Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

TonyDanzaFan

Member
Aug 1, 2012
10
1
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

I got a Galaxy S3 on Friday. I wanted it when it came out, but when I tried it out at the VZW store, I hated it. I kept hitting the capacitive buttons, and the screen was really dim even after I messed with the brightness. It turns out the first time I tried it, it was a combination of bad lighting in the VZW store, and there were like three options for the screen in the browser, so even when I turned it all the way up, because of the option it was on it was still dim. So I had the intention of getting a Droid INC4G instead, despite the tiny screen. Well, people here convinced me to try the GS3 some more, and boy I am glad I did. The screen wasn't pixelated at all, and it was beautiful. I came from a Droid X/X2, the latter which was REALLY bad as far as lag and screen quality goes. That is why I was so hesitant to get a GS3 because I knew it used pentile. The fact that it was a motorola screen is pretty much why the Droid X2 sucked so bad. Motorola screens are just garbage. I bought an original Incredible which I used for a week, and the screen was good quality, but it was just too small. I'm loving the GS3. I got the blue one because, even though I enjoy white gadgets, the white used on the GS3 looks pretty bad. I thought the blue looked really cool, not sure why people say it looks purple. It looks metallic. And I feel like the blue enhances the screen more than white does. Even though I hate how samsung uses that glossy plastic, it is really nice feeling on the GS3. It just feels great, unlike past samsung devices. I tried the Nexus, but the plastic on that felt flat out terrible. I used the DINC4G, and I thought because of pictures, that it would have soft touch plastic, but it didn't feel like that. The lines on the back really hampered the feel of it, which stinks because the soft touch on the original incredible feels great. The DINC4G screen was sharp, but it was just too small for my giant hands. I love HTC Sense, and Beats Audio would have been great, but ultimately I'd rather wait for a bigger HTC device. I know I already said this, but I LOVE the design of the GS3, and the Pebble Blue is beautiful. I went for the 32 GB because I ripped some DVDs and have 13 GBs of music, and unlike apple who charges over $100 more, it was only $50 more, so it was a no brainer. Unfortunately I now only have 2 GB a month for 4g, so I'll have to stick with wifi most of the time, which sucks if I have to go on a road trip and want to watch netflix. :/ If I had one complaint, it would be that the physical buttons (home, volume, power) are really mushy and feel fragile. I'm also scared that I am going to scratch the back of the device. I bought a screen protector, but I struggled putting it on, so I basically wasted $13. I wanted the flip cover, but Samsung is INSANE for charging $40 for it. The music app sucks, so I will have to pay for power amp, and I will also be buying Beautiful widgets to get the HTC weather/clock widget. My battery has been really bad, so right now I tried a tip I read online that said to turn it off and charge it to 100%, so I am attempting that right now to see if it works. I've seen people get over a day, yet my phone dies after less than 8 hours. Something isn't right, because I listened to music for an hour and it went from like 58% to about 20%. I had a few glitches where the text under my apps turned into squares, but a reboot fixed that. I hope I don't have a lemon. :/ But overall, I want to thank the people here who convinced me to not go with the DINC4G. And the screen is NOT dim like I originally tried a few weeks ago, it is plenty bright, and no sign of the dreaded pentile! I Love this phone!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Como4076

isabel95

Well-known member
Sep 24, 2010
506
3
0
Visit site
Have to echo your experience with gps

What a difference from the long wait I had for lock with my Droid 2!



2 weeks with the phone now.... I am very pleased. It's not going back for sure. Came from a DInc... this is a MAJOR upgrade for sure. I pre-ordered it, was worried about the size of the phone compared to my old DInc, but now I don't see how I ever got along with such a small screen. It fits perfectly in my pocket, love the form factor. I even love the brushed metal look and the color. Using a Ringke SLIM Lite case to provide some protection and grip.

Display - I have no problem with the screen brightness. I have it set to about 80% and I am quite happy with it. A little washed out in direct sunlight, yes, but easy to see in the shade.

Phone - no issues, comparable to my old phone as far as call quality, speaker...etc

Touch Wiz - I'm learning to like it. May switch to another launcher if I get bored with it at some point.

Widgets - they are ok.. have downloaded other widget libraries.

Signal quality - 3G very comparable to DInc. LTE is fine. Not quite as good a signal as my co-worker's RAZR, but he likes my S3's display quality, form factor, and speed. Switching between 3G, Wifi and LTE is fast and seamless.

GPS - Lock in is fast as hell. Could not be happier with this.

