The Samsung Galaxy S III (GT-i9300)[9] is an Android smartphone designed bySamsung and the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S II.[10] Like its predecessor, the S III is touchscreen-based, slate-sized smartphone, with a significant addition of software features, expanded hardware, and a redesigned physique. In particular, it has an intelligent personal assistant (S Voice), eye-tracking capability, wireless charging, and expanded storage. The international version of the 4.8-inch (120 mm) smartphone is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM while the US version is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 2 GB of RAM.
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Samsung unveiled the S III on 3 May 2012 in London.[11][12] The device was released in 28 countries, including those in Europe and the Middle East, on 29 May 2012,[13][14]before being rolled out in several other countries over the following few days. Prior to release, 9 million pre-orders were placed by more than 100 carriers globally.[15] A U.S. release is expected in June 2012.[16] Based on a survey in the UK, as of June 2012, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the most popular handset in the UK.[17] Its main rivals areApple's iPhone 4S and HTC's One X.[18]
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Work on the design of the S III started in late-2010 under the guidance of Chang Donghoon, Samsung's Vice President and Head of Design Group of Samsung Electronics. From the start, the design group focused on a consumer trend dubbed "organic", or "a desire for comfort and well-being".[19] Consequently, a prospective design should reflect natural e
 | |
|---|---|
 Samsung Galaxy S III (GT-I9300) | |
| Manufacturer | Samsung Electronics |
| Series | Galaxy S series |
| Compatible networks |
2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
3G UMTS/HSPA+ (21 Mbps down, 5.76 Mbps up) 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz |
| Availability by country | 29 May 2012 (European Union andMiddle East) |
| Predecessor | Samsung Galaxy S II |
| Related | Samsung Galaxy Note Galaxy Nexus |
| Type | Touchscreen smartphone |
| Form factor | Slate smartphone |
| Dimensions | H 136.6 mm (5.38 in) W 70.7 mm (2.78 in) D 8.6 mm (0.34 in)[1] |
| Weight | 133 g (4.7 oz) |
| Operating system | Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwichwith TouchWiz "Nature UX" UI |
| SoC | Samsung Exynos 4 Quad[2] |
| CPU | 1.4 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 or 1.5 GHz dual-coreQualcomm Krait |
| GPU | ARM Mali-400 MP[3] |
| Memory | 1 or 2 GB RAM |
| Storage | 16/32 GB flash memory[1] |
| Removable storage | up to 64 GB microSDXC[4] |
| Battery | 2100 mAh |
| Data inputs | Multi-touch touch screen, aGPS,[5]GLONASS, barometer |
| Display | 4.8 in (120 mm) HD SUPERAMOLED with 1280×720 pixels(306 ppi) and RGBG-Matrix (PenTile)[6][7] |
| Rear camera | 8.0 megapixels |
| Front camera | 1.9 megapixels |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi hotspot, micro-USB On-The-Go[8]with MHL link, NFC, AllShare |
lements such as the flow of water and wind. One of the results of this design aim was the curved outline of the phone, which was refined hundreds of times,[20] and its home screen's "Water Lux" effect where taps and slides produce water ripples.[19]
History
Throughout the eighteen-month design phase, Samsung implemented stringent security measures and design procedures to maintain secrecy of the eventual design until its launch. Designers worked on three prototypes concurrently while treating each of them as the final product. This required the duplication of effort as they had to "repeat the same process for all three types."[21][22] The prototypes, photos of which were forbidden, were locked in a separate lab accessible only by core designers, and the task of transporting them was performed by the company's employees.[22][23]Despite such security measures, specifications of one of the three units were leaked, although it differed from the final selection.[24]
Speculation in the general public and media outlets regarding the handset's specifications began gathering momentum during the several months prior to its formal unveiling in May 2012. In February 2012, prior to the Mobile World Congress inBarcelona, Spain, there were rumours that the handset would incorporate a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor a screen of 1080p Full HD resolution.[25][26] However, more-accurate rumoured specifications included 64 GB of internal storage, 4G LTE, a 4.8-inch (120 mm) screen, a 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 9-millimetre (0.35 in) thick chassis.[25] Other sources claimed the S III to have 2 GB of RAM, a 12 mp rear camera and a Super AMOLED Plus HD touchscreen.[27] In late April 2012, Samsung's Senior Vice-President Robert Yi confirmed the phone's name to be "Samsung Galaxy S III".[28]
After inviting reporters two weeks prior, Samsung launched the Galaxy S III during Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, on 3 May, a departure from practice among Android-phone manufacturers of unveiling their products earlier in the year during either the World Mobile Congress or Consumer Electronics Show.[29][30][31][32] One explanation for this decision is that Samsung wanted to minimise the time between its launch and availability.[32] The keynote address of the hour-long event was delivered by Loesje De Vriese, marketing director of Samsung Belgium.[31]
