Samsung Galaxy S3 Firmware Update List - June 2012

Although, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is amazingly built with Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and a stunning 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.8 inches display, this couldn't be enough without the power of Android OS that driven to its system (Exynos 4212 Chipset - Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU). You need to get your device frequently updated to any latest Android firmware releases to enjoy more and have a great user experience with your phone.

These are the  list of firmware update for Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III GT-I9300 that has been released in the month June 2012 that I compiled. This may useful to the millions of Galaxy S3 users out there, to have a sneak peak of which country already gets any newest or latest firmware update available.

The first official software update released by Samsung ever since from the Galaxy S3 sold in the market was took place in United Kingdom and then followed by nearby countries across Europe regions. The said update was to improved stability of the device and fixes some bug  issues from the original factory default  firmware.

So here' the list of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Firmware update in the month of June 2012.

Austria unbranded   ATO - I9300XXALF5 | I9300ATOALF1 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Austria (A1)            MOB - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Croatia (VIPNET)  VIP - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Czech Republic unbranded XEZ - I9300XXALF2 | I9300XEZALE2 | I9300XXLF2 4.0.4 ICS
Czech Republic (Vodafone) VDC - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
France (SFR)             SFR - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Germany unbranded  DBT - I9300XXALF6 | I9300DBTALF4 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Germany (Vodafone) VD2 - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Greece unbranded  EUR - I9300XXALF5 | I9300EURALE3 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Greece (Vodafone) VGR - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Ireland (Vodafone)  3IE - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Italy unbranded   ITV - I9300XXALF6 | I9300ITVALF1 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Italy (Vodafone) OMN - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Romania (Vodafone) CNX - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Romania (Cosmote)  COA - I9300XXALF5 | I9300OXFALF2 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Russia unbranded  SER - I9300XXALF5 | I9300OXEALF2 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Slovenia (Si.mobil) SIM - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Spain unbranded   PHE - I9300XXALF2 | I9300PHEALE4 | I9300XXLF2 4.0.4 ICS
Spain (Vodafone)  ATL - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Switzerland unbranded  AUT - I9300XXALF5 | I9300AUTALE3 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
Switzerland (Swisscom) SWC - I9300BUALF1 | I9300SWCALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Turkey unbranded    TUR - I9300XXALF2 | I9300OJVALF1 | I9300XXLF2 4.0.4 ICS
Poland unbranded    XEO - I9300XXALF2 | I9300OXFALF1 | I9300XXLF2 4.0.4 ICS
Portugal (Vodafone) TCL - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Netherlands (Vodafone)       VDF - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS
Nordic countries unbranded  NEE - I9300XXALF5 | I9300NEEALE4 | I9300XXLF5 4.0.4 ICS
United Kingdom unbranded  BTU - I9300XXALF2 | I9300OXAALF2 | I9300XXLF2 4.0.4 ICS
United Kingdom (Vodafone) VOD - I9300BUALF1 | I9300VFGALF1 | I9300BULF1 4.0.4 ICS

Middle East - In Arab countries the released firmware build number is I9300XXLF2 packed in 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Asian Countries also received an update with firmware build number I9300ZSALF1, I9300XXALF2 and I9300XXALF6. 
Other regions like Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, United States and Canada Samsung galaxy S3 variants no reports of any software update yet for this particular month of June 2012.    

So, if you feel that your Galaxy S3 phones needs to be updated, you might check for any firmware update thru Kies or via OTA (Over the Air).

Note: This list may contain errors and or incomplete for it it is impossible to us to track down all available firmware releases from all countries and mobile network providers around the world. 
If you have something to add, feel free to leave a message on our comment form below.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Software Updates Monthly Compiled list
June | July | August | September | October | November | December

source: Samsung Kies

How to set Samsung Galaxy S3 a MP3 music as an email or text messages notifications ringtone

If you would like  to set your own favorite music MP3 as a custom notification ringtone on your Samsung Galaxy S3 SIII i9300 for any text messages or twitter, facebook,  gmail  received emails as well as any other notification that requires a ringtone. This tips will show you some simple steps ahead on how to set that favorite music of yours and used it as your default Text or Email messages ringtone.

At first you need to have some good quality MP3 music files that are loaded into your pre-formatted external micro SDcard of your Samsung Galaxy S3. If you don't know where to put or copy the music to your microSD card. Follow this guide:

* Insert the micro SD card to your PC or laptop SD card slot or card reader.
* Once its connected, open its content and locate the folder named 'Sounds"  then copy and paste all of your favorite music MP3 tracks or album on that specific folder.

After you have already loaded the music files unto your extenal microSD card, you need to copy or move that music file from the external SD card to your phones internal memory.  But first you must create a new folder named "Notifications" to your phones media files in order for this to work.
To do this follow this steps:

step 1
* Go to Apps > General File Browser
* Tap on 'My Files' folder

step 2
Once you're in here there two folders options you can choose the extSD Card and the sdcard.
Just select the 'sd card' folder which is the internal memory of the phone and not the extSD card which is the external memory card of the phone.

step 3
When your in SDcard option, scroll down and then
* Tap on a "Media" folder. You should see a folder named audio.

