Samsung's second generation Galaxy S series has been a major hit across the pond since it launched in May (and late April through some third-party retailers). The “big” phone touts a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, TouchWiz 4.0 and 1GB RAM, which easily made it the best phone of its time. With separate versions likely to make it to all four major carriers in the US, the device has easily captured the eyes of wanting Americans, too.
 
But as you all know, the mobile market moves much more quickly than it did years ago. It has been four long months since it hit shores in the UK and we're still a week away from what is presumed to be the Galaxy S II announcement for US carriers. It could be weeks before we officially see a Galaxy S II in the States. Like the Bionic, has the Galaxy S II missed its window?
 
Normally, I would say no. Despite the existence of phones that have slightly better specifications than the GSII, Samsung's phone is a package deal. Not only do you get a fast processor and plenty of RAM, you get one of the most colorful and “popping” displays to date, TouchWiz 4.0 (a major improvement over past TouchWiz versions) and the thinnest smartphone on the market. It will have its place, but now – four months later – it faces a different type of adversity.

At the time the Galaxy S II initially launched, it was by far the best phone around. Now there are devices like the Photon 4G and Sensation 4G. On paper, these phones just slightly edge out the Galaxy S II with higher resolution displays – and let's be honest, that's what a lot of you are after now.

But the current competition should be the least of Samsung's worries. Rumors of an iPhone 5 launch in September and October have been in the headlines what seems like every day for the past two months. It is likely to sport a better camera, thinner chassis, larger display and a faster processor. I have a feeling that the iPhone 5 is going to be a thorn in the Galaxy S II's side. Not only that, the launch of a rumored Nexus phone is right around the corner, too. Touting speculated specs like an HD Super AMOLED Plus display and a 1.2GHz (or 1.5GHz) dual-core processor, among other things, the Neuxs Prime – along with the other Ice Cream Sandwich halo devices – may also prove to be a hurdle for the Galaxy S II.

The Galaxy S II may face plight on the software front as well. Although it will ship with Google's latest platform for smartphones (Gingerbread), a major update is pending and will land sometime before the year's end. Samsung has a reputation for slow Android updates and I fear people may hold out for the aforementioned Ice Cream Sandwich phones, simply to avoid having to wait on Samsung to update the GSII to Android 4.0.

Don't get me wrong, the Galaxy S II is one beautiful piece of hardware – it would be my Android phone of choice at the moment. But this is yet another tale of a would-be groundbreaking phone that was just a few months too late. Instead of making it a priority to launch the Galaxy S II in the US immediately, Samsung lollygagged and missed the optimal window. Now they face an uphill battle in the US. Samsung doesn't seem to think so, however, as they just released an official teaser for the phone, claiming it's still "big all over the world."

So tell me, do you plan to buy a Galaxy S II when it's officially available sateside? Or will you hold out for the iPhone 5 or Nexus Prime instead?

Image via SlashGear