Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

Samsung's Galaxy series of smartphones received a major boost to its already incredible range with the announcement of the Galaxy S Blaze 4G, on T-Mobile's networks. The Blaze 4G will look to fill the void between Samsung's mid and high-end Galaxy phones, flaunting a sleek form-factor, good looks and powerful features, including, of course, 4G capability. The flagship smartphone in the Galaxy series is expected to launch in late March and be priced at $149.99.

"The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is loaded with rich features and services to keep consumers entertained and connected virtually anywhere they want to go," said T-Mobile Senior Vice President of Marketing, Andrew Sherrard, in a press statement.

"Paired with T-Mobile's fast 4G network and our unlimited data plans, we're making it easy for consumers to enjoy the benefits of 4G experiences at a price they can afford," he added.

The new phone will look to harness the power of 4G (HSPA+42) technology, allowing customers the ability to browse the Web faster than the average home Internet connection, while remaining on-the-go.

Meanwhile, continuing rumours about the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Galaxy S3 suggest the release date draws closer. The buzz and hype surrounding the smartphone is expected to reach a crescendo as rumours hint at February 2012 launch.

Of particular note should be the Galaxy S3's bigger and brighter screen, courtesy a new OLED design which uses less power. OLED technology is expected to provide superior colour depth and vivid images, as the Galaxy Galaxy S3 gears up for the Android dual-core battle.

It is time to compare these two eagerly anticipated phones, particularly since the 2012 Mobile World Congress (MWC) is just around the corner...

Display:While both the Galaxy S Blaze 4G and the Galaxy Galaxy S3 sport a Super AMOLED capacitive touch-screen display, the former flaunts a 3.97-inch 480p (480 x 800 pixels) screen and the latter dazzles with a 4.6-inch 720p (720 x 1280 pixels) display.

The Galaxy S3 clearly wins this battle, with a pixel density of 319ppi, as compared to the Blaze 4G's 235ppi. The Galaxy S3 would be ideal for watching HD content like movies and game trailers.

Processor and Memory:The Galaxy S3 is undoubtedly the power champion, boasting a dual-core 1.8 GHz processor based on the Exynos 4212 chipset, compared to the Blaze 4G's slightly slower dual-core 1.5GHz Scorpion processor, which is based on the Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon chipset. However, the addition of Adreno 220 GPU onboard is expected to boost graphics and gaming performance on the Blaze 4G. The Galaxy S3 will not have that feature.

Nevertheless, the Galaxy S3 once again grabs top honours, porting 2GB of RAM onboard compared to the 1GB on the Blaze 4G. We would have preferred more RAM on the Blaze 4G, as it could boost the potential of a dedicated GPU onboard, particularly for gaming.

Operating System:The Blaze 4G will port with Android 2.3 Gingerbread onboard, which leaves us wondering if it is Ice Cream Sandwich ready. The Galaxy S3, on the other hand, is all set to use Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich given its faster processor and higher RAM capabilities.

Camera:The Galaxy S3 is likely to flaunt a 12 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, alongside impressive enhancement features such as Geo-tagging, touch-focus and face and smile detection, besides image stabilization.

The Blaze 4G is a disappointment in this department, with a 5 megapixel camera supporting autofocus and sans LED flash. It nevertheless ports the same enhancement features expected on the Galaxy S3.

Connectivity (3G/4G, WLAN/Bluetooth/USB):The Blaze 4G will surely outsmart the rest of the Galaxy smartphones (including the S3), riding as it does on its powerful 4G capability with HSDPA (42 Mbps), besides supporting WLAN, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. The Galaxy S3 is likely to support 3G speeds besides optional support for Near Field Communication (NFC), which is a big plus.

On the connectivity front, there is no clear winner, as the advantage of 4G is nullified with the absence of NFC and vice-versa.

Storage:Both the Blaze 4G and the Galaxy S3 are expected to come in two memory models - for 16 and 32GB of onboard storage. The former ships with a 32GB external microSD card. The latter only supports the slot; the user will have to buy a 32GB card.

Battery:Both smartphones support a Li-ion standard battery though their precise battery capacity is still a mystery.

Pricing:The Galaxy S3 is expected to be priced at $400 (at time of release in the U.S.), whereas the Blaze 4G is more affordable at $149.99.

Must Read: iPad 3 (iPad 2S or iPad 4?) Rumour Roundup: Release Dates, Expected Features and Latest Updates

Must Read:Apple iPhone 5 Vs HTC One X: Round-Up of Features

Must Read: ASUS Padfone: Smartphone-Tablet Hybrid Coming Soon