On 5 June 2012, Apple filed for preliminary injunctions in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Samsung Electronics, claiming the Galaxy S III had violated at least two of the company's patents. Apple wanted the court to include the phone in its existing legal war (see Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.) against Samsung and ban sales of the S III, prior to its scheduled 21 June U.S. launch.[33][34][35] Apple claimed the alleged infringements would "cause immediate and irreparable harm" to its commercial interest.[34][36] Samsung responded by declaring it would "vigorously oppose the request and demonstrate to the court that the Galaxy S3 is innovative and distinctive", and reassured the public that the 21 June release would proceed as planned.[34][35] On 11 June, Judge Lucy Koh said Apple's claim would overload her work schedule, as she would be also overseeing trials of Samsung's other phones; consequently, Apple dropped its request to block the 21 June release of the S III.[36][37][38]
The Galaxy S III is the official device of the 2012 Summer Olympics. A special edition of the phone equipped with the Visa payWavemobile payment application will be distributed to athletes and trialists sponsored by Samsung and Visa.[39]
[edit]Features
[edit]Software
The Galaxy S III uses Google's Android mobile operating system, which was first introduced commercially in 2008.[40] Its TouchWizuser interface,[41] like most interfaces, consists of elements such as sliders, switches, and buttons. The interface is more interactive than the Samsung's previous phones, and is influenced by the "organic" customer trend. For example, the "Water Lux" effect has been programmed to produce ripples upon contact.[42] To complement the TouchWiz, the phone introduces S Voice, Samsung's intelligent personal assistant similar to Apple's Siri. Based on Vlingo, S Voice enables the user to verbally issue commands such as playing a song, setting the alarm, or activating driving mode; it relies on Wolfram Alpha for online searches.[43]
The S III comes with Android version 4.0.4, officially dubbed "Ice Cream Sandwich", which became commercially available in November 2011 with the release of the Galaxy Nexus.[44][45] It is a major overhaul over the previous Android 2.3.x "Gingerbread", and is compatible with Android tablets, which had previously used Android 3.x "Honeycomb". Ice Cream Sandwich has a refined user interface, including the use of swiping to eliminate unwanted notifications and the inclusion of folders and favourite trays on the home screen. It provides a user with greater mobile data control, and has expanded camera capabilities, security features such as Face Unlock, and connectivity such as Wi-Fi Direct.[46]
Other notable abilities include Smart Stay—the screen tracks the user's eyes to determine when to turn the phone off,[43] Direct Call (which allows the user to call a person whose text message is currently on screen simply by raising the phone to the ear), Pop Up Play (allows a video and other activities to occupy the screen at the same time), S Voice, Buddy Photo Sharing, Allcast Share Dongle, Group Cast (documents collaboration), wireless charging, S Pebble MP3 player, dock/charger, C-Pen, slimline case, and car mount.[47]The phone comes in 16 GB and 32 GB variants,[1] with microSDXC storage offering up to an additional 64 GB for a potential total of 128 GB.[48] An additional 50 GB of space is offered on the Dropbox service for purchasers of the device for two years, doubling rival HTC's 25 GB storage for the same duration.[49]
[edit]Hardware
The S III's HD Super AMOLED display measures 4.8 inches (120 mm) on the diagonal, second to the Samsung Galaxy Note's 5.3 inches (130 mm). With a 1,280 x 720-pixel resolution, its pixel per inch (PPI), or pixel density, is 309.[50] To accommodate the high PPI, Samsung has removed one of the three subpixels – red, green and blue – in each pixel to create a PenTile matrix-display; consequently, it does not share the "Plus" suffix found on the S II's Super AMOLED Plus display.[51] The glass used for the display on the Galaxy S III is Corning Gorilla Glass 2.[52][53]
The Galaxy S III has a 8 mega-pixel camera similar to that of the Galaxy S II. It can take photos (3264 x 2448 pixels) and record videos in 1080p Full HD resolution. Samsung improved the camera's software over that of its predecessor to include zero shutter lag, Burst Mode and Best Shot, which work together to take numerous photos in a short time before the best frame is selected.[54] The phone can also take pictures while recording videos.[51] It has a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.[54]
The Galaxy S III is advertised as having an MHL port that can be used both as a micro-USB port, and for connecting the phone to HDMI devices. However, when the phone was released in May 2012, it was discovered that Samsung had made a modification to the electronics of the port such that only the adapter made specifically for this model by Samsung could be used.[55][56]
[edit]Design
The Galaxy S III has a polycarbonate plastic chassis measuring 136.6 mm (5.38 in) high, 70.7 mm (2.78 in) wide, and 8.6 mm (0.34 in) thick, with the device weighing 133 grams (4.7 oz). Samsung has abandoned the rectangular design found on the Galaxy S II, and decided to incorporate round corners and curved edges, reminiscent of the Galaxy Nexus.[57] The phone is available in two color options—"Marble White" and "Pebble Blue". However, only on the AT&T model will the Galaxy S III be in the colour option of "Strawberry Red".[58]
[edit]Release and reception
According to an anonymous Samsung official speaking to the Korea Economic Daily, the S III received more than 9 million pre-orders from 100 carriers during the two weeks following its London unveiling, making it the fastest-selling gadget in history.[59][60][61][62] In comparison, the iPhone 4S received 4 million pre-orders prior to its launch,[63] while Samsung's previous flagship phone, the S II, had 10 million handsets shipped within five months; Samsung has since sold more than 20 million handsets.[61][64] Within a month of the London unveiling, online-auction and shopping website eBay noted a 119% increase in second-hand Android phone sales, "the first time anything other than an Apple product has sparked such a selling frenzy."[65]
"Due to overwhelming demand for 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."
