Samsung Galaxy S3 not coming 22 March, says Samsung

Earlier today we reported the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S3 could be revealed on 22 March at a media event in France. Mais quel dommage -- Samsung's told us that event won't have anything to do with new products.

That's a spot of bad news for Android fans hoping to get a glimpse of the follow-up to the marvellous Galaxy S2. Now it's anyone's guess as to when exactly the S3 will get shown off for the first time, but here's what we do know for certain.

Samsung has told us that the S3, which we're expecting to pack a 4.6-inch display with a 720p resolution, won't be on show at Mobile World Congress, the big mobile trade show at the end of this month.

That's a departure from the norm, as it's where the biggest mobile manufacturers usually choose to tout their latest devices, and it's where the S2 was announced. Instead Samsung will be hosting its own event during "the first half of the year".

Ditching the big trade show and choosing to go it alone is definitely an Apple-esque approach, as is Samsung's promise to announce the S3 "closer to the commercial availability of the product".

It's just possible that Samsung is timing the unveiling of the S3 to steal thunder from an Apple announcement. The iPad 3 could be revealed this spring (that would fit the timing of previous iPad models) -- perhaps Samsung is scheming to show off the S3 soon after, to draw attention away from Cupertino's latest toy.

At this point it's all very much up in the air. But at least we know that the successor to the Galaxy S2 exists, and that we'll see it before too long. Stay tuned for more news as it happens, and in the meantime tell us what you want to see from the S3 in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.