TECHNOLOGY
Movistar Costa Rica Hits First With Galaxy SIII

In the past cellular technology in Costa Rica was at the whims of the state agency ICE, bringing us the latest when it had become old in the world. Today, after the opening of the telecommunications sector last December, things are different.



Today we have the latest phones and and mobile devices, launching in some cases at the same time as in the United States, as both the Mexican operator, Claro and Spanish operator, Movistar, move at lightning speed to entice us.

Within that framework Movistar hit first with the latest Samsung offering, the Galaxy SIII (or S3).

The Samsung Galaxy S III is the 2012 flagship device of Samsung. Like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S II, the S III is a touchscreen-based, slate-sized smartphone, with a significant addition of software features, expanded hardware, and a redesigned physique. In particular, it has an intelligent personal assistant (S Voice), eye-tracking capability, wireless charging, and increased storage. Depending on countries, the 4.8-inch (120 mm) smartphone comes with different processors and RAM capacity, and 4G LTE support.

Samsung unveiled the S III at a stand-alone event on 3 May 2012 in London. The device was released in 28 European and Middle Eastern countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, on 29 May 2012, before being rolled out in throughout the world over the following month. Prior to release, 9 million pre-orders were placed by more than 100 carriers globally, making it the fastest-selling gadget in history.

Due to high demands and a manufacturing flaw, there is currently a shortage of S IIIs, especially in the United States. But, it can be had right here in the tiny paradise of Costa Rica.

Movistar has priced it at ¢474.900 colones (us$960) and be purchased outright or FREE as part of @XL plan, one its five postpaid plans. The pricing for the other plans ranges from ¢13.250 to ¢44.000 monthly.

If you are a lover of technology, this is a must have device.

Editor's note: Notice we didn't include ICE in the group, for it keeps only on responding to what the competition brings, instead of innovating. The chirping frog still has a lot of ways to go!