Samsung Galaxy S II Plus preview

Controls and handling

The controls on the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus haven't been altered one bit. Below the screen we find the same three keys as on the original Galaxy S II - the capacitive Menu and Back buttons either side of a hardware Home key.

The three-button combo below the screen

The keys are well sized and spaced to allow comfortable use and the capacitive touch technology makes sure the transition between them and the screen is seamless.

Above the display you can see the earpiece, a couple of sensors and the 2 megapixel front facing camera, which can do video-calls.

The usual array of sensors and the front-facing camera surround the earpiece

The top of the phone features the 3.5mm jack and a secondary microphone.

The top is where the secondary microphone and the audio jack are located

At the bottom are the microUSB port and the mouthpiece. The microUSB port supports MHL, enabling HD video out (up to 1080p) and multi-channel audio output.

The primary microphone keeps the MHL-enabled microUSB port company

On the left side of the Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus we find the volume rocker and the lanyard eyelet, while the power/lock key is symmetrically placed across on the right. There's no dedicated shutter key though.

The power key is on the right, while the volume rocker is on the left

The 8 megapixel camera lens and the single LED flash share a metal-framed plate at the back. The loudspeaker grille is the other thing of note here, in the bottom left corner.

The 8 megapixel camera is the star backstage

Due to the new finish, the battery cover is a hair thicker this time. It covers almost the entire phone's back and is a bit hard to remove but the flipside is it fits tightly in place, no squeaks and wobble.

Underneath the battery cover you can see the microSD card slot, the SIM compartment and the 1650 mAh battery. It's the same battery that powered the original Galaxy S II, but we'll leave it to the complete review to see how well it actually does in Jelly Bean environment.

The microSD card is unfortunately not hot-swappable, as Galaxy SII owners should very well know.

Taking a peak under the hood

Overall, the Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus is a phone of commendable ergonomics. Slim and lightweight, it's pretty easy to handle and slips comfortably into pockets. The grip has been somewhat compromised compared to the original, in return for the arguably more up-to-date styling of the current Galaxy generation.

Despite the downgraded grip, the Galaxy S II Plus still handles nicely