Another impressive looking Samsung Galaxy smartphone is in the news today. Previously suspected as being the Galaxy S III based on the model number being the GT-I9300, but some new details along with leaked info back in February has us thinking something else. Most likely this device will not be the highly anticipated Galaxy S III and according to Samsung is a mid-range phone.

Based on sources from GSMarena the GT-I9300 was actually listed in Samsung’s order system as the Samsung Galaxy M. If you remember Samsung’s naming change last year, the Galaxy M stands for mid-tier. The specs of this device are nothing short of impressive so if they think this is mid-tier, I can’t wait to see the Galaxy S III.

The GT-I9300 comes with a 1.4 GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4-inch 720p HD AMOLED display, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Previous leaks suggested the GT-I9300 would come with a 1026 x 600 screen resolution so we are still unsure on the actual resolution of this device. Other than the 4-inch screen size all the rest of those specs are on par with, or better than their flagship Galaxy S II that is currently available. According to GSMarena the GT-I9300 will be available in early May and will be shipping with Android 4.0 ICS. Samsung looks to be getting rid of hardware and capacitive buttons with this phone as everything is on-screen. Hopefully the same holds true for the Galaxy S III.

With this phone coming in May does that mean the Galaxy S III will be here before or after? I can’t imagine them releasing this first, but at the same time neither would surprise me. No matter what happens I can’t wait to see what the Galaxy S III comes equipped with since they are calling this impressive phone mid-tier at best.

11 COMMENTS

  1. the GT-I9300 will be a reboot of the GSII making it more streamlined with ICS and a few minor bumps in specs, this will phase the existing GSII out completely. Then the GSIII will arrive as the big brother, top tier, flagship, reign supreme phone for those who want only the best.

    • Actually, I find having the back button on the right to be much more practical since I use it about twenty times more than the multitasking button. Samsung seems to agree.

      • There needs to be consistency between devices. The constant rearrangement of buttons is confusing for users changing devices and only furthers fragmentation (I say this as someone who’s owned several devices).

      • One size never fits all, ever. If it’s consistency above all else you want then iOS is what you are looking for. (don’t worry, I don’t really mean it)

        Open source software is all about adapting things to users’ needs and doubtlessly some prefer this button layout over the vanilla ordering.Fragmentation is something completely different and the concept doesn’t apply in this case at all. 

        That aside, I really could not care less about what confuses the average consumer. I’m saying I, personally, like this configuration better than the default and so I extrapolate that there may well be others who do too. That’s all.

      • That’s a recipe for failure. Linux failed on the desktop because  users wanted to be able to customize everything, leading to a lack of standardization. I like Android a lot, but I fear that it’s heading that same direction — the proliferation of OEM skins, tweaks, and changes make it difficult for users to adapt to new phones, compare existing phones when making a purchase, and difficult for app developers to make quality apps. If OEMs can’t agree on something as basic as button layout, there’s no hope.

      • Linux has not “failed on the desktop”, this is typical Microsoft FUD thinking. This is not a race to be the king of marketshare. Linux is great for its users and in fact adoption is ever growing (even though desktop usage is still just above 1% but the actual numbers don’t matter as long as there’s a critial mass to the user base); in fact, ease of use and user experience are valuable but dumbing down an inherently complex system too much is never beneficial for power users. 

        Systems need to be customizable, and having options as to the UX one prefers is much more important than a monolithic coherence that gives unsavvy consumers a warm, fuzzy feeling of familiarity.So once again, it doesn’t matter how much variety there is as long as compatibility and functionality is not compromised (as may be the case for update delays for manufacturer OS builds, granted). You are not going to tell me that the ordering of UI buttons hinders the usage of a device or the ability to execute apps in any way though, right?

        Users can always pick their favorite and familiar environment (as they regularly do with Sense, or even more so with iOS despite better alternatives available) but generally, most people aren’t too dense to adopt a slightly different UI very quickly. If some are… then I really have no sympathy for those. They should stick to dumbphones or iDevices.

      • Wow, so much to unpack here.

        Yes, Linux has absolutely failed on the desktop. Does it even have double-digit marketshare? Marketshare isn’t sufficient for success, but it is necessary.

        Android needs to attract talented innovative app developers. When you talk to those folks, they consistently say that they don’t develop for Android because it’s a pain in the neck — putting aside the hardware differences, there’s too much variation in UI overlays, button layouts, etc. It’s a serious issue.

        I say this as an Android enthusiast — Android needs some tough love. It’s one thing for individual power users to modify their phones. It’s something else entirely when the largest Android OEM makes arbitrary changes to the OS (and, worse, makes different arbitrary changes on each model of phone).

        The arbitrary button rearrangement is symptomatic of a much larger problem. Choice is a good thing, but too much choice (especially around products without substantial differences) leads to confusion and lack of developer interest.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.