Galaxy S3, from an ex-iPhone 4 user

[evperry]

I got 3 lemons in a row from Best Buy with my Galaxy Nexus, yep 3. Most likely this because it was literally the first batch but with that said the quality control on a Samsung Vs Iphone is not even close. Outside of that antennae issue with the iphone a few years back they don't routinely have quality control issues.

Incidentally my buddy got a Iphone 5 and damn that thing is pretty...It looks like jewelry. I wonder why we cant get a pretty Android?

Just for the record, I never said, or even insinuated, that the iPhone 4 is better than the S3. But moving on from pointless banter...

So this morning, I tried one final test: I downloaded a 3D game that I know the phone is capable of running, to see how my phone handled it. I downloaded Blood and Glory, and tried to play. It worked well for about 10 seconds, and then the framerate dropped and rendered the game completely unplayable, never recovering. At that point, I did a backup and factory restore, and the first thing I did was download, once again, Blood and Glory. I ran it to see how it would run on a factory reset phone. It was the same, completely unplayable. I absolutely must assume that this is not normal, so I'm going to go back to Best Buy today and kindly request a new device, and hopefully, that one won't be a lemon.

 

[LegalAmerican]

Just for the record, I never said, or even insinuated, that the iPhone 4 is better than the S3. But moving on from pointless banter...

So this morning, I tried one final test: I downloaded a 3D game that I know the phone is capable of running, to see how my phone handled it. I downloaded Blood and Glory, and tried to play. It worked well for about 10 seconds, and then the framerate dropped and rendered the game completely unplayable, never recovering. At that point, I did a backup and factory restore, and the first thing I did was download, once again, Blood and Glory. I ran it to see how it would run on a factory reset phone. It was the same, completely unplayable. I absolutely must assume that this is not normal, so I'm going to go back to Best Buy today and kindly request a new device, and hopefully, that one won't be a lemon.

My apologies. I must have misunderstood. The hard part about these forums is there is only one medium to transfer communication to one another. We dont have the benefit of body language, tone, volume of voice, etc..

Let us know what happens after you get this unit swapped out. This one is definitely not functioning properly.

 

[funkylogik]

My apologies. I must have misunderstood. The hard part about these forums is there is only one medium to transfer communication to one another. We dont have the benefit of body language, tone, volume of voice, etc..

Let us know what happens after you get this unit swapped out. This one is definitely not functioning properly.

never a truer word said mate
wonder which o/s will make it easier for us to read each others emotion/entention without lookin them in the eye lol

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[Maccorf]

So, I went to Best Buy today, explained the situation, and they gave me another device. First thing I did was install Blood and Glory, and it ran without a hitch. Opened up Google Maps and played around, trying to tax it as best I could. Smooth and consistent. Started loading everything I had before onto the new device, and so far, its noticeably zippier and more reliable. This is what I expected the device to run like. It feels great, and once I'm finished customizing, I think I'm going to be very happy. Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions, now I can actually start/read threads about delving further into Android without feeling like my phone is just not up to snuff.

 

[badbrad17]

So, I went to Best Buy today, explained the situation, and they gave me another device. First thing I did was install Blood and Glory, and it ran without a hitch. Opened up Google Maps and played around, trying to tax it as best I could. Smooth and consistent. Started loading everything I had before onto the new device, and so far, its noticeably zippier and more reliable. This is what I expected the device to run like. It feels great, and once I'm finished customizing, I think I'm going to be very happy. Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions, now I can actually start/read threads about delving further into Android without feeling like my phone is just not up to snuff.

That is really awesome. Very happy for you man. Have fun and keep me posted how it is all working in a few days.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Android Central Forums

 

[badbrad17]

My apologies. I must have misunderstood. The hard part about these forums is there is only one medium to transfer communication to one another. We dont have the benefit of body language, tone, volume of voice, etc..

Let us know what happens after you get this unit swapped out. This one is definitely not functioning properly.

Very cool post. Good on ya. We all get into it. :beer:

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Android Central Forums

 

[crackberrytraitor]

So, I went to Best Buy today, explained the situation, and they gave me another device. First thing I did was install Blood and Glory, and it ran without a hitch. Opened up Google Maps and played around, trying to tax it as best I could. Smooth and consistent. Started loading everything I had before onto the new device, and so far, its noticeably zippier and more reliable. This is what I expected the device to run like. It feels great, and once I'm finished customizing, I think I'm going to be very happy. Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions, now I can actually start/read threads about delving further into Android without feeling like my phone is just not up to snuff.

