Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus: The 2013 Android handset Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus is priced at $250. Is this 4.3-inch unit still worth the price?

Though it’s seemingly pricey at $250, the handset still commands a huge following, as evidenced by the number of ROMs available to upgrade the device to later iterations of the Android mobile OS.

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus was intended to be a budget-friendly Samsung handset. Its released was caused by the fact that not every consumer can afford some Samsung flagships, like the S4 and S5. But late 2013 and this year shows that companies like Motorola and Nokia are able to produce cheaper smartphones with quality specs below $200.

DESIGN. The Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus has a dimension of 4.93 x 2.60 x 0.33 inches and a weight of 121 grams, giving it one of the lightest and slimmest bodies among the mid-range smartphones in the market. At first glance, you can see that it has copied its predecessor's casing design, which is not a bad idea considering how stylish it looks. However, it has failed to keep the Galaxy S2's rough texture at the back for a more solid grip.

DISPLAY. With its 4.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, has kept the S2's display of vibrant colors and shades. However, with its resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and pixel density of 217 ppi, the upgrade of its screen could have made it better. "We would appreciate at least qHD (960x540 pixels) in a 4.3-inch screen," commented notebookcheck.net.

PERFORMANCE. The Plus version has almost everything cleared under the hood. It also has a sound Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS (upgradable to 4.2.2). Its internal storage has downgraded to 8 GB, compared to the S2's 16 GB. But this is still tolerable considering the micro SD slot which allows you to upgrade your memory to 64 GB.

Samsung's TouchWiz interface, version 5.0, also allows you to browse videos simultaneously and smoothly.

CAMERA. Its rear camera shoots at 8 MP and 3264 x 2448 pixels with an LED flash, while its front sports at 2 MP. The Plus version has beaten its mid-range brothers, including the Galaxy S3 Mini (5 MP). With a Full HD video capacity and snappy autofocus, the Plus' camera is a slight upgrade.

Compared to its larger smartphone brothers in the Galaxy line-up, the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus fares in the middle-nothing fancy. It has a simple design, fair display, and sound performance, advisable for those who are looking for smartphones on a budget.