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 some time with the device before it was 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 to play a 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 found problems with focusing in video
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 smart
phones, patent wars notwithstanding.
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)
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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