Samsung Galaxy smartphone family grows with birth of Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Mini 2

The popular and affordable Samsung Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Mini smartphones have been given a refresh and spec bump, just in time for the the biggest mobile and tablet device event on the technology calendar, Mobile World Congress (MWC).

"Launched in 2011, GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini have been a huge success in the global market. Today, we introduce GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2 with upgraded features and services," said JK Shin, president of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "Our goal remains the same—to continue to create new and improved mobile experiences that deliver something suitable for everyone. This is the hallmark of Samsung's GALAXY range and what has made the GALAXY brand such a runaway hit with consumers around the world."

Samsung has replaced the 800MHz processor seen on the Galaxy Ace with an 800MHz dual-core processor, enlarged the display from 3.5" to 3.8" and boosted its battery to 1,500 mAh. The Galaxy Ace 2 also ships with a 5MP rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera, Samsung Hub and ChatON features, Android 2.3, and optional NFC support.

The Galaxy Mini 2 has been beefed up with an improved 1,300mAh battery and also sports a 800MHz processor, a 3.27" HVGA (320x480) display, a 3MP camera, a microSD slot, enhanced social features with ChatON and Social Hub, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Rival Korean smartphone maker LG took the wraps off two new Optimus-branded smartphones in the lead-up to MWC: the Optimus Vu: and the Optimus LTE Tag. Additional smartphones rumored to be making their debut at MWC include the quad-core Huawei Ascend D1 Q, the waterproof Panasonic Eluga, the ZTE PF200 and N910, and a selection of Windows and Android phones from Fujitsu.

The Galaxy Ace 2 will go on sale in the UK from April and the GALAXY mini 2 will be available in France in March before both handsets are rolled out globally. Pricing has not been announced.