Samsung Galaxy S II to Arrive Stateside Soon?

With the arrival of the iPhone 5 and the first round of new Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" devices just a few months – or even weeks -- away, this fall season will be filled with lots of shiny new phones for gadget lovers to get their hands on. Now Samsung has officially entered the fray, announcing via a recent Tweet that it has a "Big announcement on the 29th," referring to an invite-only press event in New York scheduled for August 29th. The media invite included mention of a "major product announcement" which will more than likely focus on the forthcoming stateside availability of the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone. (This information jibes with what a Samsung executive told Korea’s Yonhap News Agency a few weeks ago.) Final product names and carriers are expected to be announced at the event, but here's what we know about Samsung's uber-smartphone so far.     Released in Europe and in other parts of the world in May 2011, the Galaxy S II sold more than 5 million units in 85 days, an eye-opening sales statistic that underscores just how popular Samsung's latest smartphone is. The Galaxy S II has benefited from glowing reviews from critics and end users, and is loaded with an impressive list of standard features, namely:   Samsung Galaxy S II technical specifications Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor 8 Megapixel rear-facing camera 2 Megapixel front-facing camera 4.3" 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display Google Android 2.3.3 OS Ultra-thin case design (8.49mm thick) Near Field Communications (NFC) support Boy Genius Report recently blogged that the AT&T variant of the phone will feature a slide-out keyboard, while PC Magazine's Sara Yin posted that the phone will be available on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, and may be renamed the Galaxy Attain (AT&T), the Galaxy Within (Sprint), and the Galaxy Stratosphere (Verizon) when released in the US. With Samsung’s official press day for thei