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Samsung Electronics’ latest flagship Smartphone, Galaxy S III is now available in Nigeria, only a few weeks after launch in Europe. The much expected device was formally unveiled to Nigerian phone users at Samsung Brand Shops at The Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos. The new phone is the follow up to the very popular Galaxy II, which was critical to Samsung overtaking Nokia to become the world’s best-selling mobile phone maker.
Samsung is hoping to consolidate the success it achieved with Galaxy S II by enhancing some of its most popular features in this latest device. Galaxy S III comes with a 4.8 inch (12.2cm) screen, an increase on the 4.3 inch screen of its predecessor, and much bigger than the 3.5in display on the iPhone 4S. It is one of the largest screens on smartphones ever. The arrival of the phone on Nigerian shores put paid to speculations as to when mobile phone users in the country can have access to the Smartphone which has enjoyed rave reviews across the world.
Speaking at the consumer launch of the device at the weekend, Donald Etim, Head, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said that the Samsung Galaxy S III is designed to respond intuitively and naturally to human use and interaction. “Once again, we are putting the ‘Next Big Thing’ in the hands of consumers. The Galaxy S III introduces a completely new way of sharing and socializing that no other mobile phone can. The device essentially balances ergonomics with intuitive use, making it an extension of the user,” he said.
It would be recalled that Samsung Electronics overtook Apple Inc. In the last quarter of last year to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor amid a widening technology and legal battle between the two companies. During the period, Samsung shipped 27.8 million smartphones, taking 23.8 percent of the market, according to the United Kingdom- based renowned research consultancy, Strategy Analytics. Apple’s 17.1 million shipments, comprising 14.6 percent of the market, pushed Apple to second place, the firm said, adding that Nokia maintained its third position.
Mukesh Sharma, proud winner of a Samsung Galaxy Tab at the raffle raw, described the Samsung Galaxy S III as a phone for the future. “I have always had a lot of confidence in the Samsung brand’s ability to deliver on quality and innovation. The futuristic Galaxy S III is another testament to this,” he said. “Nigeria is very important to us and we are delighted to bring this incredible device into the hands of Nigerians,” said Olumide Ojo, Head, Smartphones, Samsung Electronics, West Africa. Samsung’s adoption of Google’s Android software has proved very useful to boost sales of its Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers. The company has also managed to incorporate a number of features that proved popular with phone users.
Some other new features that the mobile phone maker believes will make Galaxy S3 an instant hit with mobile phone users across the world include a mix of intelligent camera features and face recognition technology that ensures that the phone never goes dim or lock so long as the owner is looking at it. To facilitate this, a 1.9 megapixel camera was incorporated into the front of the device to track user’s
eyes. The second camera on the back of the device packs more power at 8 egapixel resolution, making carrying a separate digital camera or camcorder superfluous.
While the Bluetooth technology revolutionized the concept of sharing, a new feature on this latest Smartphone from Samsung makes it even more convenient for phone users to share. Tagged S-Beam, the feature makes it possible for owners of Galaxy S 3 to transfer files, documents, videos and other content from one phone to the other just by placing them side by side. Allshare Cast feature lets users see the content of their device in other places, while yet another feature, dubbed Allshare allows the owner of a Galaxy S III to play and see the content of his device on a larger screen, such as a television screen without the use of any wire.
The phone also uses what is described as a “natural language user interface” dubbed S Voice. Samsung says it is a major improvement on the voice control features it included on earlier models. The facility can be used to command the phone to play songs, adjust the volume, send text messages or emails and take photographs, among many other features.
