AT&T has announced that it will begin pre-orders for its version of the Samsung Galaxy S III this weekend in time for an end of month launch set for July 29th. The carrier has also confirmed that it will offer an exclusive garnet red version of the phone which will otherwise be identical to every other version of the smartphone currently available on other carriers.
The phone as configured features 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display at 1280×720, 8.0 megapixel camera with Zero Shutter Lag, Burst Shot and Best Photo, 2.0 megapixel front camera, and built-in NFC support along with 2GB of RAM.
It runs Android 4.0 with a new version of Samsung TouchWiz that reduces the customization level found in previous versions, while adding new “smart” features, such as using the front camera to keep the screen lit as long as the user is actually looking at the phone or actively using the microphone to recognize select commands without user interaction and includes automatic facial recognition for various functions, such as photo grouping, contacts and sharing among other features. The phone is also notable for being one of the few Android flagships to ship on AT&T with an unlocked bootloader, which is also the case for the blue and white versions also available on the carrier.
I would have got a red GSIII for myself had I known that AT&T was releasing it soon after the others. I bought the white version a few days ago and now I’m just awaiting its arrival! I’m looking forward to using AT&T’s LTE network because my Dish coworkers pushed me to get an LTE phone. I like streaming my live and recorded TV to my current phone through the Sling Adapter I have connected to my receiver at home. I can’t wait to try it on my new phone! It’ll be great for streaming the Olympics.