Photos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2

by Mike Macias on October 16, 2011 · 42 comments

The Nokia N9 is in my hands right now and I’m getting things prepared for our review. In the meantime take a look at some of these N9 vs. Galaxy S2 photos that Tim Cantisano and myself captured at the beach. You get a feel for the size of both devices and also the screen quality. We wanted to test the screen brightness on both devices, so the brightness settings were turned all the way up and we got them in direct sunlight.

Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S II in direct sunlight

Photos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 IMG 0139 660x495

The SGS2 is slightly thinner, but the N9 feels more ergonomic

Photos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 IMG 0147 660x495

Not much going on here. The N9 doesn't have a removable battery like the Galaxy S2

Photos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 IMG 0144 660x495

What do you think about the screen brightness between both devices?

Photos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 IMG 0162 660x495

The Nokia N9 has a curved screen, unlike the Galaxy S2 which is flat.

The full gallery of Galaxy S2 vs. Nokia N9 photos:

The Nokia N9 is now available: Find deals on the Nokia N9 at Amazon.comPhotos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 . The Samsung Galaxy S2 can also be purchased unlocked at Amazon.comPhotos: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 .

Stay tuned for more on the Nokia N9!

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has written 297 articles for The Mobile Fanatics.

Mike is the editor-in-chief of The Mobile Fanatics. Contact him via email or at his twitter page.

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  • Pingback: Nokia N9 vs Samsung Galaxy S2 : Display Comparison in Direct Sunlight | SymbianTweet

  • http://www.then82blog.com Aaron

    The n9 is less reflective. Arghh, the agony of waiting. Dying to get my hands on it

  • Pingback: Il display del Nokia N9 si confronta con il Super Amoled Plus del Samsung Galaxy S2

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    It’s less reflective and much sharper. The N9 was easier to see in direct sunlight. Coming up later today – N9 vs. SGS2 camera comparison!

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Aaron – N9 was less reflective and much sharper. The N9 was easier to see in direct sunlight. Coming up later today – N9 vs. SGS2 camera comparison!

  • Trajanas456

    Heh, how about dual-core, full HD, App Store, Video Out ant other power’s that your nokia n9 is not supporting… :D It’s clearl that SGS2 wins… 

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Interest points. And the SGS2 also is owned by a Mobile Fanatic writer.

    - Dual-core: Is dual-core necessary if this phone already runs blazing fast because of the efficient OS?

    - Full HD: Are you talking about video recording?

    - Video Out: The N9 has this. Although it does not have HDMI out.

    - App Store: The N9 has one. It’s not as deep as the Android Apps store. Android wins here.

  • Anonymous

    I think there is a trend here. If you watch Nokia and Apple carefully, they tend to optimize the hardware for their software. It is not all about processor speed or apps in the market , but about optimizations and making sure the overall hardware is properly used and the phone is not struggling.

    iPhone4 was 800MHz and the iPhone4S is also on the same speed. Nokia has the N8 and the Symbian3 Platform on a lower speed processor and it clearly show how efficient their OS code is.

  • gil

    I can’t believe that a phone like the N9 will not be made available here in the states! It seems to be the BEST of Nokia! I’m bummed but really really looking for Mike’s review and comparisons.

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Great point. That is exactly the case here with the N9. This thing flies with over 15 apps open and counting. That will be part of my video review.

  • Pingback: Galaxy S II / S2 Vs. Nokia N9 : Uno sguardo approfindito al display e al browser – Video e foto

  • http://twitter.com/NancySteopher Nancy Steopher

    Galaxy S II is greater Than Nokia N 9,  In this 3 G world  There is No
    secondary camera for Nokia N 9 to make a video call.  As per the price
    camparision Nokia  Not giving more facilities to customer.  so at this
    time Galaxy S II is  greater than Nokia N 9.  it is a fact.http://www.techiecop.com

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Good point. The lack of a front facing camera on the N9 is a miss. What app do you use on the Galaxy S II for video calling over 3G?

    Agreed the price of the N9 is too high and it’s too bad that the N9 won’t be available in every country.

  • Pingback: Camera faceoff: Nokia N9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 | The Mobile Fanatics

  • http://twitter.com/TimiCantisano Timi Cantisano

    I think Skype. 

  • Fiorelainen

    But there is a front facing camera in the n9… and it works just fine.

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Oh snap how did I miss that! Can’t figure out how to activate it in the camera settings.

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Wondering if you will come back with some replies!

  • Anonymous

    I’m so looking forward to getting my hands on the N9! Hopefully Nokia will wise up and widen the availability of this amazing smartphone soon…and they can start with the USA (please)!

  • hriday.

    Only bad code needs a dualcore to run fluid, not like the N9, its efficient OS doesn’t need it. I chose double battery life anytime over a dualcore.. And even with dualcore i don’t know any Android Phone which can real multitask 20+ Apps without getting in trouble.. Bam.

  • hriday.

    Actually it bothered me first, coz it lacks the HDMI.. But then i can jus connect my N9 through USB to my TV, and play even 1080p files, coz my TV has a nice USB-Mediaplayer, and thats the case for most of the new Audio/Video/TV products.. So am not sure if HDMI is really necessary.. And then like you mentioned it still got the AV-Out.
    _

    As for the App-Store the Nokia Store is nice for starting, but don forget Meego/Maemo has probably the strongest community behind it, they will like hell support the N9.. So there always will be more sources to get my apps, as there always have been for the mighty N900.