Battery Life - Excellent. I return home after a long day at work with 50-60%. Could not ask for more!

Keyboard - Quickly replaced with Swiftkey

Camera and Video - No complaints. Very fast camera shutter.

Disappointments- Widget library is not as good as Sense. Still getting use to the home button. Easy to hit volume buttons by mistake. Wifi reminder is annoying but will root at some point in near future and remove it. Slippery without a case... but I never planned on leaving it naked!

It's a keeper! Samsung has a satisfied customer.
 

bassjo

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
300
3
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

I've had my SGS3 for approximately 7 days now and can honestly say I can't find anything to complain about, (save for the anti-glare screen protector).

  • Battery - It's lasted between 12 to 16 hours depending on usage.
  • Ease of use - This was one of my earlier complaints with Android, it's vast adaptability; especially when compared to iOS, led to it's almost over complication in doing simple tasks. ICS and even the new version of TouchWiz has made this phone a breeze to use, even with my Mac.
  • Signal/ Data - This was another area I've been disappointed with on my last 2 Android handsets, (Droid Bionic, Galaxy Nexus). Either they didn't have a good/ great signal except when in major, major cities or they dropped the data like every 5 minutes, (a little over exaggerated I know) and required a reboot to get the data back. With my SGS3 I've not had a problem with signal strength or data even in my man cave, nor have I had any 4G/3G hand off issues like I had with the Nexus.

Anyway, this has to be the best Android phone I've ever owned, including my DX which was and still is a killer phone! (My son has inherited it. ) :) Hopefully with the coming of Jelly Bean and project butter we will see nothing but greater and greater improvements from here on out!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Como4076

dlgus

Well-known member
Nov 29, 2010
526
2
18
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

Have had the phone since Friday.....it's as light as a feather--BIG change from my Droid X. Love the bigger screen....still taking a minute to get used to moving things around. Not a major fan of cameras, but have to admit that I LOVED the burst shot--that will make getting pix of my dogs in action a lot easier.

It is a LOT faster, though I'm not sure if that is as much because my DX seemed to be slowing down....Not a major fan of the keyboard, but that is easily fixed. Now going to do some searching to figure out some other things.

Overall, I am thrilled beyond the telling
 

bassjo

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
300
3
0
Visit site
Have had the phone since Friday.....it's as light as a feather--BIG change from my Droid X. Love the bigger screen....still taking a minute to get used to moving things around. Not a major fan of cameras, but have to admit that I LOVED the burst shot--that will make getting pix of my dogs in action a lot easier.

It is a LOT faster, though I'm not sure if that is as much because my DX seemed to be slowing down....Not a major fan of the keyboard, but that is easily fixed. Now going to do some searching to figure out some other things.

Overall, I am thrilled beyond the telling

I agree with most of what you're saying, however I think the camera is great. It's a heck of a lot better than my Galaxy Nexus and better than my DX.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 

grnmchn

New member
May 9, 2011
2
0
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

I hate the 2 year contract.
My Thunderbolt has been a problem for the last few months and Verizon wants full retail for this phone if I try to upgrade early...my contract isn't up until the end of NOVEMBER.
 

Andy847

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2010
813
6
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

I've had my GS3 for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I totally love the phone, although it's definitely not perfect. I've had to do a lot of workarounds and some stuff doesn't work as well as my last phone, my Droid X. I have no regrets in deciding on this phone and not waiting to see the Razor Maxx HD or the Iphone 5 (I just wanted to see what it offered, would never get another Apple product, I have the new Ipad that's enough). Of all the phones offered now, this is the only one I liked anyways.

Aesthetic

Very thin and Big, but not too much that it's hard to hold. I actually grew to like the White 32gb I chose, rather than my original choice of the Pebble Blue. Like the button placement and the charger port on the bottom. Still find myself touching top of phone to turn it on, just from being use to my Droid X.

Screen
The Screen is Gorgeous! Very clear and easy to read. I do have trouble seeing in sunlight though. Was easier to read my Droid X in Sunlight.
EMail/Calendar
Have had no problems with my email. I use gmail and no problems yet that I can see. I love the look of the Stock Calendar, but as for the notifications being so limited, I had to pay for a different calendar. Also, couldn't hear the notification sounds that it would allow. Not being able to put my own notification sounds in, was a big letdown, since I really liked the look of the stock Calendar.
Hardware
This phone is fast! Much faster than my X. I was excited to move up to my first 4g phone and glad I did. I use wifi more, but the 4g that I've used is very fast. Haven't had any use of 3g yet, I'm in a good 4g area.

