Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II now available for Stateside use on AT&T and T-Mobile

Want the Samsung Galaxy S II so badly that you can't wait for it to be offered by your carrier? Well, if you are an AT&T or T-Mobile customer and don't mind spending the money, an unlocked version of the phone offered right now by Newegg will let you use the pipelines belonging to the two GSM mobile operators (although AT&T users will have 3G only). The unit, available from the retailer for $649.99, has quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) and quad-band UMTS (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100) connectivity. And for those Canadians who don't want to buy the phone from Virgin Mobile or Bell, Newegg Canada is offering an unlocked model for the same price.

Besides having to pay an unsubsidized price for the phone, you could also be missing out on certain design changes. For example, as we reported, the Samsung Hercules is expected to come to T-Mobile and there is speculation that the phone-with its larger 4.5 inch display-is a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II for the nation's fourth largest carrier. 

We recently told you that speculation was centering on Verizon becoming the first carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy S II with a possible August 12th launch date. With that day increasingly becoming more unlikely for the release of this summer's hottest smartphone, the most likely scenario now is a September launch. And don't forget, the recently leaked Verizon roadmap mentioned a September launch of the Samsung Stratosphere, a phone with specs that exactly match those of the Galaxy S II.

source: Newegg via UnwiredView