The Samsung Galaxy S III is the next big thing, and as Samsung’s marketing squad won’t let us forget, it’s already here. But another “big thing” in a decidedly smaller package is making its way to center stage as we speak.

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Yes, you’ve heard about it before, but this time it’s official. Meet the Galaxy S III Mini.

We learned just yesterday that it would in fact be called the Galaxy S III Mini and that it came with a 4-inch display, but we knew little else. Reuters suspected it would land in Europe. Little phones are so in right now.

In terms of specs, we’re looking at a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with an 800×480 resolution. Samsung has also opted to use a 1GHZ dual-core chip instead of that quad-core EXYNOS proc, along with throwing 1GB of RAM and an NFC chip under the hood. There’s also a 5-megapixel camera around back (capable of 720p video), and a VGA front-facing camera for video chat.

Perhaps most importantly, the Galaxy S III Mini will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The little guy will come in 8GB and 16GB flavors, expandable via a microSD slot. And you’ll have a relatively standard 1,500mAh battery.

As you may be inferring, this is most certainly a mid-range device.

Samsung has dilluted the Galaxy brand by throwing the word Galaxy on just about everything. But calling this phone a Galaxy S III mini is a step beyond that. The design is the same, sure, but the design is hardly what makes the Galaxy S III great. In fact, it’s one of the flagship’s few shortcomings.

That’s not to say it’s an awful phone. But the screen resolution, in particular, and the lack of LTE connectivity definitely puts a damper on things.

Click to view slideshow.

A good chunk of Samsung’s recent smartphone releases seemed intent on stretching people’s hands beyond their limits, but it seems like the company may be ready to buck that trend very soon. According to a recently released press invitation, Samsung will be pulling back the curtains on a smaller-than-usual smartphone at its Mobile Store in Frankfurt on October 11.

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“So big can be small,” the invitation reads. “And so small can be big.” Cryptic, no?

Anyway, more than a few people have latched onto the idea that this mystery smartphone is in fact a tinier, more pocketable version of Samsung’s Galaxy S III. German gadget site MobiFlip (who first published the images of the interview) claims that anything other than a miniature Galaxy S III wouldn’t make sense at this point, an assertion that happens to jibe nicely with earlier whispers of a tiny Galaxy S III. Alright, maybe “tiny” isn’t the right word — the GSIII Mini’s purported spec sheet pegs it as having a 4-inch Super AMOLED panel and a 5-megapixel camera, in addition to running the “latest” version of Android.

The rest of the image doesn’t really give us much to work more with — as with most event invitations, it seems to revel in its vagueness — but there’s a conspicuous S logo nestled behind the text that indicates that whatever we’re going to see is part of Samsung’s Galaxy S family. That’s actually an important distinction to make here too, because the company is more than happy to push out lower-end and niche devices under the Galaxy banner, but the S line has been the company’s flagship line of Android handsets for years now, so whatever happens to take the proverbial stage next week should be worth keeping an eye on.

Yesterday we reported that select Samsung handsets running its TouchWiz UI were affected by a flaw that could allow them to be remote wiped after clicking on a malicious link. Samsung has now confirmed it has patched the flaw for its flagship Galaxy SIII handset.

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Samsung is urging Galaxy SIII owners to update to the latest version of its software to ensure they are protected against the flaw. Here’s Samsung’s official statement:

We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the GALAXY S III has already been resolved through a software update. We recommend all GALAXY S III customers to download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the Over-The-Air (OTA) service.

Handsets vulnerable to the exploit also included the Galaxy S II series, the Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy Beam, and Galaxy Ace.

We’re asking Samsung to confirm whether it has released patches for all affected handsets.

The problem apparently lies with how Samsung’s TouchWiz dialer handles USSD codes, and also how the stock browser handles the “tel:” protocol handler. As well as dodgy links, it can also be triggered by scanning a malicious QR code.

The vulnerability came to light at a recent security conference in Argentina, demoed by Technical University Berlin researcher Ravi Borgaonkar.

In a battle of the iPhone 5 vs the Galaxy S3, who will be the winner?!? This is a follow-up to our first article with video comparing technical specs, however, now we have both hot phones in hand for a head-to-head comparison!

