Samsung have just announced that the GALAXY S III, their latest Exynos 4 Quad-powered smartphone will hit 28 markets across Europe and the Middle East today, arriving in 145 markets worldwide by July.

Today's launch is the company's largest single device push ever, with the July extension pushing the number of carriers offering the phone to a very tidy 296 across the world, which will include U.S.-based carriers.

The smartphone has already been immensely popular, with Amazon Germany seeing it become their biggest selling smartphone before it was even released, and Samsung have speculated that they've secured more than 9 million pre-orders. Considering the GALAXY S II saw 20 million shipped in 10 months, the S III is already half way in terms of beating its predecessor.

The phone is also the official smartphone of the 2012 Olympic Games, as well as being a partner of VISA. Athletes competing in the London games will get the phone given to them, as well as have the ability to use it to make NFC-based payments across the UK's capital city.

Are you going to get one? I will hopefully have my hands on one next week!