Samsung has confirmed that the next Galaxy smartphone will indeed be called the Samsung Galaxy S3, thanks to its own Samsung Unpacked 2012 app. 

Samsung has previously used an app to provide details on the unveiling of its latest device, including access to the press release, event location and so on. In this case, it's used the "S3" keyword to describe the app on Google Play. 

Samsung may just be using this as a way of guiding interested Fandroids to the app with the most common search term, but the Samsung Unpacked app is now a regular thing, so many will have been waiting for this latest version to appear. The new app went live yesterday, 23 April.

For us, the use of the S3 name lays to rest some of the speculation that the new device would be called something else. It does raise the question of whether Samsung will use the Roman numerals designation, ie, Samsung Galaxy S III, as it did with the Samsung Galaxy S II, when marketing the device.

At any rate, along with teaser videos, confirmation from Vodafone that it will be stocking the device and now the app, we can perhaps stop talking about "the next Galaxy" and get back to speculating about the Samsung Galaxy S3 launch and specs.

It's worth noting that although Samsung is sharing much of the launch event information with everyone, this is an invitation-only event. Fortunately we have our tickets safely ensconced, so we'll bring you all the details, as they happen, on 3 May 2012.

We've also spotted that the app is referring to itself as "Episode I", perhaps a hint to future launch events, which we'd expect around September time to coincide with the IFA 2012 trade show, a traditional launch venue for Samsung.