I recently began working for AT&T, so let me get that out right away. As a current Verizon subscriber (my personal phone is a Droid Razr--and I LOVE that phone, too), I wasn't able to get a GS2, even though I wanted one bad. My son (uses Sprint) got his GS2 and I gotta say, after examining his phone for about 15 minutes, I was almost ready to jump the Verizon ship to get one, too...almost. What essentially keeps me where I am is pretty simple: I am grandfathered into my Unlimited Data plan with Verizon and they currently have the largest 4GLTE footprint and I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Even in our area, Sprint STILL doesn't have WiMax 4G capability, so why bother with a provider who probably won't evolve up to LTE until just after the next ice age, by which time everyone else will be up to 5 & 6G? 'Nuff said.

So, as I wrote before, I recently did a career change and now work for an AT&T service provider and as a result, I was given a GS2 to use personally as an employee. Weird, but I signed my new 2 year agreement with Verizon just about 4 weeks before getting the job, otherwise I may not have...First off, there is a slight difference between the Galaxy S2 and the GS2 Skyrocket. The original GS2 only has 3G and HSPA+ (kinda like 3G on Steroids, but clearly not in the same category as LTE), and the Skyrocket is both HSPA+ AND 4GLTE. You get the best of both worlds. It also has a slightly larger display. You may not think going from a 4.3 to a 4.5 inch screen is much, but honestly, I found it truly amazing. One of the guys I work with has about the smallest touch screen phone I've ever seen and cannot wrap his head around a phone with a screen so huge. He'll come around, trust me. Once you get used to a screen 4" or bigger, you simply cannot imagine how you'd ever go back. I hear it from iPhone users almost daily--but keep in mind, this is a personal choice. For some, bigger is better, for others, not so much.

The Skyrocket also has a slightly faster processor. Both have dual-core, but the Skyrocket gets a micro-burst from 1.2 up to 1.5 gigahertz. Honestly, I don't think I can see much--if any difference in practical use, but again, to each his own. As for the screen, yes its a tiny bit bigger and yet shares the same pixel density. I must admit, hands down Super Amoled screens not only beat the competition (including the all-mighty iPhone's Retina Display), they demolish it. Now--add to that the fact that both Galaxy S2 phones have a Super Amoled PLUS screen and things that were already great are made even better, NOT an easy task mind you. Just comparing the Atrix 2 with my Razr is night & day...The ONLY screen I say is actually better--today that is--would be the one on the Galaxy Nexus. The HTC Rezound has about the same pixel density as the GN but the difference is clearly in the Super Amoled Plus. Quite literally you've got to compare them yourself, side-by-side to appreciate how awesome the screens are.

The GS2 line are expected to receive the update to ICS 4.0 sometime in 2012--but not yet from what I've heard. That update seriously ought to make an awesome phone truly amazing. As for performance, the Android platform has undergone a bit of a transformation from Froyo to Gingerbread and the gain in stability is definitely appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT an iPhone hater by any stretch. Heck, I sell the darn things, of COURSE I like them. There are two significant reasons why my personal platform of choice is Android: #1 I must have a larger screen. #2 I tinker with my phone almost every minute of the day and as such, being able to customize my phone endlessly as you can with Android is my absolute favorite thing about owning one. The shell looks the same, but from week to week almost everything else changes, and I have yet to find and end to how different I can make it look and act. For me, this is super big. It isn't as obvious to those who are fans of the iPhone because without jailbreaking your phone, you are stuck with what the phone looks like, save changing the wallpaper. What I am constantly surprised from apple is the lack of serious change to the overall LOOK of their UI. Take an original iPhone and compare it with a brand new 4S model and essentially the layout is the same. Unchanged in several years and platform updates. For those who appreciate stability, this may be just fine, but for those who like a new-and-improved fresher UI every now and then, you have an alternative.

