Earlier this month the Samsung Galaxy S3 passed the 100 day mark since its release, with an outstanding 200 million sales. Being a proud owner for around 2 months, I feel it has been well used and is ready for an honest review.
The S3 hit the market with the motto “Designed for humans…Inspired by nature.” Samsung used the concept that there are no straight lines in nature, to design a minimalistic and smooth device, providing a comfortable user experience.
Boasting an impressive array of features from its quad-core processor, to a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED screen, the S3 made everyone sit up and pay attention. On first impressions the display is sharp and clear, and the device runs Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) but is rumoured to update to Jelly Bean later this year. Available in white or blue, the S3 has a Micro SD slot if you need to expand on the 16gb of built in memory.
An instant success, the S3 quickly became the latest must-have Android phone. The handset comes in at just under £500, placing it at the higher end of the market. However there are some reasonably priced monthly contracts available which can help bring the cost down.
I was immediately captivated by the S3 and knew the time had come to update from my retiring entry-level Android. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an android fanatic, I just can’t afford an iPhone! Impressive from the moment I took it out of the box, I was sold on the S3 and haven’t looked back since. It was easy to use and I was soon amazed by the processing speed, as I downloaded apps and synched with my existing Google Play account.
The camera has also been a pleasant surprise, as I tend not to have much faith in mobile cameras. The S3 boasts an 8mp rear view camera, capable of shooting HD video, and a 1.9mp front-facing camera which is useful for video chats. The main camera is paired with handy features and shooting modes which have provided some great photographs. There’s a useful camera shortcut from the phone’s lock screen, and the Best Photo mode makes the most of the quick shutter speed to choose the best from 8 consecutive shots. The S3 then uses its Smart Tag feature to link photographs to your friend’s social networks.
Another stand out feature of the S3 was its innovative motion controls. It was great fun testing these out; some have stuck but others were more of a gimmick. I do use the screenshot swipe and Direct Call features on a regular basis. When you are messaging someone or viewing a contact, you simply lift the phone to your ear and the S3 places the call for you.
The Smart Alert feature gives a vibrating nudge when you pick up the phone if you have had missed calls or messages. Very thoughtful! There is also a Smart Stay feature, which uses the camera to recognise when you are looking at the screen. This is a bit temperamental and only seems to work in bright light, whether this is a battery saver or drainer is yet to be determined!
The S3 also comes with a voice assistant – S-Voice. Again, a good play around for the first few days, but I haven’t used it much. I find it a bit unnecessary, and often quicker just to do things yourself.
As one of the 200 million (and still growing) happy customers, overall I’m extremely impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3, and think it will be a while for the competition to overtake this innovative handset.