Screen size for samsung galaxy s3. Design, dimensions, controls. Elegant and personalized Samsung Galaxy S3

Positioning

History Galaxy line from Samsung is a series of constant successes, when one successful model follows another. The first flagship of the line set the bar for performance and outpaced all competitors by a year in terms of its filling - screen, processor, overall capabilities. Even today, the Galaxy S has strong sales almost two years after its introduction. Launched in June 2010, this model has remained relevant today, as it offers excellent functionality and a good price / quality ratio at a lower price. In the smartphone market, on the fingers of one hand, you can count models with a life cycle exceeding two years. In particular, such devices include Apple iPhone and the flagships of the Galaxy line.

The continuation of this successful apparatus - Galaxy model S2 has become a cult favorite for Android fans, this is the best device on this platform, which is confirmed by record sales. Life cycle this model also promises to become very long-lasting, which characterizes the potential originally laid down by the manufacturer. With the arrival of the new flagship of the line - the Galaxy S3, which was presented on the evening of May 3, 2012 in London, we will see a decline in the price of the flagship of the previous season and an explosive increase in its sales. Exactly the same scenario was at the release of Galaxy S2, its appearance spurred sales of the first Galaxy. You can call it the word "serial", when, like in the movie, a sequel comes out, and if it is successful, then people spend their time and money on it. Today two companies - Apple and Samsung are aware of this, their flagship promotion strategies are very close. For example, HTC does not understand this, each season releasing virtually equal in relation to Galaxy flagship, HTC is changing its name, which confuses all its users. In Galaxy times S2 a similar product was HTC Sensation, which then received various variations. In 2012, the analogue for the Galaxy S3 is a very successful device Htc one X. But there is no continuity of names, which destroys the inheritance of these models for a mass audience and makes it difficult to promote them.

The positioning of the Galaxy S3 coincides with the first and second devices of the line, no changes have occurred. The flagship implies that it is purchased by those who are chasing expensive and functional novelties. The secondary audience is technology aficionados. Finally, the residual audience in the first months of sales is practical buyers who choose a phone not for a couple of months, but for several years, they look at the price / quality ratio, as well as how long the device will remain relevant.

However, compared to the situation a year ago, the Galaxy S3 has a competitor within the line of phones from Samsung - this is Galaxy Note... The advantage of this device is the larger diagonal of the screen, the ability to use the pen to enter text or draw. A product of a different level, positioning, it is slightly cheaper than the Galaxy S3, which automatically makes it attractive. Samsung has even delayed the update to Android 4 ICS for this model so as not to increase its appeal compared to the Galaxy S3. But I am sure that this will not stop buyers and they will choose their device based not only on the price, but also on the screen diagonal and additional features.

An important point regarding the Galaxy S3 lies in the fact that the model goes on sale 2-3 weeks after its announcement. And in a fairly large number of countries. Already on May 4, all the largest operators in the world opened pre-orders for this device, they now have pages with its description. This is a demonstration that the smartphone has attracted the attention of operators, and many are betting on it. The volume of initial sales of this model on the part of Samsung is severely limited by the production capacity, there is a shortage of the device. At the same time, it has already exceeded 4 times similar sales for the same period of time for the Galaxy S2. On the one hand, this can be explained by the fact that the model is simultaneously launched in a larger number of markets, on the other hand, and the demand for it is heavy. I think that it will be possible to assess the success of this device based on the results of the first and second quarters of sales, I bet that it will surpass the Galaxy S2, and significantly. Comparison of sales of this device with Apple iPhone is inappropriate, as Samsung has a large number of models and they distract buyers. Proceeding from this, no device is able to compare with the iPhone in individual sales.

The bottom line - Galaxy S3 is one of the strongest models of 2012, with which the next version of the iPhone will compete, comparable to the HTC One X (due to the position on HTC market sales of this unit are much lower). This is a real flagship that will be relevant for a long time.

Design, dimensions, controls

In my opinion, before talking about technical characteristics it is worth looking at the phone and its design. Several colors, enough slim body that fits well in the hand. It somehow subtly reminds me of the Galaxy Note with one huge difference: it's hard for me to use the Note even with my big hands. And this device is much better. The device measures 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm and weighs 133 grams. As a comparison, I will give the dimensions of other devices: HTC One X - 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm, 130 grams; Galaxy S2 - 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm, 116g As you can see, the dimensions have increased slightly compared to the Galaxy S2, but quite at the level of a similar model, these dimensions are dictated by the screen.

