Samsung Galaxy S3 Release Date: Verizon Pre-Orders Start Rolling Out Early

The 16GB version of the phone will be available in stores for $199 on a two-year contract, and the 32GB model, priced at $249, will be available online on July 10 and will be released in stores a couple of weeks later. 

Most customers that pre-ordered the phone on Sprint and AT&T have received their phones, but many continue to face delays, especially those who ordered the 32GB version of the phone. 

Carriers are facing a backlog due to high demand and have asked customers to be patient while they roll out the phones.  T-Mobile announced that their online stock for the phone is limited. and there is no news as to when the phone will hit stores. 

 AT&T has finally announced that it will be selling the Samsung Galaxy S3 in stores from Friday. The announcement comes after AT&T faced an epic backlog on pre-orders of the phone, which had been to ship on June 21. While some customers, who pre-ordered the 16GB version of the phone, received it on time, many continue to flock to AT&T forums to vent their frustrations. 

Last week, three AT&T stores in Manhattan independently told us that the Galaxy S3 would hit stores on June 28, but supply problems have led to further delays and the company was unable to give an exact date for its release, until now. 

The phone will officially go on sale in stores on Friday, priced at $199.99 for the 16GB version on a two-year contract.

AT&T is also expected to debut an exclusive red version of the phone. The addition of the Samsung Galaxy S3 to our portfolio of 4G-LTE devices gives our customers another truly cutting-edge smartphone to choose from, said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility. 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 S III fans.

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 also 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.

SpecsScreen size: 4.8 inch

Processor: Qualcomm S4 processor

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

Operating system: Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Camera: eight megapixels          

Weight: 133 grams

Dimensions: Height - 136mm                

Width -     70mm                

 Depth -    8.5mm

Battery: 2100mAh