Awesome January 25, 2012

Reviewer:  EpiphanyD  (MI) -

Where can I start? This is interesting phone. Literally a mini speedy tablet. This is my first android device so this came off a bit complex just trying to navigate. The exterior is totally plastic and unlike the black galaxy epic tough s2 this one does not have a textured back so that was a little disappointing. The performance is the fastest I have ever seen on a phone so I'm really glad i got this instead of the HTC EVO 3d. Every one around me has an htc phone so i wanted something different.

Pros:
Slim
4.5 Inch screen
extremely fast processor
great battery life
unique color
8 mp camera with flash
16 gb internal memory
fun apps
pro/cons:
Lightwieght (in my mind I equate heavier phone with better quality)
many preloaded sprint apps
cons:
plastic casing
Overall I am loving this phone I would definitely suggest buying a case to put this in because if it slipped out my hand it would damage some. I am good with my equipment so that has never been an issue. Awesome phone. Good Job Samsung!

Overall this phone is super

IPhone clone --- Awesome CellPhone! February 14, 2012

Reviewer:  SA 

From a distant sight, it looks just like an iPhone especially if you go with the white cover. The performance and function is amazing. I have had several phones, including iPhone 4, epic and HTC Pro etc. but this is a better device hands down. The screen is crisp, the colors are sharp and it is quick. Compare it to a tablet. I have iPad 2 as well, which I don't use that more expect for Netflix and some hardcore tablet Apps.

However, for some the screen size (4.6") might be too big as at times it is inconvenient scrolling through the screen with one hand. The screen span is too big for thumb to navigate and touch all corners. For this reason, I liked the Samsung epic at 4.2" screen size. It was perfect for one-hand navigation although slightly heavier due to extra keyboard.

Recommendation: Buy it, it is the greatest smartphone out there for another 30 days! ;) Technology is moving so fast, you never know what is coming out next! This is not an investment but an expense. But you already knew that :)

Great Phones March 8, 2012

Reviewer:  review review review 

This phone is great. The speed of the phone is super fast even with many apps installed and it blows the new evo out of the water completely. The screen is absolutely beautiful I use Netflix on this phone and shows and movies look great, far better than any other phone I have had from Sprint.

Cons- this phone does freeze occasionally on Netflix if hours of shows are played repetitively, but so far no other problems.

awesome March 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Larissa Smith  (seattle, wa) -

I ordered this phone thru amazon wireless and the phone was delivered a day earlier than expected which was nice. I had not seen the phone other than online and was worried it might be too big. It is not. I really like the white, the weight, and it is super fast at loading everything. This is my 3rd smartphone and by far the best. I had an iphone, HTC Aria, and now this. Activating the phone was a bit time consuming. The first guy said he couldn't set up my account because there was already my ss# in the system. He transferred me to the fraud department. We figured out it was me from setting it up online thru amazonwireless.com fraud transferred me back to a woman who was credit check. Wrong person so she sent me to activation. I wanted to keep my old # so they had to call at&t to get approval. Ten minutes after approval I could turn my phone back on and things have been great since. Only took 5 people and an hour later my phone was activated. I'm giving 5 stars to the phone but sprint 4 only because even though I got tossed back and forth I was never on hold for more than 3 minutes so I knew they didn't forget about me. So far worth it.

Not to bad... February 23, 2012

Reviewer:  M. Brindley  (Franklin, TN USA) -

Nice phone, I like the hardware of coarse...only thing is, the exterior is lacking of a high quality phone. I went from an HTC HD7, which is a windows phone (7) platform, which is a single core phone...I thought it was of much better build quality personally. Other than that, it flies through apps with ease, nice internet browser as it has the typical droid browser. Overall I like this phone, but would have liked a much tougher/build quality to have been better with this phone. I would highly recommend a case for this phone, it's crying to be dropped and broken...

One word: AWESOME March 27, 2012

Reviewer:  Millard A. Merles  (Lake Havasu,AZ USA) -

I actually ordered and bought this phone from a sprint store. I watched tons video comparison of this to the iphone 4s and saw it has a faster processor (this may be also due to wifi) for web browsing and movie watching.But since I never actually owned an iphone I can't tell you from personal experience which phone is better.

What I do know is that this phone is freaking awesome. I don't have any cons. The reception at my job sucks, but I still get good reception with this phone, and unlike my previous phone (Blackberry 8530) I surfed the web and even the app store. I was able to Open Netflix and much much more(which my tablet wouldn't even do).

There are some great free apps. (games, business etc.) The voice command and voice talk programs are pre-installed and work like a charm. One will locate any business you tell it to, while the other does text and calling. Here's a good pros list:

Pros:

Great free apps
Voice text
Voice command
phone has a dual core processor
1080p video
8.0 MP camera w/ flash (very clear pictures)
has video chat capability
3G and 4G network
Good battery life (app. 6-8 hrs.)
Navigation
flash player (for watching online movies)
App. store allows for more downloads (music, games, apps)
Phone is set up like a mini tablet

Cons:

None

The phone is worth every penny. I text, game and use my applications consistently enough to know this phone is perfect (so far) and it looks and feels nice in my hands (very thin and light).

Specs AWESOME! Reliability & Function, LACKING!! October 25, 2012

Reviewer:  BJ  (Washington, DC United States) -

I purchased this device on Amazon seven weeks ago. Switched carriers and sought a cutting edge device at a modest price. The Galaxy S III looked and performed magnificently but the price gave me pause. Based on previous reviews, the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch was a definite contender. It was $10. I was already aware WiMax was being abandoned by Sprint. Sprint's 3G is slower (AVG:600 kbps using OOKLA's speedtest app) than the other carriers. However in the DC Metro region the 3G speeds were somewhat tolerable & voice was above average. Gorgeous AMOLED screen, great processor (no lag), great 8MP camera and TERRIBLE battery life. Guess three out of four "aint" bad. My device did develop problems after the 3rd week of ownership. Device would randomly display "Menu settings" without me touching the phone. Called Amazon and sent device back, new one arrived in 2 days. No problems thus far. However buyer 'BEWARE' I have read about this issue on the Sprint website review page. I am content (FOR NOW) with my purchase. There are definitely superior devices for Sprint such as the HTC EVO 4G LTE and SGS3 however a device with a 4.5" AMOLED screen, 1.2 GHZ dual-core processor, 8MP camera w/ Android 4.0.4 ICS is still very relevant. I protect it with the [[ASIN:B005MGUTW6 Diztronic Matte Back Black Flexible TPU Case for Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (SPH-D710) & US Cellular Samsung Galaxy S II (SCH-R760) **ONLY FOR SPRINT & US CELLULAR MODELS** [Retail Packaging]]] and store music, photos etc. on the [[ASIN:B005TUQUZA Samsung MB-MPAGA 16 GB microSDHC Flash Memory Card]]. And using the APEX Launcher PRO improves user experience IMHO.

UPDATE: 1/7/2013

During months Nov. - Dec. the "Menu & Search" window issue returned. What has been frustrating is when the issue appears during gameplay. I wish to return the device. Now I believe I should have gone with the SGS3, which I likely will however on another carrier. Advice to anyone on the fence re: purchase of the SGS2 versus an EVO LTE 4G, SGSIII or iPhone, go with any of the latter.

I absolutely love this phone!! April 28, 2012

Reviewer:  blake 

I switched from pre-paid JUST to get this phone. I honestly only have one complaint and that is the LED light. It will only flash maybe once every 10 seconds BUT I downloaded an application called flow light and it fixed that. The phone has an amazing display and is extremely fast. The messaging and application drawer was different from what I was used to but learned to love it. I would pick this phone over an Iphone anyday.

