U.S. wireless operator Verizon officially announced last week that the South-Korean company's most popular Android smartphone offering -- Samsung Galaxy S3 -- will be launched in the U.S. on July 10. However, according to the latest announcement made by the company, the carrier has postponed the launch of Galaxy S3 and it will be "available for purchase on 7/12."
"While we don't like to change dates, and only do so when absolutely necessary, our customers benefit because they get a phone that allows them the best experience on the Verizon Wireless network," a Verizon spokeswoman said, reports PC Magazine.
Moreover, the precise reason for the delay of the handset was not elaborated by the company, the spokeswoman said that the network company releases a device when it successfully conducts some tests and when it accumulates enough number of units to meet consumer needs.
The nation's biggest network provider started taking Galaxy S3 pre-orders on June 6 and some early adopters were expecting to get the phone before July 12. Now, Verizon says that it will begin shipping from July 19.
Blue and White both models are available with the Verizon. The 16GB handset is priced at $199.99 while the 32GB phone is available for $249.99.
Other major networks providers like Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T have already made Galaxy S3 available.
At Sprint, Galaxy S3 is priced at $199 and $249 for 16GB and 32GB variants respectively with a contract. T-Mobile, on the other hand, has reportedly increased the price. According to Motoring Crunch reports, T-Mobile is "asking $279 for the 16GB and $329 for the 32GB, following a mail in rebate of $50."
AT&T is also offering the handset at $149 for the 16GB model at a discount from Target or Amazon Wireless.
However, at the same time, the buyer would have to note that not every carrier will be offering the advantage of 4G LTE capabilities. While Verizon and AT&T and Sprint will run on 4G LTE, T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S3 won't support the fast 4G LTE network. Sprint has a limited LTE network now although it will continue to expand in the coming months.
At the same time, if your wallet does not allow you to opt for the carrier's almost $200 plans, then there are other retailers, who have slashed the price of Galaxy S3 to make the device even lighter on the pocket.
At RadioShack, a new Galaxy S3 with a two-year contract on Sprint will cost only $149.99. Currently, the Pebble Blue 16GB version is sold at that price. Buyers will get free next day shipping and $10 Google Wallet credit.
Additionally, Amazon and Wirefly are also offering good deals by dropping the price of the handset. Starting with Amazon Wireless, the online retailer is offering the 16GB Pebble Blue model of Galaxy S3 for $179.99. However, the phone is now listed as "backordered" on the site. As for the off-contract price of the phone, it is going to cost around $589.99.
Wirefly is offering the 16GB Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S3 for the same $179.99 price, with a free 16GB memory card.
As far as features of the Android heavyweight are concerned, the U.S. version of Galaxy S3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU with 2GB of internal RAM, instead of 1.4GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor (global version).
With a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, the device comes packed with 4G (a.k.a. LTE and HSPA+) capabilities, offering 16GB or 32GB worth of internal storage that can be expanded via microSD.
S3 features an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera and a 2,100mAh removable battery. The smartphone comes flavored with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz UI overlay.
The new phone hosts a plethora of software features such as S Voice and S Beam, with the former allowing users to execute commands via their voice and with the latter allowing quick file sharing just by touching the devices.
The South Korean tech giant has already claimed that sales of Galaxy S3 could touch 10 million units by the end of July. The handset is planned to be shipped to 302 wireless carriers in 147 different countries worldwide by the end of next month.
