Samsung Galaxy S3 Pre-orders Hit More Carriers

Pre-orders for Samsung's hottest new phone, the Galaxy S3, have started rolling out on more U.K carriers.

The phone is currently available for pre-orders on Vodafone, O2 and Three networks, with shipments starting at the end of the month.

Vodafone is offering the 16GB phone for free on its £ 41 a-month plan, which includes 900 minutes within the U.K, unlimited U.K texts and 2GB of U.K data.

For those who do not want to commit to the highest package, the phone can be purchased from £29-£149. with lower data packages.

A SIM-free version of the phone is available from the U.K's Carphone Warehouse for £499 when it launches at the end of the month.

The first 1,000 buyers of the SIM-free phone will also receive a free Galaxy Tab from the Carphone Warehouse.

The S3 heralds a 4.8-inch screen, 1.4 Ghz quad-core 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 has launched a Face Recognition feature on its latest phone in an aim to the make the smartphone experience more natural. The phone uses its front camera to identify the user's eye movement and insures 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.

The Samsung S3 will first become available in Europe at the end of May, followed by launches in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The 4G version of the phone will go on sale in the U.S and South Korea during the summer.

Specs:

Screen size:4.8 inch
Processor:1.4 Ghz quad-core
Memory size:Up to 32gb (+64gb with card)
Operating system: Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Camera:Eight megapixel
Weight:133grams
Dimensions:Height - 136mmWidth - 70mmDepth - 8.5mm
Battery:2100mAh