Now what you need to do in here is create folder and named it as "Notifications".
* Hit on "Menu" button
* Tap on "Create folder"
* Then type the name of the folder as "Notifications"

* then hit "OK" button.

step 4
Once the new "Notifications" folder already created.
* Tap on it, then you find its empty. It should be on a file folder like this /mnt/sdcard/media/notifications
* Now all you have to do next is copy a song or music track with MP3 format from your external SDcard or exSD card.

step 5
Go back to home screen menu then
Go to Apps > General File Browser
* Tap on 'My Files' folder
* This time tap on "extSd card" folder - your external Sd card.
* Once in there, locate the music mp3 files where you have stored.

step 6
Once you have chosen a music file.
Hold down that music track, then tap on a pop-up option where it says "copy"

Then it will prompt you where you want to copy that music track.
* Just simply select " SDcard" and navigate to "Media" then to the "Notifications" folder you have just created.
* Then tap on option "Copy" on top of the browser.

step 7
Now adding the Music MP3 track as a Text messages Ringtone
* Goto "settings"
* Tap on "Sound"
* Tap on "Default Notifications"
* Just simply find and select the Music file that you have just copied and tap "OK" button.

Now that you have set it a certain music of your choice as a deafult notification ringtone,  you can then try it by sending a text message on your Samsung Galaxy S3.

How to Change the Lockscreen Shortcut Icons on your Samsung Galaxy S3

These are instructions on how to change and customize your Samsung Galaxy S3 Lockscreen to display your calendar, mail, calls, sms, weather, twitter, facebook, todo, apps and more. On the Samsung Galaxy S III you can change the content on your lock screen of your own choice.

Change your Samsung  Galaxy S3 Lockscreen Shortcuts:
This option will allow you to make shortcuts to the features or apps that you use the most. Turn them on and off by swiping the button next to where is reads Shortcuts. You can change the shortcuts on the lockscreen by pressing down on your screen where it says Shortcuts, when you do this you will be taken to a different screen where you can remove and add new shortcuts simply by pressing the icon you want to get rid of and dragging it into the thrash can that appears at the bottom of the screen.

Customizing the Lock Screen Settings - including shortcuts icons
1) Tap "Menu"
2) Tap "Settings"
3) Tap "Security"
4) Tap "Lock Screen Options"
5) Tap "Shortcuts", it will take to "Set shortcuts"options menu.
Then you can set or add any icons as you like. Just tap the “+” symbol to get up the list of available new shortcuts to choose from. 

That's it! you change the lockscreen shortcuts icons on your Samsung Galaxy S3 as often as you like.

How To turn on Battery Percentage Meter on your Samsung Galaxy S3

Aside from the graphical representation of a battery life of your Samsung Galaxy S3, you may also want to see the remaining juice of your Galaxy S3 represented in percentage points. I prefer this over the default battery information, because you get a more accurate reading.

So, instead of just guessing how much battery life is really left on your Samsung Galaxy S3, you can turn on the percentage indicator. Luckily this capability comes built-in and you can quickly enable it on your phone.

To turn on Battery Percentage  % meter on your Galaxy S3, follow these steps.

To turn on Battery Percentage Indicator
* Tap "Menu"
* Tap "Settings"
* Tap "Display"
* Turn on the toggle for “Display battery percentage”

That's it and you’re done! Click the home button and now you’ll see the remaining percentage of battery life in the top notification bar.

How to Activate Motion recognition features such as Direct call and Smart alert on Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 not only amazing of its features such as Camera 8+ MP, Super HD AMOLED touchscreen , Quad core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Voice , Recognition and Eye Movement Recognition but also features a Direct call and Smart alert for extra practicality.

A Direct call  uses a proximity sensors and motion recognition that automatically identify when you bring the phone to your ear. It will just then ring the contact whose details you have on screen or are currently texting.

Smart alert is a feature that knows when you return to your phone after, say, a making a coffee when you left your S III on the sofa. Pick it up and it gives you a brief vibrating nudge to inform you about missed calls and new messages. How thoughtful is that?

The Samsung Galaxy S III is a social phone, letting you talk to it like a friend. It recognises when you’re looking at it, when you return to it, recognises your friends in photos, and it’s super high powered for all the apps and multitasking you need.

You can activate or enable Direct call and Smart alert recognition option by this simple hints.

1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Motion
4) Then simply tick the box next to Direct Call.

Press the toggle on the features you wish to use like Smart alert.

Sandisk 64GB Micro SDXC card is compatible with Samsung Galaxy S3

If you would like to extend the external memory of your Samsung galaxy S3, you can purchased a Sandisk 64GB Micro SDXC card to it. Yes! its already confirmed that it also works on the Galaxy S3, that was previously proven works with  the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Tablets.