Samsung Galaxy S II Best Ever for my taste. April 5, 2012

Reviewer:  Wiseguyy84  (Georgia) -

I heard a lot about the S II for some time. I, having the HTC 4G from sprint, thought all Androids were the same. but i recently did an Upgrade to the Galaxy S II and was very pleased and surprised how much better this one was to my HTC. the pros : fast, easy, brilliant screen, easy to add music to and the list just keep going. the Cons: well its light. LOL... i don't have anything yet to say bad about this device. i use my Bluetooth and it connected without issue. the size for me is fine. i like the screen and the battery life on this is crazy good. better than my HTC. I have been with Sprint for about 12 years. Ups and downs I stuck and I have to say I have been happy. called when i needed to and kept it moving. you will not go wrong with this device. the Android market place has everything you need. i got black at first but exchanged it for the White one. put a TPU case on it "Clear" of course with a holster and now its fully protected. no problems so far. Get it!!!!

the most amazing phone yet May 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Era622 

Right when I opened the box I loved the phone! The phone is really fast and the screen is amazing. Video calling is also great. The call quality is great and i haven't had a dropped call yet. The only thing that I don't like about the phone is the battery life but other than that this phone is awesome.I also recommend that you get a case and a screen proector for this phone! I hope this review helped you.

Is this phone for you? August 24, 2012

Reviewer:  gamerguy "gamerguy"  (United States) -

When it comes to phones, I've always been the type of person that just "wants it to work" with no fuss. I never really cared what kind of phone I have, as long as it met that expectation, therefore I've had my previous phone since 2007. Earlier this year I took the plunge and upgraded to an iPhone 4S smartphone which I am currently using. It is a great phone indeed and met/exceeded my expectations of a no fuss phone. What it also did was get me interested in smart phones as there are so many benefits that I've since realized with owning a smart phone (to the point where I don't even use my laptop anymore when I travel-savvy apps, access to my accounts, buying things, netflix for the kids, gps, music etc.).

My curiosity for smart phones grew and at a certain point, I felt I outgrew the iphone... although great turned out to be a bit limited for my interests. Being under contract, I couldn't upgrade my iphone yet, however my wife could upgrade her flip phone, iPhone was out of the question because she wanted a 4G phone so I got her the Samsung Galaxy s2 Epic, plus I was curious how the Android worked and with her not being tech savvy, I knew I'd get to play with it. What a spectacular phone, it can do everything the iphone does, some better and some not. I play with it a lot as there are many things to do within the Android interface; I'll admit the learning curve was quite a bit higher for me than it was the iphone but I no kidding actually enjoy figuring things out, researching and having a lot of autonomy to change things, which the Android allows-more so than my iphone, plus the android community is SUPER helpful - I google a question and answers abound.

I've had a blast with my wife's galaxy 2, the screen is super nice and big, it's fast(to me same speed as the iphone 4S), phone connections are clear on both ends, 4G/3G, WiFi operate excellent (at least where we live in VA) and elegant and an overall powerhouse of a smart phone. I'm not too crazy about some design aspects, like the speakers on the back, or the power button on the side instead of the top, every time I grab the phone I always accidentally press it with it being on the side, but that's just a preference thing. Also, this is the white version, not sure if the black is the same but it's got a "plasticky" feel to it and the battery cover is a thin plastic cover that I could see easily breaking if dropped - after market cases are certainly a must. Other than those, everything else is top-notch.

My wife does like this phone, however when I'm not around she struggles with the phone sometimes getting confused with simple setting changes. Even I got stuck trying to figure things out. For example, anytime the phone would get an email, it would talk and say you have an email, which is fine except at night when we're sleeping. I tried disabling sound notification and it didn't work, tried muting setting in email app menu and the Android settings (per online forums) and it didn't work, finally got it to work but I actually had to disable email notifications entirely (text notification and sound) in order to get the phone to stop talking. Point of the story is not everything is simple...although rewarding once I figured it out and thanks to multiple forums.

