Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy S III will not be released during Mobile World Congress 2012, but at a separate event which will take place in the first half of the year. TheVerge previously had reported rumors that the new smartphone announcement would not happen at MWC, which takes place at the end of February. This isn't good news for Samsung and Android lovers, who may have been expecting a Galaxy S III announcement at MWC 2012. The announcement is delayed because Samsung wants to announce and release the phone at the same time in several places across the world, including in the U.S.

Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012. The successor to the Galaxy S II smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product. Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.

Last year, during MWC 2011, Samsung announced the Galaxy S II smartphone, which was first available in Europe in May, but not in the U.S. until three to four months later. If this new rumor is true, the Galaxy S III could be released just before summer. Rumors about the Galaxy S III features suggest that the next Samsung smartphone could host a 1.6 Ghz quad-core processor, a 12 megapixel camera, 2 Gb of Ram, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and more. Samsung will hold a live keynote during Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona.