AT&T joined other U.S carriers in delaying the release date of the Samsung Galaxy S3, due to high demand.

It seems the only people who will be getting the phone on June 21 are those who preordered the 16GB version of the pebble blue and white phone.

Shipping confirmation that has been relayed by AT&T customers in the company's support forum indicates that the 16GB will be arriving on the original June 21 release date, although no one on the forum has confirmed receipt yet. Some customers have reported that the estimated shipping time issued for the phone is after 3 p.m.

Samsung enthusiasts are getting increasingly frustrated by conflicting reports from AT&T sales representatives regarding the release date. But after speaking to three different stores and reps in New York, we were told the phone would be in stores on June 28.

Other U.S. carriers are seeing similar delays. 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.

Verizon, who was set for a July 9 release date, has also pushed the date back by one day. Meanwhile, 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 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 32 GB (+64 GB with card)
Operating system: Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Camera: Eight megapixel

Weight: 133 grams

Dimensions:

Height - 136mm

Width - 70mm

Depth - 8.5mm

Battery: 2100mAh

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