The last we heard about the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus was six months ago, when rumors claimed the device would launch before the Galaxy S III, with improved specifications that would provide a kind of middle ground between Samsung’s last flagship handset and its latest one.
But with months gone by and still no word from the Korean company, we had suspected that the handset wasn’t part of Samsung’s plans after all. Until more pictures of the Galaxy S II Plus surfaced this week, along with specifications.
In addition to a series of leaked images that show off the S2 Plus from all angles, hardware specs have also surfaced. The same 1.5GHz dual-core Exynos processor that was tested in February looks like it’s still powering the phone, and it’s been teamed up with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It’s slightly larger than the original GS2, with a 4.5-inch display instead of a 4.3-inch one — although its resolution remains unchanged at 480×800 pixels. The 8MP rear-facing camera and LED flash are clearly visible in the photo, and there’s also a front-facing camera of unspecified resolution.
Apparently the plus also refers to heft, as the GS2+ packs on an additional 20 grams of weight and measures a full millimeter thicker than the GS2. It’s also commanding a premium, selling for around the same price as a 32GB iPhone 4S . It’s available both on contract and as a prepaid device in Chile, but Samsung has yet to announce where else the GS2+ will be popping up elsewhere.
Fortunately for everyone else, there are plenty of other GS2 variants floating around — like the the GS2 HD LTE in Canada — and the thinner, more powerful Galaxy S3 is already available pretty much everywhere. Why would Samsung wait to release the Galaxy S2 Plus? We don’t know, and we also don’t how Samsung going to benefit with this device unless it’s got an amazing price.
