Samsung Galaxy S3 confirmed for South Africa

MTN has confirmed that it will be bringing into South Africa the Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGS3) in lieu of the Galaxy Nexus.

The yellow network previously said that it may “review possible enlisting,” but when asked for an update on the Galaxy Nexus situation, MTN confirmed that it wouldn’t be carrying the device.

“MTN has ranged the Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung [Galaxy] S3 as alternatives to the Samsung Nexus, as we believe they provide greater benefits to customers,” said Mike Fairon, head of product development and innovation and development at MTN.

Eleanor Mitrovich, general manager of the MTN service provider branded channel, explained that “ranging” is when the network decides whether it will be carrying a device and when it will start selling it.

“It does however have to go through a process,” Mitrovich said. This process begins with testing the device on the network to ensure that it works.

“Once that is done then we forecast, buy, advertise and sell,” Mitrovich said.

Questioned about ranging timelines, Mitrovich explained that they range quarterly in advance. In cases where the quarter of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) do not match MTN’s, Mitrovich said they range a little further in advance.

Mitrovich added that ranging is based on expected dates presented by OEMs and that these can sometimes slip or even come forward.

“All this is then also dependant on forecast, manufacture, shipping and distribution,” Mitrovich said.

While MTN has already ranged Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S3, South Africa’s other networks have all said that they plan to offer the device when it becomes available.

Cell C said that they are hoping to have the SGS3 available in stores by July 2012 and that pricing will be confirmed at a later stage.

Virgin Mobile said that they would range the Samsung Galaxy S3 as soon as it is available, which they reckon to be sometime during Q3 2012.

“No pricing is available yet but it is likely to come in where the SGS2 was priced at launch,” Virgin Mobile spokesperson Jonathan Newman said.

Head of corporate communications at Vodacom, Nomsa Thusi, said that they would only be able to share the indicative launch date and pricing information after the official launch by Samsung.

8ta’s senior managing executive, Amith Maharaj, said much the same thing, explaining that the launch date had not been confirmed and that upon launch, pricing, package, and promotional details will be revealed.

Rumours around the Samsung Galaxy S3 have been circulating furiously with the latest news indicating that Samsung will not be announcing the device at either Mobile World Congress later this month (February 2012) or at an event in France on 22 March 2012.

The Verge reported that “people familiar with the matter” speculate that Samsung was uncomfortable with a long delay between the S3’s global launch and US availability, which is what happened with the Samsung Galaxy S2.

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Note: The image used for an article thumbnail is a concept design posted by samsunggalaxys3.us and probably has nothing to do with the actual Samsung Galaxy S3