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Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZW) said it will not sell the Samsung Galaxy S II handset, according to the Wall Street Journal, conflicting earlier reports that Verizon has such a device planned for this summer.
Samsung Electronics has invited media to a Galaxy S II launch event in New York Aug. 29, where the top Android phone maker is expected to unveil Galaxy S II handsets on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.
The Journal said Verizon, which has enjoyed success selling Apple’s iPhone 4 since February, won’t join its rival carriers in offering a Galaxy S II, which is thinner, lighter and more powerful than the Galaxy S I handsets launched last fall in the United States.
Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney confirmed as much to eWEEK after telling the Journal: “We have an extensive portfolio that offers customers a great variety of devices, including the Samsung Droid Charge.”
Samsung spokesperson Kim Titus added for eWEEK: “We are not commenting further on the Galaxy S II launch until our event on Monday.”
The move should make competition between Apple and Samsung, which are suing each other for patent infringement, more spirited.
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 5 this fall on AT&T, Verizon and, for the first time, Sprint. Neither Apple nor Samsung have announced release dates for their phones yet, but the companies will certainly face off with new devices this fall.
Samsung introduced its Galaxy S II handsets at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in February, wowing users with the speed and lightweight form factor.
The smartphone runs Google’s Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” operating system on a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and is powered by that 1.2GHz processor. The device sold more than 5 million units in its first 85 days of release in Korea, Japan and Europe, whipping the U.S. market into a frenzy.
The first edition Galaxy phones, including the Fascinate on Verizon, Captivate on AT&T, Epic 4G on Sprint and Vibrant on T-Mobile, sold more than 10 million units combined last year, making the line and instant success.
Samsung also unveiled a new naming strategy in time for IFA in Berlin. The Galaxy S (Super Smart) stands at the high end of the line, while the Galaxy R (Royal) follows.
Then there is the Galaxy W (Wonder), Galaxy M Pro (Magical), Galaxy Y (Young) and Galaxy Y Pro, all of which run on the powerful Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.
The future Galaxy W will sport a 1.4GHz processor, HSDPA 14.4M bps connectivity and a large 3.7-inch touch screen running Gingerbread.
The Galaxy M Pro will include a QWERTY keyboard, optical track pad and touch screen. The Galaxy Y is for younger users, sporting a 832 MHz processor and Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface.