Do I really want this phone?

[green mtns rider]

Hi- Ive been eligible for an upgrade since early May. Was originally holding off till the S3 was released, then info leaked on the iPhone 5 being released in late September. Havent had an iPhone to date, have moved from a Blackberry Storm 1 to a Droid X. Im thinking about sticking with Android as it does what I need it to do, however I cant help but pay attention to the issues with the S3 that have surfaced (ie: screen cracks and the no sim issue). It doesnt seem like Samsung or Verizon are moving too quickly to correct the sim issue and the screen cracks are most likely a manufacturing flaw. Want to upgrade to the latest and greatest, but dont know if its worth the hassle waiting on Samsung/Verizon to figure this out. Im located in central VT where we recently had the 4G switch turned on and the service is marginal at best when your not in the Rutland city area, I live up on the hill in Killington. The SIM issue would more than likely effect me. Its been over 3 months that Ive been up for an upgrade and I dont really have an issue waiting, but I dont want to wait for the iPhone to be released and the specs dont add up to the S3. Sell me on the S3 folks. been peaking that amazon deal for the past week...

 

[Ricky Babalu]

I do not have any issues whatsoever, best phone I have had. Highly recommend it.

 

[jcp007]

Only you can decide what phone is best for you. Both the iPhone and the GS3 are great devices that meet different needs. If you want a closed ecosystem without the ability to expand storage and user customization where everything is already packaged for you with a shallow learning curve, then the iPhone is for you. I came from a BB 9810 and have never looked back. This is by far one of the best smartphones that I have had.

Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S III Handheld Device

 

[green mtns rider]

Only you can decide what phone is best for you. Both the iPhone and the GS3 are great devices that meet different needs. If you want a closed ecosystem without the ability to expand storage and user customization where everything is already packaged for you with a shallow learning curve, then the iPhone is for you. I came from a BB 9810 and have never looked back. This is by far one of the best smartphones that I have had.

Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S3 Handheld Device

Well aware of the limitations of the iPhone, just looking for specific info on the s3 and it's issues and how they are effecting people. Can't really comment on the iPhone 5 cause we hardly know any specs or issues with the phone other than the obvious iOS drawbacks compared to Android.

 

[bgl321]

Haven't had any of those issues either... great phone! Came from the iPhone 4 and have't looked back for a second.

 

[the1m.polo]

I do not have any issues whatsoever, best phone I have had. Highly recommend it.

2nd that.... I'm on Verizon

Sent from my GS3....

 

[the1m.polo]

Well aware of the limitations of the iPhone, just looking for specific info on the s3 and it's issues and how they are effecting people. Can't really comment on the iPhone 5 cause we hardly know any specs or issues with the phone other than the obvious iOS drawbacks compared to Android.

Well every big new releases will have some issues... iphone definitely did... So take that with a grain of salt....I'm all for the GS3... But to each his own... iphone is solid but not for me... I need freedom

Sent from my GS3....

 

[Tonzilla]

Best phone I have ever owned, no question. Highly recommend it!

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

 

[534n]

SGS3 hands down. Love the fact that it has 2GB RAM. It is easily unlocked (despite claims otherwise to the Verizon edition) and rooted. There are loads of mods for it (if you are into that kind of thing - mine is stock OS but lots of tweaks here and there).

My brother has the iPhone 4S, and it just really is not that great of a phone, and after awhile of owning it he does not really like it.

I have become a great fan of Samsung in my experience with a lot of their devices over the past few years.

The other great things are the lower prices of everything from Samsung, and all the neat software from them.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I've had the "No SIM" issue...it's annoying when it happens, but that's about it...annoying. If you're a HEAVY text user it may be more serious for you, but I primarily use Google Talk anyway, so it's not a big deal for me. When it happens, I wait a few minutes and try again.

I'll be honest with you, for a while now when friends would ask me "should I get an iPhone or Android?", I'd almost always reply with, "I love Android, but if you really want a hassle-free phone that works right out of the box, you should probably look at the iPhone"...until now.

After using this phone for a week or so now, I'm completely blown away by it. For the first time in my Android career (that's up to 6 different devices now), this is the first one that I'm not immediately searching for a new ROM to install on it (I was a flash-a-holic with my Thunderbolt). Everything has worked great on it from the moment I took it out of the box, it's fast, I've had zero issues with (except for the "No SIM" thing...and I believe that's on Verizon anyway), and ICS runs so great on it that Samsung couldn't even screw it up that bad with Touchwiz. Honestly, I'm impressed -- eagerly awaiting the Jelly Bean update, but honestly am quite happy with the device just as it is.

Decision is up to you, but just remember, iPhones do have issues too -- I won't deny that iOS generally provides a more user-friendly experience with a lot less bugs (primarily because Apple is able to develop it for a single line of devices, unlike Android which is developed to be run on many generic devices), but that still doesn't mean that every iPhone experience is a positive one.

 

[Thechocowarrior]

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...

 

[f1nzup]

This is the first thread I have seen mention any cracks. I was not aware that this was an issue and I have been on this forum since before the U.S. launch.

