Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android phone (preview)
- — 29 March, 2012 11:11
Telstra has released a 4G variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II Android smartphone. Currently one of the most popular Android phones on the market, the 4G version of the Galaxy S II is Telstra's second 4G capable smartphone following the launch of the HTC Velocity 4G earlier this year.
• HTC Velocity 4G review
• Telstra launches HTC Velocity, more 4G phones coming
• Just how fast is the HTC Velocity 4G?
The Telstra Samsung Galaxy S II 4G is a variant of the Galaxy S II LTE, which is what the phone is known by in other markets. It is a very similar phone to the original Galaxy S II, but it has a slightly faster 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a bigger 4.5in screen, albeit with the same 800x480 resolution as the original. The Galaxy S II 4G also has a slightly larger battery in order to cater for the extra juice that Telstra's 4G network will use.
Unlike other "4G" networks in the world, the 4G network used by Telstra is best described as an LTE enablement of its Next G network. It runs on the LTE 1800MHz network band but "switches across" to the Next G network when 4G coverage is not available.
When outside of a Telstra 4G coverage zone, the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G uses HSPA+ dual channel technology. This means it is a faster 3G phone than most other models on the market — Telstra officially quotes speeds of between 1.1 megabits per second to 20Mbps.
Local blog Ausdroid first reported on the Galaxy S II 4G smartphone in early February. The rumours quickly gained further traction — since the original piece was published, the Galaxy S II 4G appeared in Telstra's internal system, while a photo of a reported dummy model of the phone that will be used in Telstra's stores was sent to Gizmodo Australia by an anonymous Telstra shop employee.
The Samsung Galaxy S II 4G is available exclusively through Telstra for $5 per month on the $59 Freedom Connect Plan over 24 months. The plan includes $550 worth of calls and MMS messages, unlimited SMS message and 1.5GB of data per month. The Galaxy S II 4G is also available on a range of Telstra's business plans.
Comments
pommystuart
1
Cannot see NFC in the specs. Is it available?
Are there any write on screen apps available (like PalmOS Notes)
Thanks.