Samsung Galaxy S3 hands-on preview: Yes, it’s amazing

13 comments

May 3, 2012 9:01 pm

by Adam Bunker

Categories: Mobile Phones News Tags: Android 4.0, Galaxy S2, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy S3, smartphones

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It’s here. The Galaxy S3, Samsung’s flagship phone for the 2012/2013 smartphone battle, has just been unveiled at the official launch in London. We’re here, and we’ve had a chance to get hands-on and close-up with what could well be your next phone. What’s the big deal? Read on to find out.

So, this is the Samsung Galaxy S3. After more rumour, speculation and hype than a Samsung launch has ever been involved in before, we’ve had the privilege of being personally introduced to it. The verdict? It’s an absolute stonker.

The phone has a huge 4.8-inch HD Super-AMOLED display, which really, really shines. Samsung says the resolution is HD – 1280 x 720. In real life terms, that means it’s amazing, but to your eyes there’s nothing between it and the iPhone 4S’ Retina Display, albeit the monstrous size.

Must read:

- Samsung Galaxy S3 official!

Inside there’s the Exynos 4412 1.4GHz quad-core processor, which we’ve known about for a while. On paper it’s insanely powerful, but it’s hard in such a small amount of time to get a feel for what that can really do. We’ll tell you this: you can’t break its brain.

We’ve flicked around from screen to screen, app to app, with no problems whatsoever. Want something that puts it through its paces? How about Pop-up Play? If you’re watching a video, you can press an icon in the bottom right and a small version of it appears on the home screen, or whatever app you open. You can reposition it to allow you to watch Sky Go while checking Facebook, for instance. That’s really powerful stuff.

The version of the TouchWiz UI Samsung’s using here is brand new and totally tricked out with loads of other new features, like S Voice, a smart voice assistant that you can wake up simply by saying “Hi Galaxy!” We had mixed results with this, but we’ll put it down to the noise at tonight’s event. Smart Stay is another very clever feature, which keeps the screen on as long as you’re looking at it. Meanwhile, Direct Call will ring the person you’re texting if you bring it up to your ear.

Galaxy S3: Does it beat the best of Android?

In terms of build, the Galaxy S3 is a looker, not dissimilar at all to the Galaxy Nexus. It’s designed around nature, with a ‘Hyperglaze’ mold. It’s very hard to avoid using stupid phrases when describing how a phone feels, but this has a destinctive airiness about it. Of course, screen size is still a dividing issue, and this is far bigger than the competition from Apple. Still, despite the 4.8-inch size, Samsung’s made a good job of fitting it in your hand, thanks to a thinner bezel than the Galaxy S2 had.

Of course, you knew all of that. You’re here for the pictures, right? Have a look at the gallery above to see the Galaxy S3 in all its glory. We’ll bring you a more in-depth review as soon as we can. Are you in love? Let us know if you think Samsung’s just pulled a winner out of the bag.

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Alex

I Want! And it has a microSD, which (with the 64GB model) would give you 128GB with the max microSD card
BadPritt

It looks older than an S2, the screen is a downgrade in quality and if the “smart assistant” is as useless as the S2′s it will be just as annoying. I’m just not convinced by all the bluster and PR crap. I’m actually happy with the phone I own. Still sell by the bucketload I’m sure but Apple won’t be quaking in their jackboots.
barry cooper

To beat this phone,apple are going to have to come up with something pretty special.This phone looks amazing,bigger screen, faster processer ,i know bigger doesn’t always mean better but I think that this phone sets the benchmark against which all others will be measured by.Good luck Apple!!!
Carl

Samsung missed a trick. Apple are due to release the iPhone 5 in a few months, a device that will, once again, introduce some desperately brilliant innovation that provokes some serious swooning. Samsung are not innovators, they are the worlds best mimics, so, for me, they should have waited for Apple to innovate this Autumn so they could then follow-up with a beautifully executed, cheaper imitation, which is what they did with the S2. They have done what all the followers of Apple do, introduced something with beefed up hardware and copied functionality that is now old news, Siri for example, has had the voice thing tied up since the 4S. There is very little here to get excited about, the world knows this devic will be of news when the iPhone is released, so there’s little point in owning it.

Samsung have stepped beyond their abilities on this one, they need to realise their place in this market, they are the shapeshifters, the shadow-dwelling copiers of the original who will never truly achieve true greatness, but can make a lot of money from synthesising it.

samsongblue

Samsung haven’t missed anything, they will have another phone along shortly…

Siri , apart from being virtually useless if you can’t speak american english didn’t come first, nor has it tied

The S2 is still a better phone for me than the iphone, thank the lord its not just a cheap copy .

Personally I couldn’t give a monkey about the S3, but to say Samsung don’t know what they are doing beggars belief. Apple fan are we?

Carl

We are all Apple fans, some of us just admit it.

Answer this, what did most phones look like before the iPhone, and what do most phones look like after the iPhone? You can apply the same question to pretty most personal tech, personal music players, laptops, tablet devices. Now deny Apple are not the innovators all other businesses follow, Samsung the most successfully. Siri, is a prime example, you’re right, Siri isn’t great, so why does Samsung introduce competing functionality? Because they only know how to copy, even that which isn’t worth copying, they can’t help it.

