Samsung Galaxy S3 Rumors Resurface: Prototypes Sent For Carrier Test; What More Do We Know So Far?

While the Internet is flooded with the rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S3, the latest is that the company has already sent the prototypes of the purported Galaxy S3 for carrier testing in a lunch box disguise.

A report published by the Korean business and tech blog ETNews claimed that Samsung has sent the prototypes two months ago to carriers to provide products for network interworking.

Prototypes in disguise does sound interesting but Samsung is not the first smartphone maker to send camouflaged prototypes for stringent carrier testing. The Korean giant has been inspired by its rival Apple, which is said to have sent the prototypes of the iPhone 5 incognito for carrier testing in order to prevent leaks and to maintain suspense among Apple enthusiasts.

The website also stated that ... mobile manufacturers usually provide mobile phones for network interworking tests two months before launching them. But we predict that we will be able to run the test for Galaxy S3 right before the release. We are preparing to perform the test as fast as possible because the time is short.

Now that we know Samsung has already performed the carrier test two months back, can we then assume that the fabled Galaxy S3 is all set to release soon?

We will keep you posted about any update regarding the release date of the Galaxy S3, meanwhile here's a wrap-up of the latest rumored features of the phone, in case you have missed any, do check the features below.

A True Super HD AMOLED Non-PenTile Display

While rumors surrounding the most-anticipated Android smartphone of this year intensify with each passing day, the latest to be churned out of the rumor mill is that the Galaxy S3 will be the first phone to sport a true Super AMOLED HD panel.

So now it is confirmed that the new Galaxy flagship phone will feature a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED Plus full HD screen with 1280×720-pixel resolution and more than 316 ppi, a significant leap from the previous model's 4.3-inch size and 800 x 480 pixels and 217 ppi pixel density.

According to industry reports, the resolution and a higher pixel density of the S3 will also leave behind the great Retina display of the iPhone 4S (326 pixels per inch).

Additionally, industry reports suggest that Samsung will follow a non-PenTile screen matrix arrangement and to do that the Korean company has combined the Fine Metal Mask (FMM) process used for AMOLED screens at the moment with the tricky Laser-Induced Thermal Imaging (LITI) production method. The process allows for smaller pixels at 2.5 micrometers (compared to 15 micrometers for FMM).

While FMM is used for the blue pixels, LITI has been used for the red and green pixels, reported DDaily.

Physical Home Button - To Be Or Not To Be?

Korean Digital Daily has claimed that the Korean electronics giant will finally provide a physical button with Galaxy S3. Just a few days ago, there were clearly two groups fighting over whether Galaxy S3 will sport a physical button. According to the last rumor, it is being endowed with a physical home button.

So smartphone lovers awaiting an edge-to-edge display without a physical button, it will be a disappointment to you, but we are happy with the physical button, keeping in mind the ease of navigation.

5-Column Modified UI

Unlike any other existing smartphone which usually uses 4-column user interface, the Galaxy S3 will run a 5-column UI resembling the Galaxy Note UI.

Ice Cream Sandwich That Can be Upgraded To Android 5.0 Jelly Bean

Even a non-enthusiastic mobile device user will know that this time Samsung will pack in Ice Cream Sandwich with the Galaxy S3. But the exciting news is that TechRadar, citing Reddit, informed us in March that users this time will get a chance to flip between two versions of the Android operating systems. One is Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz overlay and the other vanilla ICS.

While we cannot comment on this post, we can assure you that the Samsung phone will receive the latest Android Jelly Bean OS as soon it is released.

A Powerful Quad-Core Processor

The phone is expected to feature Samsung's quad-core ARM A9-based Exynos 4212 chipset, clocked at a powerful 1.8GHz with 2GB RAM. BGR, however, reported that a more modest 1.5GHz quad-core has been indicated in the S3.

Meanwhile, Samsung is also heard to give hefty speed boosts on graphics and pack in some battery-friendly power-saving features with its latest device.

Memory - 32/64 GB Internal Storage And 32 GB External

Although no information about the Galaxy S3 has floated in the market, it's expected to come with 32/64 GB internal storage. The phone will also have an external microSD card slot to extend the memory by at least 32 GB.

Camera

You can expect a whopping 12-megapixel rear camera.

According to various rumors, S3 is likely to pack a 12-megapixel rear camera along with a 2 megapixel front-facing shooter for video chats.

Earlier in October, Samsung's imaging development teams announced that the company was heavily into providing a 16 megapixel mobile sensor.

Galaxy S3 is expected to feature 4G LTE and Near Field Communication, a powerful 2250 mAh battery and some revolutionary features like wireless charging, 3D Lenticular image technology, waterproof casings.

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