The last thing on our mind would be to smash up the new Galaxy S3 smartphone, although this is what you can see in the “crash test” shown during the video below. Most of these tests are worthwhile if you like to know what happens when you drop your device on the floor from a height, although this video shows a Galaxy S3 getting bashed with a power plug, and while we find it hard to see when this might happen in the real world, it’s worth a watch if you have hit your display hard before.

Our readers that have a good eye will notice this is the Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S III – the review was performed in Italy, so this shows another country with the Blue variety available. You might have seen a number of news reports stating there are problems getting this color, although we’d love to know if you have a color preference if you are in fact thinking of buying the Galaxy S3?

Later this year it will be interesting to see how the Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5 reviews wrap up, of course until Apple reveal specs it will be compared on a rumor level only, although some people will make their minds up already based on the choice of iOS or Android.

Are you waiting for a Galaxy S3 release date in your country? If you live in Canada you’ll be pleased to know that rumors point to a June 20 launch, which should be on Virgin Mobile, TELUS, Rogers, and Bell. Those of you in the United States should expect the Galaxy S3 a little later than this, although we’d love to know your network preference between AT&T and Verizon? If you own a Galaxy Nexus you might want to read how to turn it into a Galaxy S3 here.

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For those of you who missed it in February, the device was first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. At the time Samsung unveiled the device with a dual-core processor, but we can tell you that Samsung are now planning to include a quad-core Exynos processor instead.

The specific details on the processor hasn’t been disclosed, but we would imagine that it will be the same quad-core Exynos chip that is equipped inside the international Galaxy S III. Another major change that Samsung unveiled is a separate slot to house the device’s supplied stylus. The picture above shows you how that will look and it means that you now have a great little space to store the S Pen when not in use.

Despite the ‘Note’ name, this larger 10.1-inch device won’t be able to make phone calls. The stylus support warrants the ‘Note’ name in a way, but otherwise it is just a variant of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 if you like. Thanks to the quad-core processor though, this will probably be in higher demand than the Galaxy Tab 2. There’s still no word on pricing or when this will be available, but hopefully Samsung will release details of this soon.

Is this now a tablet that you simply need to own, or are you waiting on Google to release details of the upcoming ‘Nexus’ tablet? That could turn out to be the best Android tablet so far, but Google are remaining silent for now.

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While some may see this as a major security breach, others such as the developer who managed to achieve the feat may be thinking that Samsung could have actually foreseen this outcome. Chainfire, the XDA developer who has rooted the Galaxy S3 has said that the process was ‘relatively easy’ and that Samsung is the only high-end Android OEM who are not completely locking away their devices from users who are eager to explore custom alternatives.

If you think about it, Samsung often come under fire for their TouchWiz interface, but if they appear to have minimum barriers in place for people to root their device – then perhaps it’s not so bad. Now that the root has been achieved, it obviously paves the way for other developers to get started on custom ROMS for the device. Samsung may not be too happy about this aspect, but the fact that their latest device appears to be left open for exploration, Samsung probably deserves a lot of credit for this.

The root method isn’t available at the moment, but you can find out how it was possible over at the XDA forums here. Are you surprised that the device has been rooted, given that it is Samsung’s new prized asset? Will you now look to replace TouchWiz with a custom ROM as soon as possible, or are you intending to keep the phone in its original state?

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You may remember that it was LG who decided to announce the Optimus LTE2 on the very same day as when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S3 to the world. While some of you may call this cheeky tactics from LG, there’s reports coming out of Japan that Samsung may be planning a little act of revenge.

We all know that the International and 4G LTE versions of the Galaxy S3 will pack just 1GB of RAM. However, the Japanese version of the device which will be landing on NTT Docomo has already been confirmed to be shipping with 2GB of RAM, as noted by The Verge. While this may be a horror story for those planning to get one in Europe or the US, it may even end up being exclusive to Japan, as the Galaxy S3 there will also feature a TV tuner, which the other versions do not.

The reasoning behind the move is still up for debate though. Has Samsung equipped an extra 1GB of RAM purely to compete with LG and their Optimus LTE2, or is the extra RAM a requirement due to the added TV Tuner and compatibility issues with NTT Docomo? It’s a shame if this does remain exclusive to Japan, as an extra 1GB of RAM would obviously be well appreciated with consumers over here.

