Rumor: Samsung basing next Windows Phone 8 device off of Galaxy S3 design

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