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A different shade of Galaxy S III spotted in Germany (video)
While Europeans earnestly wait for their pre-ordered pebble blue superphones to appear, a hands-on video from Germany is purportedly showing us a darker, grayer version of Samsung's Galaxy S III. While the skeptic in us would say it's just a lighting issue, the back cover looks perceptibly different to the blue-hued slab we spent time with during its big reveal. It looks almost monochromatic -- and even shinier, if that's possible. The color borders on gun-metal gray and we have to admit, we're already a little smitten. Samsung's had issues bringing the blueish hue to the masses, so this could turn out to be the new non-white color option. Black and white is a bit played out, so our fingers are crossed that we'll get to have our pebble-colored cake and eat it. Check out the possible new look in a hands-on video after the break -- and bring on the hot pink option.
PSA: Samsung's Galaxy S III is out in the UK today!
If you're European, or you pre-ordered Samsung's Galaxy S III, then you're already registering for that extra Dropbox space, playing with Flipboard or clutching your Olympics tickets. For everyone else, today's the day you can wander down to your local store and buy the flagship handset in the flesh. No-one's certain if you'll be able to grab the handset in Pebble Blue on launch day, so best make sure that you really want the 16GB marble white edition, lest you're disappointed when you arrive in town.
Vodafone UK, retailers push back Galaxy S III in Pebble Blue by weeks, trample on dreams
We previously looked at talk of delays for some versions of the Galaxy S III with a jaundiced eye, as there hadn't been much official word at the time. That chatter just grew decidedly louder and more formal: Vodafone UK is now telling Pocket-lint that only the 16GB Marble White version will hit the high streets this week, with as many as two to four weeks before any Pebble Blue variant, or even 32GB white models, are ready to go. There isn't much comfort if you decide to turn elsewhere, either. With a few exceptions, third-party shops are all warning of at least slight delays for blue models that range from June 5th at Clove to a somewhat ominous-sounding "to be confirmed" at Handtec. Samsung is still quiet about what's triggering the delays, although Negri Electronics' founder Ryan Negri is claiming that different regions have been short-changed on different colors. Whatever the cause, it appears as if the Galaxy S III will face a rocky launch, even though the quad-core, Android 4.0-toting beast has otherwise been getting a warm reception.
Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S III reportedly pushed back for some launches
We hope you weren't too excited about getting a Pebble Blue-tinged Galaxy S III in May, because we're seeing unconfirmed reports that the darker Hyperglazed hue might not be available for everyone in the first round of launches. Some would-be customers, primarily in Nordic countries but also in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Persian Gulf states, have been told that only the Marble White color will be on shelves at first. Most of the consensus, based on retailer notices, is that demand for blue is straining supply. Samsung Benelux's press lead Vivian Peters told Tweakers.net that at least the Netherlands wouldn't be getting the stealthier color until early June, but didn't confirm a rumor that there had been flaws in the blue plastic backplates that might have triggered shortages. There hasn't been mention of problems for the heavily-hyped UK launch. We reached out to a Samsung spokesman ourselves and were told only that the company "does not comment on rumors or speculation" -- a slightly unusual statement given what Peters said on the record, but it does lead us to take at least the more dire claims with a grain of salt.
