Samsung announces 4G LTE-enabled Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 8.9

Samsung this weekend announced 4G LTE versions of the already popular Galaxy S II Android smartphone and one forthcoming Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 8.9.

The new devices aren’t dramatically different spec-wise from previously announced models, but they show Samsung’s commitment to equipping their devices with new 4G technologies. In the past, Samsung has released the Epic 4G for Sprint with 4G WiMAX, Droid Charge on Verizon with 4G LTE and the Infuse 4G on AT&T with HSPA+.

The Galaxy S II LTE smartphone includes a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). Samsung’s new tablet offering, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE, features an 8.9-inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, and Samsung’s TouchWiz interface running on top of Android Honeycomb.

“With the introduction of Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE, we will take the capabilities of these devices to a whole new level,” said JK Shin, President of Samsung’s mobile communications business, in a statement. ”LTE redefines the user experience made possible by these devices and opens entirely new possibilities in terms of content viewing, sharing, quality and connectivity.”

Pricing for the new devices was not disclosed with the announcement.

Samsung has had a few troubles lately with getting its Galaxy smartphones and tablets into the hands of consumers, since Apple continues to fight Samsung in courts around the world over claims of patent infringement. Just last week, a judge in the Netherlands issued a Europe-wide preliminary injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy S, Galaxy S II and Ace phones, effectively banning them. In the U.S., Samsung and Apple have sued and counter-sued each other, but no bans have been issued.

Are you excited about the new Samsung Galaxy S II devices? Will you purchase one?