Samsung Galaxy S III sees 9 million pre-orders
Samsung Galaxy S III sees 9 million pre-orders, ,
Kevin O’Quinn
Yes you read that correctly, according to a report from Korea Economic Daily a Samsung executive let it slip that 9 million units have been pre-ordered. Let that sink in for a minute. It wasn't that long ago that the Galaxy S II hit the 20 million mark, and now we have its successor reaching half that lofty goal before it's been released. Impressive to be sure, especially since the US, a large smartphone market, won't see it released until June at the earliest.
With Samsung taking the lions share of phone sales worldwide is there anything that can be done to stop their dominance in the market? With all the rumors, hype, and expectations leading up to the launch, we already knew Samsung would have a hit on their hands. Even after the initial euphoria wore off, we were still impressed with what Samsung has done with the Galaxy S III. While the vote was almost dead even between this and the HTC One X, odds are good that the Galaxy S III won't get stuck in customs.
Jealous of our friends overseas? Have questions about the phone? Find your answers in the forums.
Source: Korea Economic Daily; via: Engadget
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How can Android vendors compete with Samsung?
How can Android vendors compete with Samsung?, ,
Industry research firm Gartner just released its latest data on mobile phone sales for the first quarter of 2012. There are some interesting points to be pulled out of this report that I wanted to address. Samsung dominates Android. Gartner’s data says that Korea-based Samsung shipped over 40 percent of all Android handsets last quarter. So that still leaves 60 percent of the market to other vendors, right? Yes, but according to Gartner none of these other vendors make up more than 10 percent of Android volume. None. In terms of handset brands, Samsung is also now the No. 1 phone maker in the world, ahead of Nokia. Nokia may have the No. 2 position in the market, but we need to remember that most of Nokia’s volume is based on the dying Symbian OS. Very little is based on its Windows-powered future at this point. So, considering that we’re looking at the death of the dumb phone over the next few years, let’s look at smartphone vendors and volumes. Samsung is the #1 player, having shipped 38 million smartphones. Most of these are Android powered, with a smaller number of Bada OS phones. Here’s how smartphone market share looks, by vendor, based on the Gartner data:
- Samsung with 26 percent market share
- Apple with 23 percent
- RIM with 7 percent
These are essentially the top three smartphone players right now. I realize that ZTE, LG and Huawei have a larger portion of the mobile market than RIM, but RIM is a pure play on smartphones whereas these three are not. Remember that other Android vendors have less than one quarter of Samsung’s volume.
What these data mean to Android manufacturers
If you look at the Gartner chart we’ve shown above, it’s crystal clear that most Android manufacturers are not having a lot of success right now. Even HTC, who was a former darling of the stock market, has been getting hurt. At the high end of the market, competing with Samsung is difficult. It’s tough to differentiate from an OS perspective because everyone’s using Android. There are only so many UI skins you can bring forward. I think one way to compete in the Android space is to develop amazingly useful middleware that turns your brand into a platform more than just a piece of hardware. But even then, Samsung is already heading down this path by recruiting Android developers for cloud-based middleware. At the low end, the biggest opportunity remains killing Nokia’s positioning. There is a lot of low hanging fruit here. Symbian is dying, and the only real challengers here are Android and BlackBerry right now. Windows Phone isn’t going after the low end yet, and neither is Apple. The bottom line is that Android manufacturers can’t think of themselves as competing against other Android manufacturers. That’s a recipe for disaster. They need to compete against Nokia’s 20 percent market share or build cloud services that differentiate their product from Samsung at the high end. Otherwise they’ll just be commodity hardware makers who earn no profit. But hey … that’s still all good for consumer smartphone adoption.
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Samsung cares, releases new support app to help prove it
Samsung cares, releases new support app to help prove it, ,
Chris Parsons
Samsung as a company is massive and although I'm sure we all would prefer it if they concentrated only on mobile devices, that's not the case. They have a ton of products out there on the market ranging from mobile phones, fridges, washers and more. Supporting all of those products can be quite a hassle but Samsung wants you to know they do in fact care about each and every support question that may be out there, no matter which one of their products you may be using.