And I second everyone else. This is BY FAR the best phone I have ever had.

 

[s14tat]

I cant help but pay attention to the issues with the S3 that have surfaced (ie: screen cracks and the no sim issue). It doesnt seem like Samsung or Verizon are moving too quickly to correct the sim issue and the screen cracks are most likely a manufacturing flaw.

The reason why the screen cracks is because if the phone lands face first, the glass will shatter. Older android phones had the glass recessed under a very very thin bezel so when those phones fell face first, it would hit the bezel instead of the edge of the glass. If you look at both the HTC One X and Galaxy S 3 the glass is the part of the phone that sticks out the most and the bezel is actually recessed. When it falls face first, it is the glass that contacts the ground first causing it to crack. Was it a stupid design? Yes, but it is not a defect though.

The sim card problem seems more like an actual defect that will go away once you swap phones to a working unit.

 

[534n]

Actually my first SGS3 had to be sent back because I had a defective earpiece speaker - which is an issue I had never heard of before so I am assuming it is a fluke. The no SIM issue could also be because of a reversed lockslot which happens when the SIM is locked and the forced out, or comes locked and is then unlocked when the SIM is pushed in but does not eject because it is being released on an in cycle. Just a thought though and people with the no SIM issue should check and see if their SIM comes out without having to be released. I never heard of the screen crack until now too.

 

[guinnkevinr]

I've had a lot of android phones over the past two years and a lot of them had defects (Some more than others). The S3 has been problem free for me and I've had three different once (All the att colors).

 

[mrfmanuel]

Hello my friend. No body knows about iphone 5 but everyone knows about restrictions of IOS. For me Apple is not an option. In the other hand I own a S3 and it is the best phone i've ever had and the second one of the galaxy line.
Here you are some videos that can clarify your mind..
Part 1:?Android Vs iOS The Truth about Apple and Google's OS Part 1 of 5 - YouTube
Part 2:?Android Vs iOS The Truth about Apple and Google's OS Part 2 of 5 - YouTube
Part 3:?Android Vs iOS The Truth about Apple and Google's OS Part 3 of 5 - YouTube
Part 4:?Android Vs iOS The Truth about Apple and Google's OS Part 4 of 5 - YouTube
Part 5:?Android Vs iOS The Truth about Apple and Google's OS Part 5 of 5 - YouTube

Good luck.

 

[jontalk]

Similar to paintdrinkingpete I had the second gen iPhone for 4 years. At one point about 8 months after I got it and shortly after Apple stupidly released iOS 4 for both the iP4G and previous models, I was going back to the Apple store about every 8 weeks to get a phone where the battery would stay charged. FIVE phones later I finally got a NEW one (instead of a refurb) that remained OK for a couple of years. And then there was 'Antennagate' with the iP4 as you know.

I think Apple makes a good product though the Apple ecosystem is really based on 'how much can we squeeze the consumer for'. Just look at what they've done with the connector on the new phone forcing EVERYONE that has a iP4 or 4S to get a new adapter for their car, etc. And if you look in the Google Play store you'll find TONS of great FREE apps unlike iTunes.

I've had my GS3 for about 2 1/2 weeks. I've had NO problems, get GREAT battery life and once you have a 4.8" HD screen, you'll be hard pressed to go back to the puny screen on an iPhone. I thought I was going to keep my old iP as a back up but realized I couldn't deal with how slow it is or the tiny screen. So I sold it last weekend. End of story.

 

[clutch1234]

I had and iphone 4 and now i have a gs3 and by far the gs3 is better hands down.... you are very limited on the iphone on stuff you can do such as customizing the phone.... you would have to jailbreak the iphone to even come close to what the s3 does.... and s3 is still far superior even with the iphone jailbroken... just my 2 cents

 

[jpullins]

Like everyone else said it's a great phone....I have a pebble blue version on att and my wife got the white one. I had a galaxy s fascinate and the HTC rezound before this and this phone takes a dump on both of those with ease. It's so fast and fluid it's almost unreal to be an android phone. I love it and my wife loves it, it's also the first phone I have owned that I don't look at other phones and think did I make the right choice when I bought it.

BTW I dropped my phone face first on solid concrete and not a single scratch

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

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

The reason why the screen cracks is because if the phone lands face first, the glass will shatter. Older android phones had the glass recessed under a very very thin bezel so when those phones fell face first, it would hit the bezel instead of the edge of the glass. If you look at both the HTC One X and Galaxy S 3 the glass is the part of the phone that sticks out the most and the bezel is actually recessed. When it falls face first, it is the glass that contacts the ground first causing it to crack. Was it a stupid design? Yes, but it is not a defect though.

The sim card problem seems more like an actual defect that will go away once you swap phones to a working unit.

That's why I put a Seidio Active case on mine. Sure, it adds a little bulk (as all cases will), but I like the 2 part design *and* the fact that it provides a millimeter or so of clearance above the glass screen, which would protect against the types of falls you mention. Face up or face down, I know I set my phone down and not worry about scratching the camera lens or (more importantly) the screen itself.