The good thing to take out of this though, is that it looks like 2GB of RAM is no longer a myth so we could see a lot more smartphones announced before the end of the year which also feature the extra RAM. What are your thoughts on this – is it a big deal to you if this is exclusive to Japan, or would you demand that Samsung compensate International and US Galaxy S3 buyers in some way?

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We now have some very useful hands-on videos for you to check out, which showcases three official accessories that are now available to buy from retailers online. This retailer in question Mobile Fun, provides a preview of the official dock, a flip case and also the official Stylus pen dubbed the C-Pen.

Unfortunately, after watching the video we have to say that Samsung could have done a lot better in the stylish department when designing these accessories. The flip case in particular doesn’t really look too appealing to the eye and we’re sure that other third-party manufacturers will be able to come up with something that looks a lot more glamorous and keep that sexiness intact that Samsung’s new flagship surely deserves.

The dock also appears to be very basic, with a simple slot for putting your phone inside, as well as a hidden compartment for storing a battery inside. The stylus is the most impressive of the three shown in our opinion, as Samsung has done well to disguise the stylus as a real pen and it looks like the design will come in very handy indeed when using apps such as Draw Something.

Going back to the flip case though, we can see that getting pretty annoying if there’s no way to stop the front of the case flapping around during use. Like we said above, we’re looking forward to seeing some third-party accessories in the weeks to come, as there is bound to be heavy demand for some other alternative accessories.

What are your thoughts on the three shown here – which do you think is the most practical? Do you think that the official flip case is ‘horrible’ like some social media boards are suggesting?

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Focusing in on the problem many fans have with the Samsung Galaxy S3 – the majority of feedback we’ve had about the Galaxy S3 related to the display chosen, and in particular why Samsung didn’t use a Super AMOLED Plus rather than the AMOLED PenTile subpixel layout.

Why did Samsung use the PenTile AMOLED display? In simple terms, Samsung explained that this choice means the screen will last longer. PenTile displays can do with fewer blue or red sub-pixels for a certain resolution, and thanks to this it also means PenTile displays have more green subpixels, which degrade a lot slower. Philip Berne explained to this popular mobile blog that the blue subpixels degrade faster and this also means PenTile AMOLED displays are proven to last longer than RGB layouts at certain resolutions. Obviously there is a lot more to the longevity of mobile phone displays, and the above link goes into greater detail, which is perfect for those that want a detailed explanation with pros and cons for both technologies.

We’ve included a really good video below that shows 100 times magnification of the AMOLED PenTile vs. True HD IPS RGB Display, which gives you an idea of the difference between AMOLED PenTile displays and a screen based on the striped RGB panel – something Samsung state doesn’t last as long and the reason the Galaxy S3 didn’t include it. The video was uploaded to YouTube after CES 2012, and some users commented back then that if the “Samsung Galaxy S3 has a PenTile screen” they would avoid it. Looking at Samsung’s reason and the video below, how do you now stand on the Samsung Galaxy S3 screen?

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Just to give you an idea of the significance of this, this is in actual fact the world’s first mass produced 55-inch OLED television. No surprises that Samsung are the first to achieve the feat, but those looking to pick one up will have to pay a handsome sum indeed to take one home.

The good news is that the new OLED models are expected to go on sale in the second half of the year. The bad news is that it is expected that consumers will have to pay around $9000 USD to buy one. That is quite staggering when you think about it, especially when you can pick up a 55-inch Samsung 3D TV for less than $2500. We understand that this is the latest tech, but $9000 seriously Samsung? That is obviously not in the price range of many consumers who were previously interested in getting one.

OLED is the future of course, and with each of the pixels individually lit, it’s clear that the high price is getting you the best picture quality available in the home. It’s obviously no comparison, but the difference between the Sony’s PSP’s screen and the PS Vita’s 5-inch OLED screen is quite remarkable, so OLED is really worth getting excited about.

$9000 is a lot of money though and it will be interesting to see many many consumers are prepared to cough up for one. Consumers in Korea will have first dibs on the 55-inch beast when it goes on sale, but they’ll have to make considerable preparations to part with $10 million won at the cashier to take it home.

What are your thoughts on this? There’s a nice unveiling video below taken from CES 2012. Do you plan to buy one of these when they release in the US and Europe, or are Samsung taking premium pricing to the extreme?

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We told you back in March that the ICS update had been delayed, to obvious moans and groans from the Android community. At the time though we told you it wasn’t all bad since Samsung had plans in place to make the ICS update worth while since it would also come bundled with some other new functionality for the phablet device.

According to a thread we spotted on XDA Forums, the update is now rolling out sporadically, with users in Germany said to be getting the update first. However, the update is now appearing in other countries as well, so it’s a good idea to check your Kies software updater to see if the upgrade is available.

We have word that the update is 318MB in size and just as Samsung promised, it includes the Premium Suite extras as well. These are the My Story app, the new S Note app and also an app to scribble down some quick memos. Let us know if you have received the notification in the US and other parts of Europe – we have a feeling that it will be available to everyone before the end of the weekend, since that’s usually the case with major Android updates.

It has been a long time coming, but for those that are already running Android 4.0 on the Galaxy Note – is the wait worth it? Let us know how your Galaxy Note handles now with a brand new interface.

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There are plenty of reasons users are stating Galaxy S3 disappointment and these include 2GB of RAM rather than the 1GB offered, a Super AMOLED Plus HD rather than a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD, and 8MP rather than 12MP although camera pixels are more about quality than quantity.

Reasoning with Samsung Galaxy S3 haters – blogs are filled with potential Galaxy S3 buyers arguing with each other over the success of a phone that has not had time to prove itself, and those articles that compare the device to an unnamed “next iPhone” are being titled “iPhone propaganda“. It’s fair to say that Samsung is Apple’s biggest competitor and the next iPhone will need to deliver something special, especially for all those that felt the 4S lacked in changes to hardware and design.

The Galaxy S2 successor had a lot to live up to and this alone would be a major challenge for Samsung, although the list of reasons why it failed seems to be growing daily when we look at the majority of tech websites. While some people say fans are just blowing hot air, others have issues on their list that include a “plasticky” build quality, which has fans divided with those that see casing as a “non issue” and those that feel “Aesthetics always play their part in premium handsets“.

We find it hard to believe when haters state “Samsung is trying to cater to the Apple crowd” with features like S-Voice in response to Apple’s Siri, although this could be seen as a novelty feature and not one of the major faults being claimed with Samsung’s Galaxy S3.

Do you feel the Samsung Galaxy S3 failed to live up to expectations, or is this just hot air from those that never intended to buy the new flagship phone? You can see a preview of the Galaxy S3 in a video here via our earlier article.

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The device will be going on sale at the end of this month in Europe, while eager consumers in the US and other parts of the world will have to wait a little later until June to get their hands it. As expected, the Galaxy S III packs a quad-core Exynos processor, although this may be changed to a dual-core processor to accommodate LTE when it lands in the US.

In the video we get an introduction to the design, with the pebble blue variant shown in its full glory here. There is also a heavy emphasis on the ‘inspired by nature’ motto that the representative uses on numerous occassions – although we do like the animated lock screen effect where you can tap to create ripples in the water.

As for some of the new features that you can expect to see in the phone, direct calling is fairly impressive. If you are texting someone you can bring the phone up to your ears and the Galaxy S III will automatically start dialing their number. There’s also a little feature called pop-up video which allows you to watch a video on any of the phone’s menus – a little bit of a gimmick perhaps, but a neat addition nevertheless.

S Beam is basically the same as the Android Beam feature on handsets such as the Galaxy Nexus, while there’s also some lovely demonstrations of the 8MP camera too, such as being able to shoot 20 pictures as once, and a best picture mode which selects the best picture out of eight rapid pictures taken.

We’re still not sure if we like that large physical home button, but it may grow on us over time. Are you planning to get your hands on the Galaxy S III as soon as possible? For those of you in the US – will you be mad if this ends up with a dual-core processor due to LTE compatibility?

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