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The 11-year-old Samsung Galaxy S2 gets unexpected Android 12 ROM
This phone will not go quietly into the night
The Galaxy S2 is nearly twelve years old, and it's arguably one of the most important phones Samsung ever released, putting the company on the map as a true contender. It was also my first smartphone, so perhaps I remember it more fondly than others. Despite its advanced age, the Galaxy S2 refuses to die, as XDA user rINanDO has managed to get Android 12 booting on the device.
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We've clearly got a little bias on the subject, but Android has a long and storied history filled with its own triumphs and pitfalls. It's been well over a decade now since that first HTC G1 landed, the inaugural Android smartphone, and things have changed drastically since then. Being "first" might make you think the G1 was the most influential Android phone — but was it, really?
The Galaxy S II is an iconic device in Samsung's line-up. It had a big role in changing the public's perception of Samsung's brand and establishing it as a major smartphone player. But in our day and age, at a time when the S7 is about to be announced, the S II is getting long, really looooooooong in the tooth. It's a 5-year old device by now and its specs (dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 4.3" 480x800 display) can hardly be found in the lowest of the low-end Android phones. It does have 1GB of RAM and 16/32GB of storage though, which make it a potential candidate ripe for more modern Android ROMs.
After months of anticipation, we are now finally on the verge of the Galaxy S II launch in the U.S. Yesterday's events now have us strongly convinced that the first variant of the Galaxy S II, most likely on Sprint (as the recently approved by the FCC Epic Touch 4G, if you remember), will be launching Friday, September 9th, 2011.
T-Mobile customers who were concerned that they may not be getting their own version of the Galaxy S 2 need not worry any more - according to a big leak over at This is my next, T-Mobile is prepping to release the Samsung Hercules (a codename, so it will likely be something far more vague and meaningless by the time it hits stores). The specs are very similar to both the Galaxy S II and Infuse 4G:
Last week we told you that the Samsung Galaxy S2 was out on Three UK, and now, just 5 days later, Sammy has dropped the source code. This is huge news for Galaxy S2 owners, as this is probably the most beastly phone out on the market today, and you know that our boys (and girls?) over at XDA are going to do everything in their power to make it even more beastly.
UK mobile carrier Three just announced that one of the most anticipated handsets of the year, the dual-core Galaxy S II, is now available for purchase.
If you've been on the hunt for a new live wallpaper, then look no more - XDA member Rawat has gotten his hands on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S II and pulled a couple of live wallpapers from it that are ready for use on any WVGA device. These install just like a regular .apk and do not require root access or any other system modifications in order to work.
Oh, internet... we have such a love/hate relationship, don't we? Those of you who follow regularly know that I'm generally pretty skeptical of rumors and speculation - although I'm really not a contrarian by heart. This time around we have two similar, but fundamentally different, rumors floating around.