Samsung Unveils New Version of Its Biggest Phone Hit

By :  BRIAN X. CHEN

 

Samsung, the world’s largest phone maker, released details on Thursday of a new smartphone, the Galaxy S III. It’s the third version of the manufacturer’s most successful smartphone.

The phone has a 4.8-inch screen — bigger than the iPhone’s 3.5-inch display, but smaller than the one on the largest Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note. It has an eight-megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video conferencing. It includes the latest Android software system, called Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Galaxy S III’s highlight feature is S Voice, which allows a user to speak commands to control the phone, similar to the Siri feature on the iPhone. If the alarm goes off and you need a bit more rest, you can say “Snooze” to the phone. The feature can also be used to play songs, adjust volume, organize schedules and send e-mails, Samsung said.

Samsung’s Galaxy S line of smartphones has been instrumental to the company’s success in the smartphone market. The company released its first Galaxy S smartphone in 2010, and it sold 10 million units in 10 months. Later, Samsung rolled out more products under the Galaxy brand, including the Galaxy S II phone and the Galaxy Tab tablet.

Now Samsung is king of the phone market. It recently dethroned Nokia to become the world’s largest phone maker, when both traditional cellphones and smartphones are factored in. It also surpassed Apple recently to become the world’s largest smartphone maker, according to IDC, the research firm. In the United States, it is the No. 2 maker of smartphones, behind Apple and ahead of HTC, according to the NPD Group, a research firm.

NPD said that Samsung was performing so well in the smartphone market because so many carriers were selling and promoting its phones.

The Galaxy S III will arrive in Europe this month before it is released globally, Samsung said.