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Watch on Mobile | Watch in HD

Specs	SGS3	iPhone 5	Winner
Display	4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED; 1,280×720 pixels, 306 ppi	4-inch IPS LCD; 1,136×640 pixels, 326 ppi
Faster	1.5 GHz Dual-core (U.S.) 1.4 GHz Quad-core (Int’l) Qualcomm Snapdragon S4	A6
Memory	16GB or 32GB; 2GB RAM (Expandable to 64GB)	16GB, 32GB, 64GB (Not Expandable)
Cameras	8-megapixel, 1080p HD video (rear-facing) 1.9-megapixel, 720p HD video (front-facing)	8-megapixel, 2.4/f, 1080p HD video (rear-facing) 1.2-megapixel, 720p HD video (front-facing)
Thinner	0.34″ (8.6 mm)	0.3″ (7.6 mm)
Lighter	4.7 ounces (133g)	3.95 ounces (112g)
Internet	LTE, HSPA+	LTE, HSPA+
Battery	Talk time: Up to to 11 h 40 min	Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G
NFC	Yes	No
Assistant	S Voice	Siri
Price	$199.99-$329.99, depending on carrier	$199.99, $299.99, $399.99

Conclusion

Display: The new iPhone has been increased to 4 inches while the Galaxy S3 is a massive 4.8 inches. This ultimately may be a decision of preference to go with the larger display, however, not all iPhone apps take advantage of the larger screen… developers will have to update their apps. So in the meantime, you get these black bars on the top and bottom, which are not as noticeable on the black model but it shows on the white version. Remember the iPad screen resolution issue of a few years back? Well… developers had to optimize their apps for the larger screen real estate, thus they will have to do the same for the new iPhone.

Faster: Apple didn’t release specifications on the new A6 processor when they released the iPhone 5. Since our last video, no one performed benchmark tests, however, now Geekbench Browser’s processor and memory performance tests score the iPhone at an average 1601 while the Galaxy S3 averages 1765. Their website lists the quad-core international version, but if you dig deeper, you’ll find the dual core U.S. version scores well above 1600. I’m changing my original decision of a “tie” to the Samsung Galaxy S3!

Memory & Storage: One YouTube commenter brought up a good point, as we in the tech industry tend to use the term “Memory” interchangeably with “Storage”. So we’ll talk about Memory & Storage. The iPhone has 1GB of memory (RAM) while the U.S. version of the Galaxy S3 has 2GB of RAM. As we know, the iPhone comes in 16, 32 and 64GB models, while the S3 comes in 16 and 32 (and 64GB available soon), plus you can expand up to an extra 64GB with the micro SD card slot. With so much content like apps, games, pictures, and even HD videos… Apple, sadly needs to offer expandable storage options and stop forcing their customers to purchase specific sizes.

Cameras: Both phones have really good cameras, however, after shooting some pictures and videos with both, the iPhone still reigns supreme. As a filmmaker, I value that fact that there are some superior iPhone apps that will allow you to even shoot and edit short films right on an iPhone (no computer necessary), you will find mediocre apps at best on Android.

Thinner: Being thin may be a personal preference for some and the iPhone is thinner than the Galaxy S3… we’re talking by hairs. And for the folks bantering about the DROID RAZR being the world’s thinnest, it’s not. We are comparing two devices that are the same thickness all the way around, not thin on most of the profile and large on one end. (Nor are we referring to some random phone that no one knows about… hint: Oppo Finder)

Lighter: Yes, the iPhone is a few grams lighter than the Galaxy S3 so it gets the nod. Yet, there is an outcry from many users in social media stating the device is may be too thin and light.

Internet: We could not conduct a fair test, because at the time of filming, the model we had was on Sprint, and in Chicago they do not have LTE available to do a head to head test.

Battery: Early reports indicate that the latest iOS 6 software is experiencing more than usual battery drain, and we can confirm that the Galaxy S3 receives more than eight hours battery life even under heavy usage.

NFC: Had this been included into the iPhone 5, those consumers would think Apple invented magic. For now they’re missing out on the ability to tap and share pictures, videos, maps, webpages or even pay for merchandise simply by tapping their phone.

Assistant: Virtual assistants have come a long way. Yet, I feel Siri is a bit more helpful and offers more polish that Samsung’s S Voice. (Please stop comparing Google Now and Siri, this is so- apples and oranges comparison… plus, at the time of airing Google Now is not yet available for the Galaxy S3. Essentially, Google Now is a superior voice search assistant, not a well rounded virtual assistant. For example, you cannot schedule an appointment.)

Price: Again, both phones are priced competitively!

Winner: Although when we got our hands on the iPhone 5 we changed a few items to ultimately favor the Galaxy S3. However, we still must contend that whichever phone you choose it will be any excellent choice!

What’s your take on this? Chime in on the comments below or on the YouTube video!

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Following earlier moves which saw Dropbox’s cloud storage service integrated into devices like the big-screened Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy S III, Galaxy tablets, and even some Sony Ericsson Android phones, for example, Dropbox is today is announcing integration with newer Samsung devices: the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Camera and the Galaxy Note II. For Samsung fans who buy into the whole ecosystem, that means that Dropbox is now an option for syncing data across all your devices, including desktop, tablet, mobile and camera.

