- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
- LG Optimus L9
- Samsung Galaxy S Advance
- Sony Xperia J
- Sony Xperia P
by GSM Arena (Jan, 2013)Slim and lightweight, it's pretty easy to handle and slips comfortably into pockets.
by GSM Arena (Jun, 2011)The SC-LCD screen on the I9103 Galaxy R has a 4.2” diagonal with 480 x 800 pixels resolution.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Samsung Galaxy S Plus compared to the R
GHz1.4
Android 2.3 Gingerbread 3.5G
by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)At 9.9mm thick and 119g of weight, the S Plus can still be considered compact even by today's standards.
1 GHz
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich 3G
by GSM Arena (Jun, 2011)The front looks very similar to the front of the SuperAMOLED Plus packing Galaxy S II.
screen size
4"
4.2"
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)And let's not forget the HTC Incredible S which closes the gap on the display front as far as size goes.
screen resolution
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)There are many details that you can assign to each contact, but it still remains perfectly organized.
memory
| 0 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
processor
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jan, 2013)Its dual Krait cores are one of the fastest performers around (in the dual-core league), and while you're again giving up NFC and expandable storage, the released Android 4.1 update and higher-resolution screen make for a very solid buy.
Galaxy R by GSM Arena (Jun, 2011)Occupying the middle ground between the Galaxy S Plus (which is merely a refresh of the original Galaxy S) and the I9100 Galaxy S II flagship, the Galaxy R delivers solid smartphone experience and good future proofing (with that dual-core CPU) without breaking the bank.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 5 MP | 5 MP |
Performance Real world tests of Samsung Galaxy S Plus vs R
cpu speed
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)And even though it is no match for dual-core, an overclocked single core chipset is powerful enough for almost everyone.
Galaxy R by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)Depending on how you look at it, going from the Galaxy W to the Galaxy R means getting a better CPU and GPU, a bigger screen and extra built-in storage, or trading in several of the highlights of the Galaxy S II in exchange for a smaller total at the cash register.
browser benchmark
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)With the original Galaxy S you get a more laggy experience while loading 720p videos in the browser.
Galaxy R by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The Galaxy R performs markedly worse than the other three phones we tested with SunSpider.
talk time
768 min
540 min
Galaxy S Plus by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)Official numbers put the talk time at nearly 13 hours (in 2G, half that in 3G) and and also promise almost a month of standby.
Galaxy R by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The battery has a large 1650mAh capacity and is quoted at up to 9 hours of talk time and up to 25 days of standby.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Galaxy R
| Screen uses OLED technology | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| About half of phones are OLED; OLED screens are typically higher contrast and use less power | |||
| Significantly faster processor | 1.4 GHz | vs | 1 GHz |
| Around 40% faster processor; run computation-intensive applications, such as photo editing, faster | |||
| Longer talk time | 768 min | vs | 540 min |
| More than 40% longer talk time; go days without charging | |||
| Lighter | 119 g | vs | 135 g |
| More than 10% lighter | |||
| Longer standby time | 45,000 min | vs | 37,200 min |
| More than 20% longer standby time | |||
Advantages compared to the Galaxy S Plus
| Has a built-in flash | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; Take photos even in poor lighting | |||
| Has a removable battery | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Old batteries can be replaced inexpensively | |||
| Uses standard video out connectors | Yes (USB) | vs | No (Proprietary) |
| Somewhat common; Standardized connectors are cheap, compatible and easy to find | |||
| Significantly newer operating system | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich | vs | Android 2.3 Gingerbread |
| Newer Android OS; Get all the latest features and security updates with a more recent version | |||
| More cores | Dual core | vs | Single core |
| Twice as many cores; each additional core lets your phone do more without visible UI slowdowns and jerkiness | |||
| Has a gyroscope | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Play games and use applications that take advantage of device rotation | |||
| Better browser benchmark | 982 ms | vs | 1,430 ms |
| More than 30% better browser benchmark; load pages more quickly on your mobile device | |||
| Slightly bigger screen | 4.2" | vs | 4" |
| Around 5% bigger screen | |||
| Marginally newer | Jun, 2011 | vs | Apr, 2011 |
| Release date 3 months later | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | Samsung Galaxy R |
screen
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)The LG Optimus black commensurates with the Galaxy S Plus in terms of specs - it has a 4" NOVA display, which means it's much more bright, a 5 MP snapper on its back which produces crisper photos and offers the latest Wi-Fi Direct technology for faster sharing.
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)The 4" SuperAMOLED screen with WVGA resolution is a great performer to this day and at 9.9mm of thickness, the S Plus is a proud member of the sub-centimeter club.
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The Galaxy R photos also have good contrast and accurate white balance.
resolution
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The I9103 Galaxy R has a 4.2” SC-LCD with 480 x 800 pixels resolution.
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The Galaxy R shows far superior image sharpness when compared to the more expensive Galaxy S Plus—when comparing the grass patch in the second chart the difference is almost night and day.
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)In terms of image quality, the Galaxy R really impresses with some great image sharpness while keeping colors at an acceptable level of saturation.
cpu
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The Galaxy R and Galaxy S II run identical software, so the difference we're seeing here is due to CPU performance.
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | by GSM Arena (Jul, 2011)The 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor inside the Galaxy S Plus gives a shoulder of support to watching videos right inside the browser.
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | by GSM Arena (Jun, 2011)The 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor inside the Galaxy S Plus gives a shoulder of support to watching videos straight in the browser.
material
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)The Samsung Galaxy R I9103 is a mixed bag of features—it has a nice 5MP camera, which produces nice and sharp images, but it does not feature the SuperAMOLED screen, the Gorilla Glass or the better performing Samsung Exynos chipset.
Samsung Galaxy R | by GSM Arena (Jan, 2012)Hardware-wise, it can’t exactly compete with the top dog in Samsung’s lineup, the S II, but it does better than many of the other Galaxy variants available, namely the Galaxy W. If you’re willing to forego the benefits of Tegra 2 and dual-core, the Samsung I9001 Galaxy S Plus costs about 20% less and comes with a (slightly smaller) 4-inch SuperAMOLED screen, as well as Gorilla Glass.
cores
Samsung Galaxy S Plus | by GSM Arena (Jun, 2011)An overclocked single-core chipset doesn’t hold a candle to dual core CPUs but the Galaxy S Plus will be held to a different standard.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 2-way tie: Newer operating system |
 | 2 | LG Optimus L9 Better than usual battery capacity |
 | 3 | Samsung Galaxy S Advance 2-way tie: Most built-in storage |
 | 5 | Sony Xperia P High resolution front camera |
 | 6 | Samsung Galaxy W Longest battery life during active use |
 | 7 | Sony Xperia U Sharpest screen |
 | 8 | LG Optimus L5 Long standby time |