Congrats, man! I'm glad you can now experience the S3 as it's designed to function. I'm sorry you got a lemon, but it sometimes happens.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Targon]

After reading MOST of the posts in this thread, I decided to jump in with a few observations. For starters, and you can probably understand this, there are different sides to why some people dislike Apple, and it isn't entirely about the devices themselves. When Apple decided to effectively ban Adobe Flash from iOS devices, it was perceived as Apple being too controlling for many, and just trying to make people use APPS for everything, even when you could just go to a Flash enabled web site for exactly the same thing. Considering Apple gets upwards of 30 percent of revenues from things sold on the Apple App Store, this push to FORCE people to get apps for EVERYTHING rubbed some people the wrong way. Then again, when Apple copies an idea from the 1980s or 1990s, then acts like they invented the CONCEPT and further, sues other companies who also copy that same concept, that also adds to the anti-Apple sentiment.

Then, you also have the crowd out there that is always saying "The iPhone is the best!", and similar posts and comments. One thing about saying that your personal preferred device is "The Best", rather than just saying you love that device is that it opens the door for people who disagree to say "no, it is NOT the best". In the same way that many people have an automatic dislike of people who run around acting like they are Gods gift to the world, people also dislike people who try to claim that their preference is "The best", even when it can be debated.

So, between those two things, you WILL have a faction that has a dislike of the iPhone crowd. Between that and the fact that iOS 6 really doesn't feel all that different from iOS 5, which didn't feel all that different from iOS 4, you will also get the crowd of "So tell me again how the newest iPhone is so much better than the previous?" people. Most don't object to some people having a preference for the iPhone, but the "Apple is THE BEST" types do tend to stir up a lot of animosity. It is like the situation in high school where you have the football players and followers, and then you have the others who tend to dislike the football players and followers. And yes, that is American Football, not Soccer(what you call Football in the rest of the world).

Android does tend to attract more of the type of people who like to tinker and experiment than iOS does, and that is with a stock install, I am not talking about the crowd that will jailbreak, root, or do whatever to their devices, no matter what they may be, simply because there IS a lot you can do to tweak and customize on Android.

So, it is what it is, but you will notice that we do have some very rational people over here who at least have a rational reason for why we are the way we are. I try to limit my dislike of APPLE to their policies, and keep an open mind when it comes to the devices they make.

 

[badbrad17]

After reading MOST of the posts in this thread, I decided to jump in with a few observations. For starters, and you can probably understand this, there are different sides to why some people dislike Apple, and it isn't entirely about the devices themselves. When Apple decided to effectively ban Adobe Flash from iOS devices, it was perceived as Apple being too controlling for many, and just trying to make people use APPS for everything, even when you could just go to a Flash enabled web site for exactly the same thing. Considering Apple gets upwards of 30 percent of revenues from things sold on the Apple App Store, this push to FORCE people to get apps for EVERYTHING rubbed some people the wrong way. Then again, when Apple copies an idea from the 1980s or 1990s, then acts like they invented the CONCEPT and further, sues other companies who also copy that same concept, that also adds to the anti-Apple sentiment.

Then, you also have the crowd out there that is always saying "The iPhone is the best!", and similar posts and comments. One thing about saying that your personal preferred device is "The Best", rather than just saying you love that device is that it opens the door for people who disagree to say "no, it is NOT the best". In the same way that many people have an automatic dislike of people who run around acting like they are Gods gift to the world, people also dislike people who try to claim that their preference is "The best", even when it can be debated.

So, between those two things, you WILL have a faction that has a dislike of the iPhone crowd. Between that and the fact that iOS 6 really doesn't feel all that different from iOS 5, which didn't feel all that different from iOS 4, you will also get the crowd of "So tell me again how the newest iPhone is so much better than the previous?" people. Most don't object to some people having a preference for the iPhone, but the "Apple is THE BEST" types do tend to stir up a lot of animosity. It is like the situation in high school where you have the football players and followers, and then you have the others who tend to dislike the football players and followers. And yes, that is American Football, not Soccer(what you call Football in the rest of the world).

Android does tend to attract more of the type of people who like to tinker and experiment than iOS does, and that is with a stock install, I am not talking about the crowd that will jailbreak, root, or do whatever to their devices, no matter what they may be, simply because there IS a lot you can do to tweak and customize on Android.

