Samsung Galaxy S3 - Price in USA, screen size, battery life, camera

The follow up to the hugely successful Samsung Galaxy S2, i.e. the Samsung Galaxy S3 is finally here. Presented below are few of the salient features of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Design

The Samsung Galaxy S3 does not imitate the rectangular look of the S2, but goes for an oval design similar to that of the Galaxy Nexus. The back potion of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is really smooth; there is absence of bumpy objects which could be seen and felt on the Nexus and S2 and the corners are rounded and smooth. The camera forms a part of the rear casing itself, with its borders adorned by some chrome finish.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 weighs only 133 grams and is 8.6 mm thick. It means that it is slightly thicker than the S2, but definitely thinner than the iPhone 4S, which is 9.3mm thick. However, one has to note that the screen on the Samsung Galaxy S3 is really large, bigger than the S2 but smaller than the Galaxy note. Also, the frame of this smartphone is made from plastic. So if have a particular dislike for plastic, then this may not be the Android smartphone for you.

The home button is still placed at the bottom-center with the back buttons snug on either side. A touch sensitive menu completes the design. One may however hold a grudge against the placement of the keys, as they are at the very edge and can result in accidental turning on of the Samsung Galaxy S3. There may be a few people who will feel that the ‘pebble’ design of the smartphone is ancient and a reminder of the bulky smartphones of the past. Others may be happy with the simple and easy design that will facilitate portability through the hand.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in two colors, i.e. a really dark shade of blue along with a metal brushed appearance which gives it an almost black look, and in a glossy white shade. Individuals who like the black variety of smartphones can opt for the blue shade or can wait for a few months after the launch for newer colors, such as pink, black, etc.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Processor and Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is equipped with a fantastic quad-core processor that can attain speeds of 1.4 GHz. Thus the playing of beefy games as well as enjoying high-quality, high resolution videos will be child’s play on this device. The performance will never leave you wanting or disappointed.

One may argue the fact that there are not many apps in the Android Market that will test the abilities of this processor to the hilt. But you can be rest assured that it will be capable of handling demanding apps, when they are launched in the future. Additionally, it does eliminate the redundancy factors of technical devices as you can use the device for quite a long time, even when newer Android smartphones are launched in the future. However, one will need to check the affect of the processor on the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S3. It is equipped with a 2,100mAh battery, a MicroSD card slot and has storage options of 16, 32 or 64GB.

The rear camera on the S3 is similar in pixel specification as that of the S2, i.e. it comes with an 8 megapixel rear camera. But it has newer features such as nil shutter lag and such as automatic suggestion of the best photo from an array of similar pictures taken. Such a suggestion is based on factors like facial recognition, smile detection, etc. It also has the ability to take snaps while shooting a video. The front camera is 2 megapixel strong and can be used for video calling. It also allows facial recognition. A unique feature of this camera is that it will prevent the screen from dimming as along as long as it is being used.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Screen size, Display

The display on the Samsung Galaxy is a whopping 4.8 inches when measured diagonally. The display size is thus right up there in the top tier. Individuals who have small fingers may find it a tad bit uncomfortable to hold onto the smartphone, but such inconvenience can definitely be overlooked when you see the amazing quality of the videos and pictures on this device.

It comes with a resolution of 1,280×720 pixels, which provide a sharper definition to the text and icons and will also enable better viewing of high quality video. The screen is similar to the Note and the Nexus, i.e. the HD Super AMOLED screen. All of us know the fact that AMOLED displays provide vivid colors and the deepest of deep blacks in photos and videos, which can be a real visual treat. The S2’s screen came with the ‘Plus’ suffix, but is missing in the Samsung Galaxy S3 which means a decrease in the sub-pixels per pixel as compared to the S2. Users who really value the technical aspects of a gadget may find this unappealing, but normal users may not feel any difference in the display quality.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Software and Apps

The super smartphone comes with the very powerful and diverse Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System. However, Android OS has been customized with Samsung’s own interface called TouchWiz, similar to the one that can be seen on the S2. This will mean that there will be bloatware and unwanted, preinstalled apps and widgets. Additionally, users will have to wait for TouchWiz’s version of updates instead of using the updates of ICS.

There are a few new apps loaded onto the S3 such as S Beam, a transfer app that allows the transfer of larger amounts of data via a Wi-Fi connection. The ‘Pop up Play’ facilitates multitasking and allows users to watch videos while simultaneously indulging in other activities such as texting, etc.

Another feature called S Voice, allows voice control facilities just like Apple’s Siri. It can be used in the unlocking of the phone along with facial recognition feature. So users now need voice and face recognition for unlocking their S3’s. The S Voice feature can also be used for other activities such as making calls, playing music, checking weather, etc.

The S3 also comes with the online storage facility DropBox for two years and up to 50 GB of data. User can just dump all their data out there.