Initially available in two colors - Marble White and Pebble Blue. Other body colors will appear later, such as black.

The next moment, which caused fierce controversy, is what materials the apparatus should be made of. In February 2012, at an exhibition in Barcelona, partners were shown a prototype Galaxy S3 in a ceramic case (back cover, edging). The cost of manufacturing such a case was significantly higher than the usual plastic one, and it was abandoned. Interestingly, the argument that plastic is not the material that should be used in phones in this price segment remains a minority argument. Previous Galaxy sales prove that plastic is popular with many consumers. Moreover, the lack of sales for such a model as Galaxy R (sales volume is rather modest), made of metal, directly indicates that people prefer plastic counterparts of this device. Therefore, it is worth leaving the controversy about the material to those who vitally need proof that the Galaxy S3 is bad. Most consumers do not pay attention to this and do not require other materials. If the situation were different, then Samsung would have presented a metal or any other case, since the company possesses these technologies and does not experience any problems in their implementation.

For selected carriers, the Galaxy S3 is offered in a slightly redesigned design, but the differences from the original design are not too striking. Another thing is that the model may appear in a rectangular case, reminiscent of that in the Galaxy S2 (model for South Korea). But one should not expect that a device of this design will appear in Europe in the near future.

The build quality is at the level of the Galaxy S2, the parts fit tightly, there are no gaps, the back cover locks into place until it clicks into place. At the same time, this cover is thin, but keeping in mind the experience using Galaxy S2, Galaxy Nexus, don't expect any problems here. Unlike the Galaxy S2, the lid was made glossy, this is a return to the ideas of the first Galaxy S. The main question is - is it scratched or not? Of course, it scratches, but not as much as someone imagines. My Galaxy S in a year of very active use was not scratched enough to say that it turned into junk. In the bright light, small scratches and abrasions were visible. But the appearance of the phone did not become ugly. Exactly the same with the Galaxy Note, however, I use this device much less, so I cannot say for 4 months about the quality of the coverage.

Comparison with Samsung Galaxy S:

In blue, the bezel around the screen is also made of plastic, but it has a metal texture. However, it is plastic.

There is a 3.5 mm jack on the top, and a microUSB connector on the bottom. The right side of the device is the on / off button. On the left side there is a paired volume rocker.

On the front surface you can see the physical center key, on the sides there are two touch buttons, no differences from the previous model. Above the screen are front-camera, as well as a light sensor, a proximity sensor.

Comparison with HTC One X:

Comparison with Apple iPhone 4:

Display

The screen has a diagonal of 4.8 inches, is made using HD Super AMOLED technology, but its resolution is 1280x720 pixels (16 million colors). The screen is capacitive, supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. The quality of the screen is excellent, in terms of dpi, it is quite capable of competing with the Retina screen on the Apple iPhone (with a larger diagonal, it looks more interesting than on the iPhone). A similar screen is used in the Galaxy Nexus, and it does not cause much criticism, except for those who have heard about what PenTile technology is.

In this technology, each dot on the screen is formed from a smaller number of subdots, which supposedly can be seen with the naked eye. In practice, microscopes are used for this, otherwise it is impossible to see the difference in the quality of the screen. Some people claim that they see PenTile instantly and can distinguish it by eye. I amused myself by showing the device with an HD screen resolution and without PenTile technology, but I claimed that it was present. Reviews from such "experts" were as one negative, they saw the dots that form the image, and their eyes "hurt". When I took out a similar device “without this terrible technology,” they immediately saw the difference and said that the second model was much better in terms of screen quality. It won't be superfluous to emphasize that in the second case PenTile was present.

Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X screens on the sun:

For my taste, PenTile technology is a good example of how an elephant is inflated from a fly and creates phobias. If you think you can see subpixels, then buy phones in which you can see more of them. At the same time, I can envy from the bottom of my heart that you can look at the world somewhat differently than most of humanity. To add more information to the discussion, I can say that the resolution of most modern TVs is the same or even less than that of the screen of this phone. I think that people who see PenTile have very big problems watching TV, as it must be a painful experience for them. But stop talking about the placebo effect, which is present in technology no less, and sometimes more, than anywhere else.

The automatic backlight dimming works more aggressively than the Galaxy S2, dimming the brightness more. This is probably why I set the manual adjustment to the level that is comfortable for me. On the other hand, in this mode, the energy goes away much faster, and this is noticeable.

