While Samsung is evidently taking the summer off from Windows Phone, seeing as that AT&T 4G LTE "Mendel" phone is MIA (we think it was canceled), it only makes sense to start speculating about what will come in the fall.
It's no surprise if you follow tech blogs that Sammy is about to release they're much hyped Galaxy S III Android phone. Not much is known on the exact specs yet, but it's rumored to be 4.7" Super AMOLED HD (or whatever gimmicky name they have now) with a "micro arc oxidation" back. All you need to know is it will be crazy thin with a large screen and very fast CPUs on board.
Over at WP-Life, they claim to have a reliable source in South Korea noting that ol' Sammy will basically recycle the S III for a Windows Phone 8 device come this fall. While such a device won't be an exact clone, it will rely heavily on what ever is revealed in London on May 3rd.
In fact the working name is Samsung Focus S II. Basically the idea is because Windows Phone 8 steps up the specs so much, Samsung can easily port over WP8 to this almost existing, relatively cutting edge hardware. Here's what we supposedly can expect:
- Faster dual/quad core processor (depending on region)
- 4.7-inch HD display
- 12-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera
- NFC capabilities
- Dedicated camera button
- Samsung Cloud Support
- Improved Photo Studio
- LTE support
Of all the rumors we get, this is certainly very realistic and if anything, a conservative one. After all, the AT&T Focus S is basically a recycled Galaxy S II phone,so having them make a Focus S II based on the S III is almost expected at this point.
How do we feel about this if true? On the one hand, the Galaxy series is a huge hit for Samsung and they have stepped up their game in terms of hardware. On the other, here they are again "recycling" for Windows Phone, not exactly differentiating themselves from the likes of Nokia.
On a related note, we just got word from our AT&T ninja that the Focus S has officially gone End of Life (EOL) on us, meaning we can start to expect stores to phase that phone out, especially with the Lumia 900 getting all the attention. That doesn't rule out future updates for the phone by the way, it simply means AT&T is no longer actively selling that device anymore.
How do you folks feel about a Windows Phone S III variant for Windows Phone 8? Sound off in comments. Read more about the Galaxy S3 at AndroidCentral.
Source: WP-LIfe
Reader comments
Rumor: Samsung basing next Windows Phone 8 device off of Galaxy S3 design
Waaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiit
You guys are complaining about Samsung cloning what may perhaps be the most advanced phone (in terms of specs) for WP?
And then you are telling me that Nokia has produced an original phone in the Lumia 900 which curiously looks a lot like a bigger version of a Lumia 800 which in turn curiously looks a lot like a WP version of a N9?
Riiight. Carry on.
If you guys think that nokia is great , have you ever heard of Nokia Lumia S?
If galaxy S III with dedicated camera button, they are getting into trouble :)
Hold on... as much as I love em, sent all current Nokia WP devices simply recycled Symbian designs??
If more people took apart their cell phones they would have a lot more respect for Samsung smartphone design. Internally Samsung phones are the best designed phones and easily the most servicable of all major handset makers.
HTC's WP7 phones were iterations of the Desire series
Samsung's WP7 phones were iterations of the Galaxy S series.
But let's not forget that the Lumia 800 is a retooled N9, and the Lumia 710 is really a N603. Nokia is no different here.
Almost all makers do this. If you want something build from the ground up each time, then you either have to sell endless millions of one model (like Apple) and reap the benefit of economies of scale, or you have to compromise and make variations on one reference design. Te alternative is much more expensive handsets.
For years I've wanted phone manufacturers to make the hardware and make the software the users choice. It seems Samsung is headed in that direction, even if it is just to save money on desining something unique. In my opinion, this is a step in the right direction.
Can't believe the Focus S never made it to Europe. I would have bought that over the Lumia 800 any day.
thats why my omnia7 was probably the last samsung phone i bought... they just recycling android phones - which would be a bit smaller problem if mentioned phones would actually nice looking
My Focus S is a great phone except for the low sound quality off the headphone jack and of course no support from Samsung to fix the bugs. That is two reasons I will not buy this Galaxy S III or another Samsung phone, second reason is that I don't think I will need a quad core processor, dual will be fine for me especially if WP8 will be as light weight as WP7.
Not a day goes by I see another BS 'Borg phone and think, why can't they put Windows Phone in that?! So yes please put Windows Phone in as many handsets as you can and don't be stingy iClone! =/
This will make a tuff choice me for. I like Samsung phones, and if a SGSIII equivalent comes with WP8, it will make it a hard decision between this and what ever Nokia has out at the time.
