Despite the US Samsung Galaxy S3 models and the iPhone 5 not being officially unveiled yet, we can be rest assured that they will be the highest selling smartphones of 2012 as they carry on the legacy of their predecessors.
Samsung however has gotten a head start on Apple by already unveiling the international Samsung Galaxy S3 model earlier this month. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to go on sale by the end of May in Europe, which coincidentally was when the Samsung Galaxy S2 first hit markets back in 2011. So it looks like Samsung is on schedule.
iPhone 5 US release date may fall ahead of US Samsung Galaxy S3 models
However while folks in Europe may get the Samsung Galaxy S3, those here in the US waiting for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile variants could be in for a long wait. Samsung has stated that we can expect the Samsung Galaxy S3 here in the US sometime in the summer. Summer of 2012 ranges from June 20 deep into September which again points to what we saw last year with the Galaxy S2. The first US Samsung Galaxy S2 variant rolled out back in September (with some models only hitting carrier shelves in October). So if last year’s rollout is anything to go by, we could see the first Samsung Galaxy S3 US model later in the summer only.
As for the iPhone 5, things are a little different. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S3, new iPhone models hit the US in their first wave. With WWDC 2012 set to kick off on June 11 and the event being the venue of all iPhone launches to date (except for the iPhone 4S), there is the strong likelihood that the iPhone 5 could be announced then. As for a release date, if it does get announced during WWDC 2012 then we can expect it to become available for pre-order in a week’s time and shipping before the month is up just like we’ve seen with all other iPhone launches.
We’ll be at WWDC 2012 early next month in San Francisco and will also be keeping an eye on any announcements from US carriers related to the Samsung Galaxy S3. Who are you betting on to win this close race to US stores? Sound off in the comments below.
