Can T-Mobile My Touch 4G Slide Beat Samsung Galaxy S 2?

T-Mobile USA, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the Unites States, recently launched HTC-manufactured myTouch 4G Slide smartphone that claims advanced camera features with zero shutter lag and backside illuminated sensor.

Knowing that the best camera is the one you've got with you, we set out to create a new best-in-class smartphone that allows our customers to leave their cameras at home, said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA.

The phone packs in specifications which can match the super-specifications of Samsung Galaxy S 2 - which is touted to be an iPhone killer.

The myTouch 4G Slide comes with an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and a host of advanced digital camera features, including the following:

* Improved low-light Performance: with a backside illuminated sensor and a wide aperture lens

* Zero shutter lag: innovative software features allow for an instantaneous shot at that precise moment

* SweepShot for capturing panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single motion

* ClearShot HDR for capturing objects in bright settings so your photos are not affected by high-contrast lighting

* BurstShot for capturing multiple photos in a quick burst so you don't miss the perfect photo

As its name suggests, the myTouch 4G Slide also supports T-Mobile's 4G network for $199.99, with a 2-year contract.

The myTouch 4G Slide is expected to be available in July and is expected to compete with Samsung Galaxy S2, which is also expected to be launched in U.S. in mid-July.

Let's see how myTouch 4G Slide compares against Samsung Galaxy S2:

Size:

myTouch 4G Slide is 0.52-inch thick and weighs about 6.5oz, while Samsung Galaxy S2 is merely 0.33-inch thick and weighs about 4oz.

Display:

T-Mobile's myTouch 4G Slide sports a 3.7-inch WVGA super LCD touch-screen with 800x480 screen resolution.

Samsung Galaxy S 2 features a super-sized 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 800x480 screen resolution. Galaxy S2's Super AMOLED display is superior to an LCD screen as it shows minimal signs of discoloration when tilted unlike LCD screens.

Processor:

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Galaxy S 2 also sports a 1.2GHz Orion chipset.

Keypad:

Additionally myTouch 4G Slide offers QWERTY keypad and offers a Genius Button for one shot voice commands to enable calls and to text or search the Web. However, Samsung Galaxy S2 is considered to be the fastest smartphone with a Quadrant score in the range of 3,053 according to Russian journalist Eldar Murtazin.

Operating System:

Both the phones run Android 2.3 or Gingerbread juice. However, they optimize the OS with their own UI. Samsung Galaxy S2 offer TouchWiz 4.0 customizations and myTouch 4G Slide uses its customized HTC Sense 3.0

Camera:

Now, we will come to the camera part.

HTC's myTouch 4G Slide offers an 8MP rear-facing and a VGA front-facing camera. myTouch 4G Slide's camera is touted to be its best accessory as it comes with a dual-LED flash.

The T-Mobile phone offers excellent low-light performance and also offers clear shots in bright settings by eliminating high-contrast lighting. It adds other features like Zero shutter lag which optimizes software to allow instantaneous shot at that precise moment, SweepShot for capturing ultra wide panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single click and burst shot for capturing multiple pictures in one shot.

On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S 2 also comes equipped with an 8MP rear-facing with LED flash, but a 2MP front-facing camera. Galaxy S2's camera is considered to be of good quality with the only snag being that photos with high contrast between dark and well-lit areas result in deep shadows or blown out highlights reports Engadget.

Meanwhile, both the phones offer 1080p video capture capability.

Memory:

Samsung Galaxy S2 comes in 16/32 GB internal memory configuration with MicroSD up to 32GB while myTouch 4G Slide offers pre-installed 8GB microSD expandable to 32GB. Galaxy S2 has 1GB RAM but myTouch Slide's RAM details are presently unavailable.