Good
- Enormous, gorgeous 4.8-inch 720p screen
- Slick, lightweight design
- Quad-core processor
- Powerful Android operating system
Bad
- TouchWiz interface has been occasionally confusing in the past
- Likely to be very expensive
Out in the UK from 30 May, CNET UK's been hands-on with the S3. Read on for all our first impressions of this handsome mobile, and be sure to examine our hands-on video too.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is, according
to Samsung anyway, 'inspired by nature – it sees, listens, responds, and
allows you to share the greatest moments'.While this is all a little hyperbolic, the nature theme is certainly present when you handle the phone for the first time. Brushed plastic – you've got a choice of 'Marble White' and 'Pebble Blue' – adorns the large device, which runs in with dimensions of 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm, despite still having to pack in a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen.
Screen
The S3's display measures 4.8 inches on the diagonal which, as noted above, makes it one of the biggest smart phones currently available. While you might find your knuckles bending in new and exotic ways, the benefit is that this whopping display will make your photos and video look stupendous.With a 1,280x720 resolution, the S3 has the pixel prowess to do justice to your high-definition footage, as well as leaving icons and text looking impressively sharp. This is an HD Super AMOLED screen, which is the same display tech used on the Nexus and Note, both of which are a real treat for the eyes.
Camera and processor
The S3 has an 8-megapixel camera, which is the same resolution as
last year's Galaxy S2. It might not have bumped up the pixel count, but
this blower does have a few new tricks up its sleeve, including the zero
shutter-lag trait seen in the Galaxy Nexus, and a clever feature that
automatically suggests your best shot after you've fired off a few
similar snaps, basing its decision on factors like smile detection and
face recognition.
A new feature borrowed from the HTC One X is the ability to take still images while you're recording video -- perfect for when your pet is doing something adorable. There's a 2-megapixel camera stuck on the front of the S3, which is used for video calling but also features face detection, and will stop the phone's screen from dimming as long as you're looking at it. Handy.
Software and apps
The Galaxy S3 is running on Android, which is Google's mobile operating system. Specifically the S3 is powered by Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, which is the latest, greatest version.It's not quite that simple though, as Samsung's plastered its own interface on top of Android. Called TouchWiz, this is the same colourful interface you'll see on kit like the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note.
There are new goodies on board, including a 'Pop up Play' feature for video, that lets you watch videos while performing boring functions like sending a text, and a transfer tool called S Beam, which lets you send large files over a Wi-Fi connection.
Conclusion
With the Galaxy S3 Samsung hasn't been messed with its formula much,
recognising that slick design and a gorgeous screen were the secret to
the Galaxy S2's success. Upgrading each individual component might not
feel like the most creative approach, but I think it'll be plenty to
keep the S3 at the front of the Android pack.
Samsung's TouchWiz interface is occasionally frustrating, and pre-loaded bloatware apps -- a mark against the S2 -- are likely to be squatting on the S3 as well. These minor software concerns aside however, the S3 is shaping up to be one of the year's most important gadgets.
Please Add Comment.............
0 comments: