Samsung Galaxy S3 Release Date Delayed On Sprint And T-Mobile, Other Carriers Still On Schedule

Sprint remained optimistic the 16GB version of the phone will be available as initially planned on June 21,  although some orders may likely run a day or two behind, it said. The 32GB model of the phone could be delayed another week, the company said in the Sprint Community forum.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate the patience of our customers as we work through this minor delay in availability, Sprint said in a blog post Tuesday evening.

The company advised customers to track their order status online, and to keep checking the Sprint Community forum for updates. 

T-Mobile said it is also experiencing an order backlog, and the company has pushed back the release date of the phone, to June 29, for markets outside major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston and San Francisco.  

The 16GB version of the phone is offered on a two-year Sprint contract for $199 and a two-year contract on T-Mobile for $229. The T-Mobile variant, however, does not support 4G LTE.

The phone is expected to be available from AT&T and Verizon, as scheduled.

The Galaxy S3 will launch in pebble blue and white on most carriers, but AT&T has revealed its plans to release an exclusive red version of the phone this summer. 

With an exclusive red color this summer and the power of the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T delivers the best wireless experience for Galaxy S3 fans, said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, devices, AT&T Mobility.

Regardless of the delays, Samsung fans and critics have been raving about the phone, calling it light years ahead of Apple's current iPhone. The phone's predecessor, the Galaxy S2, was heralded as one of the top phones of last year.

The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone, Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst, based in London, told the Daily Mail. This is likely to be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched.

The S3 heralds a 4.8-inch screen, Qualcomm S4 processor, voice control and face recognition. The new Super AMOLED display is 22 percent larger than its predecessor, bringing the phone into the Galaxy Note's phone/tablet hybrid category.

Samsung launched a face recognition feature on its latest phone in an effort to the make the smartphone experience more natural. The phone uses its front camera to identify the user's eye movement and ensures it never goes dark or switches off, while the user is looking at the phone.

Samsung has also improved its voice control feature with a sophisticated, Siri-like voice recognition system dubbed S voice. The service allows users to make verbal demands to control their phone.  Texts and emails can be dictated and photographs can be taken through voice commands using the feature.

The S3 also includes an NFC chip, which enables content sharing -- including video -- through tapping two phones together. The chip can also be used to make mobile payments.

The new Pop up Play feature on the phone enables multitasking, allowing users to open a video in a window on screen, and then use other apps with the rest of the screen.

Specs

Screen size: 4.8 inch

Processor: Qualcomm S4 processor  

Memory size: Up to 32gb (+64gb with card)

Operating system: Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Camera: Eight megapixel            Weight: 133 grams

Dimensions: Height - 136mm                   Width -     70mm                  Depth -    8.5mm

Battery: 2100mAh