AT&T's Galaxy S II gets a keyboard, still doesn't have a release date [Update: Not a Galaxy S]
The Samsung Galaxy S II is already Samsung's fastest selling device, even though it has yet to be released in the US. This delay has caused much frustration and has often been attributed to a lack of carrier deals. However, the photo you see above may reveal a different reason for this delay, at least in the AT&T device: the inclusion of a hardware keyboard.
AT&T's choice to include a hardware keyboard is an interesting one. Not only does it mean Samsung will have to have a different manufacturing process for the device, but the device will also no longer be thinner than the iPhone 4. The "thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4" line is one of their main marketing strategies, so it is interesting to see them disregard it.
Of course, the obvious advantage of this decision is that the device will have much more appeal for people who still want to have a real hardware keyboard. However, current trends started by the iPhone seem to suggest that the physical keyboard is going away, so I am not sure if this decision will be profitable.
Even if this device is not the one for you, at least it means that the rest of the long-awaited Galaxy S II line will arrive here soon. Until then, you can look at some more photos of the AT&T device past the break.
Update: According to Boy Genius Reports, the website that leaked the photos, this device is another Samsung device that will soon released by AT&T and not a Galaxy SII device.
