AT&T's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will be available Oct. 2 for $200 on contract, and at 0.35 inches is “the nation's thinnest 4G smartphone,” says the carrier. The HSPA+ handset runs Android 2.3 on a dual-core 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos processor, and offers a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, eight- and two-megapixel cameras, and a motion sensor that mutes calls when the phone is turned over.

AT&T announced it will make its version of the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone available Oct. 2 for $200 plus contract in a move to challenge Sprint's already released Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch model. AT&T's S II (pictured) is going with the original name of the almost identical, original Galaxy S II, which has been a top seller for Samsung overseas.

Like Sprint's S II-derived Epic 4G Touch, AT&T's model runs Android 2.3 ("Gingerbread") on Samsung's dual-core 1.2GHz Exynos processor. (Memory details were not supplied.)

AT&T's Galaxy S II similarly features a Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic LED) Plus display said to offer 50 percent more sub-pixels than Super AMOLED, while also displaying better in sunlight. Resolution was not listed, but both the Epic 4G Touch and the original model feature 800 x 480 pixels.

While the Epic 4G Touch boasts a 4.52-inch touch-screen and measures 0.38 inches thick, AT&T's S II features the same 4.3-inch display of the original international device. It measures 0.35 inches (8.89mm) thick, which is just slightly thicker than the 0.33-inch (8.49mm) original. The HSPA+-equipped phone is billed by AT&T as "the nation's thinnest 4G smartphone."

Special Motion UX sensors let users mute incoming calls by turning the device over. This feature worked quite well in our review of Sprint's Epic 4G Touch.

Like the original S II and the Epic 4G Touch, AT&T's version is equipped with an eight-megapixel camera that records videos in 1080p. Videos can be displayed on HDTVs via HDMI and a separately sold HDTV adapter, says the carrier.

The phone similarly possesses a two-megapixel camera in the front, which on the Epic 4G Touch, provided better-than-average video chat. AT&T has preloaded Qik Lite to enable video chats over Wi-Fi.

AT&T's Galaxy S II has a 1650mAh battery, smaller than the Epic 4G Touch's 1800mAh power supply. No battery life claims were offered.

Like the Epic 4G Touch, AT&T's SII leverages Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, featuring a Live Panel that provides one-touch access to weather, social updates, email, news, and photos. Users may resize and reposition any of the Samsung widgets and applications, says AT&T. The Notifications Panel allows one-touch access to a separate menu for managing the phone's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS functions, as well as flight-mode settings.

AT&T's S II also includes Voice Talk from Vlingo to let users speak commands to update their social networks, send text messages or emails, and dial and search, says the carrier.

AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II

The third and final T-Mobile version of the S II is expected soon, and is reportedly fitted with a faster 1.5GHz version of the Exynos processor. S II handsets from Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile will all compete with Apple's iPhone 5 when it launches in October.

In late August, Verizon announced a change of plans, saying it would not be offering the S II, despite having joined the other carriers in fielding its own version of the original Samsung Galaxy phone. 

Availability

AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II will be available for $200 plus two-year contract on Oct. 2, says the carrier. More information may be found in AT&T's Galaxy S II announcement, and release notification sign-up may be found on on AT&T's Galaxy S II holding page.

Clint Boulton is a writer for eWEEK.

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