Samsung Galaxy S3 News, Rumors, and a Release Date

The hotly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S3 will be launched on May 3 at Earls Court (exhibition center) in London. The new smartphone has generated quite a stir in the mobile industry after the great success of Samsung's last model, the Galaxy S2. Many people believe the S3 will only have a few minor adjustments and upgrades from S2; however, opinions differ greatly. In this ABI Insight, let's looks at some of the news and rumors about this new smartphone.

Speculation about the latest Samsung Galaxy 3 has spread far and wide. Let's run through a few bits of the juicy gossip:
  • The screen size is anticipated to increase from the SII's 4.3-inch screen to between 4.6 and 4.8 inches and using HD in 1080p. Additionally, the screen's pixel density is projected to increase from the S2's 217 pixels per inch (PPI) to 312 PPI.
  • People in the 4.6 inch-screen camp believe that the overall device size may not increase. Instead, they assume that Samsung will introduce an "edgeless" design.
  • The new smartphone will have a ceramic or metal case (possibly a brushed blue metal) instead of a plastic case.
  • It's generally anticipated the primary camera will increase from 8 megapixels to 12 or 16 megapixels. Not so clear is whether the front facing camera will increase from 1.3 megapixels to 2 megapixels.
  • Speculation about wireless charging and a stylus for sketching and handwriting similar to the one on the Samsung Galaxy Note has been bounced around, but I am unsure on these features. I think Samsung may want to try and keep some differentiating features between the Note and the latest Galaxy.
  • Delving into the hardware specifications, speculation is that the new smartphone will contain a quad-core processor. The HTC One X, LG Optimus 4X HD, and Huawei Ascend D1 all have quad-core processors and Samsung will receive significant criticism if its new S3 doesn't have the same processing performance.
  • Afrequently mentioned feature is contactless payment technology (NFC). The Samsung Galaxy S3 will be the official London Olympic phone and the company will be making phones for the Olympics. Visa, another partner for the London games, has been seriously pushing contactless payment on consumers. Could this also be an opportunity to highlight NFC's ability to link and log into locations and tags?