Of all the peculiar gimmicks a smartphone manufacturer could lean on to make a device stand out, 3D always seemed like one of the most pointless. Sure, it sounds great in theory — who doesn’t want fully immersive video and apps — but actually using it on-the-go can be a completely different story.
As it turns out, Samsung is right there with me. In an effort to combat some of the more fanciful Galaxy S III rumors floating around, the company told Engadget today that they have no intention to release a 3D smartphone any time soon.
Here’s the full quote, just to make it clear:
Although Samsung Electronics is constantly exploring new technologies for our mobile devices, we have no immediate plan to include displays featuring 3D technology in our upcoming smartphones.
Word of a 3D-capable Galaxy S III first surfaced back in December thanks to a report Korean news outlet ETNews, at which point the claim quickly started making the rounds. Samsung’s denial on this front shouldn’t be a shocker, seeing as rivals HTC and LG both gambled with 3D handsets last year, neither of which managed to gain considerable traction. That of course doesn’t mean that 3D as a trend is going anywhere — Samsung still churns out 3D televisions and YouTube just announced more pronounced support for 3D content — but at least in the mobile space, 3D seems like a technology relegated to the fringe.
Though Samsung seems keen on quashing outlandish rumors as they come, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from spreading questionable new information. Most recently, a supposed invitation to a Galaxy S III event on May 22 in the UK features what may or may not be half of the forthcoming handset. To absolutely no one’s surprise, it looks absolutely nothing like any of the other leaked images that have surfaced before, which means it’s either a) the real deal or b) absolute crap. I’m leaning towards the latter personally, but I really hope that Samsung starts offering details soon instead of just shooting down peculiar claims.