Phone
I get good reception at my house, haven't tried the basement yet, but calls are really clear. I've had people comment on how clear I sound and that the phone sounds really good. Speakerphone is loud and clear. Usually only get two bars at home, but no dropped calls. I had 3 to 4 bars on my X. I'm probably one of the Few people that like S-Voice, although I admit, it needs a lot of work and can be hit or miss. I use Voice Commands to call a lot, so need that feature. Sometimes use Google voice actions instead if it gives me problems.
Overall User Interface
It took me awhile to get use to Ice Cream Sandwich, but I do like the improvements they have made. Phone works smoothly and no lag. Not sure if they come out with the Jellybean update, that I want to update it any time soon. Phone works great right now.

Signal quality (Compared to other devices)
I've had no dropped calls, the bars show lower than on my X, but still have no problem with calls, 4G, or GPS. My droid X got about -81 to -87dBm, my GS3 gets anywhere from -94 to -98dBm. So better with my X, but never had a problem with calls or anything.
Camera
I've only taken a couple pics outside, but have to say the pics outside came out nice. On the other hand, inside, the Camera I find not that good. I've tried with flash/without flash/Auto and don't like the way they look. Just practiced on my dog, but don't like the pics it's taking. Could be the lighting in my room also. I think the Camera on my Droid X was much better indoors. First time with a front facing camera and have used Tango a couple times with no problems. Haven't taken any video yet though.
Media
I only played some music and some videos on it, but seems to work fine for that. Just using stock media player and video player.

GPS
I have no problem getting a lock on GPS when I use it. The only problem I have is when using Google Navigation and I say the Address, it takes forever to get a signal lock. When I disable the S-Voice, then speak the Address it locks right on. This only happens when I want to speak, rather than type the address in. Not a big problem. The newer Google Navigation is so much better than the one on my Droid X. LOL. I was worried about the past Samsung history of not having Good GPS, but it's working fine on my phone.
Battery Life
. I'm by no means a real heavy user. I get through a full day most of the time with about 60-70% left on my phone. There was one day where I did some GPS, a Few hours on the Phone, and some email, texts, and was shocked to get a message I was down to 15%. That was a lot of time on Phone Calling and waiting on it. The first few days setting up my phone and getting use to it/playing with it, I got about 15 hours no problem on it.
Performance
Keyboard's
Another thing I like, that I'm probably the exception to the rule, is the Samsung Trace stock keyboard. I admit, the predictive text can be a problem at times, but see no reason to try Swype beta yet. I do like swyping or trace better than hitting the keys individually. I have to say though, I do like how the new keyboard mimics the apple keyboard that when you tap a letter it has a big balloon of the letter pop up, just like the apple keyboard. Makes it easier to see when you type wrong letter rather than looking above to the text, email, etc.

Overall very happy with the Phone. There are some shortcomings I've noticed that my droid X didn't have problems with, just some basic stuff like Voice Commands and the Camera, nothing I would return the phone for. Can usually find a workaround for most things that came up. Glad I moved on up to the Galaxy S3, I would recommend it to most of my friends.
 

Bond32

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2010
1,358
35
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Just picked up mine today. Coming from the Droid Razr I am so far impressed and I think I will keep it. Had a disaster at the verizon store (cooperate) because on our family plan we have 3 smartphones (all unlimited) however my line was the only one with an upgrade available. I wanted to transfer the upgrade, upgrade on a different line, but activate it on my line. Finally got through to the employees what I needed.
Some thoughts:
-Like the screen size/resolution improvement over the razr and rezound. I see many reviews claiming it isn't bright enough... I see this as an advantage. The screen will always be the top consumer of battery life. Seems they have toned the brightness back in an effort to improve battery life (plus to me).
-Speed is fast, blah blah, ya its a great phone.
-Having issues getting foxfi to cooperate at the moment. Just need some more troubleshooting.
-I am very happy with the flip case. See many reviews knocking it for various reasons but I also see many saying its great. With that said I also picked up the verizon screen protectors, as it appears people seem to have no problem scratching the phone up.
-Signal seems just fine for me. No difference with the razr (it is my last phone so I am simply using it to compare).
-LOVE the notification light. Perfect placement in my opinion. Would have like to have seen a cutout of some sort in the flip case but I can manage. This was a big one for me.
-While I have no thoughts on battery performance at the moment I am impressed with the amount of things in place to keep the battery life going throughout the day. I am sure this won't be an issue.
-Samsung's keyboard flat sucks. Don't need to go into more detail as others have noted but I hate it. I have always used the manufacturer keyboard and this time I will have to find another keyboard.

