It looks like we might see two of the most highly anticipated smartphones of the year before summer is out.
The Motorola Droid Bionic and the Samsung Stratosphere – widely expected to be Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II – are both expected to be available in just a few weeks. What appears to be an internal VzW screen shot leaked to IGN shows Sept. 8 as the day many Android fans have been waiting for.
Although the most hyped, the Bionic and the Galaxy Stratosphere are just two of the devices listed. Those who’ve stuck with Research In Motion through its recent troubles will be interested to know that the 4G BlackBerry Curve also appears slated for a Sept. 8 release, marking what could be a very memorable day in smartphone history. Later in the year, look for the HTC Bliss on Sept. 29 and the LG Revolution 2 on Oct. 20, the screen shot indicates.
The Droid Bionic, first announced way back in January, has become a bit of a mythical beast, of sorts. While it’s probably lost some its momentum, the device’s specs showed up for a brief time earlier this week on Motorola’s development website before being pulled. The powerful device is said to come with a 1GHz, dual-core processor; 1GB memory; a 4.3-inch touchscreen (once rumored to be a whopping 4.5 inches); two cameras, including a rear-facing one that’s 8MP; and 9GB of internal storage, running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
The Samsung Stratosphere, which we believe will be the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy S II, could be a challenger to the iPhone if it does as well in the States as it has overseas. When it was released in the U.K. earlier this year, it beat Apple’s iconic device in its initial month of sales. Look for a 4.3-inch touchscreen; a 1.2GHz, dual-core processor; 1GB of memory; full 1080p video recording and more, running on Android 2.3.
September is shaping up to be one of the biggest months ever for smartphone debuts. Many expect we’ll see the fifth-generation iPhone released then as well, perhaps even the same week as the Bionic and the Stratosphere. It will certainly be interesting to see if one single phone can match up with the iPhone in the U.S. While Android-based handsets have been outselling iPhones for several quarters now – not only in the U.S. but around the globe – there hasn’t been one single device to give Apple’s darling a serious run for its money.
