FULL REVIEW OF SPECIFICATION AND FEATURES:
Samsung’s Galaxy S3 phone has been much promoted – it is, after all, the
device that will compete with Apple’s
iPhone 5, and carries in many ways all Google’s
best hope for its Android operating system.
I had sometime with device before released, and now, the day
before it launches, I’ve been able to spend several days living with it.
Although there are some niggles, I like it now even more than I did before.
The two most striking things about the S3 are its enormous, gorgeous screen
and its surprising – by which I mean adequate – battery life. HTC s
rival ONE X has an excellent screen too, but I prefer the 4.8” version from
Samsung. Although it’s based on slightly older technology (Pentile Amoled
rather than Super Amoled Plus), that detail shouldn’t get in the way.
In terms of battery, the 2,100mAh batter was the first I’ve used that was able
to get me through a whole day, unplugged from about 7am to 11pm, albeit
using WiFi rather than the network for much of that time. To do this in such
a slim package is probably the S3’s biggest yet least glamorous feature.
Pick up the S3, and the first thing that strikes you is that it’s made of
plastic – unlike the iPhone 4S, the S3 does not quite have that weighty
feel, and some users will feel that makes it seem relatively cheap. It’s an
issue of personal preference, but it’s not one that bothers me. The phone
feels very solid, and I’ve not yet managed to scratch its glossy white
plastic. The Pebble Blue model, which is very dark blue, is likely to be
even less susceptible to that problem because of its metal-effect finish.
Rounded corners make it easy enough to reach the top of the phone’s screen
even when using it one handed, although people with small hands may
struggle. I certainly wouldn’t want a bigger device to use as a phone. The
popular Samsung Galaxy Note, however, suggests many people do.
The 8.55mm slim body features a volume button on one side and the power button
on the other. But you can also wake up the phone with one of the S3’s
flagship new features, S-Voice. This lets you control the phone with your
voice, so you can record a phrase to wake up the phone, and four others to
make it do other things – take a picture, for instance. In use I found this
gimmick increasingly temperamental, but it is a fine demonstration of how voice interaction is going on to bigger role. Samsung’s currently
has more possibilities than Apple’s Siri on the iPhone, but I’ve found Siri
to be slightly more consistent in performance. Either way, this is not a
technology I’d yet consider ready for everyday use. Apple even calls Siri a
beta product.
Once the phone is awake, again it’s the screen that is consistently striking.
Instantly responsive in a way that many Android phones still struggle to be,
it sits on top of a quad-core processor that is so powerful it can even play
a video in a window on screen. This feature feels like it was built to show
off the power of the phone rather than for a real use, but it certainly does
the former very effectively.
Performance loading web pages is almost instant, and running apps, such as the exclusive flipboard for android, the phone is probably the first I’ve
used where you almost forget that you’re using a phone rather than a fully
fledged computer. Images taken with the excellent, 8MP camera load quickly,
for instance, and scrolling through them is fast as well.
That camera is much improved from the S2, although its face detection seems to
be in need of a software update. some reviewers have problems with video focussing mode, but I didn’t
experience anything major myself.
The front-facing camera, meanwhile, is also used to detect when the phone is
being looked at – that ‘Smart Stay’ feature stops the phone’s display from
dimming when it’s in use. Although not completely perfect, this is an
excellent addition that should become a standard feature on all new
smartphones, patent wars not withstanding.
Another similar new feature is ‘Direct Call’ – if you’re looking at a contact,
simply picking up the phone and putting it to your face will initiate a
call. It’s useful, it works and again it feels like a future standard idea.
S-Beam builds on Android’s Beam technology to send phones from one device to
another, and it too feels like it’s setting a new, basic standard.
The overall interface on the S3 will be familiar to users of the
20million-selling S2, but it adds important extra features. Holding the home
button now brings up the task manager while double-tapping it brings up
S-Voice. Where the Galaxy Nexus dispenses with a menu button, retaining it
on the S3 makes for easier access to useful features.
Perhaps the best example of these is the option to hide apps from the main
menu; that means users can lose but not erase the apps that Samsung insists
on installing, such as Video Hub, if they don’t use them enough. That's a
small but lovely option.
Indeed, it’s that Samsung tendency to add a host of features that some users
may suggest makes the S3 feel bloated – as I’ve used it, that has not been
my experience. Almost all the new features, from Smart Stay to Buddy Photo
Share, that sends camera images to the people in them, feel useful. Those
that aren't, you can hide. Why the torch is labelled 'assistive light',
however, is anybdoy's guess.
Performance that, to be honest, feels like it does not yet have the software
to properly test it, a gorgeous, huge screen and good, clever additions make
the S3 feel, to me, like the best Android phone on the market. HTC’s One X
comes very close, but even iPhone users should take a look at Samsung’s
latest, greatest offering.
Specifications:
4.8” Super Amoled HD display
Storage:
16/32/64GB depending on model, plus expandable MicroSD card
Cloud storage:
50GB Dropbox for two years
Colour:
Pebble blue or marble white
Battery:
2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra)
Camera:
8MP rear; 1.9 MP front
Resolution:
720 x 1280 px (306ppi)
RAM:
1GB
Dimensions:
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm
Weight:
133g
Operating System:
Android 4.0.4
Processor:
Exynos 4 Quad (1.4GHz)
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