I went ahead and upgraded for the main reason of the screen. I see in the future the droid razr HD and while it does look nice, the differences with other specs are minimal to the S3. I have personally grown to use my phone for damn near everything and I would prefer the best, largest screen I can manage. Despite the complications and difficulty I had to upgrade and keep my unlimited data, I actually ended out using 2 upgrades on the family account. This doesn't bother me or the others but it is something to note if others are considering doing the same.
 

turnbuckle316smd

New member
Mar 18, 2011
4
1
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

I feel your pain. I'm in the same situation with the Thunderbolt. I loved it for the first few weeks and then it became slow and would reboot here and there. and oh yeah, even with the extended battery, it doesn't survive all that long. I've gone through a few different ones since I have the best buy plan where I can swap it out. This current thunderbolt i'm on just drops internet for no reason and I have to turn it off and then on to get it back up. So now I'm just reading these reviews and being jealous since I have to wait until November. BOO Thunderbolt.
 

mumfoau

Trusted Member
Oct 29, 2010
1,503
28
48
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Quite simply, this S3 is the best Android device I've used!

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2
 

thomasr1950

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2011
176
1
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Great all round phone, does a lot. The only issue i have is the email app. Some emails i get don't show the full body of the email. I got my bill from Verizon, all i could make out was the acct. #, date & the amt. I did select view images. How do i view the full body of the email. It's not just the email from Verizon but there are others, some once i click show images i see the whole body. Is this normal or do i need to do something else to view the email?
 

Bond32

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2010
1,358
35
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Great all round phone, does a lot. The only issue i have is the email app. Some emails i get don't show the full body of the email. I got my bill from Verizon, all i could make out was the acct. #, date & the amt. I did select view images. How do i view the full body of the email. It's not just the email from Verizon but there are others, some once i click show images i see the whole body. Is this normal or do i need to do something else to view the email?

Do you have power saver on? There's an option to show the bare minimum with it, uncheck it if it's on.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 

Ttea

New member
Oct 25, 2012
3
0
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

I went through 4 brand new samsung galaxy S3. 32G.... what are the chance.... 4 of them all defected?......

Since verizon store doesnt carry 16G i had to order mine 32 G over verizon website, but all the phones were activiated at Verizon store.

First one - the sound doesnt work when received calls....

2nd one - after 6 days using it, screen went black couldn't start the phone unless pull the battery out and put back in .. and it happened couple times through the day....and every call you make you need to restart the phone or else can't hear sound from others....

3rd one - after 10 days using it, screen went black again.. same problem....drop call every 5 mins ( tried to call customer service, 5 mins into the converstation.. call dropped, tried to call customer service 2 times...gave up# later on tech support from verizon called 2 times... can't hear sound from the other end.....

so 4th one....which i just got it YESTERDAY... i d/l nothing.....i let the phone run as it should be.....making phone calls / Txting / FBing / Webing....( this is all VERY NORMAL stuff for a smart phone ... if those doesnt work... then why get a smart phone? ) ....later at nite it happened again....black out.....this is less a day use with d/l nothing........ there is no heavy use.. nada... still happen..


I am a Samsung lover and Andriod user...Love this phone while it's working, D/L movies/TV SHow sending cool stuff to my friends..I have to say...the touch each other phones sending movies and stuff it was pretty cool... the camera/recorder was very easy to use and good quaillty.......Design the phone the way you want to look/use. It was awsome..... But couple times...Some of the programs # such as Line# ..I had to restart the phone to use it......my wed sometimes stock at the loading screen... Those problems all fixed right after restart the phone. I never had this problem with my old Andriod phone #motorola#...If i need to restart my phone couple days a week just for one of the programs to work....that's really sad... and very inconvicence...

some of my friends has no issue what so ever with this phone.. but some ( after 1-2 months using ) start having the same issue with screen black out need to pull battery out to reboot it...

couple times my phone heat up itself when i am not even using it in my jacket pocket. ( my GPS/Blue tooth off all time) .....

finally.. battery doesnt really less me through the day # 9 hrs) had to carry the charger all times....

sad to say goodbye to this phone but... this phone is not going less me awhile with the amount the money i paid......
 