One of the new technologies is called Smart Stay, the front camera catches your gaze and automatically adjusts the backlight of the screen, for example, when reading. In my opinion, this is an additional feature that does not work perfectly and is not really needed, it is convenient in real life. But there is a similar option.

To my taste, the quality of the screen is quite comparable to the Galaxy Nexus, it differs a little in brightness, a little detail of the fonts in the browser, but this is almost not noticeable in the pictures. Good, high quality screen which is above the average for the market. There can be no special complaints about him.

Comparison of screens with Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy Note, HTC One X:

Battery

The phone uses a 2100 mAh Li-Ion battery (1650 mAh in the Galaxy S2).

Full overview battery and comparison with other models can be read in a separate material:

USB, Bluetooth, communication capabilities

Bluetooth... Bluetooth version 4.0 (LE). When transferring files to other devices that support this technology, Wi-Fi 802.11 n is used, and the theoretical transfer speed is about 24 Mbps. Testing the transfer of a 1 GB file showed a maximum speed of about 12 Mbps within three meters between devices.

The model supports various profiles, in particular Headset, Handsfree, Serial Port, Dial Up Networking, File Transfer, Object Push, Basic Printing, SIM Access, A2DP. Working with headsets does not raise any questions, everything is ordinary.

USB connection... In Android 4, for some reason, they abandoned USB mode Mass Storage, only MTP was left (there is also a PTP mode).

The USB version is 2, the data transfer rate is about 25 Mb / s.

When connected to a PC, simultaneous USB operation and Bluetooth, the device requires to turn off Bluetooth regardless of current state(whether there is a connection and transmission, or not), this is extremely inconvenient. When connected via USB, the device recharges.

The microUSB connector also supports the MHL standard, which means that using a special cable (available from electronics stores), you can connect your phone to a TV (to the HDMI output). In fact, the standard describes the ability to connect via microUSB to HDMI. This solution looks preferable to a separate miniHDMI connector on the case. However, if you still have an adapter from previous models, then it will not work for the Galaxy S3 - the connectors have been swapped here.

For GSM networks, EDGE class 12 is provided.

Wi-Fi... The standard 802.11 a / b / g / n is supported, the wizard is similar to that for Bluetooth. You can remember the selected networks, automatically connect to them. It is possible to set up a one-touch connection to the router, for this you need to press a button on the router, and also activate a similar button in the device menu (WPA SecureEasySetup). Of the additional options, it is worth noting the setup wizard, it appears when the signal is weak or disappearing.

Also, for the 802.11 n standard, the HT40 operating mode is supported, which allows you to double the Wi-Fi bandwidth (requires support from another device).

Wi-Fi Direct... A new protocol that aims to replace Bluetooth or compete with its third version (it also uses Wi-Fi version n to transfer large files). On the menu Wi-Fi settings select the Wi-Fi Direct section, the phone starts looking for devices around. We choose desired device, activate the connection on it, and voila. Now in file manager you can view the files on another device, as well as transfer them. Another option is to simply find the devices connected to your router and transfer to them required files, this can be done from the gallery or other sections of the phone. The main thing is that the device supports Wi-Fi Direct.

NFC... The handset has NFC technology, which can be used with various additional applications.

S Beam... Samsung's proprietary technology, which allows you to transfer a file of several gigabytes to another phone in a few minutes, is currently only presented in the Galaxy S3. In fact, we see in the S Beam a combination of two technologies - NFC and Wi-Fi Direct. The first technology is used to bring up and authorize phones, but the second is already used to transfer the files themselves. A creatively redesigned way of using Wi-Fi Direct is much easier than using a dual-device connection, file selection, and so on. At the same time, for phones not from Samsung, the use of S Beam is impossible, it remains to be content with only Wi-Fi Direct, which is understandable and understandable.

Memory, memory cards

The phone has 16 GB of internal memory (there are 32 and 64 GB versions, the latter will appear later), initially about 14 GB is available to the user. Memory cards up to 64 GB are also supported.

Volume random access memory equals 1 GB, after downloading it is free about 800 MB. This is sufficient for all applications, although it would be interesting to get more RAM in 2012. Another thing is that there will be no sense from a quantitative increase in memory if it is not supported. operating system fully.

V Galaxy versions The S3 offers 2 GB of RAM for a number of markets, largely depending only on the country.

