Samsung Galaxy S3 review
Samsung have been the second most successful smartphone company behind Apple – and the Samsung Galaxy S3 actually surpassed the iPhone 4S in sales a few weeks ago. It seems that while all the patent issues may still be ongoing, Samsung are moving away from the iPhone-like design, ready to make their own high quality devices.
The Galaxy S3 has beat the iPhone 5 on many reviewing websites. We look at the newest in the Galaxy S line, to see if this smartphone can really outmatch that of Apple’s flagship.
Design
The Galaxy S3 has a 306-ppi display with Super AMOLED technology – it is without a doubt one of the best displays we have seen this year on a smartphone. While the pixels-per-inch do not match the retina display, the larger screen size makes the two phones very similar, to the point you cannot pick a winner.
Some may have issue with the size of the screen, 4.8-inches may, for some people, be too large. We find that in most pockets, it fits without problem due to the sleek design. The screen size will not require a stylus, as you can move your thumb from one end to the other without much problem.
The design of the Galaxy S3 is hit-and-miss. The smartphone is very thin, very light and the screen is incredible, as we have previously talked about. The problem really is the plastic pebble back, it makes the Galaxy S3 feel rather cheap and against the iPhone 5.
Insides
Inside the Galaxy S3 is a quad-core Exynos processor, clocked at 1.4GHz, backed with 1GB of RAM. This is not the best we have seen, but it does the job well and Samsung seems to be able to distribute power to the places the smartphone needs it most. We found the Galaxy S3 to be one of the snappiest devices we have ever used.
2100 mAh batteries are common on Android devices, and we were suspecting more from Samsung, with their powerhouse Galaxy Note II. With the Galaxy S3 being a slightly smaller unit, we suspect that Samsung looked to keep prices down a little by keeping the battery size smaller. You will still get a very respectable 10 – 12 hours from the Galaxy S3.
Storage size is moderate, at 32GB’s it should be enough to keep most users happy. For storage hungry users, a microSD port can allow you to add another 64GB’s of internal storage, although you will have to buy the 64GB microSD card and they do not come at a very cheap price.
Ecosystem
The Galaxy S3 comes with Android 4.1.1, which is Android Jelly Bean, the latest software codename. Right now, Android 4.2 is the top update, and comes with extra photo options amongst other little upgrades. We suspect that it will not be long before Samsung’s flagship device has this new software update.
Android is a brilliant operating system for both content and applications – although we do find that iOS is still a little bit in front. Some premium apps and content deals may come to iOS before they come to Android. Android makes that up in variation, there are more apps on the store then on the iOS store.
The operating system sits behind the TouchWiz skin that Samsung designed for their Android devices. TouchWiz has been very questionable in the past, with an almost cartoon feel and sometimes making the OS run slower, many have found the skin a poor choice.
This time, TouchWiz is not good or bad, we would love stock Android on this Samsung phone, but we are happy to use TouchWiz as an alternative.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S3 camera is not a huge upgrade from the previous Galaxy S2, still at 8MP’s and still a good shooter. Differences between the two are you can record HD 1080p video and the camera has a more advanced sensor and better software.
The rear camera is a snappier device and delivers good photos, although we enjoy the iPhone experience and photo capture just a tiny bit more.
There is a 1.9MP front-facing camera, which can capture 720p video. This is not much good unless you have good apps that allow face chat, as many people dislike using the front camera for vanity shots.
Conclusion
Samsung have won the battle of the smartphone, for the first time. Where Apple lead since the original iPhone and continued to prevail since the iPhone 4S, a more than worthy contender has finally knocked them off.
The Galaxy S3 has an incredible screen and brilliant design, although some may find the plastic a little cheap. Android 4.1 is a fantastic operating system and brilliant for all users and TouchWiz does not bother or annoy users as it has done in the past. Battery life is excellent and the camera works very well. It is an all-round brilliant smartphone.
Your article does little to support your final statement or concluding thoughts. Generally when one writes a paper about something, the body of the content helps a reader understand the writers point of view. While my opinion is neither here nor there about which phone or os is superior, you have done nothing to document just why Samsung has topped apple. The iPhone 5 is structurally stronger. It has an extremely stable os that is not filled with endless loops of customizations and features that half work and confuse people. The screen, only for its smaller size gives Samsung a small advantage, yet having used both I do find the iPhone comfortable, and the s3 at times not. Functionality: apples os has never outright frozen on me. Perhaps a reboot once in a 6 month period and I run my devices hard. Since the beginning of iOS and android , android and Samsung have done everything just short of reverse engineering to get to a point where they can call their product “the next big thing that’s already here”. How about give me a phone that doesn’t have speaker issues, texting issues, os update issues, freezing issues virus issues… And an App Store with more apps? Okay maybe low rate useless ones that might or might not work with your device.
It’s a given apple is not perfect. Far from it. If the world of tech worked together what a great thing that would be. But to state that Samsung has outdone the iPhone …
You said what I was thinking.
Android has just as many apps as the iOS store, some top-end developers don’t use Android yet, but the revenue movement shows that in three years, Android will generate more revenue. In my review of the iPhone 5 I do say the design of the phone is impressive and luxurious; this is the only great part about the phone.
Apple’s iOS is lacking innovation or quality of Android. You say some users may find Android complex, but I highly doubt that anyone, after an hour of using the device, will have a problem with the basic functions. You then can use heaps of customisation, while on the iPhone you are stuck with the dull boring button layout.
Saying that all Android phones just have huge bugs is quite an odd thing, because the past iPhone’s have had problems riddled within. Whether it was broken backs and screens, antennas not working, 4G not working or Apple’s homemade apps being poor, Apple has less than a perfect record.
In my view, Samsung seems to be moving the smartphone market now. Just look at the amount of smartphones at 4.5-inches+, manufacturers are starting to follow Samsung’s lead, as they once did Apple. The S3 is a quality device, and I truly believe you haven’t used the device if you say it is this poor.