Samsung Galaxy S II

[Hardcore Til I Die]

Heres a couple of tips (in case you haven't already done this)

Install SetCPU, setup a profile for SCREEN OFF to underclock the CPU (set min and max to the lowest setting)

Set another profile for SCREEN ON for set the min to be lowest and max to be highest clock setting

another profile for Charging to have the min lowest, and max the highest

Also optionally set a profiles for "When in a call" to be min=lowest max=highest. (this should be placed above the screen off in the priority)

Also

Go into wireless settings, pick menu, then advanced, set wireless to "Never turn OFF"

This helps battery life because when the screen goes off (by default) if it will shut off wifi, then you are running with the 3G/4G radio which uses a lot more power... that way when you are in wifi range it will stick to wifi even when the screen is off.

Another option is an app called "tasker" you get setup a few battery saving things with it.

Re: setcpu - Samsung already underclocks the processor when the screen is turned off.

[xTL]

Apparently i'm not allowed to edit my post...

+mrk how have you configure your lockscreen?

Appreciate all the help i can get =)

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Thanks for the review.

Have been thinking about getting this but I'm not sure yet.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

Thanks for the review.

Have been thinking about getting this but I'm not sure yet.

I upgraded from a HTC Desire and think it's an absolutely incredible phone.

[Robbie Khan Reviews]

Hi +mrk i found your thread by a mere coincidence, when searching for galaxy s2 customization and i must say, your config of your samsung galaxy s2 is outstanding!

i love your homescreen, i would love to duplicate it, and i'v been trying ^^

But for me it's hard, first Android phone, never did any customization with the iPhone, so advice is appreciated!

i know your using on your homescreen

- Minimalist Text

- Snowstorm (weather)

but i can't get it looking like that...

perhaps now when i think about it The requierment for the homescreen to look like that is - GoLauncher EX? ( referring to the weather and other text on the screen, not the dockbar )

I use GoLauncherEX as the base and the rest is all Snowstorm and Minimalist Text, you must get to grips with Minimalist Text as it takes time to configure but once you figure it out it's very easy, I can't just explain it, you have to get used to how you configure widgets using it then you'll get what I mean. The colours are likewise^

Apparently i'm not allowed to edit my post...

+mrk how have you configure your lockscreen?

Appreciate all the help i can get =)

WidgetLocker off the Market, it';s not free though.

Also...

I created some new icons.

PSD download :D

Here's how it looks, mine are slightly tweaked from the version above, a screenshot doesn't really do it justice, neither does a photo really but it's better than a screenshot :p

Other icons can be found in this massive icon set thread: http://forum.xda-dev...=824656&page=32

As for app launcher icon, I created this:

[simonlang]

I upgraded from a HTC Desire and think it's an absolutely incredible phone.

still on my htc desire and if you say its incredible compared to the desire, that looks like a possible buy to me. this, or saving a bit more money and grabbing me the nexus prime. still undecided :D

[Roger H. Veteran]

Heres a couple of tips (in case you haven't already done this)

Install SetCPU, setup a profile for SCREEN OFF to underclock the CPU (set min and max to the lowest setting)

Set another profile for SCREEN ON for set the min to be lowest and max to be highest clock setting

another profile for Charging to have the min lowest, and max the highest

Also optionally set a profiles for "When in a call" to be min=lowest max=highest. (this should be placed above the screen off in the priority)

Also

Go into wireless settings, pick menu, then advanced, set wireless to "Never turn OFF"

This helps battery life because when the screen goes off (by default) if it will shut off wifi, then you are running with the 3G/4G radio which uses a lot more power... that way when you are in wifi range it will stick to wifi even when the screen is off.

Another option is an app called "tasker" you get setup a few battery saving things with it.

Always thought some of those setCPU things were a waste of time, especially on new phones. My phone goes to "deep sleep" mode when not charging no problem. Deep sleep almost puts the CPU in an inactive state so locking it to 200mhz would waste battery life. When it's charging i think it stays at 200mhz mode unless i'm doing something of-course.

Also for wifi to NEVER turn off makes no sense as WiFi uses more power than 3G when NOT in use. If you are streaming Pandora all day then yes, wifi is better for data usage plus battery but just keeping it on and connected uses more power than letting 3G/4G connect when needed.

[evo_spook]

I use GoLauncherEX as the base and the rest is all Snowstorm and Minimalist Text, you must get to grips with Minimalist Text as it takes time to configure but once you figure it out it's very easy, I can't just explain it, you have to get used to how you configure widgets using it then you'll get what I mean. The colours are likewise^

WidgetLocker off the Market, it';s not free though.

Also...

I created some new icons.

PSD download :D

Here's how it looks, mine are slightly tweaked from the version above, a screenshot doesn't really do it justice, neither does a photo really but it's better than a screenshot :p

Other icons can be found in this massive icon set thread: http://forum.xda-dev...=824656&page=32

As for app launcher icon, I created this:

Looks better then the standard Android :-). Google really needs to start employing some graphic designers to improve the interface into something cohesive.

[TheElite]

Looks better then the standard Android :-). Google really needs to start employing some graphic designers to improve the interface into something cohesive.

I don't see why. Android is open to anyone changing their stuff however they like. Not everyone will like the standard no matter how pretty Google makes it, and making it to your own tastes is only a little work away (and not impossible like the other OS's.)

[ToneKnee]

LOL...LOL...Look at those photos. No wonder Apple is ticked off at Samsung....LOL

He's using a custom launcher. These can make a phone look like an iPhone, or anything like that.

