Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III to Finally Arrive July 1

Anyone wanting to pair a Samsung Galaxy S III with an unlimited data plan is in luck. Sprint, after a 10-day delay, will begin selling the summer€™s hottest Android smartphone beginning July 1.

Like T-Mobile, Sprint was supposed to begin selling the phone June 21, weeks before Verizon, AT&T and US Cellular, but a dearth of supplies left it high and dry. T-Mobile was able to offer 16GB models, but on its Website listed the 32GB model, in both colors, as out of stock.

However, Sprint announced June 27:

“Samsung Galaxy S III will be available at Sprint beginning on Sunday July 1. It will be offered in a 16GB version for $199.99 and 32GB version for $249.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement at Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales. The 32GB version will be available in Web Sales, Sprint Business Sales and Telesales.“

When asked about the preorders Sprint has received for the phone, a spokesperson declined to comment.

Samsung, however, has been vocal about the phone€™s reception. A Samsung executive told the Korea Economic Daily in early May that the company had received more than 9 million preorders. On June 25, JK Shin, the head of Samsung€™s mobile division, told reporters that Samsung expects to have sold more than 10 million of the phones by July, and that the company€™s second quarter should consequently be better than its first€”during which it nearly doubled its profits from a year earlier.

“We’re getting far better reviews on S III than we did with its predecessors globally … and supply simply can’t meet soaring demand,€ Shin told the reporters, according to Reuters. €œWe’ve sent executives and staff to almost all our (component) suppliers to ensure a smooth offering and hopefully things will get better from next week.”

The drama€”excitement?€”surrounding the Galaxy S III€™s launch, which began with 28 countries May 29, has even included news of an exploding device in Dublin.

The Galaxy S III features a 4.8-inch display, a quad-core processor, Google€™s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system, six sensors, NFC technology and the ability to operate on Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. It€™s a branded SAFE, or Samsung Approved for the Enterprise, smartphone, and so is secure enough for even regulated industries such as government and health care, but it can also do things like share a video when it€™s tapped against another NFC-enabled phone, email photos to people it recognizes in the photos, or take a picture when someone says, €œCheese.€

It is, very literally, a lot of phone.

Unlike earlier Galaxy handsets, the Galaxy S III phones available from the various carriers will be nearly identical, save a handful of apps. Sprint, as mentioned above, will distinguish itself by pairing the Galaxy S III with an unlimited data plan. AT&T will be the only one of the five to offer a red version, in addition to the blue and white models, and T-Mobile is arguably unique in offering higher prices than its peers.

While US Cellular, Verizon and AT&T will, like Sprint, price their 16GB model at $199, T-Mobile is selling the phone for $279.99. The 32GB model, available for $249.99 from Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular€”AT&T has opted-out of this version, preferring to just sell a 16GB SD card€”is priced at $329.99. Or, will be, once it€™s finally in stock.

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