Samsung has thrown down the gauntlet to Apple with a new version of its popular Galaxy S smartphone and a new tablet that is the same size as the iPad but offers several additional features.
The news comes as the highly competitive smartphone market has been blown wide open after Nokia formed a "make or break" tie-up with Microsoft and Sony Ericsson unveiled several new Google Android-based handsets including its "PlayStation Phone".
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which has a 10.1-inch 1200 x 800 screen - up from 7-inch on the original Galaxy Tab - and runs the latest version of Android, Honeycomb, which was designed from the ground up for tablets.
The new tablet has a dual-core processor, dual surround-sound speakers and front- and rear-facing cameras. There will be 16GB and 32GB versions.
Samsung's new smartphone, the Galaxy S II, is the successor to the Galaxy S, one of the most popular high-end Android smartphones, which sold over 10 million units globally.
One of the most distinctive upgrades seen in the new Android 2.3 handset is the 4.27-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus display, while there is also a 1GHz dual-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras and free turn-by-turn navigation powered by Navigon. The device is just 8.5mm thin.
The user interface of both new devices will be broken into "hubs" - games, music, social hub and readers' hub.
Josh Delgado, director of mobile at Samsung Australia, said the Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be launched in Australia early in the second quarter of this year, while the Galaxy S II would be sold in May or June.
The Galaxy S II will be available from several carriers but the new tablet is exclusive to Vodafone. Asked if he had any concerns about Vodafone's recent network issues, Delgado acknowledged the issues but said: "We're confident that they'll be able to get through those and we'll have a successful partnership."
The news comes after Nokia at the weekend bet the farm on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, announcing it would replace its own Symbian software on the Finnish firm's smartphones. Microsoft, which has fallen significantly behind Google and Apple in smartphones, is reportedly paying the struggling Nokia "billions" as part of the deal.
Nokia executives said the company's first phones using Windows Phone 7 would be available this year.
But Ben Wood, lead analyst at telecoms research firm CCS Insight, said if he was Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop he would be "looking over my shoulder at Samsung and feeling extremely nervous".
Last week, Elop, who was previously a Microsoft executive, sent an internal memo to staff declaring that Nokia was "standing on a burning platform" surrounded by a "blazing fire" of competition. The company's shares have tumbled following the Microsoft news and several Nokia staff downed tools in a protest against the move.
Asked what he thought of the tie-up between Nokia and Microsoft, Delgado said: "Of course I've got a few thoughts but nothing I want to say out loud - good luck to them is all I can say."
Informa telco analyst David McQueen said the partnership was a "make-or-break" strategy for the two companies. It would allow Microsoft to push its phone platform to millions of new handsets and allow Nokia to ditch its Symbian platform, which has fallen behind Android and Apple's iOS.
"However, this may not be the best move for Nokia ... even if Nokia fears Google's dominance, an open platform like Android would allow much more possibilities to Nokia," McQueen said.
"Also, two losers don't make a winner, particularly given their scale and cultural differences."
After months of rumours, Sony Ericsson at the weekend finally confirmed its "PlayStation Phone", the Xperia Play, designed to take on Xbox Live, which is now built into Windows Phone 7 devices. The Xperia Play is expected to launch in Australia in April-June.
Sony Ericsson also unveiled two other smartphone models running Google's Android software - the Xperia Neo and Xperia Pro - and said it planned to launch at least eight Android phones this year.
IDC Australia telecommunications analyst Mark Novosel has said Android would overtake iOS to become the dominant smartphone platform in Australia by midyear.
Several Android-based smartphones and tablets are expected to be unveiled this week at the Mobile World Congress, while Motorola is expected to reveal finer details about its highly anticipated Xoom tablet. LG has already said it would be unveiling the world's first glasses-free 3D smartphone.
But Apple isn't resting on its laurels either, with the company widely rumoured to be readying an iPad 2, an iPhone 5 and smaller, cheaper iPhones that will compete with the mid-range line of Android phones.
