As it usually happens, Samsung has been walking the thin line of coy and forthcoming for the US release date for the Samsung Galaxy S II, the latest and greatest Android-powered device from the company. It has proven to be a remarkably popular device, and those who have used the device can't seem to praise it enough. All of that rolled in with the high-end specifications make the Galaxy S successor one of the most sought after devices here in the States. But a final release date hasn't been provided yet. That may be changing here on August 29, as Samsung has invited folks to a major product announcement, hinting that the loved device will be in attendance. But, has Samsung waited too long to launch the Galaxy S II here?
For those who can recall to this time last year, then you'll remember that by how Samsung had already released the original Galaxy S into Europe, and had even managed to get two of the US-based variants released for T-Mobile USA (the Vibrant) and AT&T (the Captivate). The Epic 4G for Sprint would release in about two weeks from now, and the Fascinate for Verizon would come in the early part of September. The staggered release date for each model didn't come as a surprise, as Samsung had been pretty forthcoming about all of that the first time around. But as of right now, we haven't heard anything about the specific carrier-branded versions coming to the States.
We have heard rumors about the versions for Verizon and Sprint, and the version heading to T-Mobile has reportedly been seen on camera. But what we are still missing is any kind of confirmation from Samsung that these devices are coming soon. So with this press event on August 29, we are expecting that to happen. But is this event geared to showcase all four of the major carrier-branded devices? Or is this just an announcement to declare that the Galaxy S II is coming to the States, with an expected release date? Only time will tell, but considering the growing gap between the release of the Galaxy S II across the globe and its debut here locally, it would make more sense for Samsung to unveil each device now, and have a universal release date.
Will we get that lucky? Will we really see Samsung present the newest Galaxy S device for the major wireless carriers at the same time? That may depend on whether or not the carriers want to have their own release parties for their respective devices. If not, then letting Samsung unveil them wouldn't be an issue. Then again, unless all of them have some kind of distinguishing factor, like a slide-out physical keyboard or something similar, a massive unveiling could get confusing to the consumer. That won't matter, though, if Samsung and the carriers can launch the devices at the same time.
But the main question here is whether or not Samsung has waited too long to release the US variants. Unless the companies are working together to release the devices before September 9, customers will be waiting longer for any of the new devices than we did for the last Galaxy S released last year. And there's also the glaring fact that HTC has (reportedly) the Vigor device incoming, and Motorola has the Bionic. The Galaxy S II has major competition this time around, so an earlier release date would have made the most sense.
Let me just say that I don't think the Galaxy S II is going to be a flop here in the States, no matter how long it takes Samsung and the carriers to release the devices. I'm sure it will still be a hit. But there are definitely other high-profile devices coming down the pipe, which could steal some of the thunder. So do you think Samsung has waited too long? Or does it even matter to you? Have you already decided that the Galaxy S II will be your next phone? Or are you passing it over for something else? Let me know in the comments below.
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