Performance

This is the first device from Samsung to use its own quad-core Exynos processor, the frequency of each core is up to 1.4 GHz (I am sure that the craftsmen will quickly overclock them to high values, as it was for the previous models).

All synthetic Galaxy tests The S3 shows an advantage over other devices on the market, with the exception of the HTC One X in the US version (using a dual-core chipset from Qualcomm). The performance gain of Tegra3 is quite noticeable. In real life, the device's performance is more than sufficient, as you can see in our videos. For those who love to measure the performance of phones in synthetic parrots, we offer the results of a number of popular tests, you can see for yourself that the Galaxy S3 shows more than decent numbers.

Quadrant Standart

Features of Android 4.0 software

Basic and standard Android apps are described in a separate article, below we will focus only on those features of the Galaxy S3 that distinguish it from other devices.

Assistant - phone training

When you turn on the device for the first time, a setup wizard appears, you select the main parameters and then start working. There is nothing unusual in this, and it is common for most devices. It is quite another matter that when you open functions that are new to you, a picture appears with a brief explanation of what you can do. For example, it might be a hint on how you can flip through lists by tapping the top edge of your phone. There are many tips, they are useful, and you can turn them off if necessary. Not annoying, which is not bad at all.

S Voice

The first thing that upset me personally in the previous device was the voice functions assigned to the center key, which could not be turned off. Voice quality was average and I didn't use them. The new device has S Voice, which to some extent resembles the “Remember everything” program. Dictate the alarm time, notes and so on with your voice. This is not a standard feature for Android, but considering that voice recognition has gone a year ahead, and much ahead, it works very well. Now there are no mistaken clicks on center button, you can record up to 6 of your own tags for calling certain functions by voice (in any language). Calling these tags does not require an Internet connection, including using the tag you can unlock your phone, which, in my opinion, is pampering. All other commands require an internet connection.

The app's styling is explicitly copied from Siri on the latest Apple iPhone. And the functionality at the time of launch was approximately comparable, for example, in S Voice it was possible to launch programs, but Siri at that time did not know how. After the Siri update in iOS 6, it has more features, and it is again ahead. I am sure that Samsung, in turn, will update S Voice and make it similar or slightly more functional. It's kind of a competition.

At the moment, S Voice does not support Russian, the company promises to add it in September.

In the end, we are dealing with another voice recognition system, which is based on Vlingo. This system did not seem very convenient to me, just as Siri looks like a fun toy, but not an assistant in everyday life. While both systems are only at the beginning of their development, they are far from maturity.

AllShare Play

This utility was still in Galaxy S2 and a number of other models, in S3 we see it updated version... You are connecting to the same Wi-Fi network on different devices with this program (it can be a smart TV from Samsung, as well as a tablet or smartphone). Then you can view files on another device, upload photos or videos. The only problem is that an Internet connection is required, all data is transmitted over the network. This makes the program practically inapplicable for watching movies from another device, buffering occurs every few tens of seconds. And the download speed of 3-4 MB photos is far from ideal, it is not instantaneous.

Together with the program, the Sugar Sync cloud web storage is offered, there you are given 5 GB of space. It is required to install a separate program to work with it. In my case, on the Galaxy S3, this program caused terrible brakes, led to the fact that the device simply freezes. I was not able to upload files to this cloud storage, although I tried. In general, the impressions from AllShare Play are purely negative. While the program is exotic, it has no practical value. It is especially funny that you cannot broadcast DivX, which is supported by the phone, it cannot be played inside this program.

Shared screen

Using Wi-Fi, GroupCast technology is also implemented, within the same Wi-Fi network, different users can broadcast images, drawings, office files. Editing mode is not supported, but you can draw directly on the screen and underline the necessary places. Each user can have a different underline and highlight color. Quite a convenient thing for joint discussion of certain things inside the office.

Video player

When watching the video, a chip appeared that seemed to me contrived exactly until the moment I tried it in real life - it is called Pop up Play. This is akin to picture-in-picture on TVs, where the video is played over windows in a small rectangle, and you can watch web pages or write SMS. Convenient not to be interrupted for some action. The window can be driven across the screen, you can do whatever you want. But you won't be able to stretch it.

Photo editor

The gallery has the simplest functions for working with images, you can rotate the picture, change its size. But for full picture editing, you need to download the photo editor from Samsung App Store... In my opinion, the only reason this program is not installed by default (it is free) is the need to increase the number of downloads from the branded store. The program itself is very interesting, since it has a large number of filters, it overlaps the editor in Instagram in its capabilities (but there is no social component here, this is a pure photo editor).

