It's been said that a rising tide lifts all boats. So it is with the smartphone market: today Samsung announced the latest addition to its budget line, with hardware and software slowly rising as flagships push for newer horizons. The Galaxy Ace 3 is the latest of Samsung's innumerable additions to an already huge smartphone lineup, packing a 4" WVGA LCD screen, a 1Ghz dual-core processor (1.2Ghz for the LTE model), and Sammy's highly-skinned version of Android 4.2. Availability and pricing haven't been announced, but "soon" and "not very much" are safe assumptions.

There are two versions of the Galaxy Ace 3 planned at the moment: 3G and LTE. There's no difference in the exterior of the phone, but the LTE model gets a faster 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, 8GB of internal storage compared to the 3G's 4GB, and a larger 1800mAh battery (1500mAh for 3G). The LTE model is also a hair's breath thicker at 10mm compared to 9.8mm.

When measured against last year's Galaxy Ace 2, the Ace 3 is a modest bump up. Users will get an extra two-tenths of an inch in screen real estate with the same resolution, the latest version of Android (for the moment), and Samsung's new styling philosophy that's being applied to literally every Android device the company makes. The 5MP/VGA cameras remain the same, as does the MicroSD card slot. Most of the software features Samsung has been pushing since the Galaxy S4 are also present, including S Voice and Smart Stay.

The Galaxy Ace 3 should be available through Samsung's usual channels within a month or so. Expect it to show up on American carriers over the next year, particularly budget and regional carriers such as Cricket, Virgin Mobile, and the like.

SEOUL, Korea - June 10, 2013 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leader in mobile technology and digital solutions, today announced a new addition to the popular GALAXY family with the Samsung GALAXY Ace 3, a smartphone that synthesizes a multitude of smart features to produce an enriched user experience suitable for everyday life.

Building on the success of the previous GALAXY Ace series, the GALAXY Ace 3 brings users powerful performance with a dual core processor built to perform data-intensive tasks faster and more efficiently than its predecessor. Powered by Android™ Jellybean 4.2, users will enjoy the larger 4.0 inch display for a brilliant viewing experience while playing games, watching movies, and enjoying the device’s many smart features. The 5-megapixel camera is equipped with multiple features, including Sound & Shot, Best Photo, and Buddy Photo Share to fuel users’ creativity and to allow easy sharing amongst friends.

To provide a more intuitive user experience, the GALAXY Ace 3 comes equipped with several smart features, providing innovative tools that continue to make the GALAXY series successful in the market.

• ‘S Translator’: Gives instantaneous translations at any time

• ‘S Travel’: Provides guides and travel information for your next trip

• ‘Smart Stay’: Recognizes when a user is looking at the phone, and saves battery life when a user looks away by dimming the screen and powering down using advanced facial recognition

• ‘S Voice’: Offers voice command functionality

• ‘Easy Mode’: Brings a simple and intuitive homescreen mode for streamlined access to your top functions

Depending on the market, the GALAXY Ace 3 will be available in two different versions – 3G or LTE.