Read our review.
The Galaxy S3 has a 4.8 Super AMOLED display at 1280 x 720. The US variant of the device features a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 1 or 2GB of RAM depending on the market. Additionally, it has 16, 32, or 64GB of memory with a 2,100mAh battery. It’s 8 megapixel camera is paired with a 1.9 MP front-facing one.
We laud the efforts made by OEMs to keep devices updated for up to three or four years, but praise must be lavished upon a developer who has managed to boot Android 12 to the 10-year old Samsung Galaxy S3.
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Photo: ibtimes.com
Samsung’s been rather quiet when it comes to its plans to update United States devices to Android 4.4 KitKat. Today, however, the company has finally detailed exactly which devices it plans to update to Android 4.4.2, although it still left out the specific “when” detail.
Samsung says that it currently plans to update the entire Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S III line of devices, in addition to the Note II and Note III. Other various tablets and devices will be updated, as well, including the Note 8.0 and Tab 3. The entire list is below:
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Samsung has announced that it has temporarily withdrawn the update to Android 4.3 for the Galaxy S3 after users complained about multiple problems, reports the BBC.
These included faster than normal battery drain, some apps refusing to work and alarms failing to trigger […]
“Samsung keep telling us that they will let us know as soon as they find a fix, but in the meantime I am left with a phone that is next to useless,” wrote one owner, Dylan Barlow …
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Samsung is addressing one of the biggest issues with its Galaxy Gear smart watch it introduced earlier this year: device compatibility. Several Samsung devices including its Galaxy S3, S4, Note 2, and Mega smartphones will receive compatibility via a software update in Android 4.3.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smart watch debuted alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Galaxy Note 10.1tablet with support limited to those devices. Initial reviews overwhelmingly disapproved of Samsung’s smart watch offering, but widening device compatibility is surely a step in the right direction. (Full press release below)
(via <a href="Wired.com" target="_blank">Wired.com</a>)
Samsung’s chief product officer for its mobile devision, Kevin Packingham, has parted ways with the company, The New York Times reports.
Packingham, a former Sprint Nextel vendor, was responsible for leading the company’s mobile team during the notably successful launches of the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy S 4 Android phones on all the major US carriers. Packingham cited Samsung’s aggressive advertising campaign for the Galaxy smartphones as a key to making their respective launches successful for both Samsung and the carrier stores.
Samsung Mobile confirmed the departure to NYT:
“Kevin Packingham has departed Samsung Mobile,” said Ashley Wimberly, a Samsung Mobile spokeswoman, in a statement. “We thank Kevin for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Details surrounding Packingham’s departure are vague at this point, and a successor to the two-year Samsung Mobile chief has yet to be announced.
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Samsung Galaxy S3 owners on Verizon who experienced battery-life and connectivity issues after receiving the VRBMD3 firmware update earlier this month should soon be receiving a fix in the form of a new over-the-air update being pushed out by the carrier over the next few days. The first updates are due to happen tonight.
Verizon acknowledged the issue about a week after the previous update went out, saying:
A software update was recently pushed to the Samsung Galaxy S III, and while a majority of customers downloaded and installed the update successfully, a small number were negatively impacted. As a result the software update push has been postponed as a precaution for customers. We will notify them when a new software update is available for download.
(Via Android Central.)
Samsung is still in the midst of a recording breaking launch with its Galaxy S4 smartphone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t life left in its predecessor.
Samsung plans to bring many of the features of the Galaxy S4 to the Galaxy S3, according to a leaked version of Android 4.2.2 obtained by SamMobile, like new voice controls with S Voice, an enhanced lock screen experience, and additional screen modes.
Some features understandably can’t be ported to the older hardware, but its good to see Samsung delivering on its promise to update its second best selling smartphone. Android 4.2.2 is expected next month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K02KtMA-ik&feature=player_embedded
Software isn’t the only update coming to the Galaxy S3, which first debuted in May 2012. TmoNews reports that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will ship with LTE support on T-Mobile starting June 5. Pricing isn’t available for the updated hardware, but the Galaxy S3 LTE goes for $99 on-contract with AT&T or free on-contract with Sprint.
Finally, after months of waiting and a teaser last week that it was on the way, we’ve nailed down a release date on the Galaxy S III LTE. Assuming everything goes well and there’s no hiccups or delays , the Galaxy S III LTE should make its way on to T-Mobile shelves on June 5th. The new model will allow T-Mobile to remove supply of the current S III and replace it with the LTE variant.
