Samsung has announced that it has sold more than 5 million units of its Galaxy S II smartphone. This milestone is still in advance of the US launch, which is slated for later this month. The device is coming to 120 countries on over 140 mobile operators, so this number is expected to keep growing, and quickly.

Last month, Samsung sold 3 million Galaxy S II units in 55 days. Two months ago, the device saw 3 million preorders, 200,000 of which were in the company's home country of South Korea.

The Galaxy S II first arrived in South Korea on April 29, 2011. The following month, it was released in other Asian and European countries, including Japan and the UK. Last week, the smartphone debuted in China.

Samsung's long-term, worldwide ambitions for the Galaxy S II are relatively modest: 10 million units in all of 2011, which is the number it sold of the original Galaxy S in 2010. At this rate though, the company will break that number very quickly.

The Galaxy S II runs Android 2.3 (codenamed Gingerbread) and features a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. It is the first handset to offer Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus screen technology (4.27-inch display, 800x480 resolution), and is the company's thinnest phone at 8.49mm, with a weight of just 116g. The device also features an 8MP primary camera with 1080p video capture, and a 2MP camera in the front, as well as integrated NFC support on some versions. It also has BlueTooth 3.0+HS and HSPA+ connectivity.

The device's new Live Panel allows you to aggregate web, social networking, and app content to a single customizable home screen. You'll be able to switch between three adjacent home screens by simply pressing and holding on the screen. The phone will come with four new content and entertainment hubs: music, games, e-reading, and social networking.