The Samsung Galaxy S2 is among the most popular Android smartphones of all time, and certainly the most successful phone for Samsung  smartphones. However, this is not their highest spec handset. Along with the Galaxy Note, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has the highest specs when it comes to several of its features. In this article I will compare some key features of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus so you can decide which is the better smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was a collaboration between Samsung and Google to showcase the latest v4.0 of Android, dubbed 'Ice Cream Sandwich'. The Samsung Galaxy S2 however ships with the previous 'Gingerbread' version installed. The Galaxy S2 supports an update to the new version of the software, but because the Nexus was the first phone to have this version as standard, Samsung ensured it has the hardware to do the job  .

The screen is arguably the crowning feature of the Galaxy Nexus.,Even to this day, it has one of the highest resolutions of any smartphone. At 720x 1280, it is only now being matched by newer phones. This gives it the ability to display HD videos as well as photos and games it top quality. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a qHD screen resolution (480x 800), which although impressive, is still ay short of that of the Galaxy Nexus.

Probably the most disappointing feature of the Nexus (on paper at least) is its camera. With a resolution of 5 megapixels, it is below what you would expect from a phone with a brand new operating system and high definition screen. Despite its seemingly low resolution, the camera is still able to capture video footage in 1080p high definition, which is a feature shared with the Samsung Galaxy S2, although this is to be expected as the device has an 8 megapixel camera.

Both handsets are matched on several features; they both have a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, so you can expect great performance from both devices. Equally impressive is their data download speeds when browsing the internet over a g3 connection; at 21 megabytes per second, they are among the fastest web browsing phones available marketing.

The Galaxy S2 was released in April 2011, whereas the Galaxy Nexus hit the market in November 2011. By the time the Galaxy Nexus was released, momentum had already picked up in sales of the Galaxy S2, which explains why the Galaxy Nexus was not as successful, despite several moreappealing specifications. Both handsets are superb in their own rights though, and whichever you choose you are unlikely to be disappointed. If you are in the market for a Samsung smartphone though, it may be worth waiting a little longer, as their latest flagship is due for release later this year. The Galaxy S3 is rumoured to sport a 12 megapixel camera and quad-core processor among its key features and looks set to be one of the biggest tech releases of 2012.