[Xilo]

Been thinking about getting this phone as an upgrade to the 3GS (which I'm totally sick of and starting to have problems with).

However, now I'm hesitant because of how AMOLED has burn-out issues. Been reading that it's pretty much non-avoidable and people get it within 4-6 months even taken precaution. :(

[TheElite]

Been thinking about getting this phone as an upgrade to the 3GS (which I'm totally sick of and starting to have problems with).

However, now I'm hesitant because of how AMOLED has burn-out issues. Been reading that it's pretty much non-avoidable and people get it within 4-6 months even taken precaution. :(

I think that it's total rubbish.

My brother has had a HTC Desire for under a year and his AMOLED screen has had no problems. I have a Galaxy S and my Super AMOLED screen has had no problems.

Those people that did have it probably had faulty screens.

[Roger H. Veteran]

It could be defective phones but it's also hard to see. You only see it on white backgrounds and then rotate the phone. Where the time was at the top it's printed:

This is one of th reasons i think Gingerbread came with darker colors (as well as power savings for AMOLED screens).

[Xilo]

It could be defective phones but it's also hard to see. You only see it on white backgrounds and then rotate the phone. Where the time was at the top it's printed:

This is one of th reasons i think Gingerbread came with darker colors (as well as power savings for AMOLED screens).

This is what I was talking about in my previous post. It's caused by burn-out with the blue OLEDs.

I'm curious. What's your brightness at? How long do you keep the screen active?

[TheElite]

I just did a test on my phone and thankfully it stays completely white when rotated.

[spacey]

great pictures robbie. i've seen you around the xda forums too ;) what rom are you using on your sgs2? i'm considering leomar's kitchen rom

[Robbie Khan Reviews]

Cheers! I use Leomar's ROM :p It just works all round really.

I tried CM7 last night and it has a few glitches but will re=visit it when it goes final.

I don't like that it has no HDMI out so maybe i will stick with LeoMar until Ice Cream Sandwich as that has native HDMI out support.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Cheers! I use Leomar's ROM :p It just works all round really.

I tried CM7 last night and it has a few glitches but will re=visit it when it goes final.

I don't like that it has no HDMI out so maybe i will stick with LeoMar until Ice Cream Sandwich as that has native HDMI out support.

Umm it is final. They however still need to fix some stuff though but yeah final was released yesterday. Obviously nightlies marches on but they released a stable yesterday. FM radio and TV-out are missing so it's stable but maybe just not 100% complete. Some of that code isn't open source so it's hard to get to. Good thing i don't use FM radio or TV out so yeah, all good. :D

[SMELTN]

Great post Robbie. I went this weekend to pre order an iPhone 4s, but they were out, so I really got to looking at this SGS2. I currently have the Samsung Galaxy S Captivate and its been a fantastic phone, but I am ready to go back to iOS.

This thread is now making me think twice about it though :(

[Hardcore Til I Die]

still on my htc desire and if you say its incredible compared to the desire, that looks like a possible buy to me. this, or saving a bit more money and grabbing me the nexus prime. still undecided :D

It's like the Desire in many ways (as are a lot of smartphones being released), just a much improved version of it... more internal space, bigger, brighter screen, much better battery life, much better camera, fingerprint-resistant screen, faster processor, front facing camera. Only thing I don't like and has taken some getting used to is the lack of a trackpad. :(

[simonlang]

It's like the Desire in many ways (as are a lot of smartphones being released), just a much improved version of it... more internal space, bigger, brighter screen, much better battery life, much better camera, fingerprint-resistant screen, faster processor, front facing camera. Only thing I don't like and has taken some getting used to is the lack of a trackpad. :(

sounds like a deal for me! desire has become (or always been?) quite a bit laggy with many apps open.

u miss the trackpad? i cant really believe it..... the very few moments i was using it on the desire was when i hit it accidentally :shifty: :rofl:

the main reason i would love to get the nexus prime aka galaxy nexus is because of the nfc. galaxy s2 is lacking this rite?

[Roger H. Veteran]

sounds like a deal for me! desire has become (or always been?) quite a bit laggy with many apps open.

u miss the trackpad? i cant really believe it..... the very few moments i was using it on the desire was when i hit it accidentally :shifty: :rofl:

the main reason i would love to get the nexus prime aka galaxy nexus is because of the nfc. galaxy s2 is lacking this rite?

The international one lacks it but the AT&T version has it but it's just not enabled in software. There's a new GS2 also in Korea i think with NFC.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

Mclaren2: there are nfc capable sim cards being released in parts of the world...I'm sure these will become mega popular soon...plus nfc is not widely supported in most of the world (yet)..I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.

[simonlang]

Mclaren2: there are nfc capable sim cards being released in parts of the world...I'm sure these will become mega popular soon...plus nfc is not widely supported in most of the world (yet)..I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.

thanks htid for let me know this fact i didnt know yet. but since i live behind the moon in europe (austria, that unimportant small country next to germany) nfc might not be that important to me anyway.

after having seen the galaxy nexus i am still tempted, but not that much as i was initially as i think they could have made it even better.

so i think grabbing me the galaxy s2 asap or 4 xmas at latest then flash custom rom based on ice cream sandwich might be the best deal to replace my 1 year old htc desire with.

[Robbie Khan Reviews]

I posted this in the XDA thread as well but....matte SGS II :)

Some used fine sand paper, I used a kitchen scouring pad.