As for Samsung releasing a new handset later on in the year, yes, my guess is this will be after the iPhone 5, and no surprises for guessing what that’s going to look, sound and feel like.

http://profiles.google.com/rob.hunter11 Rob Hunter

I don’t particularly like Samsung’s phones due to their software. I don’t see there being a war between people who like IOS and people who like Android. It’s just misguided. We shouldn’t be trying to force our particular choice onto everyone else. I prefer Android for many reasons and lots of my friends prefer IOS for their own reasons. I see no need to justify to them why I have an Android. I have one because I think that the particular phone I have (HTC One X) is the best one for me I’m not interested in which is the best one for them because that doesn’t mean it’s better or that it’s the best one for me. I think that people should make there own informed decisions about their own phone. I would not want a Samsung device in the same way that I wouldn’t want an Apple device because I don’t like the software on either.

The reason phones look like they do is because people want as small a device as possible with as large a screen as possible and as few buttons as possible. How many other ways are there to do this? It’s not just Samsung’s or Apple’s phones that look similar. HTC’s, Nokia’s and other manufactures’ modern phones look very similar too.

I had an MP3 player many years ago made by Creative. It looked like an Ipod classic but before Apple had developed it. Does that mean Apple copied? No, I don’t think so. People design things based on how they want the product to look or work.

Carl

I disagree. Apple innovated the look and feel of the modern phone, it’s undeniable. People didn’t know what they wanted until Apple gave it to them. Listen, I’m not trying to win an argument here, these are just the facts. There had been attempts for years to get smartphones off e ground and they all fell by the wayside, then Apple come along with the iPhone and the next minute everything looks like an iPhone, claiming that this is the only way they can look is nonsense and naive.

Apple iannovate, others imitate, that’s just a fact. Apple are looking to make moves into producing televisions, so, let’s see how you’re argument holds up then, let’s see if all television manufacturers begin to copy Apple and then people like you say, ‘…but televisions can only be this way…’. You’ll probably buy an HTC television running Google Pecan Pie TV edition that does all the things an Appletelevision set does.
Apple Hater

Hahahaha Carl you make me laugh! Apple are a Joke! They are over prices and Crap. Apple sell you a product then control what you can do on the devices. FFS you can’t even bluetooth to a non apple device. The same goes with their 3k PC’s you spend a fortune on them and then cant upgrade without have to buy a new pc to get an upgraded motherboard. As for Apple leading the way with Smartphones that is also incorrect. the SPV which were produced by HTC was the first and best Smartphone before Apple even thought about making a Mobile Phone and they had Windows Mobile on them. If my memory serves correctly Nokia were also there aswell. Look up the SPV e200 or E220. I couldn’t dislike Apple so much if i tried but i guess each to there own. Rant over!! Apple Hater! lol
Rob

Are you trying to say that Apple are going to reinvent a TV. TVs need a screen. That’s it. The bigger and thinner the better. More colours, greater contrast faster refresh times. Maybe one day they’ll be built into walls but that still is just bigger and thinner really. Perhaps holograms could make it one day but I think that will have about as much success as 3D seems to have done so far.

From a phone I want a large screen, powerful computing, versatility and compatibility because it needs to integrate into my life not change the way my life works. Iphone’s screen is nearly big enough but when I use one now I find it to be too small. They are nearly there with the power too, I’m sure the next one will be able to compete with this years power-horses again. As for versatility and compatibility they are hopeless.
Carl

I disagree. Apple innovated the look and feel of the modern phone, it’s undeniable. People didn’t know what they wanted until Apple gave it to them. Listen, I’m not trying to win an argument here, these are just the facts. There had been attempts for years to get smartphones off e ground and they all fell by the wayside, then Apple come along with the iPhone and the next minute everything looks like an iPhone, claiming that this is the only way they can look is nonsense and naive.

Apple iannovate, others imitate, that’s just a fact. Apple are looking to make moves into producing televisions, so, let’s see how you’re argument holds up then, let’s see if all television manufacturers begin to copy Apple and then people like you say, ‘…but televisions can only be this way…’. You’ll probably buy an HTC television running Google Pecan Pie TV edition that does all the things an Appletelevision set does.

hybrid

what killed Apple before will only kill them again Greed and control. I like their products but if they want to control the consumer too they have lost me on an upgrade. I have gone for the s3 and I will say it has a better look and feel than the apple phone. I got this because I am fed up of almost seeing everyone with an iphone and the camera software is far superier, the sound off the music player is amazing in comparison to Apple I phones and I pods. Apple have the gift of dressing thier products up and they are actually more fragile.

As for the so-called flimsy plastic back. if it drops it isn’t going to smash. If you love kindle then an Android phone will be absolutley best for you too. the iphone kindle is limited thanks to restrictive Apple.

Samsung Galaxy S3 hands-on preview: Yes, it’s amazing

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