As for the build of the phone, what can I say? At the moment, the Razr just very well may have the toughest build for a phone without using a case. The Skyrocket and the regular GS2 are a bit flimsy by comparison. I always recommend buyers to insure their phones by purchasing a case which will help to protect their expensive investment. No case is full-proof, but they are not all created equal, either. Screen protectors are important as well--even if your phone has Gorilla Glass, which, while extremely scratch resistant, is still not scratch proof--no phone screen is. The back of the Skyrocket is plastic and honestly this is going to be another one of those items which will either be fine with you or may very well be a deal breaker. Some have referred to the back as so cheap that it would fracture if dropped two feet onto plush carpet. While I can assure you that isn't the case, I WILL be honest and say the phone build is far from super durable. Depending on how you treat your device, you may see fit to protect it--as I encourage everyone to do. The upside to the Skyrocket/GS2 build is how light and thin it is. That is pretty big these days and something you seriously ought to consider before purchasing. Back when HTC introduced the 4GLTE Thunderbolt, when I first examined the phone I immediately decided against buying for the simple reason that it was just much too thick for my taste. Put the HTC inside a carrying case and it becomes even THAT much thicker. It was a deal breaker for me personally. The GS2 phones are thin--not as much as the Razr (or even the Razr Maxx BTW), but still, pretty dang thin, especially considering all it can do. Since this is another personal thing for each individual buyer, I HIGHLY recommend before buying ANY phone, go to a store and wherever possible, handle a phone yourself and get a feel for how it sits in your hands before spending your hard-earned money to buy it only to be upset a week later because its too big--or too small for your hands.

The apps available are growing exponentially in the Android Market (over 450,000 at last count, fast approaching apple) which almost makes it a wash if that is why you are choosing one phone over another--but even so, there still are apps exclusive to apple and also to Android. Once again, research is key to making this particular decision.

Call quality with the Skyrocket is good to near excellent--thus far. I am happy to say the strength of the calls have been great with strong signal everywhere I've personally taken the phone. I had a vastly different experience with my old Blackberry Bold and the HTC Tilt 2 some years back, and I am happy to report that AT&T has handled this issue--at least where I currently live. The volume on calls has been excellent as well. The speaker phone is maybe a shade above Good, but thats about it. I'm still waiting for a good mobile phone to provide me with a speakerphone which will suit my needs--meaning loud and crisp without being too tinny on the higher end. So far I have yet to find a model on ANY network which I would endorse as having the perfect speaker. I expect that will change as technology continues to improve, but how long it'll be before one becomes available is anyone's guess at this point.

As far as AT&T Bloatware is concerned, I expect it these days and struggle to find a work-around without the need to root my phone (and void warranty). AT&T has listened more to customers in this regard than Verizon has. Some bloatware with these new phones can actually be removed whereas Verizon simply doesn't allow it. Again, as another reviewer has noted, just because we have pretty much all come to expect this invasion and use of OUR precious memory on OUR phones, certainly doesn't make it right. ALL wireless companies do this to some degree or another. I personally believe that whoever first allows their customers to delete ANY bloatware from their phones (which isn't critical to phone use), will eventually be the winner in my book. Some of these useless apps take up a ridiculous amount of memory and automatically starts running in the background, whether you want it to or not. Sure, I understand that Android allows for this and re-directs systems processing power when necessary...however, it STILL bugs me. No matter HOW much system resources it uses, I'd really rather not have it use up ANY unless I ask it to. This right here is my biggest complaint with Android. On my previous phones, it would only do what I wanted it to--and only WHEN I wanted it to. Don't get me wrong, Androids ability to multi-task with multiple apps running simultaneously, runs--for the most part--almost flawlessly. Even so, it still bugs the heck out of me. I also know I'm not the only person who thinks this way. There is safety in numbers and if enough of us complain, something is bound to change in our favor. I hear that with the upgrade to ICS 4.0 the ability to delete or disable more bloatware will be fairly standard on most phones running it, but I cannot say that with any certainty...although my fingers ARE crossed.

In short, the Skyrocket is just amazing. It works, it does what I want and then some--all in a sleek and thin frame. While not as durable as maybe the Razr, with a good shell on it, ought to provide you with exactly what you bought it to perform. The screen is absolutely brilliant and almost the best I've seen (outside of the Galaxy Nexus). The color saturation with the Super Amoled Plus simply must be seen to be believed. With that being said, I know several iPhone owners who argue that NO phone has a better screen than the iPhone 4 and 4S...again, this is one of those personal things I mentioned before. If you honestly believe the iPhone to have the best screen, then it does...if you believe its the Skyrocket, then THAT phone does. Perception is everything, and as I like to remind myself regularly, everyone is different.

