Bell Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Raider 4G LTE

Last Updated:
Feb 1st, 2012 10:56 am

Tags:

SCORE

Reply to ThreadReply

Search this thread

Search this thread

Oct 31st, 2011 6:14 am

ibigfire [OP]: Newbie; Jun 13, 2007; 31 posts; 2 upvotes

Oct 31st, 2011 6:14 am

Bell Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Raider 4G LTE

So... the HTC Raider 4G LTE comes out tomorrow, and I'm renewing my contract tomorrow as well. I've already spoken to Bell's (my phone company) retainment centre and they've given me a good deal for a new 3 year plan, and a decent discount towards my new phone. My problem is whether to get the Raider or the Galaxy S II.

Now, I'm going to be stuck with this phone for 3 years, and LTE isn't available in my area yet, (although a guy I know who works at Bell says it's already set up here, they basically just need to flick a switch... but I donno, it seems weird that they wouldn't just enable it already if it's already good to go... anyways...) but it probably will be available here at least within a year or so from now, I would assume, right? So I would think the obvious choice would be the Raider. That way, in theory, I get the newest "superphone" right when I could and it'll be all awesome and stuff.

The problems in that plan are that I can't find any real review on the Raider, and I have some concerns about it. The battery might be terrible, which would suck. I'd really like it to at least last through a day on average... also, it's stonkin' heavy in comparison to the Galaxy S II, and that's not cool. Lighter is better.

It's also quite thick. It's like holding a little brick compared to the thinness and light weight of it's competitor. The screen on the Raider is a higher resolution, and it's bigger, which is awesome... but I've heard great things about the Super AMOLED plus screen on the Galaxy, and the Raider is only using qHD which is apparently not as good? I'd actually like some feedback if any of you have used both as to the real world difference between the two...

In Korea the Raider has a 1.5ghz processor, which is cool, but for some reason HTC decided not to give us that here it seems, so the hardware speeds of the two phones I'm looking at should, in theory, be nigh identical I think. Oddly I'm hearing that for some reason the Raider is quite a bit slower according to benchmark scores though... HTC uses Sense, which I've heard is better than Touchwiz, but that might just be outdated opinions. I do like Swype, which the Galaxy S II comes with, but I assume you can put that on the Sense as well, right?

Now, Bell's not charging anything extra for LTE (unless you're on one of the old grandfathered unlimited data plans), which is pretty cool of them. So if it gets activated in my area and I don't have an LTE phone, I'm just losing out on it for no money savings, which would be a bummer...

Also, the Raider's front facing camera is 1.3MP, whereas the Galaxy S II's is 2 MP. Not that big of a deal, but I still think it could be handy when taking face shots or doing video calling...

And according to the one video I found of the Raider's video quality, it's pretty jittery and the sound is terrible compared to the Galaxy S II.
Comparison
Raider: http://youtu.be/Sn-xrFkO3MI?hd=1
Galaxy S II: http://youtu.be/0B6EkYqV9Ww?hd=1
Also, apparently there's the LT Optimus Eye coming out, but since it doesn't have a release date I assume it's going to be a while.

HTC Raider 4G LTE = Newer and (maybe) more future proofed, but Galaxy S II = Sleeker and more proven as awesome. Also, since more people have the Galaxy S II it'll be easier to find support and upgrades for... Ugh, I'm really torn. Any input you guys have would be super awesome, thank you!

18 replies

Oct 31st, 2011 7:47 am

Ironsmack: Deal Addict; Aug 15, 2010; 2122 posts; 433 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 31st, 2011 7:47 am

At this point on, it comes down to preference.

Do you like a 4.3" or 4.5" screen?

I personally would go for a 4.5" screen. Plus, high res for a 4.5" screen? Yes please!

And at least, if you do happen to get the Raider (once LTE is available in your area), bell (supposedly) is upgrading you to an LTE network with no charge.

Give it a few weeks and you'll see the Raider will have support from XDA (after all, that's the reason XDA came about - hacking all the HTC's phones).