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Dropbox says the integrations will ask users when they first start their device if they have a Dropbox account to sync their photos to. The Galaxy Note II will also include a deeper type of integration which will allow the photos and videos stored in the default Android Gallery app the ability to automatically sync to the user’s Dropbox’s folders. Whenever the Gallery app is opened, users will see all their photos from across Dropbox, even if those weren’t originally taken on their phones themselves. It’s setting Dropbox up to be more of a universal photo gallery of sorts – a third-party alternative to something like Apple’s Photostream, perhaps.

In addition to the preloaded applications, Galaxy Camera and Note II users will also receive 50 GB of free space for two years, which is about as long as most people hang on to their phones these days.

This news comes shortly after Dropbox rival Yandex scored a deal to get its competing service Yandex.Disk preloaded on Samsung Ultrabooks in Russia, and announced English language support and plans to expand – possibly through device partnerships – to other markets. Cloud storage partnerships with OEMs are nothing new – HTC also works with Dropbox while Box has deals with LG, but Yandex’s announcement stood out for offering a lifetime account instead of a one or two-year deal, which is typical.

As expected for quite a while, Samsung has just announced pricing and availability for the Galaxy Note 10.1. As you may have guessed, it’s a 10-inch WiFi tablet that includes the somewhat-pointless-but-perhaps-maybe-kind-of fun S-Pen, the same pressure-sensitive stylus you see with the Galaxy Note.

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Packing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (with an update to Jelly Bean slotted for later this year), a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM, the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be available tomorrow (August 16) for $499 (16GB) or $549 (32GB).

To be a bit more specific about specs, the Galaxy Note 10.1 has a 10.1-inch 1280×800 TFT display, a 5-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat.

You’ll also find support for up to 64GB memory cards, Bluetooth 4.0 and USB 2.0 access, but apparently an adapter for that is sold separately.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 will also feature a few of the features we’ve seen on the Galaxy S III, including video pop-up play, and a handful of great preloaded apps like Netflix, Dropbox, and Adobe Photoshop Touch.

If you’re interested, head on over to Samsung’s website tomorrow and order yourself one.

On the fence: check out our in-depth review here.

Despite the fact that the Galaxy S III supply is rather low at the moment, Samsung’s mobile boss JK Shin predicts that Galaxy S III sales will exceed 10 million in July.

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Neither the Samsung Galaxy S II nor the Galaxy Note were able to achieve such fast market penetration, but neither the Galaxy S II nor the Galaxy Note were the most pre-ordered Android phone in history.

But that doesn’t change the fact that most users are unable to purchase or pre-order the 32GB version of the device, according to Reuters. In fact, Sprint has had to push back the launch of the device because of low supply from Samsung.

“Due to overwhelming demand for the Galaxy S III worldwide, Samsung has informed us they will not be able to deliver enough inventory of Galaxy S III for Sprint to begin selling the device on June 21. We are working closely with Samsung on a delivery schedule to support our launch,” reads Sprint’s site.

It’ll be interesting to see the convergence between short supply from Samsung and a brand new device from Apple. The iPhone is Samsung’s greatest threat in the mobile realm, and the company smartly gave itself a three-month (or so) head start before the next iPhone is unveiled. But with short supply surely slowing the momentum of sales, Samsung may not get everything it could out of the Galaxy S III.

In either case, the GSIII will still sell just fine and surely break some new records for Samsung. Plus, Samsung went out of its way to avoid any patent litigation with Apple this time around.

Samsung had told TechRadar it’s looking to push its Music Hub across multiple platforms in its quest to become a big player in the mobile music arena.

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Tae Geun Kim, group leader in Samsung’s contents planning team, also outlined some of the reasons why the service is only launching on the Samsung Galaxy S3 to begin with:

"Our service will be open to all developers and other operating systems – once we’ve launched we can then join into other operating that Samsung works with."

Populating the Galaxy

"This means Android, Tizen, Windows Phone and Bada – although we’re working with Android first.

"Our strategy is open to all Android devices – it will be the Samsung Galaxy family first, but phase two will be much more open.

"With the likes of the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy Note, we have to solve issues around the resolution and density of the screens, but they’re not huge problems."

Share, care, work, play

Daren Tsui, CEO of mSpot also floated the idea of the service launching on iOS as a possibility, but stopped short of stating we would see Music Hub on the App Store:

"In my house we’ve got both Galaxy and iPhone devices – we’ll see on perhaps having an iOS version [of Music Hub], but users can always access the service through a web browser.

"It’s designed to be an open service, and we want to support it."