A part of me really wants to get a Nokia, especially since they are supporitng WP so much, kind of like repaying the loyalty, another part of me says the SGSIII equivalent phone wth WP8 will be hard to pass up too and its easy to say that at the moment a SGSIII equivalent WP8 would be at the top of the stack when it comes to specs.
Of course we will have to wait and see what Nokia does as well. Either way it looks like we will have a good choice of phones to pick from and I am sure HTC will join in too and some of their latest phones
To me, it'll depend on alot on what processor they put in the SGSIII WP8 variant. If they stick that Exenos4 chip in there, I'll be sold immidately. I know that WP doesn't need it, and its over kill, but that Exenos4 chip is a BEAST.
Based on the rumor that the Nokia WP for sprint will be a slider model I can only hope Samsung brings a focus II to sprint. I like Samsung products even if the design isn't flashy. Based on the specs in this article it will crush the Nokia being planned for sprint (low rez slider without preview). Makes me a bit miffed with sprint for opting in on such a low end phone from Nokia.
#pure view - damn auto correct
While the notion of having a WP7 almost like an afterthought (recycles design annoys me, also gives the stigma that it won't be supported), I think it's a more safer route to go with a dedicated Windows Phone maker like HTC and Nokia.
Well, its not just that. Compared to those 2, Sammy's Galaxy range feels very cheap with its light and glossy plastic body and I don't like the idea of a cheap-feeling Windows Phone.
I dont know how much WP8 will make a difference [unless they change the UI or allow atleast individual-tiles-coloring with complete color palette to set any color to tile]..
but if this is to be released, they need to name it GSII WP8...a tribute to WP8...should set the benchmark for WP8...or for WP in general...
i am excited to hear that. i hope they are exact replicas of the Galaxy S III, at least that way, we would finally get to take advantage of some of the after-market products, like desktop cradles, and better cases. I have had both the focus and focus S and have enjoyed both of them, my biggest argument has always been the lack of accessories.
Also, to counter the Lumia 900 supporters, the focus S is just as good in some areas, better in others, except 4G LTE. Has the same proc, same cameras, but the focus S has 1 GB of ram, whereas the Lumia 900, only 512 mb.
Pretty sure Focus S has only 512 RAM as well.
That is a good point regarding accessories if they do match exactly, but I think there are slight differences to be expected which would make accessory compatability problematic - dedicated camera button for one. We'll have to wait and see but it would be nice to have some decent accessories.
on Daniels post, the galaxy s III will have a dedicated camera button...win!
As long as manufacturers support windows phone, I don't see a downside to this. Nokia is in house so I'm pretty sure they will be coming with some great premium handsets even if windows phone gets recycled handsets from other manufacturers. Imagine a one x running Apollo or the S3. these are premium phones on android so I'm not gonna complain. It just gives WP users more choice, we have slim pickings right now. Its a win win for WP:-). The more handsets out there, the more devs start taking notice.
Exactly.
First of all, I am a fan of samsung products, I have (and still am) used the original focus that I bought on release day back in 2010 and it has served me really well.
BUT
The premise of windows phone which is part of what I really love about WP is that it is different than android and iphone and blackberry due to its graphical appeal amongst of course many other things. This appeal should also translate to the look of the handsets as evidenced by how well the Lumia 900 is doing. People see a Lumia 900 especially the Cyan version and are inspired by it's physical appearance without even knowing how good the WP OS is.
I want to see something to steal a quote "beautifully different" not just a plain old looking fondleslab. Maybe that is too much to ask because obviously companies are bottom line $ oriented but it actually disappoints me to hear Samsung is simply going to be upgrading an SIII with software and hardware to make it a WP8. If that is the case I may instead of upgrading to a Samsung go with a company that is going to produce something out of the ordinary, something which stands out without needing to actually be shown to a consumer and something which differentiates my phone from the rest of the people sitting at the table I am at. Nokia? Maybe yes, but all ye OEM's out there, feel free to get creative with your WP designs as I feel sure a lot of us would love to see some new design going into phone handsets.
On my opinion, there must be 3 parallel ways: Apple - iOS, Samsung (and Co) - Android, Nokia (or some other giant, if Nokia will die) - WP.
I'll try to explain.
When you do just your work, you do it good, right, you know everything. Apple do that way. They control everything, every changes. When you begin jump from one work to another, you make mistakes. So, as for me, Samsung will be great at their only part with Android. They became so popular because of Android with lots of apps. Samsung controls hardware, Google controls software. Everybody work at their best capability and do not bother each other. And i really hope, that Nokia will become strong with their WPhones. This must be 3rd way: mixed rules of iOS and Android. That will bring us better devices from every manufacturer.
