When will it be available in the US? Very likely to be released in September 2007.
What's the hype about? The slider feature is what made Samsung appealing with other carriers. T-Mobile can now a Samsung slider phone with a full qwerty keyboard.
What to look for: Besides the sliding cover, Samsung added a Micro SD card slot and it features a 1.3 megapixel camera besides the now standard Bluetooth technology.