In an effort to show that they've gone ahead and released a new mobile app called Samsung Cares. The Samsung Cares app covers a wide array of Samsung products and for each you can view online tutorial videos, review support documentation and even check your warranty status, repair status and more. Plus, if you're still not finding the information you need it provides support numbers for Samsung directly. Sure, some folks may not find it useful at all but the fact it even exists is a nice gesture from Samsung. Want to check the app out? The link is below for downloading it.
read more
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Late night poll: Has your opinion of the Samsung Galaxy S III changed?
Late night poll: Has your opinion of the Samsung Galaxy S III changed?, ,
Chris Parsons
After reading through some of the comments on our very own Alex Dobie's post covering the hype and expectations surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S III, it seems some of you all out there have changed your opinion about the device as a whole. Many folks never liked the device from the get go while others loved it and now there seems to be a change of heart for some.
We apparently weren't the only ones to notice this shift as MOTH477 in the Android Central forums has posted a poll of his own asking how many people initially thought the Samsung Galaxy S III sucked but have now changed their minds. Were you in the love with the Samsung Galaxy S III from the start? Did you have no interest before but now you want it like you've never wanted a device before?
Rather than recreating the poll here on the blogs, we invite you all to sound off in the Android Central forums. Hit the link below to register for the forums or to log in and participate in the poll.
Register or login to the Android Central Forums
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Virgin Media UK to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III ‘this summer’
Virgin Media UK to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III ‘this summer’, ,
Richard Devine
Just when you thought it was safe to step outside, another UK carrier comes forward with plans to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III. We already know the plans of the major carriers, and some of the unlocked SIM-free prices. Step forward Virgin Media though, who have announced their own decision to carry the latest Samsung flagship.
Pricing and availability are yet to be announced, beyond coming "this summer." Where Virgin stand out though, is their range of discounts for customers of their other services like TV and Broadband. Virgin Media customers could potentially be on to a winner with this one, so if you're one of them, it could be worth watching out for.
via Pocket-Lint
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ICS Update For Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II Now Available In The UK
ICS Update For Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II Now Available In The UK, ,
Aira Bongco
Don’t you just hate it when contracted Samsung Galaxy S II users show you that they have the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich? Don’t you find it unfair that you paid the same price and have the same device yet you have to put up with the old Android version? Don’t you feel left out when everybody in town are talking about the Ice Cream Sandwich when you are back to old Gingerbread and worse, Froyo? Well, now is the time to celebrate. If you have an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II and you live in the UK then now is the time to get an ICS update on your unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II phone.
ICS Update For Unlocked Galaxy S II
Downloading the latest version of Android is easy. All you need to do is get your USB cable out and start Kies on your phone. Samsung has already sent the update to their desktop software. If you don’t have Kies, then now would be the best time to download it. Though you should have that already for that app will give you access to a wide variety of applications. From there, you just need to check the drivers and then upgrade your ROM. Just click ‘firmware upgrade‘ and it’s done. Congratulations. You’ll get the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on your phone in a matter of minutes.
You’ll get much luck if you have signed up for certain carriers like Vodafone. You may have tried getting the update before but you simply cannot compare with your contracted counterparts. It is good to know that you have gotten the update before your American friends. People from the US are yet to see an Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy S II along with Skyrocket LTE.
But I don’t want to burst your bubble. The update is not really that great. If you tried getting the update, then you’ll find that only a few changes will happen. Aside from a slight improvement in the Touchwiz technology, there are also new features when it comes to Face unlock, multitasking interface and data limit tracking. You will also have the option to disable your other apps.
Do you have an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II? Then the wait is over. While you will not get the Ice Cream Sandwich directly to your phone, you can still get it from the updates from your local carriers like T-Mobile and Orange. Get it right now.
