID microSD over. Was waiting for a deal to come out before switching from vzw to att then this phone was $0.01 on Amazon Wireless, so it was a no brainer.

Phone is very light and the back is very smooth so I had to purchase a skin for it to stop it from sliding around. Screen quality feels about the same as the DROID. Battery life will get me throughout the work day with moderate to heavy usage. I bought the spare battery and stand so I have very little down time. Wish I could disable touchwiz but it's not that bad.

There is a deal of bloatware on here that cannot be removed. Hopefully ICS will fix that.

Very satisfied and would buy again even at regular contract price!