"Galaxy S III now on sale in 28 European countries"

The phone is also being touted as the fastest selling Android: Reuters

Seoul: Samusng Electronics Co. has begun sales of its third-generation Galaxy S smartphone in 28 countries in Europe and the Middle East, hoping for a headstart on Apple’s next iteration of the iPhone.

Samsung said that the Galaxy S III smartphones hit the shelves in countries including France and Britain. It said nearly 300 mobile operators around the world will ship the device before July.

Samsung quoted Vodafone Group as saying pre-orders for the Galaxy S III have outstripped those of any previous Android-based smartphone.

The latest Galaxy phone features a larger screen than its predecessor while having a thinner body. It has more computing power that supports voice commands and an eye-movement tracking feature to keep the screen from dimming.

The Galaxy S3, running on Google’s Android operating system, boasts a 4.8-inch (12.2 cm) screen, bigger than the 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4S and the 4.7-inch screen on HTC’sOne X model.

In the kind of anticipation that has become the norm for new Apple gadget releases, hopeful customers began queuing outside an electronics retail store in Berlin on Monday night eager to be the first to lay their hands on the S3.

Major global carriers – from Vodafone to Singapore’s SingTel – have been aggressively promoting the S3, fuelling speculation the smartphone could top the Galaxy S2′s 20 million unit sales worldwide.

“In the two years that we’ve been offering pre-orders, it’s the most pre-ordered Android device we’ve had in our line-up,” said a spokesman for Vodafone UK, declining to disclose exact numbers. “It’s on track to meet, if not exceed, the level of pre-orders we expected by the time it actually launches.”

Samsung introduced its first Galaxy in 2010, three years after the iPhone’s debut, to counter Apple’s roaring success in smartphones at a time when other rivals such as Nokia were struggling to make much impact.

Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in January-March – equal to nearly 21,000 every hour – giving it 30.6 percent market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, taking 24.1 percent market share.

“The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone,” said Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst based in London. “This is likely be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched.”

The race for global smartphone supremacy comes as Apple has accused Samsung of copying some of its products. The South Korean company counter-claims that Apple has infringed its patents. Both have denied the allegations, and a long-running court saga continues.

Samsung – whose shares have gained 82 percent since late-August, beating Apple’s 58 percent rise – is now banking on an aggressive marketing campaign ahead of the summer London Olympics to further drive sales. It has said its mobile market share in China doubled after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“The S3 is supported by an unprecedented promotional campaign,” said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight in London. “Samsung’s timing with the Galaxy S3 is perfect.”