Overall, I think Samsung makes the best Android phones.That's part of the reason why it sells more than anyone else. It's also why when Samsung launches its new flagship "Galaxy" phone every year, it's a very big deal. This year, we have the Galaxy S III, the third-generation of Samsung's popular Android line. Like its predecessors, the Galaxy S III sets the standard for what an Android phone can and should do. Everyone else seems to be playing catch up.The Galaxy S III launches this month on all four carriers. I've been testing one for a few days now, and I really, really like it. Keep reading for the full review.
Design
After years of releasing one blocky Android clone after another, it's refreshing to see Samsung pay more attention to design this time around.The Galaxy S III's design is dominated by its 4.8-inch display. That may sound too big compared to the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen, but Samsung was able to keep the phone's bezel super thin so its body is still a reasonable, pocketable size.It feels like the screen is floating in your hand when you're holding the Galaxy S III Android Phone. And like all Samsung displays, the photos, text, video, and graphics look super crisp and bright. It's tough going back to a phone with a tiny screen after using the Galaxy S III. It's that good.Other than that, the overall design is sleek and smooth. You won't find a straight edge on the Galaxy S III, which makes it a delight to hold.And best of all, Samsung finally broke with tradition and released the Galaxy S III with the same design on all carriers. (In past Galaxy phone releases, each carrier sold a variation of the base model with different screen sizes and other hardware.) Now for the downside: I'm disappointed that Samsung still covers its high-end phones in plastic. You can tell the phone's designers tried to mask the cheap materials by giving the phone a glossy finish, but as soon as you grip the Galaxy S III you know it's not built with the same quality and care as the iPhone or even the BlackBerry Bold.
Using It
The Galaxy S III is Samsung's first smartphone to launch with the latest version of Android, "Ice Cream Sandwich," out of the box. That makes it the only Samsung phone you can buy right now with the best features Google's mobile operating has to offer. But Samsung made some additions of its own to Android. The Galaxy S III has a bunch of special Samsung-only services, Cheap android phone but I'm going to go over the most important ones.With a double tap of the Galaxy S III's home button, the S-Voice app launches. The interface is nearly identical to Siri's. You can ask it for the weather, to send a text, find nearby restaurants, launch apps, and a bunch of other tasks
Performance
The Galaxy S III will be available on all four major carriers (plus U.S. Cellular), but each network has its own quirks. I tested the AT&T model, which runs on the carrier's 4G LTE network, the fastest wireless standard available. The Verizon model also has LTE. Sprint's model will have LTE, but the carrier's network isn't live yet. Finally, T-Mobile's 4G network is plenty fast, and even rivals LTE speeds in certain cities.Battery life, at least on the AT&T model, was atrocious. I barely made it through a day of normal use. One day, I didn't have much time to look at my Galaxy S III, so it was in standby almost the entire time I was at work. When I checked it before going home, I was already at 50% battery life. I was down to 30% by 9 p.m. The back of the phone also gets super warm, even if you're just checking your email or browsing the web.But overall, the Galaxy S III has the hardware to back up its impressive software features. It's powered by a dual-core processor, which is a bit slower than the special quad-core processor the international version of the phone has. But it does the job. The GSIII never choked on me, even when I was streaming HD video or playing games.
Design
Using It
The Galaxy S III is Samsung's first smartphone to launch with the latest version of Android, "Ice Cream Sandwich," out of the box. That makes it the only Samsung phone you can buy right now with the best features Google's mobile operating has to offer. But Samsung made some additions of its own to Android. The Galaxy S III has a bunch of special Samsung-only services, Cheap android phone but I'm going to go over the most important ones.With a double tap of the Galaxy S III's home button, the S-Voice app launches. The interface is nearly identical to Siri's. You can ask it for the weather, to send a text, find nearby restaurants, launch apps, and a bunch of other tasks
Performance
The Galaxy S III will be available on all four major carriers (plus U.S. Cellular), but each network has its own quirks. I tested the AT&T model, which runs on the carrier's 4G LTE network, the fastest wireless standard available. The Verizon model also has LTE. Sprint's model will have LTE, but the carrier's network isn't live yet. Finally, T-Mobile's 4G network is plenty fast, and even rivals LTE speeds in certain cities.Battery life, at least on the AT&T model, was atrocious. I barely made it through a day of normal use. One day, I didn't have much time to look at my Galaxy S III, so it was in standby almost the entire time I was at work. When I checked it before going home, I was already at 50% battery life. I was down to 30% by 9 p.m. The back of the phone also gets super warm, even if you're just checking your email or browsing the web.But overall, the Galaxy S III has the hardware to back up its impressive software features. It's powered by a dual-core processor, which is a bit slower than the special quad-core processor the international version of the phone has. But it does the job. The GSIII never choked on me, even when I was streaming HD video or playing games.
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