Samsung To Reveal Much Awaited Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III On May 3
Samsung To Reveal Much Awaited Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III On May 3, ,
Aira Bongco
It is time to cut the rumors and see the real thing. Samsung Galaxy S III is coming to town. If you have kept yourself updated with the techie talk, then you should know that there have been a lot of rumors with the Galaxy S III. A lot of renders and Photoshop images have come out claiming that they are the real thing. But until now, there is no evidence that they are tied to the real thing. Finally, it is time to stop the speculations and take a look at the real device as it will be released on the Samsung Event in London on May 3.
Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012
Unlike their other models, it seems like Samsung wants to make this release extra special. Before, it used to unveil their new gadgets through trade shows like the Mobile World Congress. But now, things are different. They will be holding an exclusive event on May 3rd that will be entitled Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012. That is not a bad name for a much anticipated launch for the newest member of their Galaxy Series.
But before you attend the event, let me give you another dose of speculation. Some rumors concerning the Galaxy S III seemed to be true after all. There is the 4.6-inch AMOLED panel and Non-Pentile layout of the S III along with the quad-core Exynos chip leaked by a Samsung executive. But these are very limited compared to the other leaks from other gadgets. It seems like the Samsung Galaxy S III is one of the most protected gadgets from the brand.
There are also some reports that the S III has been delayed because they want the S III to compete with the iPhone 5. It seems like the S II and iPhone 4S are competing based on sales. From here, we can guess that they will also be neck-in-neck with their next product launches. I am expecting the S III to come in June given Samsung’s habits of releasing an event like what will happen on May.
Late night poll: Samsung Galaxy S III or HTC One X?
Late night poll: Samsung Galaxy S III or HTC One X?, ,
Jerry Hildenbrand
You knew this was coming. In one hand you have the HTC One X. Tegra 3 or S4 Krait; 720p SLCD2 at 4.7-inches. Sense 4. The hotness. In the other hand, you have the Samsung Galaxy S III, the world's newest Android phone. Quad-core Exynos, 720p SuperAMOLED at 4.8-inches. The new Touchwiz and it's cool voice interaction and face recognition. It's a good time to be an Android fan.
Chances are, you aren't going to have both. So, which one would pick? Hit the poll, let us know.
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Samsung Galaxy S III wrap-up
Samsung Galaxy S III wrap-up, ,
It’s been a busy day here in London, as we’ve spent the past few hours getting acquainted with Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. So as the day draws to a close — here in England, at least — why not take a look back over our extensive Galaxy S III coverage. We’ve got exhaustive hands-on features on the phone’s hardware and software, including a run-through of major software features like the camera, picture-in-picture, S Beam and more.
And when you’re done checking out all of the day’s news from Earl’s Court, be sure to have your say over on our Samsung Galaxy S III forums.
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Galaxy S III software hands-on We get to grips with the new version of Samsung’s TouchWiz UX. |
Galaxy S III hardware hands-on A sleek, shiny, curved design, quad core CPU and HD SuperAMOLED. |
Galaxy S III photo gallery Our complete photo gallery of the white and blue Galaxy S III. |
Samsung announcement post The official announcement straight from Samsung. |
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Galaxy S III: Coming May 29 The Galaxy S III’s European release date revealed |
Camera app hands-on video We take a quick tour of the new Samsung TouxhWiz photo app. |
Android Central Podcast 95 Alex and Phil talk Galaxy S III in a special podcast from London. |
Samsung Unpacked Liveblog All the details from the announcement event as it happened. |
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S Voice demonstration video Samsung’s “Siri competitor” put through its paces in our video demo. |
Flipboard for Android hands-on Flipboard’s coming to Android, and it’s coming first to the Galaxy S III. |
Pop-up Play demonstration Samsung brings picture-in-picture to its new flagship phone. |
Galaxy S III vs. HTC One X HTC and Samsung’s leading devices square off in our versus video. |
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Galaxy S III coming to USA in June The first news on when the SGS3 will arrive stateside. |
Galaxy S III international availability Find out which countries and networks are getting the phone. |
Galaxy S III versus iPhone Apple’s leading smartphone compared with Samsung’s latest. |
Galaxy S III vs. Galaxy Nexus We compare Samsung’s new baby to the ICS torch-bearer. |
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Discussion on the Galaxy S III forums Chat it up with the Android Central forum community. |
Samsung Galaxy S III accessories Cases, wireless chargers and a tiny MP3 player. |
50GB Dropbox storage on SGS3 Samsung/Dropbox partnership gives users 50GB for 2 years. |
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Samsung Galaxy S III Accessories Hands-on
Samsung Galaxy S III Accessories Hands-on, ,
Cory Gunther
One more Galaxy S III post today folks. It looks like we were able to snatch a few minutes with the official accessories from Samsung for the Galaxy S III superphone and figured you’d like to take a look. Along with all the accessories detailed earlier today we also have a short clip of the AllShare Cast feature after the break.
