Galaxy S3

Seven 'Galaxy S3' stories April 2012 - May 2014

KitKat now rolling out to Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S3

Mark Hearn May 1 2014 - 8:17 am PT

If you’re a Sprint customer still rocking a Samsung Galaxy S3, you’ll be glad to know that Android 4.4 is on its way. Today, the carrier is rolling out a new software push for the legacy smartphone, but warns customers that it may take several days for the update to reach every Galaxy S3 on its network. Sprint’s changelog didn’t provide many details about this new release, only noting that software version L710VPUCND8 will bump the handset up to KiKat.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Android 4.4, you can expect a snappier performance, improved memory management, translucent status bars, and a snazzy immersive mode that puts a device in a fullscreen view. If you haven’t received an over-the-air notification, you can try to manually initiate the update process by tapping Settings> System Update> Update Samsung Software> Check Now.

Remember, all updates aren’t created equally, so if you’ve already pulled down this new software, be sure to let us know how it’s treating you and your GS3.

(via Sprint)

Study suggests Samsung smartphone owners avoid pre-installed apps like the plague

Mark Hearn Apr 23 2014 - 8:20 am PT

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Samsung’s smartphones might be selling like gangbusters, but consumers don’t seem to care much for the company’s homegrown app suite, according to a new report. Research firm Strategy Analytics recently polled over 250 Galaxy S3 and S4 users and concluded that Samsung device users spent around seven minutes a month using their phone’s pre-installed bloatware.

In comparison, GS3 and GS4 owners used Facebook for around 11 hours per month alone. Samsung’s S Voice software averaged less than five minutes of monthly use across both devices, however the least used of Samsung’s native applications was the company’s ChatOn messaging service. It only averaged six seconds of use per month, which means that a large portions of its users could have accidentally launched the app.

Despite their lack of popularity, most of Samsung’s pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled without a serious workaround or the purchase of a Google Play Edition device. There’s no denying that Samsung has sold a lot of smartphones, but the company may want to revise some of its software or at least give consumers the option to remove unwanted applications from their devices.

Samsung’s ad budget exploded past Apple and the rest of the field in 2012

Jordan Kahn Mar 13 2013 - 6:40 am PT

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Apple-vs-Samsung-advertising-ad-budget-2012 We have been hearing much about Samsung’s advertising efforts in recent months including its efforts crafting the now well-known ad campaign mocking iPhone line sitters, to some of the companies recent marketing tactics used to target iPhone users. Last night The Wall Street Journal published a new piece outlining Samsung’s increasingly aggressive advertising thanks to new data from research firm Kantar Media. According to the report, Samsung passed Apple in 2012 for ad spending by around $68M in the US:

Outspent by rival Apple Inc. more than three to one in advertising for mobile phones in the U.S. in 2011, Samsung responded with a marketing blitz on TV, billboards, the Internet and print media that moved the Korean company into the pole position last year… In 2012, Samsung spent $401 million advertising its phones in the U.S. to Apple’s $333 million, according to ad research and consulting firm Kantar Media.

Apple spent more than three times Samsung on marketing its mobile devices in 2011. If a slew of recent media reports is any indication, including one from Apple’s own former ad man Ken Segall, many seem to think Apple is losing its advertising momentum to Samsung.

The Wall Street Journal added that executives at carriers said Samsung “also spends more on “below the line” marketing than any device maker. Those funds help pay for in-store advertising, promotions and training for carrier sales representatives that help close the sale.”

To put the spending in perspective for the global smartphone market, Tech/telco analyst Benedict Evans noted the figures above account for around 10% of Samsung global ad budget compared to 1/3 of Apple’s, which also somewhat reflects sales proportions.

Samsung predicts Galaxy S III sales of over 10M units for July

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2012 - 6:51 am PT

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JK Shin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, told reporters today (via Reuters) that the company expects to sell over 10 million units of the recently launched Galaxy S III during July. Despite concerns of component shortages for the flagship device, the company is expecting higher earnings for its current quarter compared to the $3.6 billion profit generated from January to March:

Samsung kicked off global sales of its Galaxy S III on May 29, but shipments have been affected by the tight supply of parts such as the handset casing for the pebble-blue model… In the United States, where sales were launched last Thursday, major carriers including Sprint Nextel Corp, T-Mobile and AT&T have not been able to offer the Galaxy with 32 gigabytes of memory, partly due to tight supply… “Due to overwhelming demand for the Galaxy S III worldwide, Samsung has informed us they will not be able to deliver enough inventory of Galaxy S III for Sprint to begin selling the device on June 21.”

Shin assured reporters that the company is not worried about the shortages affecting second quarter results. Shin noted “supply simply can’t meet soaring demand,” but he claimed, “things will get better from next week”:

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Samsung Galaxy S3 hits Amazon for $799 and up, ships June 1

Jordan Kahn May 17 2012 - 12:26 pm PT

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Samsung’s Galaxy S3 made its way to Amazon today with a number of listings for the device at $799 and others at $829 after being unveiled earlier this month. The device was slated for an international rollout towards the end of May, and the listings on Amazon are set to ship June 1. However, at least one seller noted an expected arrival date of “on/after 4th June 2012”.

The Galaxy S3 packs a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 8-megapixel camera (1.9MP front camera), and quad-core 1.4Ghz processor. Following the launch, we got some early benchmarks of Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy device—as well as a few hands-on impressions from around the Web.

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Verizon’s leaked roadmap shows Galaxy S3, HTC’s Note competitor, and new Motorola devices

Jordan Kahn Apr 26 2012 - 7:29 am PT

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While many of the devices on the list have rumored or leaked release dates already, BGR claimed to have Verizon’s summer/fall roadmap that details flagship smartphones being launched later this year.

According to the report, Verizon Wireless will offer Samsung’s highly anticipated and much rumored Galaxy S3, which the company confirmed yesterday will pack its new 1.4GHz Exynos 4 quad-core processor. The report does not give a release date, but it speculated a summer release based on the roadmap.

Also apparently on the roadmap are multiple Motorola RAZR devices and a new 5-inch HTC device that appears to be a Galaxy Note competitor…

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Samsung Galaxy S III to be a minor upgrade, featuring eye tracking technology

Jake Smith Apr 17 2012 - 12:44 pm PT

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Samsung revealed its plans on Monday to announce the next handset in the Galaxy lineup on May 3. According to many rumors that have surfaced, the handset that Samsung will reveal is the Galaxy S III, which is the successor to the popular Galaxy S II that saw record sales worldwide. Citing “a source in the UK telecoms industry,” CNET reported that the phone would be a minor upgrade compared to the Galaxy S II; however, it will feature new eye tracking technology. The eye tracking technology will use the device’s front-facing camera to detect if your eyes are looking at the screen or when you are writing text.

As for specs on the device, CNET’s source said the update would be small with just a few speed enhancements. The specs are said to be similar to the HTC One X landing on AT&T in a week. A 1.5GHz processor, 4-inch screen, and 1 GB of RAM is likely for the device, but other rumors claim even higher specs.

As for the name of the device…

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