Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

Summary: Samsung announced the Galaxy S II in February. This is July. Where is the phone?

By Ricardo Bilton for The ToyBox | July 19, 2011 -- 09:02 GMT (02:02 PDT)

Follow @rbilton

Samsung's Galaxy S II is the best Android phone you can't have. Even after selling over 3 million of the phones, and after pre-orders topped three million stateside, Samsung has yet to spill the beans on when the phone will make its way to North America the US (though it's gotten pretty close once or twice).

But what's the delay? One possibility is that Samsung is aiming to take the wind out of the potential, possible, launch of the iPhone 5 (or 4S or whatever the thing is going to be called). With the next iPhone not expected until September at the earliest, that gives the Galaxy S II more than whole month until it sees a release. We don't like this possibility.

Another possibility is that the process of getting the S II out has been delayed by the sheer number of carriers the phone is set to appear on. With all signs pointing to the phone appearing on AT&T (as the aptly- named Attain), Verizon (as the Function) and Sprint (as the Within) perhaps Samsung is aiming for a simultaneous release for all three varieties. But something's holding them up. Considering that the hardware is finished, the answer likely lies in something on the part of one of the carriers. Back-to-school season perhaps?

If that's the case, we aren't too far off. Recent leaks to ThisIsMyNext show the Galaxy S II running on the Sprint network, which means that Samsung and Sprint have at least gotten that far.

Topics: Mobility, Samsung, Telcos

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20 comments

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Have you considered this might be because of Apple lawsuit?

I wonder if Samsung is afraid to release it here for fear of increasing the amount of damages they would have to pay Apple for infringing on Apple's patents and trade dress? So perhaps Apple is the reason why it hasn't been released here.

toddybottom
19 July, 2011 09:38

Reply Vote
- Samsung should just buy Apple
 
 @toddybottom 
 and be done with it. ;)
 
 William Pharaoh
 19 July, 2011 09:49
 
 Reply Vote
 - Re: Samsung should just buy Apple ... Laughter ensues!
 
 "Samsung should just buy Apple" @William Pharaoh I don't know what planet you're on but nobody in the tech sector is in a position to buy Apple. Apple now generates more revenue and profit than Microsoft, around 25 billion in revenue per/quarter and 5 billion in profit per/quarter. Samsung only generates around 37 billion in revenue per/quarter but ONLY 3.5 billion in profit per/quarter as of last quarter, down 26% from last year. Also, Apple's market value is 346 billion vs. Samsung with 134 billion. Plus, Apple has 70 billion in cash-on-hand (no debt) that is project to reach 100 billion by the end of the year. If anything, by mid 2012, in 12 months, Apple would be able to buy Samsung outright with cash-on-hand. Apple is now the king of the hill.... ...bigger than Microsoft, Google, Intel, IBM, HP or anyone else you can name who competes against them.
 
 studentrights
 19 July, 2011 13:31
 
 Reply Vote
 - Galaxy SII?.. no matter have went back to an HTC phone
 
 Samsung is losing a lot of sales by not releasing the Galaxy S2 in the US. It probably decided to see what happened with Apple's lawsuit. Either way, its losing money. By the holidays, Android will be touting quad cores running at 2.5GHZ and Apple will have another iPhone iteration copying a lot of Android functionality, Galaxy S2's will be outdated. On a side note...Apple probably is waiting to see if it can patent Android functionality in IOS5 before releasing their new phone(s), so they can then go after Android handsets. Unfortunately for Apple, most of that functionality is part of Android (covered by patents) or its been released and talked about for over a year, so its not a position they can defend easily and can become an easy target. Apple is way to smart for this, yet they were foolish enough to offer it in IOS5. Back to Samsung. Samsung has a few things it does better than anyone. Awesome Screen, Superamoled is just grreeatt! extremely responsive. IPS from or retina screen just don't measure up in terms of colors and contrast. The slide functionality in TouchWiz to make calls make it great over a button you press. They are the slimmest and lightest phones around. The processor works twice as fast as competitors, even though its similar hardware. Though they have a few huge drawbacks as well. Software quality and timing, they never seem to get these right. Galaxy S phones suffer from poor quality. Software is released in LONG incremental periods. And good luck with the GPS, you will never get your position right, it will always bounce around. Now Galaxy S2 will be skipped and replaced before they are released in the US. Resolution, if they could only increase the resolution to something like 1280 x 800 for a 4"+ screen. Include an aluminum unibody, they could blow everyone out of the water. Though the killer is battery... here is where they really hurt. I am done waiting for a Galaxy SII.. bought an HTC phone. Sense is a lot nicer, though HTC still needs to improve performance and use the CPU less. Suggestion to Google ... buy Samsung or HTC! 
 Suggestion to Samsung and HTC... combine each other and make the best phone around! 
 On another side note. AFter using Verizon phones once again. I recommend Android users to stay away from Verizon phones that have Bing (the majority of them). Bing on Android is like having an unbaked cake. Just try and talk something to search it. On Android it just works. Bing.. like usual is useless!
 
 Uralbas
 19 July, 2011 22:42
 
 Reply Vote
- Technology is the big picture
 
 @toddybottom The big picture is that the more smart phones & other useful gadgets in the hands of Americans, the faster the economy will recover. Desktop computing (enabled a huge economic/social growth spurt) --> mobile computing (next phase) It's consumer technology that can spur economic recoveries. -- not lawyers, not politicians, not bankers, not business executives, not financiers. As technology becomes cheaper, more diverse, and better, the better it will be for everyone.
 
 voltrarian
 19 July, 2011 13:59
 
 Reply Vote
 - RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?
 
