Samsung Galaxy S III launches in Europe to take on Apple's iPhone 4S
The Galaxy S III launched Tuesday in a number of countries across the region, including the U.K. and Germany. By the end of July, Samsung expects to have the Galaxy S III available in 145 countries on 296 wireless operators.
No official indication has been given as to when Samsung plans to launch the Galaxy S III in the U.S., but various rumors have pointed toward a launch in mid-to-late June.
Samsung boasted on Tuesday that the Galaxy S III has already become the most-preordered Android handset ever at carrier Vodafone U.K.
A report from Reuters on Tuesday compared the launch of Samsung's latest smartphone to an Apple product debut. It noted that about 50 customers were lined up outside of a BASE mobile phone shop in Berlin on Monday.
Hype for the Galaxy S III has been significant as the device is expected to outsell its predecessor, the Galaxy S II, which reached 20 million sales worldwide. The Galaxy lineup has been comprised of Samsung's flagship Android smartphones, designed to take on Apple's market-leading iPhone.
The launch of the Galaxy S III comes months before Apple is expected to launch its sixth-generation iPhone. Rumors have pegged the next iPhone to launch this October, a full year after its predecessor, the iPhone 4S.
Samsung unveiled the quad-core Galaxy S III earlier this month. It features a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, a 1.4-gigahertz processor, one gigabyte of RAM, and available capacities of 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes.
Last week, Samsung officials deflected criticism of the design of the new handset, stating that its look and feel was not changed due to litigation from Apple. Samsung currently faces a number of patent infringement suits from Apple that accuse the company of copying the design of the iPhone and iPad in its own products.
85 Comments
Still can't get over how fugly it is.
Wait, its released in the UK already?
I've seen a grand total of one television advert where the SIII had a very brief stint (we're talking 5 seconds of air time) and maybe two paper posters. If this is supposed to be Samsung's biggest and baddest phone to date then they're being very lax on the advertising. Maybe they're taking the Commodore Computer approach and just letting word of mouth do the advertising (and we all know how that ended).
Still can't get over how fugly it is.
Maybe its the "Samsung copying everything" bug that is still in my system talking, but the first thing that came to mind when I looked at that picture was "iPod Touch 2nd Gen".
Also, if the third iteration is "designed for humans", were the other two designs for genetically modified cow people or something? (aka: that tag line makes no donkey-boffing-sense what-so-ever!)
Wait, its released in the UK already?
I've seen a grand total of one television advert where the SIII had a very brief stint (we're talking 5 seconds of air time) and maybe two paper posters. If this is supposed to be Samsung's biggest and baddest phone to date then they're being very lax on the advertising. Maybe they're taking the Commodore Computer approach and just letting word of mouth do the advertising (and we all know how that ended).
Maybe its the "Samsung copying everything" bug that is still in my system talking, but the first thing that came to mind when I looked at that picture was "iPod Touch 2nd Gen".
Also, if the third iteration is "designed for humans", were the other two designs for genetically modified cow people or something? (aka: that tag line makes no donkey-boffing-sense what-so-ever!)
How about that "inspired by nature" line?
It looks like Samsung is starting the old specs game again, and unfortunately, people are sensitive for that. I remember well when in the '90's Apple used PowerPC chips with much lower frequencies than most PCs with Intel chips, yet the Apple computers were as powerful as the PCs. But almost everybody stared themselves blind at the numbers. Where as other manufacturers (Samsung) have to install tons of GHz and GB to make up for losses in firmware and software that is not their own, Apple has the same answer as it had then: they build both hardware and software and the result is a highly integrated product that seamlessly fits in Apples existing ecosystem. This is what is important for me.
"I have a confession to make. When I first laid eyes on the Samsung Galaxy S3, I thought the design was unappealing and uninspired. I felt that the styling was a bit dated; akin to a slight upgrade of the Nexus One. From the initial launch invitation which featured marble white and blue blobs, I expected something more raw, more edgy. I was expecting a fusion of liquid metal and styling from Verizon’s iconic Droid campaigns. I was expecting to be impressed, to be blown to pieces with something completely revolutionary.
Honestly, I am in love. It was love at first touch, and all preconceived notions I had about the S3 design have melted away, and been replaced by pure technological bliss and delight.
Getting the device for the first time, I find myself in a perpetual state of what can only be described as ‘eureka moments’. The whole ‘inspired by nature’ talk began to make sense. It’s a design that works perfectly. Quite simply, the design of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a breath of fresh air in the midst of sharp and edgy ubiquitous mobile design."
- http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-review-video-89883/
This is from a representative of the Android community. The group that refers to Apple customers as "iSheep" under the influence of the "Reality Distortion Field."