Samsung sets Galaxy S III launch date

SOUTH KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung has sent out invites to a launch event in London on 3 May, sparking speculation that the Galaxy S III smartphone launch is just two weeks away. The INQUIRER received its invitation to the event this morning, which summons us to go and see "the next Galaxy" on Thursday, 3 May. There is of course no explicit mention of the Samsung Galaxy S III, but we're assuming that Samsung's not taking to the stage to unveil yet another Galaxy tablet. Samsung was unable to comment on what we can expect to see, and the invitation itself gives little away. However, the inclusion of what looks like paint drops suggests that, like the Samsung Galaxy Note, the phone will come with a large screen and included stylus, enabling users to doodle on the phone. The blue blotch also seems to feature a brushed metal effect, hinting that the Galaxy6 S III could ditch the plastic in favour of an Iphone style metal case. We're also expecting the Samsung Galaxy S III to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, giving the phone Face Unlock and Android Beam NFC, along with an updated version of Samsung's Touchwiz user interface. There are also murmurs of a quad-core CPU, 32GB of internal storage, support for 4G connectivity and an upgraded rear camera. The INQUIRER will be on hand to report the news from Samsung's London launch event on 3 May.