Galaxy S III hits UK stores with new music app
SAMSUNG yesterday turned up the heat in its battle with Apple by launching a mobile music service to rival iTunes.
Its new Music Hub song service is available on the new Samsung Galaxy S III, which hit UK shelves yesterday.
The free Music Hub Store offers a 19m-strong song catalogue from which users can buy music or listen to a 30 second preview. Purchased music can be stored on a device or in cloud.
The premium version, at a cost of £9.99 per month, offers the user unlimited streaming and access to radio stations.
The music service is based on technology from mSpot, the mobile content service provider acquired by Samsung just three weeks ago.
Music Hub and the launch of the Galaxy S III are the latest development in a battle for the top spot between the two mobile giants.
Earlier this month, data from the International Data Corporation showed that Samsung overtook Apple as the world’s top smartphone vendor and established a new market record for the number of smartphones shipped in a quarter.
Apple, expected to release the iPhone 5 later this year, is rumoured to be increasing its traditional screen size from 3.5 inches to four inches, moving closer to the Galaxy’s popular 4.8 inch screen.
Worldwide pre-orders of the hotly-anticipated smartphone were said to have exceeded 10m.
But consumers who ordered the Galaxy S III in “pebble blue” could face a wait of up to three weeks due to manufacturing delays resulting from its “newly invented” colour.