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On May 3 in London, Samsung will finally unveil the Galaxy S III, a device that nearly every Android loverand even some iPhone ownersis excited to see. The company has made the smart move of ignoring calls to hand over some details before the official unveiling, instead allowing the rumor mill to do what it does best and manufacture stories related to what the device might offer. Some of those rumored features might eventually make their way to the device, but we will have to wait until May 3 to find out.
Either way,the Galaxy S III could very well be the biggest launch of 2012 so far. Despite countless devices making an appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year, it was really Samsung’s flagship smartphone that everyone wanted to see. But it ended up a no-show as Samsung decided it wanted to make its own big splash with the Galaxy S III later this spring. And soon, those frustrated fans will be able to do just that.
But before that happens, it might be a good time to examine the competitive landscape and determine what features the Galaxy S III should ship with to live up to all the hype. Samsung might be doing well for now, but a single misstep in its Galaxy line could yield massively negative results.
Read on to find out what Samsung must build into the Galaxy S III to hold the attention of smartphone buyers this year.
1. A quad-core processor
Apple made the odd decision to bundle the A5X processor in the new iPad. By doing so, it offered quad-core GPU performance, but a dual-core CPU. Chances are, the company will deliver the same chip in the iPhone 5. So, to differentiate its own product and stay a step ahead,Samsung should bring a full quad-core chip to the Galaxy S III.
2. Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Google’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) platform is really the only version of the company’s software that should be making its way to the Galaxy S III. After all, Samsung’s device will be the latest and greatest smartphone on store shelves. Why shouldn’t it run the latest and greatest Android version?
3. 4G LTE
It’s no secret that 3G is on its way out. In the U.S., just about every carrier is spending serious cash on 4G LTE. With this in mind, Samsung should bundle the technology in its flagship smartphone and put the onus on Apple to respond with the same feature.
4. That 4.6-inch display
According to the latest rumors surrounding the Galaxy S III, the device will be coming with a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED display that could very well make the iPhone’s Retina Display look rather dull in comparison. Such an inclusion would be a huge boon for Samsung’s business.
Build In Plenty of Storage
5. 32GB of storage (and up)
The future of the mobile industry relies on storage. An increasing number of people are buying video, music, apps and other multimedia. So they need more capacity to store all of those digital downloads. If the Galaxy S III is to be successful, it’ll need to respond by shipping the device with an ample storage capacity of 32GB and up.
6. A new design
The Samsung Galaxy S II comes with a nice enough design, but it’s somewhat lacking when compared with the iPhone and other later releases from companies like LG. In response, Samsung better show off something incredibly impressive with the Galaxy S III. Design matters in the mobile space. Apple knows it. Does Samsung?
7. Cloud integration
Apple’s iCloud has been a nice addition to the iOS ecosystem, and a key reason some people stick with the company’s devices. Now, there are rumors surfacing sayingSamsung will respond with a cloud solution all its own called S-Cloud. Here’s hoping that platform comes to the Galaxy S III and allows for seamless data synchronization across Android-based devices.
8. A serious camera
One of the main reasons people buy smartphones and tablets these days, next to telecommunications and Web access, is to snap photos. So, to make the experience far more appealing, companies like Apple and others have been bundling better cameras into their handsets. According to some reports,the Galaxy S III could come with a 12-megapixel camera. Note to Samsung: Follow through on that report.
9. Near-field communication
Google Wallet might have gotten off to a rough start with little usage and security problems, but the platform is here to stay. Over time an increasing number of Android-based devices will support the mobile-payments system. So, perhaps Samsung should bundle near-field communication technology into the device to take a leading position in supporting this technology.
10. An affordable price tag
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Samsung cannot go overboard pricing its smartphone. Yes, it’s a flagship device and yes, it’ll probably be the best answer this year to Apple’s iPhone 5, but that doesn’t mean that it should cost any more than $199 to start. Apple dictates pricing in the mobile space, and Samsung must remember that.