The soon to be released Samsung Galaxy S3 is shaping up to be an event bigger commercial success than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S2. As of February 2012, more than 20 million Samsung Galaxy S2 devices have been shipped at an international level. The S3 isn’t even out yet, but close to half as many devices have already been sold.

Right now the Samsung Galaxy S3 is only available for pre-order; the device will become generally available for purchase in Europe from the 29th of May. The thing is that there are already more than 9 million pre-orders for the S3. One can only assume that the number of sold units will considerably go up once the device hits the stores. After all, only hardcore fans and diehard enthusiasts pre-order devices – regular folk wait until they’re released.

How do we know that 9 million S3s have already been pre-ordered? This bit of info comes from a Korean Economic Daily report. It seems that a Samsung executive let it slip that pre-orders for the S3 have exceeded the 9 million mark.

The incredible level of interest in the Samsung Galaxy S3 is justifiable if you take a look at the hardware specs and software features. I’ve already covered this topic in a previous article, but just in case you missed it, here are the device’s specs again:

Samsung Galaxy S3 Hardware Specs

• Processor – 1.4 GHz quadcore Exynos processor
• RAM – 1GB (the rumors had it that the device would have 2GB).
• Display – 4.8 inch super AMOLED touchscreen, 720 x 1280 pixels, ~306 ppi pixel density.
• Storage – 16, 32 or 64GB, depending on the model. You also get 50GB of cloud storage space on Dropbox for two years.
• Rear camera – 8MP with zero-lag shutter speed (the rumors had it that Samsung would fit the S3 with a 12 or 16MP camera).
• Front camera – 1.9MP.
• Dimensions and weight – 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm; 133g.
• Battery – 2,100 mAh.
• Colors – pebble blue or marble white.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Software Info

• Operating system – the device will be powered by the latest Android version, mainly Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Eye Tracking Tech – through the front facing camera the device can tell what you’re doing; it can tell if you’re reading a book or browsing the web for example. It will use this info to maintain a bright display and offer the best possible viewing pleasure.
• S Voice – some may say that this advanced natural language user interface is the equivalent of Apple’s Siri. S Voice responds to voice input and lets you search for info and control the device by using your voice. You can for example use your voice to send text messages or emails, organize your schedule, or tell the phone to snooze when the alarm goes off and you don’t want to wake up.
• S Beam – touch another S3 device and a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds. This works via NFC (near field communication), which means you can share data even without WiFi.
• Buddy photo share function – this feature lets you easily share photos with your friends.
• AllShare Cast – connect to the TV wirelessly and transfer content to it.
• AllShare Play – share files with your tablet, PC, and TV.
• Smart Alert – you get a phone call or message but you’re not around to hear it; when you pick up the phone, it will come out of the idle state and vibrate, thus notifying you about the missed call or message.
• Understands motions – lets say that while you’re texting someone you decide to call that person instead. When you lift your phone and take it to your ear, S3 will automatically call that person.
• Pop up play - play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks.
• Burst shot – this camera function captures 20 continous shots.
• Game, Video, and Music Hub – Game Hub provides access to a variety of social games, Video Hub offers high quality TV and movies, and Music Hub is a personal music streaming service. Please note that these services will be introduced in select countries initially and soon rolled out to global markets.

“With the GALAXY S III, Samsung has maximized the consumer benefits by integrating superior hardware with enhanced smartphone usability,” said President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung, JK Shin. “Designed to be both effortlessly smart and intuitively simple, the GALAXY S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind. What makes me most proud is that it enables one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences, opening up a new horizon that allows you to live a life extraordinary.”