To date, Samsung has released five different editions of its new flagship, the Galaxy S4, supposedly catering to various tastes and lifestyle for the millions of Android followers around the world.

First to rollout was the main event, the GS4 and almost immediately it proved its upscale pedigree by clocking more than 10 million buys after only four weeks in global circulation. That's already 25 per cent of the 2012 total haul attributed to the units it replaced - the Galaxy S3.

The GS4 Flavours

Then in quick successions, Samsung unleashed four more editions. The Galaxy S4 Nexus (or Google Edition) was unwrapped last month and is due to hit Google Play Store (alongside with the HTC One Nexus) on June 26. This GS4 serving specifically caters to Android device users leaning towards the vanilla make of the mobile OS.

That would mean raw Google power and no unnecessary bloats coming from Samsung.

Then came the Galaxy S4 Mini - a scaled-down package of the main course. The rationale behind the release of this miniature GS4 is for Samsung to capture a crowd averse to the 5-inch size of the Mini's bigger sibling. Plus, it is 'allegedly cheaper' relative to the GS4.

This week, Samsung confirmed the existence of the Galaxy S4 Zoom and the Galaxy S4 Active. The names point to the obvious - the GS4 Zoom is mainly a digital camera given with smartphone attributes. The convergence will make camera life easier for phone users, shooting their object and instantly the clips and images for the world to see.

On the other hand, the GS4 Active lends equal amounts of mobility durability to users. Highlighting its water and dust proof capabilities, this phone build encourages outdoor activities, recording the events and with little care that the unit could be damaged.

Samsung asserts that the Active can be splashed with liquid and it will remain running but it should not be pushed to the limits.

Clearly, Samsung's shotgun approach of offering a plethora of top-notch mobile phone is well manifested with its GS4 thrust. The tactic, analysts said, gives consumers a wide array of choices.

But it can be confusing too. And for many, the easy solution is sticking with the tried and tested Galaxy S3, already over a year old but still powerful and beautiful.

The tough GS3 Option

Notwithstanding the current focus on GS4, the GS3 will likely stay much longer and consumers will include the former Samsung flagship to their gadget shopping list, thanks to two reasons.

One is the strong likelihood that it will get cheaper as the GS4 begins to entrench itself to the former strongholds of its predecessor. Its price tag can be pushed down below the $100 mark and probably even free when packaged with telco service plans.

Then the 2012 specs are not exactly outdated, in fact, even better when compared to other mid-range handsets, a number of Galaxy models and some of the GS4 variants including.

With these capabilities, it is possible too that the GS3 will soon get most if not all of the Premium Suite and Smart features that the GS4 has showcased, which according to Samsung, will definitely happen in the months ahead.

Then some bonus - Samsung will reportedly repackage the GS3 and re-issue with bits of improvements both in the hardware and software departments, with some regions getting the smartphone with enhanced screen display and processor.

In the end, Samsung's Galaxy S3 remains an Android standout amidst the combined GS4 and Galaxy Note 3 juggernaut this year.