Samsung has breathed new life into an old handset with the introduction of the Galaxy SII Plus.  Sound like a joke?  It’s not.  The revamped Galaxy SII brings it one step closer to its big sibling, the Galaxy SIII.

So what’s new with the Galaxy SII Plus?  First off, it’s now running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, whereas the older version runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread but can be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  It has also been upgraded with TouchWiz Nature UX, the user interface first introduced with the SIII.  We also get some SIII features, such as Smart Stay, S Voice and Pop-Up Play.

As for the internal components, it’s still the same as the SII with its 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, but instead of a 16GB of internal storage, the SII+ only has 8GB.  On the bright side, it can still be upgraded to up to 64GB via microSD.  It still has the 8MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, 1080p video recording, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and a 1650mAh battery.

The SII+ will come in two versions: one with an NFC chip, and the other without.

The physical appearance of SII+ is still similar with the old mode,l but its casing has been upgraded with polycarbonate material to bring a fresh and smoother look.   It will be available in marble white and pebble blue color schemes, just like the SIII when it first launched.

Samsung did not provide any information as to when and where the SII+ will become available, and the pricing is still a mystery.  We can only assume that it will priced lower than the SIII, which sells unlocked for around $600, and maybe a bit higher than the SII which sells for a little over $400 without a carrier contract.