While smartphones with 4G/LTE capability have become popular in the U.S. and growing rapidly for nearly a year, Sweden becomes Europe’s first to get one now. PCWorld reports that on Wednesday Samsung introduced Galaxy S II LTE smartphones to the Swedish customers. In fact, Sweden, along with Norway, were the first countries in the world to get long term evolution (LTE) in 2009, but it has taken until now for a 4G smartphone to become available, wrote IDG News reporter Mikael Ricknäs.
According to Bengt Olsson, head of communications at TeliaSonera, “The availability of smartphones will help boost LTE's popularity in Europe,” wrote Ricknäs.
A Samsung spokesman told PCWorld.com that the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE is on the way to stores now, and Tele2 will get it first, while TeliaSonera will follow soon thereafter.
Analyst Geoff Blaber of CCS Insight thinks that the rationale for the lack of smartphones in Europe is that European operators have not been as aggressive as their U.S. counterparts when it comes to rolling out LTE, wrote Ricknäs. Also, added Blaber, “the auctioning of spectrum has taken much longer in Europe, and still hasn't taken place in the U.K.”
The PCWorld report quoted Olsson, as saying, “As operators in additional countries launch commercial networks, Europe will become a more interesting market for the phone makers, and more devices will become available.”
Likewise, CCS’ Blaber stated that more phones for more countries are expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress. He also expects that European operators will start offering smartphones with LTE even though they won't have a commercial network up and running by the end of the year, according to Ricknäs.
As per this report, the Android 2.3-based Samsung Galaxy S II LTE was first announced last August. It operates on 800 MHz, 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz LTE networks. And offers a 4.5-inch super AMOLED plus screen, as well as an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, which can record video at 1080p. It measures 129.8 x 68.8 x 9.5 mm and weighs 130.5 grams. The PCWorld.com report shows that the Samsung smartphone costs 5,040 Swedish kronor (US $748.50).
Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Chris DiMarco 
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