So, i think and hope there will be 3 different ways.
i'd be open to a focus s2, but with all the hardware limitations being lifted in wp8, i'm going to wait and see what everyone brings to the table before i decide on anything.
a high spec'd nokia that looks like those early renders from ages ago (especially if they can cram that pureview camera into something that thin) would be pretty high on my list though, along with a One X variant and the GS3 variant to boot.
all in all, this fall/winter should be a exciting time for windows phone!
Like I want some variant of their Galaxy line again... NOKIA ALL THE WAY!
I just want to say that before Nokia found themselves on a burning platform and jumped on Windows Phone, hardly anyone was bashing Samsung's WP7 handsets. Now that Nokia is cranking out Windows Phones, a lot of people started bashing Samsung for being uninspired, etc.
Shouldn't we be grateful that Samsung has been making WP7 handsets since the beginning, and continue to support the OS?
Lol! I was definitely criticizing Samsung and HTC regarding their phone designs for WP since the beginning (2010)! Thus, the reason I never purchased their WP devices (and still won't).
With that said, I know there are fans of Samsung and HTC who are fine with the 'sameness' that those phone designs offer for WP, so Samsung/HTC definitely has some happy campers out there.
+1
The uninspiring handset designs was always one of the big criticisms of WP before the Lumias arrived. What a breath of fresh air they arem
Heck, I'd take a Galaxy Note with WP8 right now...
Well if Samsung makes a replica of the new tvs in phone size im jump in on it wp8 Samsung over Nokia the Samsung can compare to Nokia in build quality lol
IF SAMSUNG CAN COMPARE TO BUILD QUALITY LOL the if didn't get in there
I wouldn’t mind a rehashed S3. The Focus S was such a good phone. Better than the G II in some regards. Having said that I now use a Nokia :)
(…sometimes miss the Focus S though)
There may not be much to differentiate the Samsung Focus phones from the Android Galaxy phones, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I am still happy with my Samsung Focus, and my father's Focus S is also very nice.
If I were buying a new phone today, it would almost certainly be a Lumia, but Galaxy phones are definitely nice phones, if a little "vanilla".
It only helps Windows Phone to have an abundance of good phones in the market.
Boring. My Focus S is fine but just boring. Nokia for me next time. Too bad Samsung still doesn't care enough about WP to make something unique.
"Samsung still doesn't care enough about WP to make something unique."
No they care about making a profit, unlike Nokia apparently... LOL. JK. Kinda.
You realize that the Nokia Lumia 800 is a recycled design, and the 900 is just a larger version of it... right?
I am a fan of he original focus and focus s. I'll definitely take a look at he focus S 2. But I'm really liking nokia lumia 900 (or wp8 Nokia.
It sounds nice other than the fact that it's so huge. I want a 4.0" screen so I can fit it in my pocket without it feeling like it will snap in half if I happen to move around.
Serious question - are you a dwarf? Because I am wondering what kind of tiny pockets you must have that this phone won't fit into. These phones all fit nicely into pockets; they are THIN and they don't have giant bezels. Makes me wonder if some people demanding 4" and smaller phones have ever actually touched one of the newer 4.5" phones...
No. It doesn't matter how thin the phone is, if it has a 4.7" screen it can't be small. I have a Trophy currently, and it even it's annoying in my pocket at times. It's fine when you're just standing up walking around, but if you bend or sit in certain ways it gets in the way.
Point taken. Wait till you are old like me, the tradeoff is worth it for the bigger screen.
I didn't know you're that old :-P. I understand how you feel for bigger screen like I do.
One of my best phones is omnia 7. So definitely will be more quality on the next Samsung windows phone.
Not interested unless they put in a sound enhancer with SRS like HTC doea
No thanks.. I'm staying with nokia
For me, there are already a thousand reasons to pick Nokia over Samsung. I'll just add "recycled Android designs" to that list. Thanks Samsung but nope!
Same reason I won't buy a Lexus - just a recycled Toyota... not.
I don't get all the Samsung hate on this website, like Nokia is some god-like phone manufacturer. The Lumia 900 kind of blew it for me with it's Carl Zeiss camera that is actually pretty damn poor, and it's connectivity issues out of the gate; yet they are held up as if they make solid gold phones that smell like flowers and make you look more handsome just by owning it.
Oddly, Samsung is busy making phones while Nokia is STRUGGING TO SURVIVE.