The S III was released in 28 countries in Europe and the Middle East on 29 May 2012.[68] Two days later, it was released in Oceania and South and Southeast Asia. In India, despite its high launch price of 
43,180 (US$861.44),[69] Samsung expects to capture 60% of India's smartphone market, improving on its previous 46%.[70] The S III was scheduled to be released in North America from 20 June, but due to high demand, some U.S. and Canadian carriers delayed release by several days, while some other carriers limited the market at launch.[66][71][72][73]By the end of July 2012, the S III is expected to have been released by approximately 300 carriers in 147 countries;[74] Shin Jong-kyun, president of Samsung's mobile communications sector, estimates also that more than 10 million handsets would have been sold by the end of the same month.[75][76]
43,180 (US$861.44),[69] Samsung expects to capture 60% of India's smartphone market, improving on its previous 46%.[70] The S III was scheduled to be released in North America from 20 June, but due to high demand, some U.S. and Canadian carriers delayed release by several days, while some other carriers limited the market at launch.[66][71][72][73]By the end of July 2012, the S III is expected to have been released by approximately 300 carriers in 147 countries;[74] Shin Jong-kyun, president of Samsung's mobile communications sector, estimates also that more than 10 million handsets would have been sold by the end of the same month.[75][76]
Though only a limited number of the white Galaxy S III 16 GB model was available throughout the world. A small number of blue Galaxy S IIIs of the 16 GB version was released on the 8 June in New Zealand, Australia, the EU and the UK. It was delayed at launch due to the fact that a large portion of the new smartphones had irregularities with the "hyper-glazing" process performed during manufacturing.[77] A mistake in production caused an undesirable finish on the blue back covers and resulted in the disposal of 600,000 plastic casings and a shortage of the blue model.[78] The issue was later resolved.[77]
[edit]Model variants
On 16 May 2012, NTT DoCoMo announced that they would sell an LTE model of the Samsung Galaxy S III, using a QualcommSnapdragon MSM8960 SoC with an integrated on-die LTE-modem.[79] This model also features 2 GB of RAM.
On 30 May 2012, several Canadian carriers announced that they also would sell an LTE model of the Galaxy S III with the model number SGH-i747 and the same specifications as the one for NTT DoCoMo.[80] Within a week, on 4 June 2012, Verizon, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile and AT&T[81][82] all announced that they would sell the same versions of the Galaxy S III as the Canadian carriers announced on 30 May 2012. Thus the design and name of the Galaxy S III for North America is retained from the international version, marking a deviation from the previous customization of design and name for different carriers of the previous Galaxy S models.[83][84][85][86][87]
[edit]Model comparison table
| GT-I9300 | SGH-T999[80] | SGH-I747[80] | SC-06D | SCH-R530 | SGH-I535 | SPH-L710 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countries | International | Canada, United States[88] | Japan | United States | |||
| Carriers | International | T-Mobile, Mobilicity,Wind, Videotron | Bell, Rogers, Telus,AT&T, SaskTel | NTT DoCoMo | U.S. Cellular | Verizon | Sprint |
| 2G | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz GSM / GPRS / EDGE | 800, 1900 MHz CDMA | 1900 MHz CDMA | ||||
| 3G | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz UMTS / HSPA+ | 850, 1700 (AWS/Band IV), 1900, 2100 MHz UMTS / HSPA+ / DC-HSPA+ | 850, 1900, 2100 MHz UMTS / HSPA+ | 800, 1700 (Band IX), 2100 MHz UMTS / HSPA+ | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev-A | ||
| 4G LTE | No | 700, 1700 (AWS) MHz | 800 MHz | 700, 1700 (AWS) MHz | 700 MHz | 1900 MHz | |
| Max network speed | 21 Mbps HSPA+ | 42 Mbps DC-HSPA+ | 100 Mbps LTE | ||||
| Dimensions | 136.6 × 70.7 × 8.6 mm (5.38 × 2.78 × 0.34 in) | ||||||
| Weight | 133 g (4.7 oz) | ||||||
| Operating system | Android 4.0.4 with TouchWiz "Nature UX" user interface | ||||||
| SoC | Samsung Exynos 4 Quad | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 | |||||
| CPU | 1.4 GHz quad-coreARM Cortex-A9 | 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait | |||||
| GPU | ARM Mali-400 MP4 | Qualcomm Adreno 225 | |||||
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | |||||
| Storage | 16/32/64 GB | 16/32 GB[89] | 16 GB | 32 GB | 16/32 GB | ||