CompareMyMobile.com reported that Samsung’s announcement of the Galaxy S4 generated a 127 percent increase in valuation requests on older Samsung phones, and a 29 percent increase in trade-ins. The firm, which monitors over 40 recycling stores in the UK, said that these kind of numbers had only ever been seen before following iPhone announcements. Trade-in values from a range of sites after the break …
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When Facebook unveiled its new Facebook Home Android experience set to roll out on number of devices today via Google Play, one of the most talked about features was “Chat heads”. The feature allows users to quickly access Facebook messages and SMS through circular profile pictures that users can access from anywhere in the OS and organize freely on the screen. Today, seemingly as part of its official roll out of Home, Facebook has updated its Messenger app for Android bringing a small piece of Home functionality to all Android users.
The updated version of Facebook Messenger implements the new Chat Heads feature, allowing you to see a small round icon with the face of the person you’re talking to hovering on the display even when you exit the app. When engaged in a conversation in Messenger, exiting the app will automatically create a chat head floating on top no matter where you navigate, allowing you to quickly jump back into the conversation. The chat heads can be arranged freely and dismissed at any time by dragging them off the bottom of the screen.
On top of rolling out the first device to come with Facebook Home stock– the HTC First– Facebook Home will also initially be supporting the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4.
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UK mobile carrier O2 is following T-Mobile’s US lead in separating phone and airtime plans.
Unlike Uncontract, O2’s Refresh deal still requires customers to sign up to an airtime contract, but allows greater flexibility by paying off the phone plan at a faster rate, and getting more frequent upgrades.
Customers can reduce the monthly cost of the phone plan by paying an up-front amount, or trading in the old handset, and can pay off the phone plan balance at any time in order to upgrade.
A customer buys a HTC One on O2 Refresh and chooses to pay £17 per month for their Airtime Plan and gets unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data. They then choose to pay £20 per month for their Phone Plan and pay £49.99 up front, meaning their combined O2 Refresh tariff costs £37 per month, the same as they would pay on a standard 24 month Pay Monthly contract.
To make it even more affordable to get the latest smartphone, customers can trade in their old mobile for cash using O2 Recycle, getting up to £260 to put towards their new phone.
Refresh is focused on higher-end handsets, and will initially offer a choice of HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S3, Sony Xperia Z, Blackberry Z10 and iPhone 5.
I’ve been really excited to get my hands on the HTC One.
The world is chock-full of low-end — and high-end — Android phones that are plastic and hard to distinguish from one another. So, as an iPhone user primarily, I liked the One’s obvious iPhone 5-like accents—which is seemingly A-O.K. by Apple, at least as evidenced by the global settlement and 10-year licensing deal reached with HTC last year—and entirely aluminum construction.
HTC’s flagship phone in 2012, the One X, earned critical acclaim from reviewers across the blogosphere, but the Samsung Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S overshadowed its launch. Now, one year later, HTC is up to bat again with the HTC One, but this time around, it faces nearly the same challenges in the Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5.
Check out the full review below to see how the HTC One measures up.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lep_DSmSRwE]
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is live on stage in Menlo Park, Calif., and he just unveiled his company’s new home on Android: called “Home”.
Facebook clarified that it’s not building a phone directly, nor is it building an operating system, instead the company unveiled “Home”. Home is for Android devices, and it is literally the home screen and “soul of your phone,” as Zuckerberg explained. Home is also “family of apps.”
9to5Google posted the first look at “Home” yesterday, but Facebook just gave a quick run down as to what the interface can really do. For instance: Cover feed, a window that replaces the lock screen and home screen, allows users to navigate by flipping through, double tapping, etc.
Users can double-tap to “Like” a post and comment right from the home screen, and they can tap their own face and swipe to get to apps. Users can also swipe up to see their favorite apps in the launcher. There’s even a screen containing all apps, so they can drag their favorite apps to the launcher. Meanwhile, notifications come from people and not apps. Each notification has a person’s face, and users can collect all notifications in a stack and either swipe or save them.
Facebook also announced a new messaging service called “Chat heads” that works with both Facebook messages and SMS. A chat head appears with in the upper right, where users can tap on them, move them, or stack them. Tapping will bring up messages.
Facebook will launch Home via Google Play on April 12, with download availability coming for tablets in a few months. Facebook will maintain Home “just like the regular Facebook app,” and it promises to issue updates at least once a month with new features.