I'm starting to see a strange, sad kind of fanboyism for Nokia phones that puts Apple lovers to shame. People here should be ECSTATIC that ANY manufacturer is making high end Windows Phones, yet all we get is grousing.
I don't think it's direct hate for Samsung. We just know Nokia is actually dedicated to WP7. The fact that Samsung is regurgitating the Galaxy line for WP7 means they really don't back it and won't give it chance which means the support you might need in the future for the device won't be there. You mentioned the Nokia onnection issue, they fixed and deployed a repair in 3 days. That's not going to happen with Samsung. Right now, MS needs their partners to make there phones unique so they stand out in the market, most of them are not doing it. Only player here is Nokia. Samsung, LG, HTC phones all look the same.
It is hate for Samsung. All these "cheap plasticky" comments.... apparently all the Nokia phones I have owned were made of solid gold and I didn't even know it. All the "it's a boring black slab" comments... as if anyone here has actually seen the Samsung WP8 design yet.
I guess for some people their phone is mainly a fashion statement... one commenter above says he's seen 4-5 people buy Nokias just because they look pretty. And also some people must stare lustfully at their phones all day - me, I only look at the screen.
@AzD...The 'cheap, plasticky' comments are nothing new - this has been a major criticism by many since the beginning; obviously, those who purchased or really like Samsung products don't mind the cheap, plasticky devices that Samsung provides (be it Android or WP).
And yes, the Nokia device looks very good; and there are many who are fashion conscious, so it stands to reason that they want a device that looks attractive. Others, simply want a device that doesn't look drab, or similar to the other sea of sameness devices offered by Samsung or HTC.
With the exception of the value added apps that Nokia provides to their consumers, no doubt, another major reason Nokia has come in and swept up to bulk of the WP marketshare in just 6 months is due to their unique, attractive, designs (and marketing, of course).
Aesthetic appeal definitely factors, majorly, in my purchasing decisions - from phones, to vehicles, etc. For my money, Nokia will get mine :)
Seems you're the one with a problem with people not worshipping Samsung, replying to every post criticizing them. Yes, Nokia is struggling but they can still design a device that instantly stands out, unlike Samsung who will be producing yet another recycled WP device that will probably be nearing EOL on the android side.
Its a personal choice, and a lot of people apparently dont want hand me downs from companies like Samsung when Nokia is more than willing to offer unique designs. And considering all OEM's will have access to the same hardware I really struggle to see what the particular attraction is of owning a design that's run of the mill and will be 6 months old to boot.
Who cares if people "worship" Samsung or not? I couldn't care less if people like Samsung phones or not. But allow me to point out to you - I'm also not the one going on a website story about Nokia phones posting about how bad Nokia is. Unlike some folks here, on a story about Samsung preparing a new high end Windows Phone device, basically crowing about how great Nokia supposedly is.
" I really struggle to see what the particular attraction is of owning a design that's run of the mill and will be 6 months old to boot."
Run of the mill? YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE PHONE.
6 months old to boot? GALAXY S III ISN'T EVEN OUT YET.
jeebus
I have the Samsung Focus and Lumia 900 next to me, and let me begin by saying that yes, compared to Samsung, Nokia is a god-like phone manufacturer. I didn't even intend to keep the Lumia 900 and instead wait for Apollo but yes, the difference in design is that big!
If it was up to Samsung, WP would be dead right now. They've barely released one mid-range gen.2 device in Europe. It's fine for them to go all-in on Android, but forgive me if with my money, I want to support the one company that gives a damn for WP. And regardless of sales, in my opinion, they are doing a damn good job. If the Focus S II is a big hit for Samsung, it will owe a big part of its success to all the effors being done by Nokia, for changing people's mindsest regarding WP.
Regardless of WP anyway, due to their latest advertising stunts, I would choose the magical glittery world of Apple over Samsung any day of the week. And I think you can tell that I am not the biggest fan in the world of Appe.
And you look and smell better, too, holding that Lumia... so you have that going for you, too! LOL
They need to assign a "galaxy" moniker to their next windows phone...badly! It will sell alot more...if I was Sammy I would definitely promote both phones simultaneously and illustrate something like "with Samsung, we give you the choice, android or windows, on our galaxy legend"
I agree.
If copying the hardware is okay, why not go for the branding as well?
I kind of agree with this, but can see where there could be some confusion created as well, if not done right. But I think the Galaxy name has the "nexus" of a successful branding effort.
See what I did there?
Sure, why not? The Galaxy brand has decent mindshare. Why not capitalize on it?
The Samsung Galaxy Metro. You heard it here first...