Also, as mentioned in other reviews, the battery life is horrible, we ended up getting juice defender app which helped, but we still need to charge the phone at least once or twice a day. I imagine we can do more things to get better battery life, but I haven't figured it all out yet. In this regard my iphone does last longer and my wife and I are pretty much running the same apps, although the bigger screen and 4G may have something to do with faster power drain. Speaking of size, this phone is borderline big...any bigger and my wife wouldn't have gone for this phone, which is why we didn't get the new Galaxy S3 instead - it's slightly bigger, but enough so that my wife didn't want that model.

Overall, my wife would rather have the iPhone instead of the Galaxy S2, but is for the most part happy with the S2 and does not want to give up the 4G (she's a FB/youtube fiend), I on the other hand although satisfied with the iPhone, would rather have the Galaxy S2 over my iPhone but I'm locked into a contract. As you can see, the Galaxy S2 is great for some and not so much for others depending on what you want in a phone. If you want simplicity and ease of use, the iPhone is very straight-forward, no fuss and just works great out of the box, in that regard, cannot be rivaled, which is why my wife likes it better than the Galaxy S2, but if you want flexibility and ultimate user control (freedom), you will not be disappointed with the Android based Galaxy S2 which is why I prefer that phone, plus with some tweaking, you can get it to run as efficient as an iPhone (and after playing with the Galaxy and going back to my iPhone, the screen is completely dwarfed in comparison). Hopefully by reading my review, you can figure out which category you fall under and purchase this phone accordingly - it is all about expectation management when choosing a phone - know what you're getting and you'll avoid dissapointment (defective electronics not withstanding), and that is why I sense some of the reviews may have been negative because from what I've experienced this is a great phone.

On a side note, sprint is good about pushing updates, once we got this phone connected, it updated itself from Gingerbread to the latest version of Ice Cream Sandwich on its own. Seems to be running fine as I have nothing to compare to, no crashes or anything like what others have reported. Sprint is however bad about bloatware...the sprint apps and media hub cannot be uninstalled by simple methods like other apps, also I don't want to try anything too drastic and void the warranty so I just left them on there never to be used.

LOVE THIS PHONE!!!!! April 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Kristin 

I have had this phone for about 1 month. The battery life is EXCELLENT! i have friends with the EVO (which was my second choice) and they literally carry around a phone charger. I get so many compliments on this phone and also the screen and how BIG and clear the image is! by far the best phone out there right now! Highly impressed and satisfied!

Value May 4, 2013

Reviewer:  Rita Griffith  (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, US) -

This phone is nice. I think the battery that I got in mine is weak. Will probably have to buy another battery.

Something is Wrong with Galaxy S2 Phones April 22, 2013

Reviewer:  Sherry DJ 

This phone is terrible. Two other people I know have this phone and they all do the same thing. After about 4 months the phone turns on and off by itself, menu pops up at random while you are trying to do other things. Now it has started having a delay in receiving text messages. I took the phone back and got another one about 4 months ago and now it is doing the same thing. I loved it, now I hate it. Went backward and got the HTC Evo 4G. Even though it is an older phone, it is much better.

I RATE THIS PHONE 5 STARS!!!!! April 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Marcella Smith  (Houston, DE, US) -

I received my new phone yesterday....I simply love everything about it. It's lightweight I love the style and the many apps you can add. I'm in love with this phone. I think I made a great decision on choosing this phone. Im extremely satisfied.

