Samsung has officially announced the latest member in its Galaxy smartphone family and, no, it's not Galaxy S4. It's the Galaxy S2 Plus, which is an update to the Galaxy S2, the smartphone that can be credited for Samsung's rise to the level it's on now in the smartphone world.

It's pretty surprising Samsung would take the route of adding the plus-moniker to an older handset like the Galaxy S2. Apple would never even dream of announcing an iPhone 4S Plus just to sell another iPhone model. Is there still a market for Galaxy S2 smartphones? Samsung believes there is, according to the press release announcing the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus:

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today Samsung GALAXY S II Plus, which combines the performance that have made the GALAXY S II one of the world's most recognized phones, together with nature-inspired user-interface and intuitive features that greatly boost its usability and functionality.

• The GALAXY S II Plus runs on Android^TM 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) enabling faster and smoother screen transitions, and  providing an enhanced user interface featuring a new, easier-to-use notification panel. It is powered by an impressive 1.2 GHz dual core processor that enables easy multi-tasking, smooth screen transitions and superior graphics for some of the most demanding applications and games. 

• The GALAXY S II Plus' nature-inspired user-interface is complemented with intuitive features that make the phone really easy to use. Direct Call enables users to automatically dial a call by taking the device to the ear. Smart Stay recognizes whether the user is looking at the screen to dim the screen accordingly; while Smart Alert lets users know about missed events or status updates just by picking up the phone. 

• The GALAXY S II Plus also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall experience in entirely new ways. Popup Video allows a video to play anywhere on the screen in a resizable pop-up window while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. S Voice lets users control the phone using their voice; and Voice Unlock lets users unlock the phone using their own voice.

• A 4.3" WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display offers a generous viewing experience and enables photos captured with the  powerful 8MP camera to be enjoyed in true clarity.

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus' specs also more closely resemble the almost two-year old Galaxy S2 rather than the current Galaxy S3:

Samsung has not revealed any pricing or availability, but was it really necessary to add "Plus" to the name of an outdated, almost two year old smartphone in order to sell a few? The answer would be yes; Samsung is on a mission of selling as many smartphones as possible. And if going back in time is one of their tactics that works with this offering, other smartphone makers should take note - Samsung can and will sell anything.