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The Samsung Galaxy S3 doesn’t go on sale until 30 May — or 29 May if you head down to the Samsung store in London’s Westfield shopping centre in Stratford — but here’s how to get a taste of it right now.
The full ROM has leaked over at Android Police, so if you have a rooted Android phone running Ice Cream Sandwich, you can download the S3’s version of Touchwiz. That’ll bring all the extras like S-Voice (Samsung’s Siri-style voice-activated personal assistant), Pop-up Play, and Smart Stay to your handset. Handy if you want a taste of what to expect before you buy.
It’s a hefty 800MB download, so be prepared to wait a while if you do want it. And seeing as it isn’t an official release, you download at your own risk, so please don’t hold us responsible if anything goes awry.
S-Voice is also available as a separate download, if you want to see what all the fuss is about. Pop-up Play lets you watch video in a shrunken window floating on top of the browser, while Smart Stay detects when you’re looking at it, and keeps the screen on until you look away — so no more prodding to wake it up. They’re all nifty features, and all seemed impressive in our hands-on.
The S3 is the biggest phone to launch this year (not literally, though it is pretty large, with a 4.8-inch screen). It features a pebble-like design, and runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich. If you are considering splashing out, check out our handy guide to the prices. And have a look at the video below to see it in action. Accessories are also available, including a C-Pen stylus and Flip Cover.
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Watch this:
Samsung Galaxy S3 hands-on
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Will you be picking up the S3? Or downloading the ROM? Let me know how you get on in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