The best April 16, 2012

Reviewer:  Robert  (The Nations Capital) -

First Android phone, can't believe I waited so long. This phone has a large screen but because of its thinness and weight, is OK to carry around.
Pros
Best screen I have ever seen on a phone.
very fast processor, screens snap right up, especially on wi-fi.
3g and 4g, this phone finds and holds 4g better than older phones
nice camera and 1080p video recording.
intuitive and intelligent layout, seems to know what you want for choices on each screen
pretty good battery life (recommend juice defender plus)
very good telephone (ear and speaker)call quality
music player doesn't sound half bad thru the speaker (no low end)
social media beast
16gig internal memory (takes up to 32Gb additional on a micro SD card)
Boatload of apps (has nothing to do with this review just had to throw that in)
Cons
preloaded Sprint apps (you can delete Radio and Music Store)
plastic y feel (I can live with it)
free Amazon universal car charger trickle only (will keep you from sinking but no increase in % if using device while driving)

There is no real complaint about this phone, it is the best.

5 stars for phone 1 star for customer service April 16, 2012

Reviewer:  Chris 

This company should be ashamed of themselves, in the past two days I have spoken with six ( I have the emails saved) different people within Amazonwireless, spent 5 hours on the phone with sprint, and attended a conference call with sprint and one of your reps trying to get my issue resolved. I was ignored, waved over, passed up and sent emails all containing the same cookie cutter information instead of getting a call back like I was promised. I am in the US military and live day to day as just another number and body to be used. I am used to being shot at, looked down on and shown in a negative light- its the career I chose. So when someone chooses to go into customer service, they shouldn't have to be reminded simple things are what matter. A call back instead of a pre written email, someone who actually will take the extra 5 minutes to look into an issue instead of passing it along to the next guy. Every single customer service rep I spoke to in the past 2 days has played the good-guy game, but in the end, insisted upon passing me along as just another stupid problem they didnt have time for. My issue was an error on your company's part! I have been waiting for a call back from this special team everyone keeps talking about, as they are the ONLY ONES who can fix my problem, regarding upgrade problems through your current carrier. I finally received 4 emails, all saying the exact thing, just different names at the bottom-instead of a call as promised. I decided I would call one last time, before I proceeded with the refund option. THIS IS WHERE I MET ANTHONY!!! This man- is not apart of this special team, (though he most certainly should be the one running it!!!!) he didn't promise to email anyone or even call me back. Instead, HE, IMAGINE THIS...LOOKED INTO MY ISSUE, after hearing everything that has occurred in the past 48 hours. It took under 10 minutes to clear up the actual issue and make me a VERY HAPPY customer. He not only apologized for all the issues, he spoke on amazons behalf assuring me this is not normal protocol or how your customer service dept runs. It amazes me how one absolutely superb person can undo the issues of the past lazy, mediocre, disgusting reps working in your business. We spend so much time and energy focusing on how to improve, fixing the negative and training that the very few amazing people that give their all are almost always looked over. Maybe if more time was spent recognizing the good reps you have, you would have far less negative, lazy reps.Believe me, I know everyone has bad days, but two days worth of bad people is something more- there is something wrong. Anthony NEEDS to be recognized and if I had his supervisors email or number, or anyone else that could give him the proper recognition, raise, free lunch, employee of the year award, ect you better believe I would be contacting them as well!!

Your reps I spoke to that passed me along, did nothing and sent me cookie cutter responses instead of doing their jobs as Anthony did....

Rio D.
Marvell F.
Dillon F.
Kayla
Richard
Dilho

I had an HTC EVO 4g from Sprint- tried to order and upgrade to a Samsung galaxy s2 4g. I had a contract resign and full upgrade available. Amazonwireless put the order through twice, the first time it went through, renewed my contract attached the phone, fees, activation and serial number to my Sprint account and they shipped the order through UPS. Then for some reason their customer service did the process again and it came back, if course that I had already upgraded and wasn't available for a contract renewal. So they called UPS and requested a return to sender on the phone. I received email after email saying sprint denied my upgrade- yet amazonwireless wouldn't speak to sprint or even look into the issue when it was brought to their attention it was their order...until Anthony. 6 customer service agents! That's ridiculous!!! Once I finally received my purchase, I am amazed with the new phone! I would never go back to any HTC product!!!