Only a few devices are ready for launch, including: the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4. There’s even a “Facebook Home Program” for phone manufacturers, and HTC, AT&T, Samsung, Sony, etc., have all signed up.
Zuckerberg just handed the stage over to HTC executives to unveil the first device that will officially run the platform— the HTC First. More details on Home are in the press release and videos below.
Samsung announced in August that its Galaxy S III would land in four new colors, and now it appears two of those variations will soon hit through Verizon.
Verizon’s website this morning, as first noted by Droid-Life, revealed the Android-powered handset would soon launch in “Black and Brown.” Hmm…Can anyone say, “Brown Zune?”
Samsung previously called the two colors “Sapphire black” and “Amber brown”. Big Red’s website also offered folks a chance to sign up for availability notifications. Pricing will likely match the blue and white flavors, but we will have to wait and see.
[tweet https://twitter.com/VZWnews/status/220229199443668992]
After beginning to accept preorders for the device in early June, Verizon Wireless confirmed today that Samsung’s Galaxy S III would officially launch on July 10 at $199 for the 16GB model and $249 for the 32GB model with both on the usual two-year contract. Verizon’s full press release is below.
BASKING RIDGE, NJ and DALLAS — Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the 4G LTE-powered Samsung Galaxy S® III will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 starting July 10. Galaxy S III customers will have access to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network which is available in 304 markets across the United States. Verizon Wireless 4G LTE will be in 400 markets covering 260 million people by the end of this year.
Customers can take advantage of 4G LTE-optimized apps like Color to share live video broadcasts of life’s special moments with their Facebook® friends. Sharing live video with audio is an exclusive feature of the Color app on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network. Customers can broadcast real-time footage of a newborn’s first step with family members who are miles away or share a beautiful view of a vacation spot to make friends at home jealous. Combining America’s largest 4G LTE network with the Galaxy S III’s 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display creates the perfect duo to watch movies, television shows and other video content with apps like viewdini. Viewdini brings the power of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network to the screen by streamlining access to videos from a wide range of content providers, including cable operators, websites and other popular video sources. The viewdini app can be downloaded from Verizon Apps and Google Play.
Additional features:
The Samsung Galaxy S III is available in 16 GB and 32 GB models for $199.99 and $249.99 respectively with a new two-year customer agreement. The 16 GB model will be available in stores and online starting July 10 and the 32 GB model will be available online starting July 10 and will be in stores in the coming weeks. Customers will also have the choice of the Galaxy S III in two colors: Marble White or Pebble Blue. Customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 for more information on the Samsung Galaxy S III for Verizon Wireless
Canadians can now rejoice: Rogers Wireless is accepting pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S III.
MobileSyrup discovered prices for many of the Canadian carriers at BestBuy. However, it seems as though the prices are no longer live on the page. BestBuy previously indicated Rogers plans to charge $149.99, with Telus and Virgin Mobile aiming to grab $159.99 each. The page also displayed SaskTel as asking customers to fork over $169.99 for the latest Galaxy-branded smartphone. Of course, all these price tags would have come with a three-year contract.
Pricing details for Bell were not listed and are unknown, but the cost for a reserved unit is $50. The presumed no-contract price is $649.99.
It is worth mentioning that Rogers’ pre-order page does not list a quad-core Exynos processor under the Galaxy S III’s LTE capabilities. Therefore, the LTE version might début with a dual-core Snapdragon S4. The Rogers website also lacks a release date, but AndroidCommunity cited June 20 for the main launch across Canada based on earlier reports.
Existing customers can reserve their flagship device online (here), while those looking to switch carriers can sign up for more information.
Alongside the introduction of its new Samsung Galaxy S III, the company briefly talked about a music player accessory/companion product called the “S-Pebble.” The device is a refresh of Samsung’s old pebble MP3 player line, and it apparently has a 17-hour battery life and 4GB of built-in memory. However, it is not really an accessory for the Galaxy other than its pebble-blue and marble-white hyper glaze color schemes.
The S-Pebble will go nicely with Samsung’s new Scan and Match feature baked into its Music Hub service offering over 17 million songs. We do not have all the details on the feature, but it certainly sounds a lot like Apple’s iTunes Match service that matches your personal library of songs with songs stored in the cloud. The feature appears to be included in the cost of Samsung’s $10 per month fee for access to the Music Hub streaming service.
