@ MWC: Samsung unveils Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1

BARCELONA, Spain – Step aside Apple Inc.(AAPL), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. claims to have the world’s thinnest smart phone on the way.
As the weekend came to a close, Samsung held a standing-room only event where it announced the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Samsung’s presence in the smart phone space is grand and it was only fitting that it hired an orchestra as the opening act for its main event at Mobile World Congress. Similar to recent Samsung press events, the company afforded a good amount of time to its customers and highlighted some of their positive feedback to personify the varied user base that it reaches.
Samsung sold 25 million smart phones and tablets in 2010, making it the No. 1 manufacturer of devices powered by Google Inc.’s Android platform throughout the world. JK Shin, president and head of Samsung Mobile, didn’t stray from this fact when framed the company’s growth as one “driven largely by a class of new Android products.” It’s no wonder he predicts “2011 will be the year of smart mobile devices.”
Samsung mobile’s strategy is three pronged: screen, speed and content. Each factor is apparent in the pair of new devices announced here and it highlights how seriously the company is targeting competitors like Apple and the many manufacturers that have anchored their smart phone strategy to Android.
On the content and entertainment front, the company is also launching Samsung Hubs, which integrates social media, an e-reader, games and music.
Shin described the strategy as one that delivers “harmonized and synchronized communication and content.”
The Galaxy S II, which comes in at 8.49-millimeters thin, runs on a dual-core processor and will ship with the Android 2.3 operating system, also known as Gingerbread. The device features a 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording and playback.
“With the GALAXY S II, Samsung wants to set the new standard of quality viewing on mobile, powerful performance, and slim and modern design,” Shin added.
Samsung also unveiled its latest tablet, which builds upon the original tab, but packs a screen size that can compete directly with Apple’s iPad.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1, which measures in at 10.9-mm thin, features a dual-core processor running Android 3.0. The new version of the Tab features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
As with everything in this space, Samsung’s ability to compete for new and existing customers will rely strongly on a competitive price point, but the company declined to announce pricing for either devices at this time. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the company will wait to see what Apple prices its next iPad at before it commits to any price, mirroring an approach that’s become the norm with many device makers of late.