I believe you can't go wrong with this device. I DO recommend buying no less than a 3Gig Data plan. You'd be amazed how quickly you can run through the gigs without even realizing it. Better safe than sorry. If you end up not using that much you can always go down a tier to a smaller rate and Data plan which better suits you and your wallet. Again, everyone is different...but you get the picture. Now, if only my company would gift me a Galaxy Note to use for free...
I recently began working for AT&T, so let me get that out right away. As a current Verizon subscriber (my personal phone is a Droid Razr--and I LOVE that phone, too), I wasn't able to get a GS2, even though I wanted one bad. My son (uses Sprint) got his GS2 and I gotta say, after examining his phone for about 15 minutes, I was almost ready to jump the Verizon ship to get one, too... almost. What essentially keeps me where I am is pretty simple: I am grandfathered into my Unlimited Data plan with Verizon and they currently have the largest 4GLTE footprint and I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Even in our area, Sprint STILL doesn't have WiMax 4G capability, so why bother with a provider who probably won't evolve up to LTE until just after the next ice age, by which time everyone else will be up to 5 & 6G? 'Nuff said. So, as I wrote before, I recently did a career change and now work for an AT&T service provider and as a result, I was given a GS2 to use personally as an employee. Weird, but I signed my new 2 year agreement with Verizon just about 4 weeks before getting the job, otherwise I may not have... First off, there is a slight difference between the Galaxy S2 and the GS2 Skyrocket. The original GS2 only has 3G and HSPA+ (kinda like 3G on Steroids, but clearly not in the same category as LTE), and the Skyrocket is both HSPA+ AND 4GLTE. You get the best of both worlds. It also has a slightly larger display. You may not think going from a 4. 3 to a 4. 5 inch screen is much, but honestly, I found it truly amazing. One of the guys I work with has about the smallest touch screen phone I've ever seen and cannot wrap his head around a phone with a screen so huge. He'll come around, trust me. Once you get used to a screen 4" or bigger, you simply cannot imagine how you'd ever go back. I hear it from iPhone users almost daily--but keep in mind, this is a personal choice. For some, bigger is better, for others, not so much. The Skyrocket also has a slightly faster processor. Both have dual-core, but the Skyrocket gets a micro-burst from 1. 2 up to 1. 5 gigahertz. Honestly, I don't think I can see much--if any difference in practical use, but again, to each his own. As for the screen, yes its a tiny bit bigger and yet shares the same pixel density. I must admit, hands down Super Amoled screens not only beat the competition (including the all-mighty iPhone's Retina Display), they demolish it. Now--add to that the fact that both Galaxy S2 phones have a Super Amoled PLUS screen and things that were already great are made even better, NOT an easy task mind you. Just comparing the Atrix 2 with my Razr is night & day... The ONLY screen I say is actually better--today that is--would be the one on the Galaxy Nexus. The HTC Rezound has about the same pixel density as the GN but the difference is clearly in the Super Amoled Plus. Quite literally you've got to compare them yourself, side-by-side to appreciate how awesome the screens are. The GS2 line are expected to receive the update to ICS 4. 0 sometime in 2012--but not yet from what I've heard. That update seriously ought to make an awesome phone truly amazing. As for performance, the Android platform has undergone a bit of a transformation from Froyo to Gingerbread and the gain in stability is definitely appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT an iPhone hater by any stretch. Heck, I sell the darn things, of COURSE I like them. There are two significant reasons why my personal platform of choice is Android: #1 I must have a larger screen. #2 I tinker with my phone almost every minute of the day and as such, being able to customize my phone endlessly as you can with Android is my absolute favorite thing about owning one. The shell looks the same, but from week to week almost everything else changes, and I have yet to find and end to how different I can make it look and act. For me, this is super big. It isn't as obvious to those who are fans of the iPhone because without jailbreaking your phone, you are stuck with what the phone looks like, save changing the wallpaper. What I am constantly surprised from apple is the lack of serious change to the overall LOOK of their UI. Take an original iPhone and compare it with a brand new 4S model and essentially the layout is the same. Unchanged in several years and platform updates. For those who appreciate stability, this may be just fine, but for those who like a new-and-improved fresher UI every now and then, you have an alternative. As for the build of the phone, what can I say? At the moment, the Razr just very well may have the toughest build for a phone without using a case. The Skyrocket and the regular GS2 are a bit flimsy by comparison. I always recommend buyers to insure their phones by purchasing a case which will help to protect their expensive investment. No case is full-proof, but they are not all created equal, either. Screen protectors are important as well--even if your phone has Gorilla Glass, which, while extremely scratch resistant, is still not scratch proof--no phone screen is. The back of the Skyrocket is plastic and honestly this is going to be another one of those items which will either be fine with