Last edited:

xxdisciplexx

Member
Jan 9, 2011
19
0
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

I went through 4 brand new samsung galaxy S3. 32G.... what are the chance.... 4 of them all defected?......

Since verizon store doesnt carry 16G i had to order mine 32 G over verizon website, but all the phones were activiated at Verizon store.

First one - the sound doesnt work when received calls....

2nd one - after 6 days using it, screen went black couldn't start the phone unless pull the battery out and put back in .. and it happened couple times through the day....and every call you make you need to restart the phone or else can't hear sound from others....

3rd one - after 10 days using it, screen went black again.. same problem....drop call every 5 mins ( tried to call customer service, 5 mins into the converstation.. call dropped, tried to call customer service 2 times...gave up# later on tech support from verizon called 2 times... can't hear sound from the other end.....

so 4th one....which i just got it YESTERDAY... i d/l nothing.....i let the phone run as it should be.....making phone calls / Txting / FBing / Webing....( this is all VERY NORMAL stuff for a smart phone ... if those doesnt work... then why get a smart phone? ) ....later at nite it happened again....black out.....this is less a day use with d/l nothing........ there is no heavy use.. nada... still happen..


I am a Samsung lover and Andriod user...Love this phone while it's working, D/L movies/TV SHow sending cool stuff to my friends..I have to say...the touch each other phones sending movies and stuff it was pretty cool... the camera/recorder was very easy to use and good quaillty.......Design the phone the way you want to look/use. It was awsome..... But couple times...Some of the programs # such as Line# ..I had to restart the phone to use it......my wed sometimes stock at the loading screen... Those problems all fixed right after restart the phone. I never had this problem with my old Andriod phone #motorola#...If i need to restart my phone couple days a week just for one of the programs to work....that's really sad... and very inconvicence...

some of my friends has no issue what so ever with this phone.. but some ( after 1-2 months using ) start having the same issue with screen black out need to pull battery out to reboot it...

couple times my phone heat up itself when i am not even using it in my jacket pocket. ( my GPS/Blue tooth off all time) .....

finally.. battery doesnt really less me through the day # 9 hrs) had to carry the charger all times....

sad to say goodbye to this phone but... this phone is not going less me awhile with the amount the money i paid......

You know my Galaxy Nexus used to do stuff like that. I went through 2 of those and both of them completely wig out on me. Eventually I just got tired of it and went back to my iPhone. So far I haven't had any problems like that with my GS 3.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 

diegoesk

Active member
Nov 4, 2012
41
0
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Former iphone user who was sold on android features after watching that youtube video detailing 50 best features over iphone. Wouldn't have even considered android if it wasnt for that video.

I still have my 4 and it feels waaay to small to hold lol (im 6'1 230 lbs).

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 

papa54

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2011
590
15
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S3 First Impressions/Reviews

welp this is my 2nd GS3 and i must admit i like it,the camera lacks some buy I figure once i get into it and its features it will get better. I can not complain about the sound of my mp3's. they all sound good.. the 1st GS3 i couldnt make a good stable call in my house but with this second GS3 i had a friend who didnt know i had swapped phones, say you sure sound better than ya have in times past did ya get a new phone or are you on your house phone. and the call was good n clear on both ends and made where i couldnt make a call at all before the swap. i owned the fascinate (a piece of junk) then the droid charge ..no coomplaints but ah the strain on the usb connection bit the dust. my 1st GS3 was pebble blue.. this one is the white or pearl color.. it so far works well and the battery life is so good i feel like i need to plug it up all the time.. also the GPS works better on this GS3 than my droid.. better directions and a clearer voice.. one thing that makes this white GS3 stand out to me is the ability to raise the volumn loud enough for me to hear it clearly..
I only have one question though and it all took place sat.. I swapped phones early at wall mart and when i checking things out i seen it had updated at 10 am-ish and when i press the return button both lights come on.. but hey if it works .. i aint gonna try to fix it but it is a tad annoying.... if someone has a quick fix way to stop that .. pm it to me.. thanks to all for your patience.. so far i have had this 1 1/2 days so time will tell..
 

swenpro

Well-known member
May 10, 2011
175
18
0
Visit site
Re: Verizon Galaxy S III First Impressions/Reviews

Haha Hi papa54, I just read your post and then realized that I recognized your screen name :) I formally had the Fascinate, then the Charge, now HTC incredible 2 for a year and it has worked great. Though I may consider the GS3 for my upcoming upgrade in January...
 

