Samsung Unveils 4G LTE Devices

Samsung has begun offering LTE editions of its Galaxy smartphone and tablet to customers in the US

LTE technology continues to make an impact over on the other side of the Atlantic with the news that Samsung has introduced LTE editions of its Galaxy S II smartphone and Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet computer.

Internet access from these 4G machines that could be up to 10 times that of comparable 3G devices.

Samsung said in a statement LTE technology will enable its Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 8.9  devices to download files at speeds of up to 100Mbps, and theoretical upload speeds of 50Mbps. The company said such prime data-shuttling speeds will yield downloads of full films in less than two minutes.

Speedy Access

Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 8.9 devices powered by LTE will also provide better experience for games, including 3D video graphics, video chats and other multimedia applications that require the distillation of a lot of data packets.

The Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” Galaxy S II LTE phone offers some improvements over its 3G predecessor, which sold more than 5 million units in less than 3 months in Korea, Japan and Europe.

The 3G device includes 4.3-inch screens powered by 1.2 GHz processors. But the Galaxy S II LTE handset includes a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. The smartphone also has an 8 megapixel camera, capturing HD photos and video.

The Tab 8.9 LTE version, whose display resolution is 1200-by-800, offers similar features to its existing 8.9 model. The slate features Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface and is super lightweight, weighing only 1 pound and measuring just 8.6 mm thin.

Hurricane Irene

Samsung is set for a busy week. After unveiling the Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 at the IFA show in Berlin, the company is set to unveil the Galaxy S II in New York City Tuesday, 30 August.

It is expected Samsung will show off Galaxy S II models from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The phone maker is counting on these carriers to push the phone ahead of Apple’s iPhone 5 gearing up for a launch in September or October.

Verizon Wireless has said it isn’t producing a Galaxy S II, though it is expected to launch a different high-end Samsung model soon.

Samsung’s Manhattan event was planned for Monday, but was postponed to Tuesday due to Hurricane Irene, which whacked the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut 28 August.