Samsung Galaxy S3 Finally Hits Verizon Stores: Limited Stock Upsets Buyers

By Anu Passary | Jul 13, 2012 09:05 AM EDT

Previous image Enlarge Close Next image

Share This Story

The wait is finally over. The eagerly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S3, touted as iPhone's nemesis, has finally hit Verizon stores. However, if you want to avoid being disappointed, I suggest you hurry to grab your copy - some store managers are citing limited availability and urging customers to snap up the smartphone wonder in a jiffy!

The telecommunication giant Verizon had initially set the in-store release date as July 10. However, high demand for the Galaxy S3 forced the company to push back the release date to July 12. Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S3 started rolling out last week on Verizon's website with several customers flocking to the company's forums to report that they have received their phones. Many though are still in line to receive the latest offering from Samsung.

Verizon's rival AT&T is expected to launch an exclusive red version of the Samsung Galaxy S3. AT&T too faced a pre-order backlog and had to defer the June 21 shipping date to a July 6 launch. The red version will be launched on July 15.

Samsung's supposed iPhone killer is available in Verizon stores for a two-year contract. The Galaxy S3 is available in two colors - blue and white - and the16GB and 32GB versions of the smartphone will set you back by $199 and $249, respectively. However, it's worth its price. The Galaxy S3 packs quite a punch with features galore. It has 2GB of RAM, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.8-inch HD screen, and 4G LTE connectivity all neatly tucked into this smartphone sensation.

The new super AMOLED display is 22 percent larger than its predecessor. The recent launch of the "face-recognition" feature by Samsung on its latest baby is aimed towards making the smartphone more natural. The device uses the front camera to identify the user-eye movement, ensuring that the screen never goes blank or switches off while the user is gazing at the phone.

The improved voice-control feature dubbed "S Voice" is pretty similar to iPhone's Siri and perhaps better. This feature makes it possible for users to issue voice commands to control the phone. The "S Voice" makes life a lot easier; users can now dictate e-mails and texts instead of typing them out. Even photographs can be taken via a simple voice instruction! What's more the NFC-enabled chip makes content sharing and mobile payments a breeze!

With features aplenty in its kitty, it hardly comes as a surprise that stores are inundated with order requests and demand overruns the supply. Not deterred by the delays, buyers are queuing up to get their share of the smartphone manna from heaven.

If market demand is anything to go by, the nifty Samsung Galaxy S3 is living up to all the surrounding hype and making steady inroads towards becoming the "it" smartphone of 2012, and the fabled iPhone 5 may just have to pull up its socks a lot higher in the race for smartphone dominion.