So, it is what it is, but you will notice that we do have some very rational people over here who at least have a rational reason for why we are the way we are. I try to limit my dislike of APPLE to their policies, and keep an open mind when it comes to the devices they make.

Technology has become like religion.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Android Central Forums

 

[Targon]

Technology has become like religion.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Android Central Forums

And the Apple religion is like the Church of Scientology.

 

[badbrad17]

And the Apple religion is like the Church of Scientology.

Ha ha. Truth.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Android Central Forums

 

[VivaTerlingua]

Ok. I'm an iPhone 4 user. Just upgraded to iPhone 5 but returned it because of wifi problems. Thinking about S3 but have some questions, but would prefer they're answered by people who have used both phones for more than a couple of minutes.

First, screen size is a big attraction to me. I need reading glasses now and a bigger screen would allow me to do simple tasks without having to put on reading glasses. However, I've read the S3 isn't as good as the iPhone in sunlight. Sometimes I use a topo map app on my phone when hiking and would like to do the same if I get an S3, is the screen readable in sunlight?

Second, phone size. How is the phone for one handed use? I find the iphone keyboard kind of hard to type on, but am afraid a bigger device may be difficult to use one handed. Does anyone use theirs mostly one handed?

One poster here indicated that they got better battery life with the iPhone 4 than the S3, what has been other's experience?

Things that look better to me about the S3; LED notification, easier to turn bluetooth on/off and change other settings, google maps. We use gmail and google apps at work, so tighter google integration is appealing.

Things I don't care about too much: I really don't need to customize the phone, I just want the apps to work easily. NFC. Watching videos, that's what my iPad is for.

 

[evperry]

To type on the phone the best solution is SwiftKey. It predicts the next word that you are gonna type. It's best used with 2 thumbs by the way.

The next release of jelly bean has a built in swype keyboard where you can basically use one finger and 1 hand to type. Some people prefer this method.

The best aspect of this phone in my opinion is that there are multiple keyboards that you can choose from. That's one of my issues with Apple.

Once you get in the Google world you will be pleasantly happy with how much you can do with their programs and how well they integrate in. In my opinion its a notch above the apple system at this point.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

 

[Targon]

Ok. I'm an iPhone 4 user. Just upgraded to iPhone 5 but returned it because of wifi problems. Thinking about S3 but have some questions, but would prefer they're answered by people who have used both phones for more than a couple of minutes.

First, screen size is a big attraction to me. I need reading glasses now and a bigger screen would allow me to do simple tasks without having to put on reading glasses. However, I've read the S3 isn't as good as the iPhone in sunlight. Sometimes I use a topo map app on my phone when hiking and would like to do the same if I get an S3, is the screen readable in sunlight?

Second, phone size. How is the phone for one handed use? I find the iphone keyboard kind of hard to type on, but am afraid a bigger device may be difficult to use one handed. Does anyone use theirs mostly one handed?

One poster here indicated that they got better battery life with the iPhone 4 than the S3, what has been other's experience?

Things that look better to me about the S3; LED notification, easier to turn bluetooth on/off and change other settings, google maps. We use gmail and google apps at work, so tighter google integration is appealing.

Things I don't care about too much: I really don't need to customize the phone, I just want the apps to work easily. NFC. Watching videos, that's what my iPad is for.

When it comes to the brightness, you have the "normal brightness", and then you have the auto-brightness. If the auto mode to make the phone brighter or dimmer does not work well for YOU, then turn it off and you can crank the brightness up as high as you want. Keep in mind that the brighter the screen is, the faster it drains the battery. It is VERY easy to turn things like GPS, Bluetooth, etc on or off(no need to go hunting under settings), so battery life CAN be conserved. I have ZERO problems using my S3 in the sun.

With all of that said, Android in general allows for apps to really run in the background, it doesn't just suspend apps when not in use. Widgets that are on the different home screens are also running, which adds to the load, and reduces battery life. Fortunately, you have the task switcher(double click the "home" button) and you can shut down apps you don't need to have running and that will help with battery life as well.

Now, I don't even try to use my S3 one handed, though some have no problem. The real key is the size of your hands. You COULD just put the phone down and use it one handed that way I suppose. Using it isn't even the biggest issue, it is trying to type that I don't really try doing one handed.

Really, the S3 is a great phone, far better than the iPhone in many ways, with only the drop test favoring the iPhone and thus making the S3 not a good choice for some(don't give one to a kid).

