Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus unveiled, but why?

• Quentyn Kennemer
• 12 years ago

Samsung has just announced an amazing, great new phone — the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus! Wait, what?! That’s right, we’re in 2013 and Samsung is releasing a refresh to a 2011 smartphone. The “Plus” edition of Samsung’s second flagship device houses a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 4.3 inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel HD camera with a 2 megapixel companion on the front.

Aside from coming with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box we’re left wondering what’s so “Plus” about it. The original Samsung Galaxy S2 came with 16GB of internal storage, and it has since received an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. So what, exactly, is Samsung trying to do with this release?

The phone could pass as a nice budget offering in this day and age, but there’s not much to gain over getting the i9100 online for around $200 on eBay or other sites. It will be a decent option for carriers wanting to provide a Galaxy S2 with Jelly Bean pre-installed instead of updating their original models to the relatively new version of Android, but I think I speak for the masses when I say most would just prefer the original models be upgraded in a timely fashion.

There’s no pricing and availability for this particular release just yet, but considering how cheap a Galaxy S3 can be had on contract these days we imagine this won’t be on many folks’ radar. I’m having trouble trying to make sense of all this, so please be my guest and leave us a note in the comments section if you can come up with a reason why releasing this phone at this point would be a good idea. Read on for full press details.

Seoul, Korea – January 10, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today Samsung GALAXY S II Plus, which combines the performance that have made the GALAXY S II one of the world’s most recognized phones, together with nature-inspired user-interface and intuitive features that greatly boost its usability and functionality.

• The GALAXY S II Plus runs on Android™ 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) enabling faster and smoother screen transitions, and

  providing an enhanced user interface featuring a new, easier-to-use notification panel. It is powered by an impressive

 1.2 GHz dual core processor that enables easy multi-tasking, smooth screen transitions and superior graphics for

 some of the most demanding applications and games.

• The GALAXY S II Plus’ nature-inspired user-interface is complemented with intuitive features that make the phone really

  easy to use. Direct Call enables users to automatically dial a call by taking the device to the ear. Smart Stay recognizes

  whether the user is looking at the screen to dim the screen accordingly; while Smart Alert lets users know about

  missed events or status updates just by picking up the phone.

• The GALAXY S II Plus also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall experience in

  entirely new ways. Popup Video allows a video to play anywhere on the screen in a resizable pop-up window while

  simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or

  surfing the Web. S Voice lets users control the phone using their voice; and Voice Unlock lets users unlock the phone

  using their own voice.

• A 4.3” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display offers a generous viewing experience and enables photos captured with the

  powerful 8MP camera to be enjoyed in true clarity.

• The rear camera features a zero-lag shutter speed that captures moving objects easily without delay. The innovative

  ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows images to be easily and simultaneously shared with friends pictured in an

  image directly from the camera or the photo gallery. Additional features include Group Facetag and Face Zoom to

  deliver a complete photographic experience. The device is packed with the latest Samsung content services including

  AllShare Play, which lets users share content across Samsung devices using a single account and password.

  Users can also enjoy all the benefits of Samsung Hubs, including the latest versions of Readers Hub, Video Hub,

  Game Hub and Music Hub.