Samsung Galaxy SII(2) Skyrocket (AT&T) Review of Reviews $149 Deal

Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket Rated 4.25 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

 

We digested and distlled all the major reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket to determine the consensus which is very good including one Editors' Choice award.

The most praised features of the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket are its huge Super AMOLED 4.5" touchscreen, fast 1.5GHZ dual-core processor and LTE data speeds.   The camera, call quality and media playing were also well rated. It is easy to replace the microSD card and you can now take screenshots.

The least liked aspects of the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket were it's plastic case, lack of voice commands over Bluetooth, non-removable bloatware and easy-to-scratch glass screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket features Android Gingerbread (2.3.5),   8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, with 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 1080p HD video recording, 16 GB of on-board memory, microSD expandable to  32 GB, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Connections to HDMI requires a MHL adapter.

This superphone is definitely one of the first choices if you live in an AT&T LTE area, if you don't like plastic and have very pointed things in your purse or pocket you might want to consider adding a screen protector or a smartphone with Gorilla Glass protection.

AT&T offers LTE in limited markets with LTE service in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio,  Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Athens, Ga.

The list price for the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is $199.99 with a contract, there were reports that it was selling for lower prices in LTE city zip codes online.  When we put in zip code near NYC it was priced at $149.99 at AT&T with an online discount.  Today we checked with Los Angeles and San Francisco zip codes and the online price was discounted to $149.99 with a $100 online discount.  You'll have to check your zip code to see what the price is in your area.

Use AT&T Coupon-Link $50 Off AT&T Wireless with Plan for new customers with a contract.  The offer requires online activation via att.com/wireless on qualified rate plans of $39.99 or more with a two-year agreement.

Update 3/13/2012:  Amazon Wireless is showing the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket  for $99.99 for new customers and renewing customers.

PCMag rated the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4.5 out 5 and gave it Editors' Choice for the huge touchscreen, 4GLTE data speed, dual-core processor and good camera.  The reviewer didn't like the lack of voice dialing over Bluetooth and small LTE coverage.  It is faster, litgher and more vibrant than the HTC Vivivd. It's a little fatter, however, than the iPhone 4S.  The 4.5" screen can be easily seen outdoors. Data speeds were 16Mbps to 25Mbps down, and 12Mbps up in MA.  Call  quality was good. The earbuds also had good audio quality.  It's easy to replace the microSD card without pulling out the battery. The video playing is excellent.

CNET rated the the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4 out 5.  The reviewer liked the 1.5GHz dual-core processor, NFC chip, Super AMOLED touchscreen and dual cameras.  She didn't like the absence of LTE in most of the country, non-removable bloatware, and plastic feel.  It is recommended if you live in a 4G LTE coverage area.  The resolution is 800x480 pixels which doesn't look as crisp as th 4.2" same resolution Samsung Galaxy SII. You can capture screenshots by holding down the power and home key at the same time.  Preloaded software includes Amazon.com's Kindle app, Quickoffice, Kies Air for Wi-Fi synching,  MOG Music, a Mini diary, NFS Shift, Social Hub, MyAT&T, AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Ready2Go, and AT&T Live TV. Photo quality was excellent.  Navigation was fast and snappy.

PhoneArena  called the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket awe-inspiring, although the plastic makes it light it loses a premium look. The 207ppi touchscreen after a few days in pockets showed signs of scratching. An MHL adapter is needed to connect to HDMI. New physical controls include tilting it to zoom in and out of pictures in the gallery or the web browser or you pan the homescreen by moving the phone either in a left or right direction. Email functions are nothing out of the ordinary. Photo and video quality was best in sunlight. It was very responsive and lauded for being a world phone.  The ear piece volume was weak. Except for the addition of LTE, it's not worth buying over the basic AT&T Samsung Galaxy SII unless you are in a LTE coverage area.