Samsung Galaxy S III Coming to U.S. Summer 2012

Introduction

Just when I thought I was all set to switch from my Android phone to the Apple iPhone. For the last two years I have owned a Samsung Captivate.

While I don’t hate the phone, it’s safe to say that I am less than please with it’s performance. For instance, my wife and two kids all have an  iPhone and they absolutely love them. Plus anytime we have a contest to see who can launch an app the fastest, I always lose.

My Samsung Captivate works okay, but after playing with a few iPhone even the old iPhone G3S, I had decided to switch. My contract is up in June of 2012 and I was trying to decide if I would become the proud owner of an iPhone 4S or if I would hold out for the iPhone 5.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy S III

Now comes the Samsung Galaxy S III and I am wondering if I might change my mind and remain on the Android platform.  After seeing demos of the Samsung Galaxy S III “World Phone” (unlocked) version I’m thinking I am starting to lean towards it.

What I Like:

I like the fact that it is a rather large phone, I for one hate trying to view things on phones but the S III has a 4.8 inch screen. They are calling it a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, which has a resolution of 1,280×720 pixels.

I like the fact that it comes with the new Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” OS. I also noticed that in the video demos I have looked at, appear to be really fast. That’s probably because it comes with a quad-core processor, the World model has a 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4 quad-core processor to be exact. Not sure what the US version will have when it is made available.

I like the that it comes with front and rear facing cameras.  It has 1.9 mega-pixel camera up front, which captures 720p video. The rear facing 8.0 mega-pixel camera has 1080p HD video capturing ability, now that’s sweet.

Finally, I like that Samsung has included lots of apps right out of the box, especially the “AllShare Play” app which allows phones using the app to view content across smart-phones, tablets or computers.

Note: The phone will come in the following internal memory offerings: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, it will also allow for the inserting of an external 64GB memory card, which could come in handy.

What I don’t Like

I do not like Samsung’s attempt to mimic the iPhone Siri voice recognition and reply technology. The Samsung Galaxy S III version, (S Voice Powered by Vlingo and Sensory) which is an app is limited in what it can do. This I think has the potential to be a sore point with users and may draw unnecessary criticism to what appears to be a well thought out phone.

I also do not like the shiny colors and stuff. Some people are into shiny phones, not me I just like plain and simple. Why do I care if the colors are bright or shiny, Iam going cover it with a protective case anyway, so who’s going to see it.

More Images of the Samsung Galaxy S III

Click the image to enlarge

What the Experts are Saying:

Here is what CNet Reviews, Jessica Dolcourt says about the phone:

Quite a few commenters on CNET’s live blog expressed their disappointment, saying that the Galaxy S III is an evolution, not a revolution, that they wish it had a better camera, that it came in ceramic material, and that the design wasn’t that compelling. I must respectfully disagree on all three counts…

So far, I think it’s a worthy and welcome upgrade to the Galaxy S II in every way. It looks and feels good, it has the specs and the apps to make it feel like it isn’t rehashed, and the quad-core processor will make a splash if it comes to the U.S.

[Read Jessica Dolcourt’s full article, titled: Samsung Galaxy S III Review]

Sascha Segan of PC Mag says:

Samsung’s Galaxy S III has a lot going on. It’s not just another big smart-phone, although it is, indeed, quite a big smart-phone. It’s full of new software enhancing the Android 4.0 experience, stuff that it takes a little while to check out.

Galaxy S III vs. HTC One X
The Galaxy S III’s prime competitor is the HTC One X, which sports a 4.7-inch panel. When I held a Galaxy S III and a One X in each hand, the HTC model definitely had the lead on build quality. The Galaxy S III’s slick plastic back doesn’t say “premium” the way HTC’s matte backs do, and HTC’s unibody design feels tighter. The Galaxy S III’s screen looked brighter, but the One X’s Super LCD delivered deeper colors. The HTC’s camera protrudes from the back more…

[Read Sascha Segan’s full article, titled: Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy S III]

YouTube Video: Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung Galaxy S III: Hands-on Video

Related Reading:

• Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy S III
• Has Apple Become too Greedy?
• The Samsung Galaxy S III is official
• Smart Phone Show Down: HTC One X versus Samsung Galaxy S III
• Apple launching iPhone 5 in September 2012
• Samsung Galaxy S III hands-on: Oh yes, it has wow factor

Image Credit1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/newbookcovers/6996431692/
Image Credit2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/omobilochsk/7148448925/in/photostream/
Image Credit3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/omobilochsk/7148444023/in/photostream/
Image Credit4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kompastekno/6998324994/in/photostream/