The Tribune

Crowds gathered outside the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) Bay Street prior to opening on Saturday morning in a bid to become the first owners of the Samsung Galaxy SIII.

“It was amazing,” said Jerome Sawyer, BTC spokesperson. “People were lined up, but very orderly. They had actually created a numbering system among themselves so if they moved from a spot, they still held their place in line. The response has been very encouraging.”

The store opened at 10am, and by 10.30 am those who had waited for hours had grabbed the first 50 Samsung Galaxy SIIII’s at the special price of $449 after meeting credit checks to qualify for a postpaid phone.

The Nassau launch of the latest entry into the competitive smart phone market was part of a worldwide introduction in 145 countries. BTC offered the first buyers who signed up for the postpaid account and data plan nearly $250 off the price. Regular pricing is set at $699 for PostPaid and $759 for PrePaid.

BTC is offering the 16GB version of the South Korean company’s latest flagship smart phone, with the intent to roll out larger storage models as they become available. Online pre-orders began several days ago and, according to BTC, consumer response leading up the launch was upbeat.

“The addition of the Samsung Galaxy SIII to our portfolio of 4G devices gives our valued customers another innovative smart phone to choose from,” said Mr Sawyer. “Based on our Facebook fan page chatter and inquiries within our retail stores, we’re confident the SIII is going to be a tremendous hit with our customers and we’re excited to be a part of this historic launch.”

The 145-nation launch of the third installation in the Galaxy series is the largest in Samsung’s mobile history. Aside from the iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy S smart phones have been the dominant handset in the global market.