Any additional and small chips

With SMS, they came up with a function that seemed damn convenient to me. You dial SMS and at some point you realize that it is easier to call. You don't have to do anything, just bring the phone to your face, and it starts calling the person you wrote to (the function is called Direct Call).

Another interesting feature is Smart Alert - smart alerts are responsible for missed calls or events. You take the phone in your hand, and only at this moment it vibrates, notifying that you have missed something. The number of settings for all kinds of warnings has grown by an order of magnitude, and this parameter makes the phone look fantastic.

Other unusual features include face recognition in the gallery, the ability to automatically send to another person's phone all the photos where he is present (no need to select them from the gallery). The ability to receive tags for photos. Play slideshows only with the participation of a specific person.

One of the most amusing features is the built-in vibration alert editor (the function in the same exact form first appeared on the iPhone). You can knock on a melody in the literal sense of the word so that it plays like a rhythm. You will have a personal and unique vibrating alert. The toy unexpectedly attracts attention, and you quietly have fun with it for a long time.

For calls, the device has implemented a number of settings that increase the usefulness of the phone in the bag. So, the maximum volume in a jeans pocket or in a bag can be automatically increased, this is a nice feature, it is disabled by default. In my opinion, this setting increases the volume of the device by about 20-25 percent. The melody is distorted, but it's not that important in the bag, is it? Is not it?

The handset has an S-Memo app, which is similar to the one on the Galaxy Note. Let me remind you that you can draw and write in it with a stylus, but there is no stylus in this device. It doesn't matter, you can draw on the screen with almost any object, I am good at doing it with my fingernail. But you can take a stylus too, it turns out no worse than on the Note. With one caveat, the stylus is supported only with a metallized tip, just a plastic one does not fit. The number of settings in S-Memo is much less.

I also like the calendar, it has a very high quality view of the year, months, and the to-do list. Of the unusual settings that pleased us - a huge number of different pre-installed accounts for different programs, you only need to enter your details and everything will work. This is a nice feature of the device.

Chat-On is Samsung's proprietary IM messenger. It doesn't make much sense, but you may find it interesting to you. I don’t know how for me this program is not that useful.

Music player and FM radio

Let's start with the FM radio. Initially, the device now has the ability to record the air (it will not be available in all countries), it is also possible to remember the tags of the song, if they are broadcast by the radio station. The rest of the radio hasn't undergone major changes compared to Galaxy S2, although the reception level is much better, and there is less interference (compared at the same place and with the same headset at the same stations, the SGS3 gain is obvious).

Musically, SGS3 is a huge step forward. The first and most important thing I want to note is the best volume headroom. Now you don't have to turn the volume to the maximum, which is nice. About 20 different equalizers, the ability to set your own and adjust a lot of parameters. The device sounds very nice and good.

Another point is related to the fact that you can configure filters that will be shown to you in the player's menu. For the first time for Samsung, the Music Square option has appeared, it is a square with different moods on the sides (you can set years on both sides). You select the little squares and so form the playlist, it is sorted by mood. Something like this first appeared in Sony phones Ericsson, the feature was called Sense, but required synchronization with a computer. Here, the analysis of all the songs takes place right on the phone. Quite an interesting implementation, but this is just an additional feature, and nothing more.

In the hands-free mode, the quality of music playback is surprisingly good, the sound is loud and clear even at maximum volume. It came as a surprise to me.

Like the previous models, this device out of the box can play the maximum number of different formats, including unconverted video, for FLAC music.

The sound quality was improved by using the Wolfson WM1811 chip, while the Galaxy S2 used a solution from Yamaha. For my taste, this solution is quite comparable to the iPhone, especially if you choose good headphones... Subjectively, the device outperforms all other models, including HTC devices, which are equipped with Beats Audio equalizers.

Some settings and programs - keyboard input

One of the main points in any device is entering text from the keyboard, since we often write SMS messages, type text in letters, even if these are not treatises of several pages in length. WITH virtual keyboard Everything is fine in Samsung S3, you can choose several languages, cycle through them. The mode of continuous text input is supported, when you, without lifting your finger, swipe sequentially through the letters that make up the word. This is a complete analogue of Swype, which was in the previous models of the company. Some words are guessed incorrectly, then you can pick up variants of words from the drop-down list. There are also no complaints about the full-size keyboard in horizontal orientation, it is convenient to work with it. Let me remind you that you can install almost any keyboard in Android, but the built-in Samsung S3 does not cause such a desire, you just work with it.

