With the launch of the next-gen Samsung Galaxy S4 nearly upon us, it comes as no surprise that retailers are offering the predecessor, Galaxy S3, at discounted prices. E-retailer eBay currently has the factory unlocked variant of the Galaxy S3 up for grabs for $519.
A few days ago, eBay was selling the 16GB factory unlocked version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 for just $470, but has now increased the price by $49.
"Today, you can get a brand-new, factory unlocked Galaxy S III (GT-i9300) for $470. No contracts. No carrier crap. Just a phone that you can activate on any compatible GSM carrier," noted Android Police on March 9.
Considering that the official listed price for the unlocked international variant of the Galaxy S3 is $899, the current eBay offer is a fabulous deal. However, the lowering in price is primarily to do with the impending launch of the next-gen Galaxy S4. Vendors would be looking to clear out existing inventory of the Galaxy S3 in order to avoid dead stock.
eBay, it seems, is looking to do the same within the next few weeks and is making room for the Galaxy S4 prior to the arrival of the successor's shipments. Potential buyers would be lured by the fact that there are no carrier contract hassles attached as the smartphone is unlocked.
The Galaxy S3 is available for sale in a wide array of colors like Garnet Red, Marble White, Pebble Blue, Sapphire Black, Titanium Gray and Amber Brown. Thanks to the fact that the phone is unlocked, it will work anywhere in the world. To check if the smartphone is unlocked one can insert a microSIM card from a different network and if the device does not ask for a code then you're good to go.
However, if the smartphone throws up an error message which reads "Wrong Sim" or "Incorrect Sim" or "Emergency calls only" then the phone is locked.
To purchase the factory unlocked Galaxy S3 (16GB) from ebay for $519 head here.