 

[1mysteriouslife]

Thanks a ton, I am iphone 4 user consider Samsung SIII. Two reasons my iphone 4 broke (literally, it fell on the floor and glass back is shattered). 2nd the Iphone 5 has not yet been launched in UAE. I dont want to pay high price for it from grey market. Your review is very useful. Please do share any other usability (Os related or App related) feedback that you may have?

 

[daflake]

My phone gets hot from time to time, but still runs well and has not crashed because of it. As for speed, I am up in the Laurel area and the speed is very fast. As others have mentioned, you may have a bad phone.

I am also a former iPhone user and can honestly say that I won't be buying another one any time in the future.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

 

[sebibb]

I have been an Android user for several years,through different phones. I have noticed ALL of the things you mentioned and just learned to live with it. I am thinking about changing to an iphone,my largest worry is all of the free apps on Android.

 

[Craig Rogers]

with my galaxy s3, overheating has been noticed. I'm a heavy user though, running many streaming items in the background and always playing games. Although this phone does get hotter than most phones, mine has never gotten to the point where I thought it would damage the phone. As for network connectivity, I haven't seen any problems at all. Which carrier do you use? That might be the cause, due to either poor coverage or just a bad network in general. If you have (I'm assuming your in the USA) T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon network issues shouldn't be a problem. As for Sprint, they're iffy at best. I have noticed slight speed problems on my galaxy (system, not network), but I did find a fix for this. Just closing down all the apps doesn't fix the problem, usually a giant amount of ram is still being used. If you clear the ram, the phone should scream with speed. The speed issue may also be due to the different OS. Android handles things differently than ios does. So, items may run a little differently. This doesn't necessarily mean a speed difference, it just means things are processed differently and may finish at different times. Also, are you running jelly bean currently? (I know it wasn't released at the time of this post, but it should fix a lot of speed related issues with the enhancements of project butter).

 

[xlDeMoNiClx]

And the Apple religion is like the Church of Scientology.

Soon we'll have Tom Cruise preaching about the iPhone. XD

 

[ungibbed]

I still love my S2. I use it every day for emails, weather widget, facebook messenger, google navigation on my bike (audio only). It replaced an old palm organiser, pocket camera, mobile phone and PSP as the device I carry everywhere.
My wife has recently taken a turn to the dark side and bought an old iphone 3GS after having had a HTC Desire for a year. She prefers the iphone, probably because it "Just works", or in my opinion, "Just about works". I can't offer her any help when it has wifi connection problems, I don't know why it renders some web sites wrong, and I can't explain why 3G is slower than H+. I guess I'm more into gadgets, have rooted and debranded my O2 handset, flashed CyanogenMod 10 to the latest nightly experimental build and chose a starfield live wallpaper and am in my element.

I had the T-Mobile variant of the Galaxy S2. It was truly a wonderful phone while I had it and possibly one of my personal favorite designs as the SGH-T989 had a different rounded body but also under the hood it was an entirely different beast. Having to use the Qualcomm hardware to work with the AWS bands of T-Mobile's network and get a HSPA connection. My main reason for grabbing the S2 was willing to give Samsung another shot after the disaster that was the Behold II.

I was impressed with most everything that it offered aside from the sluggish gaming performance due to the Adreno series GPU which was in it's infancy. Great phone and I have many friends around the world who refuse to let them go.

I will admit that I also had a GS3 from my same carrier and really liked it but the battery life left much to be desired. It was very random. Sometimes lasting me through the day with WiFi calling where available. I now carry an iPhone 5 today but I do admit I miss my S3 often for the larger display and far more camera options. Had it not self destructed on me, I would most likely be using it now.

I am platform agnostic. While I am a Mac owner and do own many other Apple devices. My last Android phone was one I grabbed for cheap and always wanted one and that was the last revision of the Galaxy Nexus.

Beautiful phone with pure Jelly Bean while I used it but nowhere near as fast as the carrier bloated GS3 with T-wiz skinned on it

I have left my iPad for my far more portable Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 while still using my iPhone 5.

I never understood the justification that people must defend their purchase or choice of mobile phone to the point of name calling and other attacks. Heck, I carried a BlackBerry Bold 9700 long after its prime. Why? It did everything I needed a smartphone to do and it did have a great sound quality for music playback.

It was that time I decided to move on to something modern and the first step was the GS2 which is still a fantastic phone.

Sent from my Galaxy Tab 3 via tin cans and string.