Dont buy this phone March 14, 2013

Reviewer:  K. Sowell 

I work for Sprint, and see these coming in with Software issues constantly! For it to be a new phone, there should not be no software glitches. Get the SIII instead, pay a little more and spare the headache.

Still a good, powerful phone overall and comparable to Samsung Galaxy S3 March 3, 2013

Reviewer:  electronicnut 

This review is a little late considering that this phone has been out for quite some time now, but I thought I just mention my thoughts since I just got this phone after switching from the Sprint Samsugn Galaxy S3. After a few months of the Samsung Galaxy S3, all the nice features, such as a bigger screen, better processor, bigger processor, and other software features such as S Voice etc; the poor speeds of the Sprint 3G network is what prompted me to change devices.

4G LTE is not in my area yet and Sprint can't give a definite answer of when it might be available. Also the Samsung Galaxy II Touch 4G hardware wise is no slouch either. Since it's an older model, you could probably get this phone with no contract for a much much cheaper price than the Galaxy S3.

I understand the 4G LTE is a big thing, but if you're in an area that doesn't yet have 4G LTE and unsure when it will roll out to your city ... 4G WiMax is still available. Hopefully you have 4G WiMax in your area because the Sprint 3G speeds are horrible. (For me anyway)

I decided that the Galaxy S2 4G Touch would be perfect to hold me through to my next upgrade because of the hardware specs and with the rate Sprint is implementing 4G LTE, WiMax will still be available for some time.

Let's compare the specs of the 2 devices.

Operating System
Galaxy S2: Android 4.0
Galaxy S3: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Battery:
Galaxy S2: 1800 mAh
Galaxy S3: 2100 mAh Lithium Ion Battery

Talk Time:
Galaxy S2: 8.7 Hours
Galaxy S3: Up to 9 Hours

Dimensions
Galaxy S2: 5.1" x 2.7" x 0.38"
Galaxy S3: 5.4" x 2.8" x 0.3"

Display:
Galaxy S2: 4.52" Full Touch Screen super AMOLED plus
Galaxy S3: 4.8" (1280x720) HD Super AMOLED Touch Screen

Weight:
Galaxy S2: 4.6 oz
Galaxy S3: 4.7 oz

Processor:
Galaxy S2: 1.2 GHz Dual Core, Exynos, 1200 MHz processor
Galaxy S3: 1.5 GHz Dual Core

As you can see, the specs for the Galaxy S2 are similar to the S3. I tend to think of the Galaxy S3 as an upgraded computer system with a little bigger processor and a bigger monitor.

I would've stuck with my Galaxy S3 if it wasn't for the terrible 3G speeds in my area and the lack of information of when 4G LTE will be rolled out. WiMax is available in my area and the speed is 10 times better than 3G.

Usually I need the latest and greatest, but I'm happy with switching back to the Samsung Galaxy S2. It's still comparable to the Galaxy S3 hardware wise and you could always root your phone to Jelly Bean OS if you wanted to. The Galaxy S2 is still a powerful phone that should last a few more years before being dated. Hopefully this review is helpful for the people still thinking about purchasing this phone on the Sprint Network.

I absolutely love this phone!!! August 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Jamie M. Johnson 

I recently upgraded to this phone and I don't think it's possible for me to be happier with a phone. Before this I had the HTC Arrive, a Windows Phone and my husband has an HTC EVO 4G, and of the three I have had the pleasure of experiencing, this one takes the cake. It has a big enough screen that I can effectively type without making errors. I have actually seen some people complain about the bigger screen it has, but if you text and use the internet, hey easier to read and type, so how is that an issue? I was reluctant about the Swype keyboard, but have found I too love it. The phone is light, which makes carrying it around comfortable. The display is amazing, it's fast, to me calls are much clearer than on the other two phones, the speaker is also louder. I also get better signal than what I had with my HTC and what my husband has with his. I think if you are considering buying it, do, I really don't think you will regret it!