Although Samsung’s new Galaxy S III will hit retail by the end of the month, several European retailers and carriers are already taking preorders.

Carphone Warehouse is already taking preorders for the 16GB version at £499 a pop and it expects to have the S III in stock on May 30. Retailers in mainland Europe are listing the same 16GB model for €599.

Sadly, apart from a couple of insanely high listings, there are no 32GB listings. We reckon that most users will go for the 32GB version  and it is worth noting that the 64GB version will come a bit later.

In case you are paying full retail, the S III does seem a bit pricey. HTC’s One X 32GB goes for about €530, while you can pick up a Nexus Galaxy 16GB for just €349. Of course, many consumers will not go for SIM-free devices and there’s no doubt carriers have already lined up to offer the S III with two-year plans.