Samsung Galaxy S3: what you need to know
Samsung's flagship 2011 Android phone received a glowing 5/5 score when we reviewed the Galaxy S2 earlier this year.
And it was no surprise - Samsung packed a very powerful and capable processor plus a very nice camera into an unbelievably slim case.
Samsung published endless press releases about its ever growing global sales figures, which can only mean one thing. A sequel is guaranteed for 2012.
Samsung is yet to make any official announcement regarding the Galaxy S3, mind, but the pieces are falling in to place. Samsung's processor developments are clear to see, with the company announcing several new Exynos cores during 2011 that could power the new Galaxy S3.
The Galaxy S 3 (which we've also seen referred to as the Galaxy SIII) is bound to be at least powered by a dual-core processor, but there's even been rumour of a quad-core chipset in Samsung's pipeline, which may power the S3. Here's what else we've gathered so far.
- Check out our Samsung Galaxy S3 photo evolution gallery - do you believe any of them?
Samsung Galaxy S3 UK release date
The mobile phone industry is extremely predictable. The high-spec models for the year are invariably announced and shown off at February's Mobile World Congress event, with the finished hardware starting to appear on sale at the end of March and into April.
Samsung managed to release the S2 right at the beginning of April in 2011, so it's bound to want to repeat the winning formula and release the S3 at the same time in 2012. If you're due an upgrade next April, the S3 ought to be ready and waiting for you.
Update: Bad news, S3 fans: it looks like the phone has been delayed until later in the year already, with Samsung promising a special non-MWC event of its own.
Samsung has even gone as far as cancelling its whole MWC conference altogether, so we're looking forward to seeing how it diverts all those funds into making the Galaxy S3 launch superb.
Update: There is an outside chance that we could see the Samsung Galaxy S3 at an event in Amsterdam on March 15 after an invite was sent out to various members of the press.
Update: A couple of South African carriers have said that they expect the Samsung Galaxy S3 to hit shelves as early as July - which tees us up nicely for a March unveiling.
Update: Samsung's marketing agency looks like it might have dropped the ball, reportedly confirming that the Galaxy S3 will hit UK (and global) stores in April - meaning an quick Apple-esque announcement to availability schedule.
Update: Samsung has confirmed that it will announce the release date of the Galaxy S3 via Twitter first. It has also denied the April launch date rumour above.
Update: A leaked image claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared online suggesting it will be unveiled on March 22 - however Samsung has already denied the date and the image has several flaws.
Update: A press image of the suposed Samsung Galaxy S3 has been leaked, revealing a brand new design and a release date of May 22 2012.
Update: Several reports from Korea have quoted Kim Young-Ha, Samsung Greater China President, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S3 launch date could be brought forward a month from May to April.
Update: Another image (below) claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared, with striking similarities to the press image above - both of which suggest a May 22 release date.
Update: Another image claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared, with striking similarities to the press image above this one - both of which suggest a May 22 release date.
Update: The Samsung Galaxy S3 could be in-line for a surprise launch on March 30, depending on the conclusions you draw from a cryptic paint-job adorning London's flagship Phones 4U store - although this now looks unlikely as Samsung has confirmed it is the launch of a Samsung vendor within the Phones 4U shop.
Samsung Galaxy S3 US release date
The Galaxy S2 took many months to appear in the US, as Samsung rearranged the design and changed features to please the US networks and their customers.
Given that the S2 is therefore still quite "new" to America, we'd expect the S3's American launch to be several months after the UK arrival once again. Mobile hardware launches are one of the few areas where the UK leads the world.
There was rumour the Galaxy S3 was going to be shown off at a special French event - but now Samsung has even denied that too.
Update: Samsung's marketing agency looks like it might have dropped the ball, reportedly confirming that the Galaxy S3 will hit stores worldwide in April.
It's been suggested the reason Samsung has delayed the Galaxy S3 until after MWC 2012 is so it can be launched simultaneously in the US and rest of the world.
The Galaxy S2 suffered a US release delay, which saw it arrive several months after the rest of the world and Samsung is keen to avoid the same situation this year.
Samsung Galaxy S3 price
Obviously we don't have pricing details for an unannounced phone, so all we can do is speculate. Given the recent launch of the Galaxy Nexus, which sold for an enormous �520 around its launch and for the following few weeks and was available on contracts starting at �36, that's the high-end level we expect of the S 3.
The Galaxy S2 was put on sale for �500 at launch, and contracts for a whopping �46 per month weren't hard to find either. However, that price dropped very quickly, so we expect the same to happen again.
In fact, given the success of the S2 (pictured below), we could even see it set new highs for Android phone prices, as Samsung fans clamour for what will surely be one of 2012's must-have mobiles.