Oct 31st, 2011 9:01 am

lazyturbo: Newbie; Oct 29, 2004; 46 posts

Oct 31st, 2011 9:01 am

I agree with the last poster, that it comes down to personal preference as these are both very high-end phones.

I picked up an HTC Raider from Rogers yesterday, and so far I am liking it. Personally, I like the look of HTC Sense more than Samsung Touchwiz, but the features should be pretty much the same as they both run Android.

In terms of the screen, qHD represents resolution (960x540 on the Raider, 800x400 on the GS2) and the Raider actually has a higher resolution, meaning pictures are sharper. For the screen technology, Samsung uses Super AMOLED and HTC uses Super LCD, where the GS2 provides more vibrant colors and better contrast.

If Bell isn't charging extra for LTE, then that's definitely a great bonus. (I didn't get an LTE plan on Rogers as it costs more, and my area isn't covered yet).

Oct 31st, 2011 9:06 am

djemzine: Deal Expert; Jun 15, 2011; 44574 posts; 7783 upvotes

Oct 31st, 2011 9:06 am

I have been debating the same except I am in a contract renewal already and I have the SGSII from Bell that I bought outright.

Been thinking if I should go LTE or not.

Might as well wait for a decent LTE phone but if you're okay paying $50 for 10GB promo plan for LTE data.

Personally I think I would give LTE a while.

Blanka

Oct 31st, 2011 1:45 pm

litebrite: Deal Addict; Oct 9, 2003; 3743 posts; 1139 upvotes; Vancouver

Oct 31st, 2011 1:45 pm

One can argue the HTC feels more solid and better quality with that extra heft. I had the evo 3d previously so that was much thicker - the Raider I thought is pretty thin.

Swype is available to download from the swype website, although I read that the Raider has swype installed already? Regardless that's one of the first things I installed when I got the phone.

I prefer Sense to Touchwiz. I especially like how you're able to access 4 shortcuts of your choice right from the lockscreen, such as camera, map, etc. Not a fan how touchwiz tries to "copy" that apple feel with the way the icons look, etc. I've never owned a samsung, but from playing with the test models in stores that's the impression I got.

Really hoping the devs at xda will pick this device up soon so we can get a root. HTC is also good with their unlocked bootloader policy so hopefully this model will be supported on their site too.

Oct 31st, 2011 3:52 pm

mr_raider: Deal Expert; Feb 29, 2008; 29100 posts; 4787 upvotes; Montreal

Oct 31st, 2011 3:52 pm

I really like the smaller size and lighter weight of teh Samsung. One advantage of light phones is that they are more resistant to being dropped. I've dropped my Nexus S more times than I can count, and all it was are scratches on teh housing.

That being said, it comes down to LTE. Does anyone know if Montreal will be seeing LTE coverage in the near future?

Oct 31st, 2011 4:58 pm

Kakarot: Temp. Banned; Feb 16, 2005; 13610 posts; 140 upvotes; Winnipeg

Oct 31st, 2011 4:58 pm

Tough call really, you would not be disappointed with either.... the resolution is a non issue for me, as the rogers 4.5" lte gs2 I have looks amazing...... I have always liked htcs build quality (look and feel) and I do like sense (not that I dislike touchwhiz)....

personally, I like superamoled these days... you can also overclock the gs2 to 1500mhz, or get the rogers lte version and unlock it.... but again, both are nice looking phones.

"And according to the one video I found of the Raider's video quality, it's pretty jittery and the sound is terrible compared to the Galaxy S II.
Comparison"

nuff said, lol.

driving to NS to move, be back in a weekish

Oct 31st, 2011 9:19 pm

djemzine: Deal Expert; Jun 15, 2011; 44574 posts; 7783 upvotes

Oct 31st, 2011 9:19 pm

If one has an SGS II, think they'll upgrade to either an SGS II LTE or SGS II X? Bigger screen is the only difference + network bands right? CPU the same or? I am wondering because I am leaning towards LTE, but the LG Optimus Eye nor the HTC Raider does it for me.

Off topic, isn't the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon going to be LTE? If Canada gets the LTE version, that'll be dope.

