MWC: Samsung Galaxy S2 makes a splash

KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung opened Mobile World Congress with an intimidating smartphone that could keep it ahead of the Android pack, the Galaxy S2.

The successor to last year's popular Samsung Galaxy S, the Galaxy S2 runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. It has a 1GHz dual-core processor under the bonnet and has HSPA+21 connectivity. It's 8.49mm thin, has a 4.27-inch Super AMOLED screen and packs an 8MP camera that is capable of recording HD 1080p video.

The specifications compare well to the wave of 2011 Android contenders, which includes devices shown off by LG at CES in January, as well as Xperia handsets that Sony Ericsson has also launched at MWC. The Galaxy S2 is also a marker for the Iphone 5, since it looks like a considerably more powerful handset than the Iphone 4, particularly with that processor and camera.

Samsung has an eye on the enterprise, with a number of features that might encourage companies to consider the smartphone as a good choice for their employees. These features include Microsoft Exchange Activesync, encryption options and security management capabilities.

Samsung has also been beavering away with Cisco to offer encrypted networking capabilities, Webex possibilities, and the ability to make corporate phone calls through WiFi with Cisco Mobile for Android.

Samsung has certainly followed up with a competitive device. There's nothing incredibly new, but its upgrades look impressive enough to continue lining the company's pockets for the next year. µ