Samsung Debuts the Galaxy S II Plus; 4.3" Display, Dual-Core CPU & Jelly Bean

[dgstorm]

It appears that Samsung is still not finished milking the cash-cow that the Galaxy S II represents. Despite resounding success with the Galaxy S III phone, it seems that Samsung has still been selling millions of the now budget-priced Samsung Galaxy S II. They are continuing the line with the new Galaxy S II Plus. This one basically takes the same shell as the previous SGS2, including the same 4.3-inch display with 800 by 480 pixel resolution and the same 8-megapixel camera, but adds a new Dual-Core 1.2GHz upgrade and Android, 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Here's a quote with a few more details,

It also comes with the latest TouchWiz UI that includes features seen on the newer models such as S-Voice, voice unlock, and popup video, which allows you to watch a video on an area of the screen while running other apps underneath. There’s 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage and a 1,650 mAh battery. Some models will also have NFC.

So what’s special about the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus? Frankly, not much. In June 2012, Samsung said it has sold more than 28 million units of the original S II, and the S II Plus simply refreshes the specs and updates the software of the older model while banking on its popularity. This way, the S II Plus becomes a halfway option between the 4-inch S III Mini and the 4.8-inch S III.

You will be able to get the S II Plus in two color versions, like the S III models, in white and dark blue, but Samsung did not say when or where the handset will be released first, or how much it would cost.

What do you guys think? Could this be the perfect budget device for family and friends who don't need the latest hot tech available, or is it just too "retro"?

Source: PCWorld

[johnomaz]

My niece just got a Galaxy S2 for Christmas and I rooted it for her and put an AOSP rom on it and it ran so much smoother for her. Stock, you could see it was a little bogged down with 4.0.4 ICS. Unless the phone is free on contract, its not worth it since you can get the S3 quite often for $50 or $100.

[anthrpicdecadnce]

Serioudly sammy? So its just a gs2. With jelly bean. They could release an update... but hey, i suppose sammy found a way to male money off of whats typically free...

[MissionImprobable]

If the price is right there's not much to complain about. Nice to see that "entry level" is taking a step up.