Blanka

Oct 31st, 2011 11:57 pm

mr_raider: Deal Expert; Feb 29, 2008; 29100 posts; 4787 upvotes; Montreal

Oct 31st, 2011 11:57 pm

djemzine wrote: ↑ Off topic, isn't the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon going to be LTE? If Canada gets the LTE version, that'll be dope.

I haven't seen mention of a GSM/HSPA version with the 700/1700 LTE bands.

Nov 1st, 2011 12:02 am

infamouskid: Banned; Oct 15, 2005; 12954 posts; 1617 upvotes; North York

Nov 1st, 2011 12:02 am

if you watched the announcement video there is going to be 2 versions.
1 hspa+ and 1 lte

Nov 1st, 2011 7:39 am

rje611: Newbie; May 22, 2011; 55 posts; Toronto

Nov 1st, 2011 7:39 am

The LTE Galaxy S2 has a 4.5 inch screen.

Nov 1st, 2011 9:24 am

serge7789: Newbie; Dec 23, 2008; 24 posts; 5 upvotes; Toronto

Nov 1st, 2011 9:24 am

Well I could vouch for the Galaxy S II HSPA+ on the Bell network, as it is hands down the best device I have purchased and the only complaint I've had is the fact that video chat doesn't seem functional for some reason (may have to look for an update).

Something to consider is that Bell is giving out a 50$ in-store credit with the HTC Raider LTE version (from what I can tell). Check it out here: http://techfibe.com/2011/11/01/bell-off ... er-4g-lte/

The device looks solid and will definitely fair well against the Galaxy S II, however that Samsung Exynos processor has been topping all others in benchmarks since its launch. However, the processor is only featured in the Bell HSPA+ version, and the LTE ones at Telus and Rogers don't share the same qualities, still good devices though.

Hope this helps,
Cheers!

Nov 30th, 2011 8:57 am

vodka: Deal Addict; Sep 12, 2007; 2909 posts; 1015 upvotes

Nov 30th, 2011 8:57 am

I got the Raider last weekend from Rogers. It was a tough choice (Razr, Raider or Galaxy S2 LTE).... RAZR has no LTE and based on reviews it freezes up a lot (the guy at the store told me that he used it and it froze 3 times in 10 minutes... nuff said).

The Galaxy S2 was more expensive and I did read good stuff on the Raider (Sense); to me, PHONE performance is what I look at (Camera and extras are that, just extras); I want the phone to perform well as a phone.

To confirm, Raider comes standard with Swype (in the menu you have to turn on Trace); and i absolutely love it, it works very very well. One thing I don't like that much is that I hit the right button (search) when holding the phone or moving it in my hand... it's a big phone (same as the Galaxy for that matter).

Screen is fine for me, the phone responds very well and is very fast. When I shake the phone, sometimes menu changes or screen changes... weird.

Can someone confirm for me: any android version under 4.0 does NOT use both cores... this is what the Rogers guy told me.

Why are phone so big? This is so annoying! I like the iPhone/Atrix size, it's perfect for a phone but these days if you want the best phone (performance, latest specs) you are forced into getting these massive phones; I'm always scared it's gonna fall out of my pocket.

BTW: I got this unlocked for $5.50 off Ebay. Forgot to mention, I read (and was also told by friends) that Bell's network coverage is s**t; this is one of the main reasons we went to Rogers (plus the free Samsung tablet :P)

Cheers

Nov 30th, 2011 10:22 am

djemzine: Deal Expert; Jun 15, 2011; 44574 posts; 7783 upvotes

Nov 30th, 2011 10:22 am

Here's my experience:

I am a Bell customer and I've had the SGS II and I currently have the Bell HTC Raider LTE.

There are few things that makes me regret not selling the SGS II for this phone. I have network problems with this phone constantly. Its the phone, because I tested my sim on another Bell phone and no issues. The reception always drops at various times and times out for 5 to 10 minutes, at which I have to shut down, and turn on the phone, which does not work, so I have to do a battery pull.

The other issue is when in Airplane mode and when I disable it, it still is stuck in Airplane mode. I have to resolve this by again turning off/on the phone. Another issue is the call/speaker quality. I can barely hear my telephone conversations even with max volume, its so frustrating. The same applies when playing music on my phone's speaker, its barely audible.

I could go on, but those are some of the issues I've been having. Battery is not a big concern, but then again I am in a non LTE coverage area mostly, so that's not a huge drain on battery. The regular HSPA + data doesn't drain my battery drastically.

I still wish I had kept off LTE for a while, and stuck with my SGS II. However, I am looking forward to the Galaxy Nexus and I wouldn't mind getting rid of the HTC Raider LTE.

Cheers.

Blanka

Nov 30th, 2011 11:37 pm

desidealer49: Deal Addict; Aug 10, 2010; 2635 posts; 161 upvotes

Nov 30th, 2011 11:37 pm

Yeah if it is one thing HTC needs to do right, it is making that call quality better. It is still sub-par. Second is their atrocious battery life compared to competition and third, just tone sense down a bit, but don't remove it. For some reason i have been tempted lately to try a sense phone :P

Nov 30th, 2011 11:51 pm

paperfire: Newbie; Jun 27, 2009; 18 posts; Toronto

Nov 30th, 2011 11:51 pm

I had the HTC Raider for about a week, but returned it for the Galaxy S2 LTE. Couldn't be happier. The S2 was much thinner, lighter, had a better video camera, better battery, Superamoled screen... overall a much better device. Only advantage the raider has I can think of is a better resolution.

Dec 1st, 2011 9:09 am

djemzine: Deal Expert; Jun 15, 2011; 44574 posts; 7783 upvotes

Dec 1st, 2011 9:09 am

paperfire wrote: ↑I had the HTC Raider for about a week, but returned it for the Galaxy S2 LTE. Couldn't be happier. The S2 was much thinner, lighter, had a better video camera, better battery, Superamoled screen... overall a much better device. Only advantage the raider has I can think of is a better resolution.

I would have gotten the SGS II LTE from Rogers to use on Bell, but when the LTE on Bell falls down back to HSPA + data, its better than that of Rogers, so the Rogers SGS II LTE actually falls back to theoretical speeds of 21Mbps, as opposed to Bell LTE phones falling back to theoretical speeds of 42Mbps.

That being said, I am sure the SGS II LTE if on a Bell network will get a lower speed as opposed to the Bell version of the HTC Raider.

I didn't know that the raider has better resolution than the SGS II LTE? I think that may not be the case, because I compared the two phones side by side (friend has SGS II LTE) and the resolution on the SGS II LTE was much crisper than that of the Raider.

Blanka

Dec 1st, 2011 12:35 pm

sohoredflag: Newbie; Nov 21, 2011; 9 posts; BRANDON

Dec 1st, 2011 12:35 pm

The Raider screen resolution is definitely better. With the naked eye and on paper. Friend of mine and myself were going to get the SGII. I wasn't a fan of HTC even, but after the sales person brought out the HTC Raider, I was very amazed at how crisp the true color of the Raider screen looks. I didn't want to make the wrong decision so I played around with both phones for 1/2hr at the store. I made the right decision.
I have the Raider for a week now and boy, the GPS locks in instantly. Even at the basement of my house, no problem. We only have 3G here but somehow, the speed was a lot better than my Samsung Vibrant (Darky's ROM). Bluetooth to my vehicle works wonderfully. With my previous Samsung phone, my vehicle took a long time to completely pair with the Vibrant.
Downside with the Raider is it's weight and volume. Can't blame for it's weight since HTC makes quality products. As for the volume, the max speakerphone volume is disappointing.

Feb 1st, 2012 10:56 am

Bogiman34: Newbie; Jan 31, 2012; 1 posts; ETOBICOKE

Feb 1st, 2012 10:56 am

Data Speed: HTC twice as fast as Samsung on Rogers LTE
Resolution: HTC better than Samsung, but Samsung has a bigger screen
Battery Life: Samsung better than HTC
Inout Languages for Typing: HTC has a lot more than Samsung
Weight: HTC heavier than Samsung

Reply to Thread

Top