Long before the United States could get a taste of the Android phone that gives Steve Jobs nightmares, Samsung is already rumored to be preparing a new superphone expected to rival the iPhone 5 and eclipse other Android smartphones–including Samsung’s own Galaxy S II.

Known as the Samsung Hercules for now, Samsung’s upcoming superphone is expected to be exclusively carried by T-Mobile, which, either by misfortune or intention, was left out of the official carrier list for the Samsung Galaxy S II. The Samsung Hercules will be T-Mobile’s flagship smartphone and is rumored to be priced at US$350.

The Samsung Hercules is expected to be launched some time in August.

The name “Hercules” conjures images of the beefy and physically strong demigod of Greek tales whose exploits suggest that the Samsung Hercules could pretty much overcome insurmountable obstacles and accomplish Herculean tasks. Here’s why:

• 1.5-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 processor
• Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread (or, possibly Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen with 800×480 screen resolution
• 1 GB RAM
• 16 GB internal storage
• microSD slot
• 8-megapixel camera (capable of 1080p full HD video)
• physical dimensions of 132 mm by 71 mm by 9 mm (similar to the Samsung Infuse 4G)
• Near Field Communication (NFC) support
• MHL port (which combines microUSB and HDMI into one port)
• Category 24 HSDPA+ capability (with maximum downstream speed of 42 Mbps, compared to 21 Mbps or 14 Mbps in most HSDPA-capable smartphones currently)

If rumors about the iPhone 5′s specs are true, then it will definitely trail behind the Samsung Hercules in terms of muscle. Rumors say that the iPhone 5 will have a dual-core, 1.2-GHz A5 processor, 1 GB RAM, an 8-MP camera with dual-LED flash, 3.7-inch display, and a SIM-less design. It will not likely have 4G LTE support.

Which will it be for you–the iPhone 5 or the Samsung Hercules?