  • Anonymous

    Meego is an efficient OS huh.. Are you kidding me?! It lags for goodness sake!

  • Anonymous

    It’s not like android didn’t optimize their software. Even more specifically the samsung galaxy s2 is very optimized.

  • Anonymous

    In what way, When you use an Android Product especially the SGII you feel that it is not very  optimized. It need a very fast CPU to be able to run smooth like the N9 and iPhone4, which run using a lower speed CPU

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    I don’t have lag on mine unless there are over 15 apps open

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    The N9 is a great phone but sadly it won’t be available in the US.

  • Shirazsaleh

    uh no it is not not a fact. hope you did your research and figured it out. i didnt go to your link because apparently it is feeding you misinformation. both great phones. depends if your into meego or android. i think n9 is designed more stylish and ‘the os is more ‘tech cool’ compared to the plastic s2 with a java runtime environment and dualcore that really drains battery when apps are running. but why have a smartphone if youre not running apps?

  • luck boy

    this mobile is very nice 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_V3RTKXD2EPVP64S6P5BWVP2DX4 Shallaw

    i wanna buy a mobile and i’m confused whether to buy N9 or SGS2.. i would like my mobile to have a lot of apps on it and i can easily get apps for it… which one is better in this case? help plz!

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    In your case the galaxy s2 is what you want. I have my hands on it right now so let me know if you have any questions about the galaxy.

  • Anonymous

    Not necessarily, it depends on exactly what apps he wants.

    If you know all the main places to search…
    You’d be hard-pressed not to find an app you need for Maemo6x (meego).

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Hi Jalyst,

    Shallaw mentioned he wants to get apps “easily”. Where do you have to look for apps besides the Nokia Store?

    Is there an ESPN or North American sports app with notifications when my favorite team scores for the N9? Anything for Pandora yet? I use the SimpleNotes service. Is there anything for that in the Nokia Store?

  • Anonymous

    Grrr, I had typed a lengthier response but I somehow stupidly launched a new browser window & closed the other.
    I then quit out of the browser entirely & when I relaunched I was left with none of my working tabs, hrmff.
    That’s lack of sleep for you. I’m not going to type it all out again….

    “Is there an ESPN or North American sports app with notifications when my favorite team scores for the N9?”

    Doubtful, given the device isn’t targeted for NA.

    “Anything for Pandora yet?”

    There’s some Spotify apps & some that do Spotify + other services.
    One I recall OTTOMH does Spotify & Grooveshark.

    “I use the SimpleNotes service”

    No idea what SimpleNotes is exactly.
    If it is what I suspect it is, there’s certainly apps of it’s ilk here or coming.

    There’s “many” locations one can check…
    Here’s some in decreasing order of ease/importance:

    http://store.ovi.com/
    http://n9-apps.com/
    http://my-meego.com/
    http://apps.formeego.org/basecategories/n9/pr1.0/harmattan/
    http://projects.developer.nokia.com/home
    http://betalabs.nokia.com/
    http://wiki.meego.com/Community_Office/Community_device_program/Nokia
    http://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=41
    http://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45
    http://forum.meego.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7
    http://wiki.meego.com/Porting_list_from_maemo

    No doubt I’ve forgotten something…

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    Great post and great list! While I am fine with checking out all of those sites to find apps (I’m used to it with Symbian), the original commenter wanted to find apps easily, meaning in one place. Sadly the Nokia Store for MeeGo isn’t as rich as its competitors. But it is getting there.

  • Anonymous

    NP. It’ll never be as rich as iOS/Droid, or even WP.
    But that means little if the avg. user can actually find what they want.

    Often Maemo apps are “off the grid” too…
    They’re entirely community based & never make it to NokiaStore etc.

  • Fasilbinfaisal

    samsung galaxy s2 is more better for you

  • Fasilbinfaisal

    Galaxy S II is greater Than Nokia N 9,  In this 3 G world  There is No 
    secondary camera for Nokia N 9 to make a video call.  As per the price 
    camparision Nokia  Not giving more facilities to customer.

  • Anonymous

     necro-post much?

    “There is No secondary camera for Nokia N 9 to make a video call.”

    Yes there is, there’s just no software support “yet”.
    But latest leads suggest it’s coming natively, via 3rd parties, or both.
    The N9′s actually cheaper than the SGSII where I live, so it’s a tough choice.
    I don’t know about other countries/regions…

  • Anonymous

    It’s not as straight-forward as that…
    It depends on exactly how he’ll use the phone.

  • steam

    are you noob? !!!  n9 has secondary camera.

  • lastgame

    Meego can launch android apps

  • Anonymous

    No it can’t actually…
    OpenACL and AlienDalvik are vaporware for end-users (not for devs/OEMS etc)

    Our only hope is IcedRobot, but it’s a long way from being ready.
    It’s F/OSS & non-profit, it relies on people giving their time & helping any way they can.
    Hopefully it may eventually get some commercial backers (it may already).

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