What we liked: The Samsung Galaxy S III is heavy on hardware but even heavier on experience. Leading-edge specs put it at the top of the Android mountain, but it’s the personal touches that will have this phone selling like hotcakes.
Room for improvement: The polycarbonate back is slippery and quick to pick up smudges. One-handed operation is still a challenge despite the narrower profile. Some front-facing camera features could be more accurate.
Review at a glance: Setting aside fanboy expectations and looking at the phone from a general consumer standpoint, the Galaxy S III is an all-around winner. The Android 4.0 experience only gets better with Samsung’s custom features. For the first time since the G1, it’s what this phone does, not just what it has, that makes you want to show it off.
Hardware
The dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and 4.8-inch 1280×720 Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass make for an ultra-fast, gorgeous package. Colors are more natural than previous Super AMOLED models, and the clarity is hard to overstate. The 2100mAh battery held up better than expected over five days of testing, including two heavy weekend days of installing apps, shooting photos and video, and general use. A normal workday was more than covered.
Camera
The 8-megapixel camera combines near-zero shutter lag, 8-shot burst mode, and Best Shot selection to produce a genuinely new mobile photography experience. Testing around a pool with kids in action, burst mode and Best Shot pulled clean, candid images that had friends immediately saying “That’s my next phone.” Buddy Photo Share auto-tags recognized faces in gallery photos and links them to contacts for sharing. Smile detection, panoramic mode, and HDR round out a feature-rich camera app. The 1.9-megapixel front camera worked well for portraits and video chat.
Software highlights
Smart Stay uses the front camera to detect eye contact, keeping the screen active while reading or browsing. S Voice handled voice requests and commands naturally, without requiring learned phrasing or pacing, across weather, searches, timers, navigation, messages, and more. TecTiles (NFC-programmable postage-stamp stickers, $14.99 for a 5-pack) let users automate tasks on tap: silence the ringer and disable Wi-Fi at bedtime, enable driving mode in the car, or send a “home safe” message for kids. S Beam extends Android Beam with Wi-Fi Direct for fast content sharing between Galaxy S III devices. AllShare pushes movies, music, and photos to Samsung Smart TVs and DLNA devices.
Bottom line
Hype confirmed. The Galaxy S III delivers on essentially every front and is available across five US carriers with a unified form factor. With Samsung’s new smartphone, you come for the display and stay for the experience.
Editor note: Both the AT&T and Sprint versions were reviewed and found to be identical in every respect except data speeds. The Galaxy S III is available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and C Spire Wireless.
