Bada bing, bada boom - the Samsung Wave II handset is finally available in the UK, almost 4 months after it was initially confirmed by Samsung.

The Wave II (model GT-S8530) looks very similar to the original Wave (the S8500) but the new arrival does, however, lack the Super AMOLED screen of its older brother. In its place is a Super-Clear LCD display, although it is slightly bigger at 3.7 inches.

It has a WVGA display and features Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 user interface over version 1.2 of Bada - Samsung's own OS. 

On board there is a 1GHz processor, HSDPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS connectivity, a microSD slot and access to Samsung Apps. 

There's TV-out, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and 720p HD video recording.

Simon Stanford, managing director of mobile at Samsung UK and Ireland said:

"Following the phenomenal success of our first high-end Wave handset last year, we wanted to take the smartphone experience we offer our customers a step further.

"With our Social Hub, it’s now even easier for people to share content such as photos and videos with their social networks. And they’ll also benefit from the growing popularity of our App store via the new gaming bundle we are offering."

Available for free (from O2 and Phones4U on various networks) on contract now, Samsung is also offering a free entertainment bundle for anyone buying the handset until 31 March 2011.

The package includes Need for Speed: Shift, FIFA 10, Monopoly, Tetris and Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles.