Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone touches down

WITH celebrities delivering the first models around Australia and an orchestra at its announcement, Samsung launched its 2012 flagship phone to unprecedented fanfare today. The top-of-the-range, $899 smartphone is Samsung's first mobile phone to feature a powerful quad-core processor, as well as an 8-megapixel camera, near-field communication chip and 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen. Samsung Asia Pacific president Gregory Lee said the new phone would help build on the company's current leadership in smartphone sales, after it sold 45 million Galaxy S II handsets. "This is the best-in-class smartphone in the world which we are confident will break new ground in the business,'' he said. Despite the new hardware, Samsung chose to focus on new software enhancements inside its phone, with telecommunications vice-president Tyler McGee calling the phone a more intuitive handset. "This is a phone that sees, a phone that listens, a phone that follows our actions,'' he said. Software additions include facial recognition for your photos, a screen that tracks open eyes to keep the screen on, voice commands to wake the phone and other tasks, and the ability to share videos between phones by touching them. Despite a large Samsung launch event, Vodafone beat the company to announcing the Galaxy S III's launch date, revealing it would go on sale at 11am. The carrier also organised celebrities to hand out the first handsets, including The Voice star Joel Madden in Sydney's Pitt St Mall and V8 racing driver Jamie Whincup in Brisbane. The phone will be available from Vodafone, Optus and Telstra, and the 16GB version will cost $899 outright. Samsung's new flagship phone will be a major weapon in the company's war with Apple for smartphone supremacy. Worldwide, Samsung overtook the American tech giant in smartphone sales in the first quarter of this year, selling 46.9 million smartphones to Apple's tally of 35.1 million, according to Juniper. The Galaxy S III is also likely to enjoy a significant first-mover advantage over Apple, with rumours indicating a new iPhone will not launch until October. sex toys，sex gadgets