Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket

The good: The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket has a beautiful 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display along with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, an NFC chip, and support for AT&T's LTE network. It ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and has an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The bad: AT&T's LTE network is only available in a few cities at the time of the Skyrocket's launch, it has a somewhat cheap, plastic feel, and you can't remove bloatware. The bottom line: If you live in an area that gets AT&T's LTE network, we highly recommend the powerful and beautiful Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket.At long last, AT&T is finally rolling out its much-awaited LTE network that promises much faster speeds than its existing "4G" HSPA+ network. (What will AT&T dub its LTE network to differentiate it from HSPA+? 4G Plus?) The carrier promised that LTE will be in at least 15 markets by the end of 2011, and along with that comes the launch of AT&T's first 4G LTE handsets--the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid. Those familiar with Samsung's Galaxy S II handsets will feel right at home with the Skyrocket. Interestingly, the Skyrocket has more in common with the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S II rather than the AT&T version; it has a similar footprint, NFC support, and the same Qualcomm dual-core processor.Of course, the big differentiator is the Skyrocket's LTE chipset. That's the reason the Skyrocket is priced at $249.99 after a two-year contract. The first thing that strikes you about the Samsung Skyrocket is its size. Due to its 4.5-inch display, the phone has quite a large footprint. At 5.15 inches tall by 2.75 inches wide by 0.37 inch thick, the Skyrocket is not the most pocket-friendly of phones. Yet, its smooth curves do make it more comfortable to hold than other large handsets. The phone is clad in plastic from head to toe, which gives it a slightly cheap feeling, but it also means it's quite lightweight at 4.71 ounces. The battery cover on the back feels similar to the one on the unlocked version of the Galaxy S II. It has a very slight texture that reminds us of wood veneer.