Samsung teased its replacement for the original Galaxy S back in mid-January, but the company today made its announcement official. The company pulled the wraps off the Galaxy S II.
The Galaxy S II -- like most new high-end smartphones being introduced in 2011 -- incorporates a new dual core processor (running at 1GHz). In addition, the phone supports HSPA+ and has dual cameras (8MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera for video conferencing).
Also new is a 4.27" Super AMOLED Plus display which Samsung says features industry-leading "color gamut, contrast ratio and edge sharpness".
Thankfully, the Galaxy S II will not be gimped like a lot of new Android smartphones introduced recently. It will be running Google's latest smartphone operating system, Android 2.3 "Gingerbread".
“GALAXY S II is a natural and powerful evolution of GALAXY S," said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business. "Building on the phenomenal success of the original Samsung GALAXY S, we are proud to unveil the ultimate smartphone. Consumers no longer have to contain themselves – the Samsung GALAXY S II allows them to design their own smart lives.”
Samsung also today announced its new Galaxy Tab 10.1. This new, larger model -- as its name implies -- features a 10.1" display (1280x800). For comparison, the Apple iPad uses a 9.7" display, while the original Galaxy Tab gets by with just 7 inches of screen real estate.
Like its Galaxy S II relative, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a 1GHz dual-core processor, HSPA+ connectivity, and 8MP/2MP cameras. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs on Google's tablet-optimized Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system, and will be available in 16GB and 32GB storage configurations.
"As a leader in the Android-powered tablet market, Samsung is committed to providing a variety of feature-rich, always-on devices" said DJ Lee, Executive VP and Head of Sales & Marketing. "The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is a valuable addition to our expanding portfolio of smart media devices. Sporting a large 10.1 screen and dual surround-sound speakers, it enables users to enjoy multimedia to the maximum extent without having to compromise mobility.
There is no word on pricing or when either of Samsung's new Google-powered devices will be made available to the North American market.
