Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S3 smartphone in London on 3 May and as the announcement approaches, excitement is building about the new flagship Android phone.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung, has recently become the biggest mobile phone seller in the world as well as the top smartphone vendor, and after a long wait it is finally set to unveil its next flagship smartphone, presumably called the Galaxy S3, at an event in Earls Court, London on 3 May.

The South Korean technology giant over took Nokia as the largest phone seller, and retook the top spot in terms of smartphones from Apple, while posting record profits for the final quarter of 2011.

According to IDC, the company shipped 42.2 million units during the first quarter in 2012. "The worldwide mobile phone market declined 1.5 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2012, as Samsung ousted long-time leader Nokia to become the world's top mobile phone vendor."

"The race between Apple and Samsung remained tight during the quarter, even as both companies posted growth in key areas," said Ramon LIamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends programme.

There is speculation that the Galaxy S3 could be the official phone for the 2012 Olympics, according to CNN with the device being the most anticipated smartphone of 2012.

The Secret of Success

The Samsung Galaxy S series was a game changer in the smartphone market. The South Korean giant previously offered smartphones based on its own Bada operating system, before moving onto Android and the Windows Phone platforms. As well as the Galaxy S and S2, the company introduced a cross between a smartphone and a tablet with the 5.3in Galaxy Note.

"The Galaxy S2 has been a phenomenon," said Ben Wood, mobile analyst with CCS Insight. "Its volumes have been eye watering and it really has been the making of Samsung, while other competitors have fallen away."

Marketing Strategy of Samsung

The Galaxy S3 is expected to feature a 4.8in screen with a new type of Super AMOLED technology. It could include a 12 megapixel rear-facing camera and run on the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system. The one thing we are sure of is the processor which will power the new phone, as the company recently announced that its next Galaxy smartphone would be powered by the new 1.4GHz Exynos 4 quad-core processor.

In a bid to grow anticipation ahead of the launch this week, Samsung came up with a countdown teaser, which has been part of a major marketing push ahead of the launch. After the countdown expired, two teaser videos were released. The name of the smartphone was accidentally revealed by a Samsung executive at its first quarter 2012 results. While reporting its first quarter results, Senior Vice President Robert Yi said: "We are anticipating very strong demand for Galaxy S3."

Samsung also dropped hints about its next Galaxy smartphone with a new Unpacked app. The keywords which are used by Samsung to describe the app reveal a Galaxy S3 title. Samsung is doing a good job of creating a buzz around the launch of the new phone, which is set to challenge the likes of the HTC One X, LG Optimus 4X, iPhone 4S and the up-coming iPhone 5.

"The social networks, media channels and every possible technology website are set to tweet, share and blog every possible detail of the launch event. Arguably the efforts have paid high dividends for Samsung, with pre-orders already breaking records, (over 10 million among channel partners even before launch)," claims Trak.in.

IBTimes UK will be at the launch in London tomorrow night to bring you all the details as they are announced.

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