 @voltrarian -
 
 Everyone except the workers - since they are ultimately the customers that buy this fluff that makes the CEO and shareholders happy.
 
 http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-04/tech/nintendo.apple.games_1_app-developers-nintendo-executives-game-developers-conference?_s=PM:TECH
 
 http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=17365
 
 Given Apple's generous take of 30% of every sale, combined with other factors, as the article title reads, it's pretty much a fool's errand.
 
 This isn't a recovery. Not when the economic problem was brought about by massive job losses and stagnating worker wages. Assuming the workers still had jobs that had the pay that allowed them to buy this stuff.
 
 HypnoToad72
 19 July, 2011 16:51
 
 Reply Vote
 - RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?
 
 @voltrarian
 There is no recovery for american economy as long as Apple is sucking all the money from the poor citizens who have no idea what is going on ...
 
 AdnanPirota
 20 July, 2011 09:18
 
 Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

It's all over Thailand, selling like hot cakes :)

peterpallesen
19 July, 2011 09:43

Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

Good luck with that... I owned the Galaxy S running 2.1 and I was miserable LOL GPS would take 5 mins to find a satellite and battery life was 2 hours with regular use...

Hasam1991
19 July, 2011 10:43

Reply Vote
- RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?
  
  @Hasam1991
  
  Funny, I have a Samsung Epic 4G running stock Froyo and the GPS lock on takes an average of 15-30 seconds and has only failed me once and I have had my phone for 4 months now...
  
  Battery life is 6 hours under heavy use and 10 hours under moderate use without "Juice Defender."
  
  DonRupertBitByte
  19 July, 2011 19:59
  
  Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

What no tmobile release?

xSteven777x
19 July, 2011 11:00

Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

I suspect that it has a lot to do with steve & co (apple) coaxing telecom execs to shun the galaxy s2.
why? b/c apple is scared to have its iphone4s/5 compete against it
how? steve jobs can threaten to stop letting at&t or verizon or whomever sell their beloved next iphone (or limit supplies or charge more for it)
it makes more sense to have the galaxy s2 out there in peoples hands now. later in a couple months when iphone 4s comes out, it won't be special at all. in fact, it would be 'run of the mill'. seen more as an exercise in marketing (how to make a slightly improved product seem amazing and magical and better than anything out there - the perfect thing that we all must have now - but all it has is more color shells or increased internal memory). steve is doing everything possible - patent lawsuits and such out of fear and desperation.

sjpn
19 July, 2011 11:22

Reply Vote
- No; SAMOLED manufacturing is still low -- this is the reason
  
  @sjpn
  
  DDERSSS
  19 July, 2011 12:11
  
  Reply Vote
- Apple would never do that
  
  @sjpn
  That would be suicide as the telecoms would go straight to the DOJ with this, Apple would be accused of abusing it's market power, and then [i]everything[/i] they do gets looked at, evaluated, and sanctioned, maybe even baby Apples.
  
  And control goes back to the telecom.
  
  Nope, this isn't Apple's doing.
  
  William Pharaoh
  19 July, 2011 12:30
  
  Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

If it gets much later, it's going to run up against a Nokia N9 running Windows Phone and also against a Galaxy S II equivalent running Windows phone and I may just opt for one of those.

bmgoodman
19 July, 2011 11:28

Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

I'm convinced that the SII was originally scheduled to be released before Father's Day (at least on ATT). I went in to look at the Infuse 4G when it came out, but when I expressed my concerns about its single core, the ATT rep suggested I wait for the Father's Day releases (followed by some pointed questions from me and wink-wink not-allowed-to-confirm answers from her) . Since nothing comparable to the Infuse's display came out around that time, I'm assuming that something happened to change their plans.

BevQB
19 July, 2011 13:25

Reply Vote
RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?

Samsung already saw a 26% decline in profits as of last quarter. Samsung has already pissed off Apple and Apple is moving away from Samsung.

If Apple eventually moves it's entire manufacturing for iPhone and iPad components away from Samsung, they will be devastated.

Samsung needs Apple and Apple within the 18 months could shed Samsung, thus clobbering their profitability.

That iPhone clone may never see the light of day.

studentrights
19 July, 2011 13:46

Reply Vote
- Very interesting, I hadn't considered that possibility
  
  @studentrights
  While there has been much bickering about whether or not Apple has a monopoly in one of the many markets they are in, I haven't seen any discussion of whether or not Apple has an oligopsony where a powerful buyer literally has the ability to bully weak sellers.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligopsony
  "An oligopsony is a form of imperfect competition." I wonder if any governments would ever step in to regulate or oversee such a situation were they to deem it important enough?
  
  toddybottom
  19 July, 2011 13:55
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?
    
    @toddybottom
    
    Having a monopoly in itself is not illegal. Apple doesn't have a monopoly on anything other than profits.
    
    Oligopsony? Doesn't apply in this situation.
    
    studentrights
    19 July, 2011 16:31
    
    Reply Vote
  - RE: Seriously, Samsung: Where is the Galaxy S II?
    
    @toddybottom
    There is difference between monopoly and brain-washed people who are ready to give 1/4 of their yearly earnings to Apple ...
    
    AdnanPirota
    20 July, 2011 09:30
    
    Reply Vote