News - Image and release date leak for Samsung GALAXY S III?

[HEXUS]

Convincing PR image shows up on on the web.

Read more.

[crossy]

Visually, the device feels spot-on, the screen comes closer to the phone's edge and the side-profile indicates a significant size-reduction by around one third in comparison to the S II. We're not too convinced by the new metallic-style border as this isn't 'typical' Samsung, however if the device is as thin as it appears, it'll be difficult to judge how this affects the overall look and feel from this image alone.

Hmm, pretty. And if that border is slightly raised then that'd be a smart move to give some small protection to the screen. However if that "size-reduction" also means no MicroSD and - more importantly - no user-replaceable battery, (and/or ultimate insult - a MicroSIM!!!!) then here's one prospective SIII buyer that'll look elsewhere.

We do hold out some reservations, to the existence of a Home button, as Android 4.0 has attempted to do away with fixed buttons, however, if the space was required for a battery or other components, Samsung may as well place a button there, no doubt it'll be an important comfort-point for any Apple users that the firm may hope to snatch.

Hmm, you might want to redact that last bit - or else cause more problems for Samsung with Apple's "crack legal team" (although whether that term indicates their proficiency or preferred recreational activity I wouldn't care to comment on). (joking - if it wasn't obvious)
Personally I like the "home button" idea - if for no other reason than if you get lost in some badly designed app (games mostly) that's managed to "lose" the normal (soft) buttons then at least you know that a bang on that "hard" button will get you back to a home page.

[miniyazz]

Personally I like the "home button" idea - if for no other reason than if you get lost in some badly designed app (games mostly) that's managed to "lose" the normal (soft) buttons then at least you know that a bang on that "hard" button will get you back to a home page.

This. Gotta have at least one way of returning you to the home screen!

[Scribe]

Personally I like the "home button" idea - if for no other reason than if you get lost in some badly designed app (games mostly) that's managed to "lose" the normal (soft) buttons then at least you know that a bang on that "hard" button will get you back to a home page.

I agree, though the idea is that a home button will always be present in Android 4.0, just that it's a soft-button and so aside from a crash of the touch-screen driver, it should be just as reliable as a hard-button.

[Arthran]

Not sure what you mean about the metallic border, my white S2 has a metal border around the edge and looks exactly the same in design as the border for the S3 in this pic

[Scribe]

Not sure what you mean about the metallic border, my white S2 has a metal border around the edge and looks exactly the same in design as the border for the S3 in this pic

We have a white one in the family, I know what you mean except this one has a much more notable impact on the design from the front and is thick, which isn't the case with the SII, where it's just the enclosing trim.

[keithwalton]

The original Galaxy S has a very similar border as well, should change the article to reflect that it is typical samsung, rather than isn't!

Edit - Forgot to mention, this release will be to late for me, will have already upgraded my Galaxy S at least a month before that date.

[Nelviticus]

Aaargh! When will 'thin' stop being everyone's top design goal? The most annoying thing about my SGSII is how stupidly thin it is.

[vrykyl]

Aaargh! When will 'thin' stop being everyone's top design goal? The most annoying thing about my SGSII is how stupidly thin it is.

I like thin... it leaves me plenty of room to slap a massive battery on the back! Making it the same size as a 'regular phone' of old, but with a ton of juice to get me through 3+ days of use before a charge

[hugs GS2 with 2000mah battery]

On a serious note though - as above, if it has no micro-sd card slot or a non removable battery im out... micro sim i could deal with, but no sd card would be a killer - 16gb just isnt enough in a handset these days, not when you consider they want it to replace an mp3 player and a camera as well as be a phone.
And a non removable battery is my biggest gripe about any portable device - if it freezes you have no way of knowing if its off or not :/

Otherwise from the screens - looks nice. Metalic border ala GS1 (not sure where the editor is coming from?), minimal bezel for bigger screen at smaller footprint, and i love having a home button!

[crossy]

I like thin... it leaves me plenty of room to slap a massive battery on the back! Making it the same size as a 'regular phone' of old, but with a ton of juice to get me through 3+ days of use before a charge [hugs GS2 with 2000mah battery]

Hmm, you seen http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/mugen-bat...mah-p30564.htm? 3.2Ah rather than 2Ah! On a related note, that's one the reasons that I'd consider the S2 if the S3 is restricted or too expensive - namely that it's popularity means that there's plenty of decent add-ons like extended batteries, fancy cases, etc. Okay, by the time I'm in the market (July) I'm guessing that it'll be very competitively priced too!

On a serious note though - as above, if it has no micro-sd card slot or a non removable battery im out... micro sim i could deal with, but no sd card would be a killer - 16gb just isnt enough in a handset these days, not when you consider they want it to replace an mp3 player and a camera as well as be a phone.

I think I could live with a "mere" 16GB, but like you a non-removeable/replaceable battery is a six-foot high neon "NO" as far as I'm concerned. I also don't like micro-sims because of the plan restrictions it places on you (yes I know you can get out the scissors).

Listening to some US podcasts and they all seemed to be trotting out the idea that losing the MicroSD was coming from consumers. Apparently "we" have problems dealing with the separation into "internal" memory and "external" (the MicroSD) - so manufacturers are deleting that slot in response to customer needs. And the fact that if you do need/want that extra space, then you've got to buy a much more expensive device is a bit of a bonus for them!

[aidanjt]

Listening to some US podcasts and they all seemed to be trotting out the idea that losing the MicroSD was coming from consumers. Apparently "we" have problems dealing with the separation into "internal" memory and "external" (the MicroSD) - so manufacturers are deleting that slot in response to customer needs. And the fact that if you do need/want that extra space, then you've got to buy a much more expensive device is a bit of a bonus for them!

Standard marketing bullcrap. When you want to be greedy, lie and pretend it's consumer demand.

I mean, who would honestly fall for an excuse like that? It's not as if flash memory and a uSD slot are mutually exclusive.

[Andehh]

I am another one where super thin and super light do absolutely nothing for me! I like a bit of weight to the phone and I would swap uber thin-ness for a better battery any day!

[aidanjt]

I am another one where super thin and super light do absolutely nothing for me! I like a bit of weight to the phone and I would swap uber thin-ness for a better battery any day!

++

More marketing bullcrap. I'd gladly take a doubling of thickness and weight for a big bump in battery life.

[vrykyl]

Which is exactly what the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx is? Make a super skinny phone to prove you can, then release an extra version later with the battery life it should have had to start with??!

[crossy]

Which is exactly what the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx is? Make a super skinny phone to prove you can, then release an extra version later with the battery life it should have had to start with??!

That's exactly the conclusion that the folks on Android Central Podcast came to. Maybe Moto should have done it in reverse - make the Maxx the "normal" version and then drop the "Razr" as the "Razr Slim".

The most comfortable phone I've had in the past has been, strangely enough, the old Nokia N95. Although it's 2x the thickness of the SE X10 that replaced it, the old Nokia's bulk meant that it sat very nicely in my hand. Oh, and it had really bright keyboard lighting - something that my work's Nokia could really do with.

Then again, I was trying out a Galaxy Note at the weekend, and was surprised that it wasn't totally unwieldy. Okay, probably not comfortable for an extended call, but okay for a quick chat. (Apologies if this rambling is off topic).