Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S3 smartphone has had experts reaching for extravagant luxury-car metaphors since its release in Europe and the Middle East last Tuesday. Tech media website CNET said the device "is the Ferrari of Android phones, with a gorgeous 4.8-inch 720p resolution display."

Cellphone review website GSM Arena went one better and said its test center "is about to see the Bugatti Veyron of smartphones do the rounds in an attempt to beat the lap record of its predecessor. Samsung have spared no effort to protect the Galaxy S3 against any odds. What we get as a result is the most amazing blend of performance and features we are likely to see this year."

U.K. gadget review website Stuff put it more conventionally. "Combining great form with near-perfect function, the Samsung Galaxy S3 usurps the mighty HTC One X to become the new king of Android," it said. Another U.K. website Mobile Choice said the phone beat its rivals by a large margin. Both websites awarded it their maximum five-star rating.