Galaxy S2 HD LTE Unveiled Before iPhone 5

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its new LTE-supporting smartphones, the Galaxy S2 LTE and the Galaxy S2 HD LTE.

Facing strong competition from Apple's upcoming iPhone 5, Samsung hopes to get a competitive edge using the USP of an appreciably higher processing speed. In the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution network, the Internet speed will be five to 10 times faster than on 3G wireless networks.

Currently these two smartphones are only slated for launch in South Korea. Galaxy S2 LTE is Samsung’s first LTE phone equipped with Android’s latest platform Gingerbread, a 1.5GHz dual-core application processor, 4.5-inch WVGA (800×480) display and 8 megapixel camera. It is 9.5 millimeters thick, just 0.6 millimeters thicker than the original Galaxy S2.

Galaxy S2 HD LTE is the world’s first HD Super AMOLED-equipped smartphone. Samsung has used the HD branding because the phone is packed with 1280 x 720 resolution on a 4.65 inches screen.

Apple and Samsung are quickly becoming the top rivals in the smartphone business. Apple is expected to introduce the so-called iPhone 5 next month, reportedly at an event scheduled for Oct. 4.

Meanwhile, the legal battle intensifies. Samsung and Apple are at loggerheads in a series of patent lawsuits over the technology and design of their smartphones and tablet computers. The increasing demand and prospects of the Samsung devices have led Apple to resort to suing Samsung and seeking to stop sales worldwide. Samsung has responded by seeking a ban on the sales of Apple's iPhone 5, charging that the iPhones and the iPad 2 are violating the multiple wireless technology patents it holds.

Samsung earlier announced that it has sold more than 10 million units of the Galaxy S2 smartphone since its launch in April. The sales rate, however, pales in comparison to that for the iPhone 4, which hit 1.7 million in three days. Nevertheless, Samsung has become the biggest competitor for Apple's iPhone.

For now, Apple is staying ahead of the competition and might retain its lead. But its ranking and success may depend on the performance and success of the iPhone 5.