July 3, 2012 at 3:22 PM ET
One of the most coveted Android phones this year will be available from Verizon Wireless starting July 10.
The Samsung Galaxy S III, in 16GB and 32GB models, will cost $199.99 and $249.99 respectively with a new two-year customer agreement. You can find the 16GB model in stores and online starting July 10; those who want the 32GB model can order it online July 10, with the phone in stores "in the coming weeks," Verizon Wireless says.
The phone will come in either "Marble White" or "Pebble Blue." And while all other major carriers in the U.S. will sell the Galaxy S III, having such a flagship phone on Verizon makes it a tempting twosome.
What's so hot about this phone? Just about everything. It's thin, relatively lightweight, has a 4.8-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera, and it packs some new features Android users hope their iPhone frenemies will salivate over, including:
- S Voice, basically a Samsung counterpart to Siri on the iPhone 4. (Msnbc.com's Rosa Golijan noted in a recent review that S Voice is "often unresponsive and prone to mangling commands, even if they are simple ones ...")
- The ability to recognize when you're looking at the phone screen and to maintain the screen brightness level you prefer.
- The phone will automatically dial a contact if you open that person's details, then lift the phone to your ear.
- S Beam, which lets two Galaxy S III users share pictures, videos and documents by touching the backs of their phones together.
The Samsung Galaxy S III comes with Android 4.0, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 2GB RAM.
To find out more, visit Verizon's site here.
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