Why do phone makers keep making giant phones? I love my 3.8" HTC Trophy and really hope my next phone is that size. I don't want to carry something that's basically the size of a Pop Tart in my pocket.
Apple has kept their iPhone a decent size and they've got 50% of the market. Hint hint other phone makers.
"Giant" phones... whatever.
"Why" do they keep making them? Because people BUY them. Get a clue, Samsung just became the largest volume phone manufacturer in the world. SOMEBODY wants these, even if GaMMA doesn't.
People buy them because they don't have a choice if they want good specs. All the high-end phones with top-of-the-line hardware come with huge screens. Where's the high-end phone with top-of-the-line hardware with a sub 4" screen? Non-existent. So the choice is high-end with huge screen or mid-grade with mid-sized screen. There is no high-end with mid-sized screen option, which would be my choice if available. I'm happy with the size of my 3.6" screen on my Arrive, I just want better tech.
Love me sum big screen real estate.... Can do more and see more :-). My T-II is thin so it takes up less pocket room than my small screen fat phones of yesteryear that I had to put on my belt.
If a Pop Tart could stream video at LTE speeds and had a 12MP camera, I might consider buying it... LOL
If the Focus S II tasted good I might buy it. Well, only if it had a keyboard too...
The Lumia 900 is a gorgeous device but the 800 has an even nicer design but look at the difference in mindshare and presumably sales. Buyers are overwhelmingly choosing the bigger screens.
To be sure not everybody that has a big phone needs a big phone, but one thing to consider is hand size. Not everybody can type on the iPhone-like myself. My hands aren't even THAT big, and I found it too small. It was a gong show. I thought I was doomed to qwerty phones forever until I got my HD7.
This. If I can't get a ~3.5" WP then I'm not getting a WP.
Nokia will have access to the same higher specced hardware. I think their WP8 offerings will be far more interesting than a recycled android design from Samsung.
Goody for you.
@theefman - totally agree. I'm really looking forward to all that Nokia brings to WP, especially on the aesthetics front.
I would buy this. I WILL buy this. Love my Focus S.
Samstung will always regurgitate it's cheap plasticy android crap to Windows Phone.
Buy from OEMs who put Windows Phone first.
In other words, only buy from Nokia?
HTC also ships original Windows Phone designs first, like the Surround and the Arrive. I think the ginormous Ttian came out before the Sensation too.
Yawn, another low-effort, recycled phone from Samsung. They are just not that into Windows Phone.
Just doesn't seem like any company other than Nokia will distinguish themselves from all the other black slabs on the market. Not a huge fan of recycling designs for WP, but like you said, if it's a huge hit already, why not? It will just be "the windows version" of the Galaxy S III
Yeah, the Windows Phone version of a really good phone - 4.7", multicore processor, 12MP camera, NFC, LTE - yeah I see your point now. Let's all hate on it.
LOL, right? What is wrong with a WP version of the Galaxy S III?
I don't care that much that it's a recycled build. I do care somewhat that all the Samsung and HTC builds are so ugly/boring in comparison to iPhone and Nokia. Hell, I've seen 4-5 people walk into an AT&T store, know nothing about the OS/hardware/specs/etc and leave with a Nokia 900 because "it's so cool looking/pretty"
It's not just about specs anymore. In fact, I'd say specs are relatively unimportant in the game at this point.
Wow, just ... wow. So you've "seen" 4-5 people buy a phone simply because it looks cool, and with no regard to the OS or specs... OK... if you say so.
You would be surprised how people would choose the Galaxy S over an iPhone simply because it looks the same. That's one of the main reasons why it's such a popular phone.
I've worked in a brutal marketing firm and one thing I've learned is how easily manipulated people are.
No ones hating on it, its not nice to jump to conclusions. Obviously its got good specs, my point was simply that I believe WP is worthy enough to get its own distinguished design. This has everything to do with the appearance and nothing to do with specs. I simply dont like being referred to as the alternative, but I guess that's what we are right now.
"I believe WP is worthy enough to get its own distinguished design" - I'm with you 100%. That's why I believe Nokia will still rule WP8 because not only will they bring the same dual-core, HD display, NFC, etc. to the WP8 table, they will also put these inside beautifully designed phones.
I wouldn't care if they recycled builds. The focus S was a great phone to use and the camera was great..For the so called focus S II, as long as the performance is great, dont have a problem. I would expect samsung to recycle droid designs for wp8 to save cost and not have a dedicated design until wp8 is a major player...
If windows 8 kicks the mobile war games up then one or the other way, Samsung would have to bring a differentiator in the market or Nokia will suck life out of them.