Earlier today we detailed all the new accessories as Samsung showed them live, and now we have some hands-on pictures. First is the Wireless Charging Kit that was rumored a while back. Obviously you’ll need the special battery door backplate and the dock to wirelessly charge the phone, but that will be a great option for those looking to cut down on cords. Original reports suggested this would be a standard feature on all SGSIII’s but according to Samsung will be optional and an extra purchase.
Then we have the less exciting flip cover case, and the stand up “vertical charging dock” where users can sit the phone upright for viewing or charging — and again — no wires here either. Then we have AllCast Share and the HDMI adapter. Samsung will provide an adapter that works via the microUSB MHL port for streaming media and sharing homescreens, pictures, and video all to the big screen.
Samsung also lightly detailed a new upcoming MP3 player to compete with the iPod Nano called the S Pebble that will be shaped like a small pebble, run Android, and play MP3′s and such in a small portable package but we’ll have to wait for more details on that front although we were able to snap a few photos. It looks like a pebble huh? Apparently you can upload music to it, and share them directly from the Galaxy S III too. Whether the Pebble will be a standalone device or need a phone companion remains to be seen.
Overall Samsung had a strong showing today, and their accessories look quite decent too. Hopefully they all make it to market because we’re still waiting for some of those neat Galaxy Nexus accessories to this day. If you missed anything you can get every bit of Samsung GSIII news and more from today at our official Galaxy S III Portal.
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- Device Name : Galaxy S III
- Manufactuer : Samsung
- Carrier : NA
- Announced Date : May 03, 2012
- Release Date : May 29, 2012
- Also Known As : The Next Galaxy, SGSIII
- Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
- Resolution : 720×1280
- Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
- Height : 5.37 Inch
- Width : 2.77 Inch
- Depth : 0.33 Inch
- Weight : 133 Grams
- Battery Type:
- Lithium Ion
- Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
- Talk Time : NA
- Stand By Time : NA
- Android OS:
- 4.0.x
- Audio Playback:
- AAC
- AAC+
- AMR
- MID
- MP3
- WAV
- WMA
- Video Playback:
- h.263
- h.264 / AVC
- MPEG-4 (MP4)
- Messaging:
- SMS
- MMS
- CPU : Exynos 4 Quad
- CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
- Core : 4
- Ram : 1024 MB
- Internal Storage : 32 GB
- Front Facing Camera :
- Camera Resolution : 8 MP
- External Storage:
- MicroSD
- MicroSDHC
- Camera Features:
- Auto focus
- Flash
- 1080p Video Recording
- Sensors:
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light
- Proximity
- QWERTY :
- Network Technology:
- GSM
- GSM Band:
- 850
- 900
- 1800
- 1900
- Wi-Fi:
- 802.11b
- 802.11g
- 802.11n
- Bluetooth:
- A2DP
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Location Features:
- Compass
- GPS
- Cellular location
- Wi-Fi location
- FM Radio :
- NFC :