Samsung Galaxy S3 processor
Back in November, details of a next-gen Samsung Exynos 4412 chipset were uncovered, describing it as a quad-core unit said to be clocked at 1.5GHz.
Given that Android manufacturers are all clamouring to boast about who's got the most cores in their devices, it'd make perfect sense for the S3 to be announced as a headline-grabbing quad-core phone.
If not, Samsung has officially revealed its work on the dual-core Exynos 4212, a dual-core ARM9 chipset that's claimed to be 30% more efficient and substantially faster than the unit inside the Galaxy S2. Even that lesser option would still make the S3 a great phone.
Or there's the newer Exynos 5250, an up-to-2GHz dual-core model that supports an incredible maximum resolution of 2560x1600. This seems primarily designed for tablets, but with phone specs increasing at such massive speed, who knows?
Update: Leaked information on the Galaxy S3 apparently confirms that it will pack a 1.5GHz Samsung Exynos quad-core processor.
Update: A report suggesting the Galaxy S3 will pack the "quad core exynos 4412" processor was leaked alongside a spy shot claiming to be the handset.
Update: The 1.5GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor rumour gets even more backing after reports of a Samsung executive revealing details to the Korea Times.
Samsung Galaxy S3 operating system
Nothing is confirmed yet, of course, but given the Q2 2012 launch date and the fact that Samsung is already releasing test versions of an Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy S 2, the S 3 is all but guaranteed to arrive with a version of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich release.
Google has recently published the 4.0.3 code which it says should be considered the baseline of the Ice Cream Sandwich code, so expect that version to launch on the S 3 at the very least.
We would also expect the Galaxy S 3 to feature a version of Samsung's TouchWiz user interface skin layered over the top of Android as well, which will help differentiate the phone from the "vanilla" Android 4.0 as found in the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus.
Update: Leaked information suggests the Galaxy S3 will run Ice Cream Sandwich - no surprise here, but if the report is legit it contains other specs about Samsung's hotly anticipated handset.
Update: An image below claims to show the Samsung GT-i9300, running Android Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz overlay, and touts itself as "the real deal" - could this be the Samsung Galaxy S3?
Samsung Galaxy S3 memory
Not much to go on here at the moment, but 1GB of RAM seems to be emerging as the new benchmark for comfortably running Android while maintaining solid performance, so that's our best guess for the S 3.
In terms of onboard storage, the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus did away with the SD card storage slot, only letting users have the 16GB the phone came with. If that's the way Samsung and Google see the future going, perhaps the S3 will bin SD card support as well.
Samsung Galaxy S3 display
The Galaxy S2 seemed enormous with its 4.3" screen, but since then we've had the even bigger 4.7" HTC Sensation XL, the 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus (below) and the insanely huge 5.3" Galaxy Note. The most recent mention of Galaxy S 3 screen size came in a rather dodgy-looking Samsung presentation slide, which claimed the S3 would feature a 4.6" screen.
Update: During its CES press conference Samsung popped out a promotional video with a very large-looking device appearing for a fleeting second, with an edge-to-edge display and much larger chassis. Although it could be a revamped Galaxy Note, we're still hoping it was a great S3 leak.
A very dodgy-looking picture has also appeared that supposedly shows the new Galaxy S3 with a flexible screen, although we're taking that with so many pinches of salt our cholesterol levels are dangerously high.
We wouldn't be surprised to see the S3 feature a bigger display than that of the Galaxy Nexus, though, offering something nearer the 5-inch end of the scale ? as Samsung will surely want to have something considered both biggest and best as its new 2012 Android flagship.
Update: BGR has reported an information leak which confirms the Samsung Galaxy S3 will pack a 4.8-inch screen with a Full HD 1080p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
Update: A report leaked on Reddit suggests the Samsung Galaxy S3 will come with a 4.7-inch SuperAMOLED+ HD display.
Samsung Galaxy S3 camera
All we have to go on here is more news from Samsung's imaging development teams, which announced the 16 megapixel mobile sensor back in October.
The tech spec of the S5K2P1 state it can capture 60fps HD video, while the still system can take 30 8.3 megapixel shots a second, eliminating shutter lag. If that sensor makes it into the Galaxy S3, every smartphone user in the country will be blagging an upgrade on launch day.
A picture was taken apparently using the camera on Boxing Day, with the EXIF data confirming not much more than it has a flash and it was used at Samsung HQ - is this picture of a plant really the future of Samsung photography?
Update: A report leaked on Reddit suggests the Samsung Galaxy S3 will have a 12MP camera, built flat into the back of the handset, meaning there will be no bump as found on the Galaxy S2.
Other Features
Update: Reports from Korea suggest the Samsung Galaxy S3 may come with wireless charging capabilities allowing you to say goodbye to that fiddly night-time plug in ritual.
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