Samsung announced an addition to its Android smartphone line-up today, the Galaxy R.

Essentially, the phone is a step down in tech specs compared the forthcoming Galaxy S 2, though still a step above Samsung’s most popular Android handset to date. It’s a mid-level device, aimed at the in-between demographic comprised of those who don’t want a feature phone, but aren’t willing to spend lots of money for the latest high-end phone to hit the shelves.

The Galaxy R’s screen, for instance, is a bit smaller (4.19 inches) and lesser in resolution (WVGA) compared to the S2 (4.3 inches, Super AMOLED). The R also comes with 8GB of on-board storage as opposed to the S2’s 16 or 32GB options.

Compared to the first generation Galaxy, however, the R is an impressive update. The new phone sports Nvidia’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a popular, powerful chip choice found inside handsets from multiple manufacturers. The R also comes with double the RAM of the previous generation at 1GB, which will hopefully be enough to keep memory-intensive apps running smoothly. And for smartphone shutterbugs, the 5-megapixel back-facing camera is capable of shooting 720p HD video.

For now, the phone is available only in Sweden, with North American and Asian releases to come soon. The company hasn’t provided price details, but given the mid-level specs and the looming release of the S2, it’s probably a safe bet that the Galaxy R won’t cost over $200.

Check out the video below for hands-on footage of the Galaxy R.