Samsung Electronics has announced two new additions to its Galaxy smartphone range, namely the Galaxy Ace 2 and the Galaxy mini 2.

The Korean tech giant stated that with the new Galaxy Ace 2 it will be looking to build on the market success of the original Galaxy Ace, which claimed the number one position on our Top 5 entry-level smartphones of 2011 list. Like its predecessor the Galaxy Ace 2 boasts an 800 MHz processor, but it ups the mobile processing ante with a dual-core CPU (make not specified).

This pocket-and-grip-friendly (62.2 x 118.3 x 10.5 mm, 122g) device also sports an updated 3.8" WVGA (480 x 800) PLS TFT display, compared to the Ace’s 3.5" HVGA (320 x 480) touchscreen. Included is HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11n plus Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v3.0, a 5 MP auto-focus camera with flash that can record HD-Ready (720p) videos as well as a VGA front-facing snapper for video calls.

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) handles the operating along with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin and the Ace 2 further features a 3.5 mm headphone jack, stereo FM Radio with RDS, 4 GB of internal storage that can be expanded to up to 36 GB via the microSD card slot and a hefty amount (768 MB) of RAM.

Samsung Galaxy mini 2

As is the case with the Ace 2, Samsung’s Galaxy mini 2 also features HSDPA connectivity (though at a slower 7.2 Mbps data rate compared to the Ace 2’s 14.4 Mbps). It is powered by a single-core 800 MHz CPU, packs in a good dollop of RAM (512 MB) and operates on Android Gingerbread coupled with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin.

Users access the functionality on offer via its 3.27" HVGA (320 x 480) TFT touchscreen and this smartphone sports a 3 MP fixed-focus snapper, 4 GB internal memory (expandable via microSD slot), Bluetooth v3.0, GPS with A-GPS assistance, stereo FM Radio with RDS, 3.5 mm audio jack, Wi-Fi 802.11n and DLNA. The mini 2 comes fitted with a 1300 mAh battery, compared to the larger 1500 mAh unit in the Ace 2, with Samsung stating that both devices will be able to deliver extended multimedia usage and longer chat sessions.

The Galaxy Ace 2 will be available in the UK from April, whilst the Galaxy mini 2 will be available in France as of March before being rolled out globally. No local release info is available yet.

 

In other related smartphone news, LG recently unveiled its Optimus Vu smartphone tablet hybird, whilst ZTE announced two new LTE (4G) equipped, Android 4.0-powered smartphones, as well as the ZTE Mimosa X, the first smartphone to boast a Nvidia Tegra application processor and Nvidia Icera modem.