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.
