Samsung Galaxy S II on pre-order for March release

Samsung smartphone fans won't have too much longer to wait to get their hands on one of the new Galaxy S II handsets after it was made available for pre-order before a release date of mid to late March.

Tech retail site Clove was one of the first to announce the news, saying it will be shipping the 16GB and 32GB versions at £510 and £590 plus VAT respectively.

"As we all know, release dates are always subject to change but we've had word today that the first stock of the Samsung Galaxy S II i9100, both the 16GB and 32GB versions, will be landing mid to late March," the retailer announced in a blog post.

"This is slightly sooner than expected as it was previously thought that Samsung's new smartphone would not be available until some time in Q2."

Online retailer Play.com has the 16GB version listed for pre-order at £599.99, while Expansys has the same model for a pricier £629.99.

Officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress this year, the Galaxy S II has a range of features that could appeal to the enterprise user.

The device weighs 116g and boasts an 8-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, as well as a 1650mAh battery which Samsung claimed gives it the longest standby and talk time of any smartphone.

The firm has worked with companies including Cisco and Sybase to provide sufficient security control to help IT managers feel comfortable letting employees use the phone for corporate purposes

The Android 2.3-powered device also boasts a 4.3in Super-AmoledPlus screen and a dual-core processor.