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Fingers crossed for the Samsung Galaxy S3? Stand by to be disappointed: reports suggest it’s not turning up in the next month as expected.
The S3, the expected follow-up to the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S2, won’t be among the swathe of new phones announced in February at Mobile World Congress, the traditional launchpad of the year’s new mobiles, according to sources cited by The Verge.
As long ago as last summer we saw possible leaks of the S3. With the S2 possibly the best smart phone on the market right now — it was our favourite mobile of 2011 and certainly the fiercest rival to the iPhone — to say the S3 is hotly anticipated is an understatement.
But sources say the S3 won’t make its debut at Barcelona-based trade show Mobile World Congress, the annual phonefest where phone companies usually show off their wares. If the S3 doesn’t take a bow in Barcelona it’s because either it isn’t ready, or Samsung feels the S3 is bigger than Mobile World Congress.
After all, Apple doesn’t reveal the new iPhone surrounded by hundreds of other phone companies at a trade show — it has its own launch. And if any phone has the big-name perception to challenge the iPhone, it’s the Galaxy S3.
Samsung could also be trying to synchronise international release dates. The S2 arrived in Britain in May last year, but only hit US networks late in 2011. US S2 fans with AT&T contracts only got their hands on the phone in November, eight months after the phone was announced. Samsung may want to narrow that gap by announcing the S3 later, closer to an actual release.
The S3 will help drive Android generally: we reckon the S2 played a big part in keeping Android ahead of the game here in the UK while the iPhone overtook Android in the US.
The S3 may not be at MWC, but we certainly will. CNET will be at MWC in force to bring you all the news, reviews and videos of the latest phones and tablets from the show.
Are you looking forward to the S3? In the absence of the Galactic superstar, who will dominate the news in February? Tell us your predictions down in the comments or on our Facebook page, then watch our video roundup of the rumours surrounding one of the biggest phones of the year.