In SMS messages, by default, one conversation (messages from one user) is limited to 200 messages. You can set a limit of 5,000 messages. Among the other settings, it is worth noting the change in the design of the windows, the ability to set your own fonts, and so on.

Game component

One of the typical applications of the modern smartphone is games, and it can be both casual toys and something three-dimensional. For touch phone in the aspect of games, the issue is limited to performance, screen size and performance. With all the parameters, the Galaxy S3 is all above average, this is one of the best solutions today. I suggest watching a video about games. It has answers to all questions.

Comparison with other models - iPhone 4s, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, HTC One X

A detailed comparison of the flagships of the smartphone market is the topic of the next Buyer's Guide, I have no task to describe it in full within the framework of this review. On the other hand, this material deserves a brief overview of each device and their comparison, so that you know the weak and strengths each model. Therefore, I propose to select the video that interests you on the compared device and watch it.

Galaxy S3 Accessories

Samsung has been focusing on accessories in recent years, with a wide variety of accessories prepared for the Galaxy S3, from stylus to wireless charging. I do not intend to describe all the accessories available for this device, I will dwell only on a few of them.

Clamshell case. This is a regular flip-up case with a thin leather front surface. Different colors, very nicely made, there are similar cases for Galaxy Note.

Wireless charger requires replacing the back cover, but in return you get the opportunity to charge the device without inserting the charger. Such charging will appear in the fall.

Tabletop Charger suitable for everyone who prefers to equip their gadgets with additional accessories.

The stylus is not a very useful thing, but someone may need it to use it with the S-Memo.

For this and other devices there are NFC tags, with their help you can set up various actions in the phone - bring the tag, and it automatically changes settings, calls programs, and so on (tags are used in the same way in Xperia S).

Р'РёРґР¶РµС ‚РѕС‚ SocialMart

Impressions

The connection quality is on the same level as the Samsung models, no obvious flaws were noticed. The call is loud and well audible. The vibration alert is at the level of Galaxy S2, it is not sharp, rather soft. I really liked the mode of increasing the ringer volume in a pocket or bag.

At a price of 30,000 rubles (550 euros), this device comes out on the same level as the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Nexus. The model turned out to be successful, its direct competitor is HTC One X, which has a one-piece body, which looks like a plus. The screens of these devices are quite comparable in quality, here they are on par. And in terms of performance, I would say that these decisions are of the same order, Samsung's insignificant gain should not be taken into account, the difference is not great. In my opinion, the situation is repeated for HTC Sensation and Galaxy S2, these devices were very close, but in the end the Samsung product won by a huge margin in sales. I think that in 2012 there will be a repeat of this situation, simply because the difference between the companies is huge.

A successful device or not? The unequivocal answer is yes, the model was a success. As someone who constantly uses the Galaxy S2, I refused to switch to the Galaxy Nexus just because of the camera, the 5-megapixel camera with average specifications was not enough for me, everything else in this device, by and large, was fine. This drawback is leveled in the new model. Refreshing the screen is nice, reinforced battery, a number of software chips. This is quite enough to change your device to a new one. At the same time, for example, Galaxy Note is a little too big for me, I try not to carry it with me.

In 2012, there are two of the most important models for the market - these are new apple the iPhone, tentatively due in October, and the Galaxy S3. Moreover, the flagship from Samsung has already been sold in quantities that can be safely called a record for the Android platform. A more functional model does not exist on this platform today, it is possible that not all functions will be in demand by you, many of them are optional and optional. But the total capabilities of the device are maximum, this is one of best phones of those that you can buy today. Considering how many copies have already been broken around this model and what discussions it causes, we can definitely say that it will be successful. For example, I have already changed my SGS2 to a new device, and so far the impressions are only positive. For a month of using the phone (I have a blue phone), I have not noticed any serious shortcomings. Compared to its predecessor, the model is unambiguously advantageous and pleasant. Even after a month I can say that I like the device and it is very difficult for me to get the Galaxy S2 to do something, since the new model has everything I need, and even a little more. Now it remains to wait new iPhone to compare these models, but before its release this device has no real competitor yet.

P.S. In its first week of retail sales, this phone set a record for sales in all countries it was introduced to. The sales volume is 4 to 7 times higher than for the Galaxy S2. I think this is an excellent illustration of the relevance of this model.

