Samsung Galaxy S III already a hit, with nearly 9 million pre-orders

Those wondering whether or not the Samsung Galaxy S III will be as popular as its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S II, can rest easy. The answer is yes. Although the device doesn't ship anywhere until May 29, Samsung Electronics Co has received about 9 million pre-orders for its third-generation flagship smartphone.

That Friday report came from the Korea Economic Daily, which said those pre-orders were spread across over 100 carriers around the globe.

Globally, Samsung overtook Nokia as the top cell phone maker in Q1 2012. It also took the top smartphone OEM spot away from Apple, buoyed by its Galaxy Nexus line and Galaxy S series of Android devices.

The GS3 will sport a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display (720p), an 8MP rear-facing and a 1.9MP front-facing camera. A 64GB version of the phone is planned, but initially the device will ship with 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.

The GS3 also supports microSD expansion, and comes with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.x), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS reception, high-throughput 40MHz 802.11n wi-fi, and NFC. In addition, the device will ship with a relatively large battery: 2,100mAh.

In addition, the device will come with 1.4 GHz Samsung Exynos 4 Quad processor, and a number of software features that will enhance the user experience, including "S Voice," which sounds a lot like Siri. As Samsung's "advanced natural language user interface," "S Voice" can be used to send text messages and emails, play your favorite songs, raise and lower the volume, organize your calendar, take pictures, make a call, and even "snooze" your alarm.

The Galaxy S III was unveiled earlier this month. It will go on sale on May 29 in Germany first, a Vodafone exclusive, before rolling out to other countries and carriers.