Samsung Electronics unveiled the upgraded versions of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S and its tablet PC Galaxy Tab in an event one day before the launch of the global mobile industry show in Barcelona on Sunday.

In an event called the “Samsung Mobile Unpack,” the world’s second-largest handset maker presented Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, while designating 2011 as the year of smart mobile devices.

“In addition to smartphones, an increasing number of new devices, such as tablet PCs, will make their introductions this year, meaning it will become a year which smart devices will actually see growth,” said Shin Jong-kyun, chief of the mobile business group at the company.

“Samsung will not only provide devices but also total solutions like content, services and mobile technologies to become a leader in the smart life era.”

The second version of the Galaxy S is equipped with a dual-core 1 gigahertz application processor and 8 million pixel camera. It also runs on Google’s latest Android mobile operating system Gingerbread.

The new Galaxy S 2 will offer faster services compared to the original Galaxy S when browsing the Internet and playing 3-D games, as well as when playing moving pictures, according to Samsung officials.

The display screen size is also 14 percent larger than the previous model, featuring a 4.27-inch Super AMOLED plus screen for better view. Even with the increased display screen size, it boasts to be the thinnest smartphone in the market ― with a thickness of 8.49 millimeters. The first Galaxy S was 9.9 millimeters.

The new Galaxy Tab, in the meantime, is running on the Android Honeycomb OS, designed for tablet PCs. It presents a 10.1-inch display, which is much bigger than previous 7-inch model, and it also is equipped with a dual-core 1GHz application processor and an 8 million pixel camera.

It could film and play full high definition videos and support dual surround speakers, said Samsung officials.

“Samsung will introduce a variety of smartphones and tablet PCs based on its globally-recognized technology skills and give our customers the real smart life experience,” Shin said.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)