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+Lewis Curdie May. 4, 2012 at 13:00 More articles by Lewis Curdie

Samsung Galaxy S III? Meh, I’ll wait for the iPhone 5 Well, well, well. After months of rumours and speculation, and not forgetting the heartbreaking Mobile World Congress no-show, the “next Galaxy” – or Samsung Galaxy S III to use its actual name – is finally here.

I’m not sure what we were expecting exactly, but – much like when the iPhone 4S dropped last October – the reaction from Mobotniks seems to be a resounding “meh”. You’re a tough bunch to please.

To be fair to everyone’s favourite South Korean manufacturer (no offense, LG), it has gone all-out in terms in Samsung Galaxy S III features, though some are arguably more appealing than others.

Smart Stay uses the front-facing camera to detect when you’re looking at your Samsung Galaxy S III, and prevents locking if you haven’t touched the screen in a while – so long as you’re still gazing longingly at the display.

Treab had a good laugh at Direct Call last night. If you’re reading a message from someone and decide you’d rather give him or her a call than text back, just hold the phone up to your ear and it’ll dial automatically. It doesn't get much lazier than that.

It’s hard to talk about S Voice without mentioning you-know-what, so I’ll say it now: Siri. Yep, S Voice is essentially Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Siri, with voice-activated commands allowing you to, among other things, bring up the camera and wake your Galaxy S III from sleeping.

There’s also PopUp Play, which allows you to shrink a video and continue watching it while you play with other apps. Shades of the Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) update for the Sony Tablet S there.

For me, none of those features are going to make the difference between shelling out £500 for a Samsung Galaxy S III and not. Let’s file them under ‘Nice to have (but probably won’t use them much (if ever))’.

Similarly, I’m not overly bothered about Pentile (sorry, Matt), and a modest 8MP camera instead of 12MP? Surely anyone who cares that much about snapping will invest in a separate camera. Or maybe that’s just me.

Call me vain, but I think the real disappointment is what’s on the outside. There were rumours that the Samsung Galaxy S III’s technology would be nestled inside an indestructible ceramic case, baked in the fires of hell. That would’ve been pretty sweet. Alas, it’s plastic, and reportedly pretty cheap feeling too. Boo.

The Samsung Galaxy S III colours didn’t exactly impress either. You can grab the latest Galaxy in white or pebble blue, which Matt fantastically described as “a choice between looking gay and looking just awful” respectively.

All in all: good, but not great. I’m not actually sure what would’ve won me over. Maybe a super-strong case and waterproof action without the need for a cover? I dunno. Er, that's probably why I don't work in R&D. Heck, at least it's not bloody autostereoscopic.

Personally, I’m not feeling overly enthused about any of the latest smartphone releases. I really liked the HTC One X when I played with it at Mobile World Congress, but it didn’t make me feel like I had to run out and buy one the day it came out. Oddly, I'm more drawn to the HTC One S.

I reckon I’ll wait till later in the year and see what the iPhone 5 brings. And let’s not forget that Windows Phone Apollo is just around the corner too. I’m not even joking, man.

Read more about: Samsung Galaxy S3, Android

20 comments

Good article, I think this sums up the general feeling about the SGS3 pretty well. I couldn't have put it better myself. Gimmicky software upgrades, moderate hardware upgrades all wrapped up in a distinctly average body. Oh, and nearly £100 more than an HTC One X...nah, I'll pass.

Assumptions are a mother...

I wish some manufacture go back to the optical trackpad like the old desire and maybe have a laser upgrade and whatnot.

I don't understand why manufactures don't protect their flagships enough from wind/rain and the hustle and bustle of life.

The only slightly positive thing (and negative) about the phone is the look and feel of it. Well for women anyway. Recently my friend's sibling wanted to swap her new SG2 for his older/lower spec phone just because it didn't look feminine enough and didn't feel right in her hand. I did tell her to hold out for the SG3 but she wouldn't.

Maybe Samsung was aware of this dilemma for females. Hence releasing this new SG3 shape/colour which will probably only look suitable in the hand of a female.

The only slightly positive thing (and negative) about the phone is the look and feel of it. Well for women anyway. Recently my friend's sibling wanted to swap her new SG2 for his older/lower spec phone just because it didn't look feminine enough and didn't feel right in her hand. I did tell her to hold out for the SG3 but she wouldn't.

Maybe Samsung was aware of this dilemma for females. Hence releasing this new SG3 shape/colour which will probably only look suitable in the hand of a female.
Only problem is, the main audience for the latest and greatest smartphones is male. As sexist as it sounds, guys just seem more "into" technology than girls. I mean, look at Mobot's readership as an example.

I agree with what you're saying, but the S2 didn't really have any standout software features at all and look how it ended up selling.

The s2 isn't even visually all that appealing, but the one thing that samsung got right was the hardware underneath. It has a great processor, great screen, great camera, good battery and slim as hell.

From this point of view, I think the s3 is certainly a good upgrade. Just wish that samsung hadn't made such song and dance about it.

Last edited by lutin, May. 4, 2012 at 14:34

TBH I think phone manufacturers are a bit stuck this generation as there isnt THE NEXT BIG THING(TM) around for them to add to last generations phone and then get all excitied about it as an all new and amazing feature. For example NFC was supposed to be the next big think but has bottomed out it seems. They must be gagging for a phone sized laser or hand held teleporter that they could cram into their phone to make it desirable

The main thing they should be working on (bigger battery life) is something thats invisable so they instead focus on making the screen as big as possible and the phone as thin as possible, two of the worst things you can do for battery life "sigh"

And whats wrong with looking gay? Homophobe

And whats wrong with looking gay? Homophobe

OK Marcus

And whats wrong with looking gay? Homophobe
I wouldn't have a pink phone either, because they look girly (as they're designed to), does that make sexist, too?