you or may very well be a deal breaker. Some have referred to the back as so cheap that it would fracture if dropped two feet onto plush carpet. While I can assure you that isn't the case, I WILL be honest and say the phone build is far from super durable. Depending on how you treat your device, you may see fit to protect it--as I encourage everyone to do. The upside to the Skyrocket/GS2 build is how light and thin it is. That is pretty big these days and something you seriously ought to consider before purchasing. Back when HTC introduced the 4GLTE Thunderbolt, when I first examined the phone I immediately decided against buying for the simple reason that it was just much too thick for my taste. Put the HTC inside a carrying case and it becomes even THAT much thicker. It was a deal breaker for me personally. The GS2 phones are thin--not as much as the Razr (or even the Razr Maxx BTW), but still, pretty dang thin, especially considering all it can do. Since this is another personal thing for each individual buyer, I HIGHLY recommend before buying ANY phone, go to a store and wherever possible, handle a phone yourself and get a feel for how it sits in your hands before spending your hard-earned money to buy it only to be upset a week later because its too big--or too small for your hands. The apps available are growing exponentially in the Android Market (over 450,000 at last count, fast approaching apple) which almost makes it a wash if that is why you are choosing one phone over another--but even so, there still are apps exclusive to apple and also to Android. Once again, research is key to making this particular decision. Call quality with the Skyrocket is good to near excellent--thus far. I am happy to say the strength of the calls have been great with strong signal everywhere I've personally taken the phone. I had a vastly different experience with my old Blackberry Bold and the HTC Tilt 2 some years back, and I am happy to report that AT&T has handled this issue--at least where I currently live. The volume on calls has been excellent as well. The speaker phone is maybe a shade above Good, but thats about it. I'm still waiting for a good mobile phone to provide me with a speakerphone which will suit my needs--meaning loud and crisp without being too tinny on the higher end. So far I have yet to find a model on ANY network which I would endorse as having the perfect speaker. I expect that will change as technology continues to improve, but how long it'll be before one becomes available is anyone's guess at this point. As far as AT&T Bloatware is concerned, I expect it these days and struggle to find a work-around without the need to root my phone (and void warranty). AT&T has listened more to customers in this regard than Verizon has. Some bloatware with these new phones can actually be removed whereas Verizon simply doesn't allow it. Again, as another reviewer has noted, just because we have pretty much all come to expect this invasion and use of OUR precious memory on OUR phones, certainly doesn't make it right. ALL wireless companies do this to some degree or another. I personally believe that whoever first allows their customers to delete ANY bloatware from their phones (which isn't critical to phone use), will eventually be the winner in my book. Some of these useless apps take up a ridiculous amount of memory and automatically starts running in the background, whether you want it to or not. Sure, I understand that Android allows for this and re-directs systems processing power when necessary... however, it STILL bugs me. No matter HOW much system resources it uses, I'd really rather not have it use up ANY unless I ask it to. This right here is my biggest complaint with Android. On my previous phones, it would only do what I wanted it to--and only WHEN I wanted it to. Don't get me wrong, Androids ability to multi-task with multiple apps running simultaneously, runs--for the most part--almost flawlessly. Even so, it still bugs the heck out of me. I also know I'm not the only person who thinks this way. There is safety in numbers and if enough of us complain, something is bound to change in our favor. I hear that with the upgrade to ICS 4. 0 the ability to delete or disable more bloatware will be fairly standard on most phones running it, but I cannot say that with any certainty... although my fingers ARE crossed. In short, the Skyrocket is just amazing. It works, it does what I want and then some--all in a sleek and thin frame. While not as durable as maybe the Razr, with a good shell on it, ought to provide you with exactly what you bought it to perform. The screen is absolutely brilliant and almost the best I've seen (outside of the Galaxy Nexus). The color saturation with the Super Amoled Plus simply must be seen to be believed. With that being said, I know several iPhone owners who argue that NO phone has a better screen than the iPhone 4 and 4S... again, this is one of those personal things I mentioned before. If you honestly believe the iPhone to have the best screen, then it does... if you believe its the Skyrocket, then THAT phone does. Perception is everything, and as I like to remind myself regularly, everyone is different. I believe you can't go wrong with this device. I DO recommend buying no less than a 3Gig Data plan. You'd be amazed how quickly you can run through the gigs without even realizing it. Better safe than sorry. If you end up not using that much you can always go down a tier to a smaller rate and Data plan which better suits you and your wallet. Again, everyone is different... but you get the picture. Now, if only my company would gift me a Galaxy Note to use for free...