Rumour roundup: finishing the year with Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Apple’s iPhone 5

In our last look at rumours for the year, it’s Samsung and Apple that occupy the rumour mill, ironic given the position the companies have been in for much of the year.

First up is Samsung, with fresh rumours about a new Galaxy Android smartphone the Korean giant is looking at releasing early next year.

The next iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S is said to feature a quad-core processor, a Super AMOLED Plus screen with 1280×720 resolution (720p), 2GB RAM, LTE connectivity, and Samsung’s own brand of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Much like the Galaxy Nexus, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is said to feature a 720p screen.

While a lot of new technology is set to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas within the next few weeks, this is one device that will like see an announcement at the end of February when Mobile World Congress is on in Spain.

Next up is Apple, a company that seems to get more rumours than any other. It’s almost like you can just click your fingers and they’ll appear, making you wish those iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV release dates would just come all at once right now.

The next iPhone is the first one worth mentioning, with current rumours pointing to a date beyond the normal launch time that fits Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in the middle of the year. This year’s revision – the iPhone 4S – was only released in October, suggesting that we’ll see a September to October time frame for the iPhone 5.

Design-wise, we’re told to expect an aluminium back and design similar to the iPad 2, a new faster processor, and possibly a 4 inch screen up from the 3.5 inch all iPhones have had to date.

The iPhone 5 is said to be closer in design to the iPad 2.

Next is the iPad 3, a tablet model that will reportedly feature a screen with a better resolution, a release date in February, and possibly a thicker body thanks to a bigger capacity battery.

Finally there’s Apple’s TV, a product that’s beginning to make ripples in the home theatre industry without it even being readily available.

Rumours suggest that this new toy will be heading into production shortly, with a release penned for 2012. We know that other TV manufacturers are looking at making their TV sets more interesting, with the possibility of Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect technology making it into the competition.

What do you think? Are all these rumours hogwash, or is there something to them? Tell us. We’re eager to know what you think.