So, the Samsung Galaxy S III won’t be making its grand entrance at Mobile World Congress in just two days. Bummer. But that gives us another few weeks or months to entertain rumor and wild speculation about its hardware – if you like that sort of thing. BGR does: they’re reporting an anonymous source that says the next iteration of the main Galaxy line will have a screen that stretches all the way to 4.8 inches, and a back panel that eschews Sammy’s typical plastic construction for a reinforced ceramic material. It goes without saying (but we’re saying it anyway) that none of this is even remotely confirmed. It’ll also have a “simultaneous global launch”, though with the state of American and Canadian carriers, that seems downright fantastic.
The 4.8-inch screen seems the more likely of the two: the Galaxy Nexus, which many are considering a sort of intermediate step between the Galaxy S II and III hardware, already has a 4.65-inch screen. New flagship phones like the HTC One X (rumored) and the LG Optimus 4X HD (confirmed) both have 4.7-inch 720p displays, so the various Android OEMs seem to have reached a consensus that 4.7 inches is as big as you can go without having to seriously reconsider the ergonomics and user interface, a la the Galaxy Note. The latest rumors don’t mention a resolution or panel type, but a 720p Super AMOLED screen is the obvious choice.
Ceramic backing? It seems like a plausible idea, and more likely than some of the other rumors we’ve heard like a waterproof casing or 3D screen. As well as Samsung is doing (and they’re doing very well) we’ve heard complaints of the flimsy plastic construction of their phones and tablets on more than one occasion. A hardened ceramic might be a way to bring a more upmarket feel to the Galaxy S III while retaining relatively light weight and durability. Heck, it’s a better idea than putting glass on the back of a device that goes in and out of your pocket all day – cough, cough.
That said, I’m going to call bull on the latter. Plastic and metal are popular materials because they work, and ceramics are neither easy nor cheap to produce en mass. And since Samsung intends to sell at least as many of the Galaxy S III as the original and sequel, a whopping 20 million each, profitability will be a major consideration. Samsung has been doing a great job of keeping the actual hardware away from prying eyes – the GSIII has yet to be caught by a camera, so at this point, anything’s possible. We’ll just have to wait for the unveiling event, expected sometime in early summer at the soonest.
The 4.8-inch screen seems the more likely of the two: the Galaxy Nexus, which many are considering a sort of intermediate step between the Galaxy S II and III hardware, already has a 4.65-inch screen. New flagship phones like the HTC One X (rumored) and the LG Optimus 4X HD (confirmed) both have 4.7-inch 720p displays, so the various Android OEMs seem to have reached a consensus that 4.7 inches is as big as you can go without having to seriously reconsider the ergonomics and user interface, a la the Galaxy Note. The latest rumors don’t mention a resolution or panel type, but a 720p Super AMOLED screen is the obvious choice.
Ceramic backing? It seems like a plausible idea, and more likely than some of the other rumors we’ve heard like a waterproof casing or 3D screen. As well as Samsung is doing (and they’re doing very well) we’ve heard complaints of the flimsy plastic construction of their phones and tablets on more than one occasion. A hardened ceramic might be a way to bring a more upmarket feel to the Galaxy S III while retaining relatively light weight and durability. Heck, it’s a better idea than putting glass on the back of a device that goes in and out of your pocket all day – cough, cough.
That said, I’m going to call bull on the latter. Plastic and metal are popular materials because they work, and ceramics are neither easy nor cheap to produce en mass. And since Samsung intends to sell at least as many of the Galaxy S III as the original and sequel, a whopping 20 million each, profitability will be a major consideration. Samsung has been doing a great job of keeping the actual hardware away from prying eyes – the GSIII has yet to be caught by a camera, so at this point, anything’s possible. We’ll just have to wait for the unveiling event, expected sometime in early summer at the soonest.
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