Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) set the ball rolling in the 2012 mobile devices war against Samsung Electronics by releasing a new iPad with a quad-core graphics processor and high resolution "retina display" in March. Samsung previewed its quad-core Exynos 4 for tablets in February but has yet to show its Android 4.0 ICS tablets to the public.

Samsung will be first this year to woo the smartphone crowd with the imminent release of the Samsung Galaxy S 3. According to Gizmodo.co.uk, ads from Phones 4u say that a Samsung device will be launched March 30.

The 4.27-inch dual-core chips powered and 4G LTE supported Samsung Galaxy S 2, which was first unveiled in February last year, is the Korean electronics giant's best selling-smartphone to date. If Samsung keeps the momentum going, it could give Apple a run of its money.

The Galaxy S3 is rumored to have a 1.5 or 1.8 GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 1 or 2 GB RAM, a 12-megapixel camera and 4.7 or 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen. It has also been rumored -- although unlikely -- that the Galaxy S3 will have 3D support. The phone will arrive with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. The high-profile camera of Galaxy S2 may also get updated to 12-megapixel shooter. The device will also have 4G LTE network support, optional Near Field Communication (NFC), microUSB version 3.0, assisted GPS with GLONASS, Bluetooth version 4.0, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct plus hotspot functionality and dedicated microHDMI port.

Apple, on the other hand, will try to maintain the status as top smartphone vendor with the launch of the iPhone 5 as late as early as June (at Apple's developers' conference) or as late as October (one year after iPhone 4S). While Apple's latest mobile offerings -- the iPhone 4S and the new iPad -- have been panned for its lack of radical improvements, the iPhone 5 is expected to silence critics. The fifth generation iPhone is expected to have a 4.6-inch display, which is a first for an iPhone (previous models had a 3.5-inch screen real estate). The iPhone 5 is also expected to have a higher resolution "retina display", a bigger battery, a quad-core processor, and a new design.

Samsung supplies Apple with key parts for the iPad and iPhone. But the two have been embroiled in an escalating dispute after Apple filed lawsuits in over a dozen countries against the South Korean company. Apple has accused Samsung of imitating the design and functionality of the iPad and iPhone. The South Korea-based has countered that Apple has infringed on Samsung's wireless patents.

With the Finnish based Nokia Oyj still struggling to sell Windows-phones to consumers, Apple and Samsung are expected to be the top two largest smartphone vendors this year.