During 2012-2013, many variants of this device will appear, just as it was for the previous flagships. Updates will come with other chipsets, using a different design and even with different screen diagonals, although it is difficult to say whether such devices can be called analogs. In any case, the Galaxy S3 is the ancestor of the current generation of Android smartphones, and many other devices will appear based on it.

Sound

The quality of the built-in speakers is not the best side of the device - the sound is not very loud, especially when the phone is in your pants pocket. We recommend using vibro, so as not to miss important calls for you.

But not everything is so bad with the sound of the Galaxy smartphone. When listening to music through a stereo headset, you can enjoy sound as long as you use a good quality headset. The sound is very clear, quite loud and clear.

Interface, software

As a communicator OS Samsung Galaxy S III Android 4.0 is used with a proprietary shell TouchWiz... The "TouchViz" shell is closer to the original Android interface, which presents both minuses and pluses. Among the disadvantages is the lack of an icon with the most frequently used applications. The shell turned out to be quite successful in terms of usability and speed of work. The interface is very friendly to the user, which attracts to the phone. For the convenience of using the most requested applications, there are 4 shortcuts that can be customized at your discretion. In addition, it became possible to display stock prices, weather in your region, as well as news on the lock screen.

The general view of the menu has not changed. You have 7 desktops at your disposal, on which you can place various widgets, the size of which you can resize yourself. There is a separate menu item for widgets, and this is not without reason, since there are a lot of widgets there. A very useful thing has also appeared - the status bar, where the menu for managing wireless connections is located.

Some programs that debuted in Galaxy Note migrated to the smart Galaxy S3. Of the migrants, there were 3 programs: S Planner, S Memo and S Voice. S Voice app (voice control) works badly, to put it mildly, to say the least. "Communication" with the telephone is more like a deaf-mute communication.

Also worth noting is a new feature called Pop Up Play. This application can launch a video file in a separate window with the ability to position it anywhere on the working surface of the screen.

Another very interesting feature is the SmartStay function... Once activated, the Galaxy S 3 can follow the user's gaze using the front camera. If the user looks away from the smart, the screen dims.

All of these functions are very interesting and fun, but they have no practical purpose other than selflessness.

Video

The video player has been improved and received a file preview mode. When you enter the folder with the video, everything is as if it were alive, it looks funny and very original (somewhat reminiscent of the service Youtube ). The communicator allows you to play video in AVI and MKV format as FullHD 1080. Watching a video on such a device is a pleasure - a kind of small TV with high quality picture and sound.

GPS, navigation

Navigation in the smartphone is realized using GPS and GLONASS. Everything works perfectly, the search for satellites takes up to ten seconds, the route calculation is also very fast and efficient.

Used as cards on - line version of Google cards. For those who feel sorry for the Internet traffic or are simply inconvenient to use Google maps, they can install any navigation program for Android.

Flagship smartphoneGalaxy S3 features a 2100 batterymA \ h. One charge is enough for about one day if you use it normally (listening to music with headphones, Internet, watching videos, talking, SMS). If the phone is used in active mode, then the charge will last for a maximum of half a day.

conclusions

Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone absorbed all the best that was possible. All the most modern hardware, software, technologies were introduced here. The communicator achieved its goal and became the leader in sales worldwide, which allowed Samsung to become the market leader.

The communicator has not become the best-selling smartphone of 2012 for nothing, despite the fact that the year has not ended yet, and sales growth is still growing.

New Galaxy has raised the Korean company to one level with the company Apple.

I recommend this model to everyone who is thinking about purchasing a phone.

There are six reasons to buy a brand new Galaxy S3:

· Huge FullHD screen;

· First-class iron;

· High-quality camera with the ability to record video in quality HD 1080;

· Autonomy of work;

· Convenient and fast software;

· Slot for installing a memory card.

There are not many disadvantages of the smartphone, but they are, the main of which is the material of the case and the high price.

By Samsung size Galaxy S3 is a typical representative of modern smartphones with screens of 4.5 ″ and above. The device is wide and tall, so it is not very comfortable to hold it in your hand. The main material used is glossy plastic. Fingerprints are clearly visible on it and scratches quickly remain.

