Samsung's blue Galaxy S III faces delay due to paint issues

Samsung's pebble blue version of the Galaxy S III.

(Credit: Luke Westaway/CNET UK)

Samsung apparently has difficulties with the color blue.

The "pebble blue" variant of its highly anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone faces delays due to issues with getting the color and its newly invented "hyper-glaze" process, according to several reports. Despite launching today in various markets in Europe and the Middle East, the blue version faces delays of two to three weeks.

Samsung warned that there would only be a short supply of the Galaxy S III due to the complicated hyper-glaze process, Mobile Fun reported on its site.

CNET has contacted Samsung for a comment. We'll update the story once when we get a response.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S III in 28 countries today, and plans to expand to 145 by July. It's expected to hit the U.S. in the summer, although the company has stated specifically when that would happen.

The white version of the Galaxy S III doesn't appear to be affected.

The Galaxy S III comes amid growing enthusiasm and excitement for the phone, second only to the next iPhone in hype and anticipation. The smartphone gives Samsung a few extra months as the flagship smartphone product in the industry before Apple debuts its next phone. Samsung is already the leader in smartphones, having surpassed Apple thanks largely to its broad range of smartphone products.

The delay likely won't hurt demand for the smartphone, which features a quad-core processor, 4.8-inch display, facial recognition features. It also features a unique polycarbonate case that is supposed to be more durable than past models.

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