In Samsung Galaxy S3 the internal memory card can reach up to 64MB.Yes, the Galaxy SIII supports a 64GB microSD card. Some other devices like Galaxy Note support only 32GB but they also run 64GB with ease. So there is no need to worry. 64GB is still not very popular and only a few brands manufacture them. But brands like San-disk and Transcend are recommended. Although Class 6 is enough, if you can shell out more money, go for Class 10.

The Galaxy S3 also feature a full exFAT formatting support. You can format a 64GB micro SDXC card to exFAT and copied over about 40GB of data files like videos, songs and etc. All files will worked without having any issues, and furthermore the media scanner was extremely quick.

Here's a highlight of the confirmation that the Sandisk 64GB Micro SDXC cards worked on Samsung Galaxy S III.

I'm really pleased to bring you the exclusive first confirmation that not only do these work with the Galaxy S III, but they also feature full exFAT formatting support (as we speculated they would based on Samsung's announcement in concert with Supercurio's analysis).

I was fortunate enough to have a couple of hours of undisturbed hands-on time with the Galaxy S III this afternoon, so naturally in advance I formatted a 64GB micro SDXC card to exFAT and copied over about 40GB of FLAC songs, video files and emulator ROMS.

First, the great news: the card works perfectly in the S III, there was no warning that the card was damaged like there is when they are placed into devices that don't support exFAT, all files worked without issues, and furthermore the media scanner was extremely quick.

The not so great news? I was unable to benchmark the card in the phone. I was blocked first of all by an ICS issue; it only connects to the PC via MTP, and that doesn't play nicely with the benchmarking software. Next I tried to benchmark the card with on-phone apps, however Samsung have changed the mount location of the external SD card, so those apps were unable to 'see' the card.

I did of course benchmark the card on a PC with two different readers. Interestingly the two results differed depending on the card reader. On one the large sequential read and write speeds were significantly improved, while small read speeds were diminished, and small write speeds were essentially unchanged. On the other, large read and write speeds showed only a modest improvement, but small write speeds virtually doubled. I've put both results below for you.

If you want to purchased this microSD card, I have found an affordable prices from amazon.

You can read more about Sandisk 64GB Micro SDXC cards compatibility with Samsung Galaxy S3 on AndroidNZ.net

How to Connect Samsung Galaxy S3 to TV via WiFi

Here's how you  can connect your Samsung Galaxy S3 to TV.
If you want to watch a streaming photos and videos on your large screen TV from your Samsung Galaxy S3 is very awesome. There are two methods on how you can enable it by using two main accessories introduced by Samsung.

Connect Samsung Galaxy S3 to TV using AllShare Cast Dongle via Wi-Fi

The Samsung AllShare Cast Dongle can be connected to your HDTV to enable the streaming of content from your Samsung Galaxy S3. The dongle plugs into an HDMI port on your TV set and photos and videos can then be streamed to the TV via Wi-Fi.

If you're looking to pair up a brand new Galaxy S III with a bigger screen, but you're not yet part of the Smart TV generation, then this little accessory could get you out of a fix. It's palm-sized with a single blue LED light indicating a connection, but honestly you don't ever need to look at it: it doesn't need line-of-sight to your handset because it uses a wireless protocol called WiFi Display, which means you can happily leave it dangling out of the way behind your TV. The unit has two cables: one for power and the other for the HDMI connection to your TV, which can transmit up to 1080p video and audio. As you'll see in the hands-on video after the break, it works for direct mirroring, so you can watch movies, play games or reel off holiday slideshows. But it also has a more enterprise-focused feature, in the form of a slideshow function in cahoots with the Polaris Office app, which means you can use your GS III as a controller for a presentation. It's a simple idea, but it all seemed to work smoothly and we can imagine it coming in pretty handy.


Connect Samsung Galaxy S3 to TV using HDMI adapter

This official MHL adaptor for the Samsung Galaxy S3 allows you to create an HDMI output via your handset's microUSB connection.

This cable connects to the MicroUSB connection on the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and provides a HDMI port into which you can connect an HDMI cable which in turn connects to a HDMI screen.

You can too connect a microUSB mains power cable to the device at the same time as the MHL HDTV adapter has a microUSB port on it to accept power. So, you can watch a film stored on the Galaxy S3, play it through your 42" HDTV and keep the phone charged at the same time.

If you already have a device such as a Samsung Galaxy S II or Nexus that has MHL/video out through the microUSB port then be aware, if you own the accessory that allows you to connect it to a HD display, IT WILL NOT WORK with the Galaxy S III.

The Galaxy S3 has a different pin connection so you need a different adapter, which you can buy.
It works in exactly the same way but has the correct pin connections so your S3 display will be shown on a HD monitor or TV. If you too have an MHL enabled monitor like the one we demonstrated here, you will too need this accessory as the current microUSB MHL cables do not support the S3, it is hardware related rather than software. Here's a guide for the MHL to HDMI connection to your Smart TV sets.

sources: clove.co.uk | androidauthority | engadget