he Samsung Galaxy S3 has been one of the premier Android smartphones for the last six months, accumulating millions in sales across the globe. However, every phone sees its time come to an end and it appears that the Galaxy S3′s time is almost up. Rumored to be replacing it is the Samsung Galaxy S4, a device that consumers are looking forward to buying and a device that Samsung is hoping will shatter the records of its predecessors.
Samsung’s Galaxy S series for the past several years, has been the company’s flagship smartphone model. Starting with the original Galaxy S which launched on the largest carriers in the U.S., followed by the then record-setting Galaxy S2 and then, last year, the launch of Samsung’s most successful smartphone to date, the Samsung Galaxy S3.
The Samsung Galaxy S3, on sale since May, has gone on to smash the records set by the Galaxy S2, as Samsung claims it has sold over 40 million units across planet. Those numbers, a slick marketing campaign aimed directly at the iPhone, and a high quality smartphone have all combined to propel the Galaxy S series to the forefront of Android devices.
Now, there is a serious battle between Samsung’s Galaxy series and Apple’s iPhone, the device that was once thought to be unrivaled. And because of this new found attention, this new pedestal, the Galaxy S line is in the spotlight now more than it ever has been in the past. And that popularity may have no better evidence than the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4, the device that is rumored to be replacing the Galaxy S3.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 popped up in rumors back in December and hasn’t looked back leaking out on an almost daily basis. And while Samsung has yet to confirm its plans for the fourth-generation Galaxy S, these past few weeks have armed us with an assortment of credible possibilities including information about its hardware, software, release date and more.
So, how does the Galaxy S4 match up versus the Galaxy S3? Let’s take a look.
Release Date
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was announced back in May of 2012 to quite a bit of excitement. The Galaxy S2 was coming off a record breaking year and consumers were excited to see how Samsung might top it. Like the Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S3 leaked out many times in the weeks prior to its launch at a press event in London in May.
Samsung had originally been rumored to be announcing the phone at MWC 2012 in Barcelona but decided to use its own launch event instead, likely so it could launch the device closer to its release date in the United States. Typically, devices from foreign manufacturers hit the United States last and Samsung wanted to prevent a delayed launch like the Galaxy S2′s.
So, the company debuted the Galaxy S3 and announced that it would be out in Europe in late May and in the U.S. in late June. All five of the major U.S. service providers offered the Galaxy S3 by the end of July with the release dates taking a staggered approach as they typically do. Verizon, as usual, was one of the last to release its variant.
Since then, the carriers have offered the Galaxy S3, and since then, the device has remained near the top of our list in terms of the best Android smartphones available on the market.
Nothing gold can stay gold though and the Galaxy S3′s time in the limelight is almost over.