charkzilla20

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2012
97
0
0
Visit site
  • Aesthetics
  • Screen
  • Hardware
  • Phone - including bluetooth & speakerphone usage
  • Overall User Interface (including TouchWiz)
  • Widgets
  • Signal quality (Compared to other devices)
  • GPS
  • Social Networking
  • Email/Calendar
  • Battery Life
  • Performance
  • Media (music, movies, DLNA)
  • Keyboard's
  • Camera (both still & video)
  • How the Galaxy S3 compares to your previous smartphone (if applicable)
  • Disappointments (if any)


Aesthetics: I like it. I have a white one. The white STAYS white :)! The plastic is fragile though, so get a case (and a screen protector) and you're good. My only problem is that the physical buttons can be a little loose (I'm being extremely nitpicky)

Screen: Big, bright, beautiful, and with great pixel density! I love it! Beats all the iphones and they're tiny screens (and I have big hands) colors are slightly oversaturated, but I personally like a little punchy color.

Hardware:
-camera: 8mp is great! (Plus a super bright flash) Takes nice photos! I use mine to take pics of fancy cars I find:
uploadfromtaptalk1353619113161.jpg

-gyro, accelerometer, compass: these things suprised me with their incredible accuracy and ability to work in unison for things like games, and other apps that use them. Likey! :)

-barometer: I don't know the point of it, but it serves for bragging. Lol

-speakers: whataya expect? They're like any other phones speakers. Can be pretty loud for a ring, and I like that! Play your music through headphones/buds.

-vibrator / haptic feedback:
It vibrates well, nuff said ;)

-microsd compatibility: yesyesyesyesyes! Whoo!

-removable battery: piece of cake! :)

Phone:
-speakerphone works like it should. Clear voice :)

-i've sent and received calls, sounds great either way, with the other person on different devices

-haven't tried Bluetooth

UI:
- I like touchwiz, but i would install a launcher like NovaLauncher and use that instead of the 'touchwiz home' launcher for some ergonomic features.

-"S-this" and "S-that":
-Sbeam is cool and works well, but I have no real use for it though
-Smemo is a memo pad (nothing crazy)
-SVoice works great! Just as good as siri

-Touchwiz adds a bunch of other nice features such as camera features, and svoice integration

Can't wait to see Jelly Bean on Verizon! :) although I really don't need it. the phone is perfect the way it is!

Widgets: ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY ANDROID BEATS IOS! Widgets work flawlessly, and are nice to look at :)!

Signal: I get pretty decent (Verizon) signal quality around my town (Palo Alto), but my highschool is in a hole. Lol
4gLTE? YES! I get about 40-50 mbps download and 30-40 mbps upload almost everywhere around the bay area! Whoo!

GPS: Flawless, and incredibly accurate. Also, doesn't drain too much battery :). I use it in the car.

Social Networking: notifications work flawlessly and fast. Texting is near perfect, with my only complaint being that sending pics is unreliable sometimes. Haven't really figured it out yet.

Email Calender: Works the way it should, no problems here! :)

Battery life: INCREDIBLE! I get around 15-20 hours or usage before death, but I'm usually home and charge it anyway before it hits 60% after a day.
I just played the modern combat 3 campaign on it for half an hour and it went down 8%. (Power saving mode NOT enabled, wifi connected, cellular connection, and 3/4 brightness, no background apps) and the thing charges incredibly fast! Like 10% in 10 minutes with the included cable. Also, the battery is easily accessable, so swap out with another one with ease! That is, if you ever manage to run the battery all the way down. :)

Performance: Fast and slick, almost no lag when playing big games. No complaints! :)

Media: music is great, movies are great (especially with the big beautiful display :) ) not much else to say lol

Keyboard: I use "Thumb Keyboard 4" and occasionally "switkey". I'm just used to these because of my use with them on my Nexus7. Works great! :)

Camera: (pictures described above in hardware) videos, haven't taken much videos, but I love the feature to take a still pic while recording! Genius! :) Also, plenty HD for me.

Prev smartphone: I didn't have another smartphone, but I have used a lot if iphones, ipod touches, (including the ip5) and I think that the gs3 beats them all!


Dissapointments: (im going to be REALLY nitpicky)
-buttons can be loose (no problem)
-soft keys for navigation can accidentally be pressed
-multitasking requires a touch and hold of the home button, and seems like the touch and hold should be faster
-headphone jack at the top (i prefer the bottom)

That's it! Go buy this phone if you don't have it already!