Also, I never stated there was anything wrong with being gay, I simply implied that I don't want look gay, which is perfectly reasonable, as I'm not. In the same way I wouldn't want to be mistaken for a woman...or a Giraffe, or anything else that isn't a heterosexual, male, human being, for that matter.

In conclusion, get down off your obsessively politically correct high horse, mate and join the real world.

Last edited by matt101101, May. 4, 2012 at 16:14

TBH I think phone manufacturers are a bit stuck this generation as there isnt THE NEXT BIG THING(TM) around for them to add to last generations phone and then get all excitied about it as an all new and amazing feature. For example NFC was supposed to be the next big think but has bottomed out it seems. They must be gagging for a phone sized laser or hand held teleporter that they could cram into their phone to make it desirable

The main thing they should be working on (bigger battery life) is something thats invisable so they instead focus on making the screen as big as possible and the phone as thin as possible, two of the worst things you can do for battery life "sigh"

I concur.
It's all about bigger, bigger, faster, fater (oo-er missus) but at the end of it all the killer WAS the smartphone and touchscreen etc. Nothing* that has come along is THE reason to swap/change/upgrade nor has it really had any empirical effect on what people want out of a phone.
Android/iOS/WIn7/etc battles of supremacy aside, each of them can do pretty much what the other can, so the playing field is levelling out (imo)

*We are being sold (or should that be 'marketed') :-
3D - never took off in the slightest
NFC - no useful application for this technology - yet.
Siri - never though i;d ever see such a pile of nonsense being tagged as a reason to buy a phone.
And still we are being pushed for more and more camera megapixels - Sort out the dreadful compression first or it won't make an ounce of difference.

Where is my super battery life????

Treab had a good laugh at Direct Call last night. If you’re reading a message from someone and decide you’d rather give him or her a call than text back, just hold the phone up to your ear and it’ll dial automatically. It doesn't get much lazier than that.

Its worse than that lewis... YOUR THE ONE TYPING THE TEXT...

also WHY ARENT YOU MOCKING... "DESIGNED FOR HUMANS" that one phrase killed this phone.

Treab had a good laugh at Direct Call last night. If you’re reading a message from someone and decide you’d rather give him or her a call than text back, just hold the phone up to your ear and it’ll dial automatically. It doesn't get much lazier than that.

Its worse than that lewis... YOUR THE ONE TYPING THE TEXT...

also WHY ARENT YOU MOCKING... "DESIGNED FOR HUMANS" that one phrase killed this phone.
No, Samsung's own hype killed this phone. If Samsung had have just announced the damn thing at MWC with the One X, it'd probably have got a far better response.

Last edited by matt101101, May. 4, 2012 at 16:35

Treab had a good laugh at Direct Call last night. If you’re reading a message from someone and decide you’d rather give him or her a call than text back, just hold the phone up to your ear and it’ll dial automatically. It doesn't get much lazier than that.

Its worse than that lewis... YOUR THE ONE TYPING THE TEXT...

also WHY ARENT YOU MOCKING... "DESIGNED FOR HUMANS" that one phrase killed this phone.
No, Samsung's own hype killed this phone. If Samsung had have just announced the damn thing at MWC with the One X, it'd probably have got a far better response.

Sorry but i seriously SERIOUSLY hate that phrase... its terribles.. who else is going to be designed for really?

I mean is it designed for him?

Last edited by Treab, May. 4, 2012 at 16:38

And whats wrong with looking gay? Homophobe

MOD EDIT: Erm, lets say it was inappropriate.

Last edited by matt101101, May. 5, 2012 at 15:56

I personally still think 4.8" display is too big. I'm very happy with my S2. What would have tempted me with the S3, is if they had upped the camera to 12mp. Very disappointed that they didn't. I do have a seperate camera but, I don't carry it every where I go and don't want to, I use my phone. If it had been 12mp I would have snapped the S3 up but, alas it's not. So now it just leaves me with the Xperia S which I'm not overly impressed with any way.

@Opheliac
Just... like... Wow!
Got any other issues you'd like to air?
Yes?
Please don't

What happened to freedom of speech? You are only allowed to post if you are pro-homosexual?? Nice one guys, nice one. This country is a mess.

What happened to freedom of speech? You are only allowed to post if you are pro-homosexual?? Nice one guys, nice one. This country is a mess.
I can't even remember what you said, but I remember it being offensive and inappropriate. If you want to voice your anti-gay views, do it somewhere else, I'm sure there are corners of the internet in which your views will be met positively. As for on Mobot, be nice, or go elsewhere. I honestly don't care which option you pick.

Don't even give that git a choice just ban him.

I personally still think 4.8" display is too big. I'm very happy with my S2. What would have tempted me with the S3, is if they had upped the camera to 12mp. Very disappointed that they didn't. I do have a seperate camera but, I don't carry it every where I go and don't want to, I use my phone. If it had been 12mp I would have snapped the S3 up but, alas it's not. So now it just leaves me with the Xperia S which I'm not overly impressed with any way.
I take it you don't know a huge amount about cameras? The megapixels are not the be all and end all, hell anything over about 4mp is good for A4 which I guess is still bigger than what most people print at. 8mp is honestly fine, the lens is more important when you're at this level.

My 10mp DSLR will destory most (if not all) compact cameras even with like 16mp sensors. It's one of those things where marketing rely on people thinking higher is better. When in fact a higher mp can often give worse photos as it products more noise.