Today’s mobile news roundup features more speculation about the Galaxy S3 expected to launch today, Apple and Samsung asked to lower patent dispute, Ericsson gaining traction in South Korea, a cool Mother’s Day surprise from Sprint and more.

Samsung Galaxy SIII today

Today’s the day that Samsung will be unveiling their next Galaxy device, dubbed as the Galaxy SIII.  Ever since Samsung announced their event at London’s Earl’s Court, speculation’s been on the rise as to what the South Korean company will be unveiling today.

The speculation range from a new Galaxy S smartphone, a new Galaxy Tab, or a Galaxy Phablet.  Samsung fans are abuzz on Twitter and Facebook, expressing their excitement over the next Galaxy device.  Someone even correlated today’s date to the name of the device: May 3 = 5 3 = S3, get it?

Right now, we still have to wait a few more hours before we get to see what Samsung has to offer.  The Samsung Unpacked event is set to start at 7PM BST.  Tune in at Samsung’s official site for TheNextGalaxy for live coverage of the event.

Apple-Samsung given ultimatum to settle patent dispute

Apple and Samsung  were given a deadline, coming up on Monday, by Judge Lucy Koh of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to reduce the number of patent claims they have against each other to make it more manageable for a jury.

A joint statement from Apple and Samsung stated that they both agreed to drop some claims, but the lack of cooperation from the two parties prevented further streamlining.  Though the lack of cooperation, the Samsung-Apple case is now down to 16 patents, six trademarks, five “trade dress” claims, and an antitrust case, with 37 products accused of violations.  Both parties will have 25 hours to present their cases to a jury.

Still, the number of claims was considered high by Judge Koh and it will be quite impossible for both parties to present their cases in just 25 hours each to a jury, which could have trouble understanding the underlying technology and patents in such a short period of time.  Apple’s lawyer Harold McElhinny of Morrison & Foerster wanted to know the number of cases they can present in court that the judge deemed feasible, but Judge Koh won’t budge.

“I think that’s cruel and unusual punishment to a jury, so I’m not willing to do it,” Judge Koh said. “If you’re going to trial in July, this is not going to be acceptable.” If the companies don’t present a more workable set of claims, the trial date could be pushed back to 2013.

Ericsson solidifies partnership with SK Telecom

SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading operator with more than 26 million mobile subscribers, reached 2.4 million LTE subscribers by the end of April 2012.  To accommodate the strong demand for LTE, they have selected Ericsson to extend their LTE offering and become one of their main partners.

“As a result of this expansion, SK Telecom will be able to offer its users broader network coverage and an enhanced mobile-broadband experience, ensuring continued loyalty among its customers and continued market leadership,” said Martin Wiktorin, President and CEO of LG-Ericsson.  “LG-Ericsson will provide the LTE network including LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core as well as support services including engineering, design, deployment and support services. The LTE radio access network will make use of Ericsson’s Operation Support System for Radio & Core (OSS-RC) and RBS 6000 base stations.”

Mother’s Day surprise from Sprint

On May 13, the whole world will be celebrating Mother’s day – a special day when kids surprise their moms with little trinkets or special gestures like breakfast in bed or a peaceful day at the spa.  But if you want to keep in touch with your mom, Sprint has the perfect gift.  You can choose from a variety of phones or treat your mom to tons of apps available on Sprint’s unlimited data plan.

“Sprint’s diverse device portfolio offers something to fit every mom’s lifestyle — from the tech-savvy to the eco-friendly mom, there is a device and apps to match her personality and keep her busy lifestyle organized,” said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “With our affordable rate plans, moms don’t have to worry about data plan overages. They can make the most of their time checking emails, scheduling appointments and browsing the Web, all at a price that makes sense for their family.”

Nokia’s tablet plan

Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila said that the company is very interested in launching a tablet based on Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS, as they are very intrigued by the Metro user interface.  Though he repeatedly stated that they aren’t working on a tablet right now, he kept reiterating that tablets are important.

“Tablets are an important one, so that is being looked into, and there will be different hybrids, different form,” Ollila stated.

“We are very interested in the Metro user interface and Metro is clearly the big bet for Microsoft… But again, no specific announcements … but [it is] something we are interested in.”

In other mobile news

Target Corp. is phasing out Amazon’s e-reader Kindles in their more than 1,700 stores and website.  The move is said to be the effect of Target’s decision to put mini-Apple shops in 25 of their stores this year.

And if you’re looking for a projector accessory for one of the devices purchased at the rumored mini-Apple stores, Pop Video may just be the device you’re looking for.  It features a 30-pin dock connector for your iPhone and throws a 960×540 image, supporting up to two hours of video play.  It has its own rechargeable battery so it won’t drain your iPhone’s juice, and it’s compatible with the iPhone 4/4S, 3rd/4th generation iPod Touch.  Available for $99.