Samsung Galaxy S III rumour round-up
Everything we know about the next best Android
You've got to hand it to Samsung. The level of hype surrounding its hotly-anticipated Galaxy S III is almost reaching iPhone-like levels.
The flagship Android phone has seen rumours, leaked videos from Vietnam, leaked details from Korea, and new bits of gossip almost every other day.
Before we can put these reports to bed - when Samsung officially outs the phone on May 3rd - let's wrap up everything we've heard about the phone. The confirmed details, the conflicting leaks, and the juicy rumours.
It will have a quad core processor
Almost every rumour and leaked spec sheet around has pegged the S III as having a quad core, 1.4GHz processor.
But there's no need to speculate any further. On the Samsung Tomorrow blog, the firm announced a new 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor, and promised that it would crop up in "Samsung’s next Galaxy smartphone".
The screen could be anywhere from 4.65 to 4.8 inches
If there's one thing that the rumour mill can't agree on, it's the size of the new Galaxy's screen. All of the leaks are sure that it will be bigger than the Galaxy S2's 4.3-inch display, but exact dimensions are not set in stone.
Korean site DDaily says the phone will have a 4.65 inch display. Vietnamese blog Tinhte - which supposedly has its hands on the device, and showed it off in a video - has got the same number.
Meanwhile, Boy Genius Report claims that the phone will have a 4.8 inch screen. Then again, it also claims that it will have a 1.5GHz processor, which goes against Samsung's official numbers.
Finally, Know Your Mobile has been handed a blurry photograph of the device. It's hard to tell the exact size of the screen, but it could be 4.7 or 4.8 inches.
The screen resolution will be 720p, or maybe 1080p
Much like the screen size, different rumours clash when talking about the number of pixels the phone's Super AMOLED display will push
Korean site DDaily says 720p, and so does Vietnamese website Tinhte. A handset with the codename GT-I9300 (rumoured to be the Galaxy S III's mode number) went through the GLBenchmark suite of tests, and came out with a 720p (1196 x 720, to be exact) resolution.
On the other hand, BGR's specs say that the phone will have a 1080p resolution. The Exynos chip is certainly capable, but from the rumours we'd say 720p sounds like the safer choice.
The Galaxy S III will have physical buttons... maybe
In Android 4 (aka, Ice Cream Sandwich), Google added virtual Back, Home and Recent Apps buttons. Will the Galaxy S III ditch physical buttons like the Nexus, or keep the stone-age technology intact?
A leaked photo of the device on Reddit shows a home button. So does this completely different leaked photo of the device, from Gizmodo Brazil. A leaked Samsung GT-i9300 user manual says yes, too.
Know Your Mobile received two photos of the device. The first one had buttons, the second didn't. Noting the discrepancy, the site said "the three on that picture looked as though they have been Photoshopped in." Good sleuthing, chaps.
Then there's the illustration of the phone in the "Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012" Android app. It has a teaser-like icon for "New Product", which shows a phone with a clearly identifiable home button.
As for Tinhte's convincing video? The buttons look virtual to us. We're going to call this one a draw. We'll see who's going to be eating crow come May 3rd.
The Galaxy S III's camera is either 8 or 12MP
Another spec that the rumour mill can't agree on. Tinhte's Viatnamese video shows that the camera will be 8MP -- same as the iPhone 4S. A Redditor, who apparently has an "in" with a Samsung exec, says 12MP.
Until then, we can look at this test photograph, which was allegedly taken by a Samsung Galaxy S III, and shot in South Korea.
The screen will not be 3D
Here's an easy rumour to debunk. Don't expect apps and games to leap towards your retinas come May.
Samsung told Engadget, "although Samsung Electronics is constantly exploring new technologies for our mobile devices, we have no immediate plan to include displays featuring 3D technology in our upcoming smartphones." Aww.
O2 and Vodafone will carry the S III
UK carrier O2 tweeted, "excited about the next Samsung Galaxy? So are we – that’s why it’ll be coming to O2!" Vodafone has set up a whole website for the "Next Galaxy", which is "coming to Vodafone."
The UK's other major networks - Orange, T-Mobile and Three - have so far chosen not to say anything on the matter. Come on lads, all the cool networks are doing it!
