Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA

Well, if you thought Samsung was done tweaking the Galaxy S II, you were very mistaken. The Korean company is getting ready to unveil the Galaxy S II LTE at IFA in Berlin this week, alongside an LTE version of its still elusive Galaxy Tab 8.9 -- and we'll be there to get some hands on time. Both devices are sporting an updated dual-core processor running at 1.5GHz, while the S II is also getting a size bump and moving up to a 4.5-inch screen. The Tab remains otherwise unchanged, rocking the same 1200 x 800 screen and super-svelte (8.6mm thick) design. Honestly, we're not sure what else you need to know -- 4G LTE and an over-the-top processor? OK, maybe price and availability would be nice, but you'll just have to make do with some PR for now. Check it out after the break.

Press Release:
Samsung speeds up the Smarter Life with LTE versions of the GALAXY S II and GALAXY Tab 8.9

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) August 28, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced LTE editions of its GALAXY S II and GALAXY Tab 8.9. These stylish devices now offer high-speed 4G connectivity in addition to power, portability and second-to-none screen technology.

"With the introduction of GALAXY S II LTE and GALAXY Tab 8.9 LTE, we will take the capabilities of these devices to a whole new level. LTE redefines the user experience made possible by these devices and opens entirely new possibilities in terms of content viewing, sharing, quality and connectivity," said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

"This is a milestone in our commitment to lead the charge in 4G mobile telephony around the world, both in terms of back-end network solutions for service providers and the development of powerful consumer handsets," added Shin.

When connected to a 4G network, LTE technology allows portable devices to download high-quality files at speeds of up to 100Mbps, and to upload at speeds of 50Mbps theoretically – five times faster than even the quickest HSPA+ connection. This means that a four-minute long MP3 track can be downloaded in 0.3 seconds, or an entire film file in less than two minutes.

The enhanced connectivity afforded by LTE technology opens up a range of possibilities for users: Features like social gaming, video conferencing and high-quality media streaming can all be enjoyed seamlessly, with vast improvements in download times and connectivity. 4G technology also enables the seamless and near-instant sharing of multimedia content with friends and family, ensuring that users can share the experiences they love whenever they want.

The addition of LTE to the Samsung GALAXY portfolio also opens further opportunities for mobile application and content developers creating a new generation of mobile services that take full advantage of increased bandwidth and improved connectivity.

GALAXY S II LTE

In addition to offering a high standard of connectivity, the GALAXY S II LTE delivers powerful performance due to its 1.5GHz dual core processor. Superior 3D graphic performance makes games and video consumption fast and smooth, while popular Web pages like Google, Yahoo and YouTube can load easily, giving customers instant access to the information they need.

A 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display provides stunning visual clarity, with HD video and images taken on the device's 8MP camera displayed in full vivid color. The GALAXY S II LTE also offers a rich content experience, with Social, Game and Music hubs all included, while the Readers Hub will be available for download after launch. These are in addition to a number of enterprise solutions aimed at increasing productivity. Running on Android 2.3, the GALAXY S II LTE is easy and intuitive to use.

Additionally, the GALAXY S II LTE can also be connected to up to eight devices via WiFi, meaning that files can be quickly and seamlessly synchronized with laptops, tablets and other Smartphones.

GALAXY Tab 8.9 LTE

The LTE edition of the GALAXY Tab 8.9 is incredibly portable, measuring just 8.6mm thin while weighing only 455g. The boosted connectivity and genuine portability ensures that the GALAXY Tab 8.9 LTE is the ideal device for modern professionals, who need to stay productive and entertained while on the move. LTE capabilities enable video conferences to be held without need to worry about failing connections, while the 8.9" screen enables easy rendering of business content such as presentations. The TouchWiz interface enables an intuitive user experience, enhanced by the space and freedom provided by the large display.

Whether writing emails on a trip or reading an eBook in bed, the GALAXY Tab 8.9 LTE provides the ultimate tablet experience without compromising mobility.
source: Engadget

Samsung said to be considering webOS acquisition from HP

Following rumors that Samsung was considering a purchase of Hewlett-Packard's PC business - rumors that Samsung would later deny - DigiTimes is having another go at this potential unholy union. This time around, however, the site claims Samsung is eying HP's webOS platform instead of its PC business. DigiTimes on Monday reported that Samsung has hired HP's ex-vice president of PSG marketing Raymond Wah to head up Samsung's PC business. The report goes on to claim that Samsung is also “considering purchasing webOS to compete head on against Apple and Google, according to sources from notebook players.” The South Korea-based electronics giant is clearly having issues with Android right now. Despite Google's OS having helped Samsung climb to the No. 2 spot among global smartphone vendors, it also brought with it a flurry of patent-related lawsuits from Apple and other companies. Google just announced its intention to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion, however, and this purchase is intended in part to help the company defend itself and Android partners against patent complaints from Apple, Microsoft and other combatants in the patent wars. Beyond that, Samsung also has its own in-house smartphone platform, bada, which is seeing success in the Asian market. Samsung declined to comment.
source: Boy Genius Report

Sprint Holding “Strategy Update” Event In New York This October 7th

Looks like Sprint has something big planned for October 7th in what they’re calling a “Strategy Update.” Tons of press have been invited to their event in New York city and although no one knows exactly what ‘ol #3 will announce/unveil/reveal, you can bet it more than likely will have something to do with their acquisition of Clearwire and possibly their move to LTE-Advanced. Time for you guys to do some speculating of your own. What do you think will be announced? Merger with Google? iPhone 5? I’m still hoping it will have something to do with the return of the “Sprint Guy”
source: Android Phone

Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S II press shots leaked

Samsung is preparing to announce the Galaxy S II for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T during a press event on Tuesday and one day ahead of the announcement, official images for Sprint's model have been leaked. We exclusively reported earlier this month that Sprint will dub its device the “Epic Touch 4G,” and it will pack a dual-core processor, a Super AMOLED Plus display, a forward-facing camera for video chats, an 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting HD video and more. We're digging the textured back of the Epic Tough 4G and it appears Samsung was able to keep the phone just as thin as its European counterpart despite packing in a 4G WiMAX radio. We'll be live reporting from Samsung's press conference at 6:00 p.m. EST tomorrow, so stay tuned for more details.
source: Boy Genius Report