Samsung Electronics will start selling the souped-up LTE version of the Galaxy S III in the Nordic countries during the fourth quarter, the company said on Monday.
This version of the Galaxy S III, dubbed 4G, combines LTE with a quad-core processor, which is still a rare combination among high-end smartphones. Last month, LG Electronics launched the Optimus G, which also combines the two technologies and will also go on sale in the fourth quarter.
The Galaxy S III 4G and the Optimus G both have 2GB of RAM, twice the amount in the existing 3G version of Samsung’s bestseller. Just like the 3G version, the Galaxy S III 4G has a 4.8-inch super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1280-by-720 pixels.
The Galaxy’s feature list also includes CS (Circuit-Switched) Fallback, a mechanism that allows smartphones to access the Internet using LTE and then switch to GSM or 3G when there is an incoming call. That means the radios for GSM and 3G as well as LTE don’t have to be turned on at the same time, which increases battery life.
One of the aspects of LTE that has received a lot of attention is the use of a plethora of different spectrum bands across the world.
The new version of the Galaxy S III comes in two versions: one with LTE over 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz, and a second one that switches the 800MHz band for the 900MHz band.
Support for those bands makes it a good fit for a rollout in the rest of Europe. Everything Everywhere, a joint-venture between Orange and T-Mobile, is planning to launch commercial services before the end of the year in the U.K. but didn’t immediately reply to questions if the quad-core Galaxy S III with LTE would be available at that time.
Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com