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Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy S III in London, and the new smartphone boasted a ton of new features, such as “S-Voice.” The built-in feature is Samsung’s equivalent of Siri, but it does much more than Apple’s offering. It manages certain functions and is customizable with up to four wake-up commands. For example, set it to respond with the phrase “Wake up,” and it will automatically unlock the smartphone’s screen. The voice-control tech is also integrated with applications, such as the camera app. Just say, “Hi! Galaxy, picture,” and then say “Cheese.” Walah!—The picture is captured. Oh, and S-Voice can even control music.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/2lpLGb1WW8E]
Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy S III in London and has already posted its first television advertisement for the smartphone on YouTube. A few official images for the device were also included on Facebook—check them out:
Samsung’s Galaxy S III will feature a home button under the display.
South Korea newspaper Korean Digital Daily (translated) added to the rumor machine today with sources that claim the upcoming smartphone will sport Samsung’s accustomed home button, despite much speculation claiming otherwise.
The Galaxy S III will even boast a five-column icon layout showcased in the Samsung Galaxy Note. This would help the device standout from other Android handsets, and the iPhone, which has maintained a four-column icon layout since its initial 2007 launch.
Call it a cheap attempt to bank on the Samsung Galaxy S III buzz and get some free press ahead of a rumored May announcement, but local seller Kimstore has a pre-order poster for the Samsung Galaxy i9300 (aka the Galaxy S III), according to Yugatech. Interestingly, it even has a specs page on Facebook calling for a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen with a native 720p HD resolution, 3G/4G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth3.0 networking and a 12-megapixel camera on the back capable of shooting 1080p clips at 30 frames per second and snapping images up to 4,000-by-3, 000 pixels.
Pictured above: The Samsung Galaxy S II profile
Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone will be 1.49mm slimmer than its predecessor the highly successful Galaxy S II will, a new rumor has it. According to industry sources who spoke to ETNews.com (via BGR), the new flagship phone by Samsung will be just 7mm thick versus the previous model’s 8.49mm profile.
Confirming Samsung’s plans to postpone the expected MWC introduction, the publication is claiming the Galaxy S III will arrive in May, sporting an 8-megapixel back camera and a two-megapixel camera on the front. Other features mentioned in the article include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung’s trademark Super AMOLED Plus display…
We are unsure whether the above spy shot leaked by Ubergizmo is authentic, but we are aware of some promising rumors involving a Galaxy smartphone with a flexible display. Be advised this could simply be an early prototype that might not see the light of day. Moreover, Samsung and Corning teamed for a joint venture in Korea focused on supplying Samsung Mobile Display with the latter’s new Lotus Glass technology said to be more resilient than other glass substrates.
Nevertheless, Samsung did confirm plans to market phones and tablets with flexible displays later this year. Also indicative, the South Korean conglomerate delayed a planned late-February introduction of the Galaxy S III until later this year, allegedly until iPhone demand cools off. Another reasonable explanation for the delay:
Contrary to the latest rumors, Samsung will not tap the upcoming Mobile World Congress that takes place from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Barcelona, Spain to unveil a successor to the popular Galaxy S II smartphone. Instead, in an Apple-like fashion, the Galaxy S III will be introduced to the world at a dedicated event scheduled for the “first half of the year,” the company told Techradar.
According to the official statement attributed to a Samsung spokesperson:
Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012. The successor to the GALAXY S II smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product. Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.
All told, Samsung is confident that a dedicated event rather than a trade show announcement would better convey the Galaxy S III message. According to PocketNow, the handset should feature Samsung-built Exynos 4412 chip sporting four Cortex-A9 processing cores by fabless semiconductor maker ARM Holdings, each clocked at 1.5GHz. Boasting a 50 percent faster graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 4210 is a new piece of silicon that will be manufactured on Samsung’s 32-nanometer fabbing technology. The closest competitor to the Exynos 4412 is a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core chip that should debut in the HTC Zeta smartphone.
Korean website ETNews (translated) published a story Dec. 23 claiming Samsung will use a quad-core processor for the Galaxy S III, and the company is working to include 3D technologies – not just 3D displays, but also 3D photo/video recording, and integration with 3D TVs.
This latest 3D rumor comes within a month of other reports that claimed Samsung was readying an improved version of the Exynos dual-core chip to enable next year’s devices with 3D stereoscopic displays and ultrahigh resolutions.