Screen - 4.0

Screen diagonal - 4.8 inches, matrix type - Super AMOLED HD, resolution - 1280 × 720 pixels, protective coating - Gorilla Glass, PPI value - 306. Display advantages - large diagonal and high resolution, excellent brightness and contrast. The screen will appeal to fans of bright colors. Cons - Super AMOLED technology, due to which the image is overly contrasting, not everyone will like it. At close range, the picture on the Samsung Galaxy S3 screen looks grainy and fuzzy, and with prolonged use of the smartphone, especially in reading mode, eyes get tired. An indirect plus of using Super AMOLED is an energy-intensive screen, including due to this, the Galaxy S3 works on a single charge longer than many competitors.

Camera

The smartphone has an 8 MP camera with LED flash. The maximum video resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels, the recording speed is 30 frames per second, the sound is recorded in stereo.

Working with text - 5.0

The standard keyboard in the Samsung Galaxy S3 phone is comfortable, it has the function of entering text using swashes (Swype), as well as the ability to enter numbers without switching to extra characters mode. Disadvantages - inconvenient language switching system: you need to hold your finger on the "space" key and swipe left or right. To enter most of the additional characters, including the comma, you need to call the additional menu.

Internet - 3.0

The Samsung Galaxy S3 browser is great for browsing the Internet: it has the ability to repeatedly scale the page to fit the text to the width of the screen and read pages without pictures. This mode is convenient to use when reading a large amount of text on the Internet without being distracted by pictures.

Interfaces

The Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone supports most of the common wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. The device has the S Beam function, with which you can quickly transfer files, such as photos, music or videos, from one Galaxy S3 to another using Wi-FI or NFC, touching them to each other "backs".

However, the smartphone lacks support for dual-band Wi-Fi and Russian LTE frequencies.

Multimedia - 4.6

Samsung Galaxy S3 plays almost any video without preliminary conversion - the device has support for rare audio formats and video containers. You can select audio tracks in the player; as well as subtitles embedded in the video file. The audio player plays most common as well as rare formats, including uncompressed FLAC audio.

Battery - 3.0

Indicators autonomous work Samsung Galaxy S3 surpasses most smartphones: the device is capable of playing HD video at maximum brightness of 7.5 hours, and the music mode drains it in 45 hours.

Performance - 1.6

The device uses the Samsung Exynos 4412 platform with a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, Mali-400 graphics subsystem and 1 GB of RAM. The phone is powerful enough for smooth FullHD video playback and the ability to play even the most powerful games.

Memory - 4.0

The internal memory of the device is GB. Samsung Galaxy S3 supports microSD cards up to 64GB.

Peculiarities

The apparatus is operated branded shell from Samsung - TouchWiz. In this shell, the manufacturer has added its own browser, dialer, SMS client, music and video players, its own weather application and many other programs. The built-in video player supports most third-party video codecs and video formats, making it easy to watch even unconverted videos from your phone. The audio player allows you to listen to music not only by performer, but also by folder. S Memo is an excellent note-taking program with handwriting support.

For a long time, the well-known company Samsung has launched its new development on a voyage around the world, which became the third in the Galaxy S line. This stylish, attractive gadget instantly filled the world market with its capabilities. It's no secret that today mobile phones are one of the most important elements of the life of modern society. It is hardly possible to imagine a person who does not have his own mobile phone... However, if a Samsung Galaxy S3 falls into the hands of a user, it is unlikely that it will be so easy to part with it.
Why this particular model, you ask. It's no secret that Samsung has been fighting for dominance in the advanced technology market for many years. As it seems to me, the proof of this is their new devices, which every day more and more begin to penetrate the gadget market, where their developments take pride of place.
Do not forget that the top companies of modern society fight each other every day, some borrow the ideas of others, while the latter simply copy. However, some manage to combine all the indicators into one single one and at the same time get an almost perfect device, but we all know that the race for technology does not allow new products to hold out for a long time on the sales market, because after the release of one device, literally following it to conquer the vastness, from the "hangar" they release a new miracle of creation, in connection with which it turns out that the companies are simply forced to fight with each other.
It should be noted that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has become something similar, which nevertheless managed to reach the very top, where respect and popularity awaited it. The gadget got under its control all the new technologies and capabilities that only make the work easier for a person: powerful, convenient, stylish. We dedicated this review to him - after all, the new product from Samsung stood among those who were expected the most - this is the third model in the Galaxy S family. We can talk a lot about it, but let's move on to the device itself and study its capabilities and technical characteristics in more detail. ...

Samsung's flagship - Galaxy S3

Actually, let's start from the very beginning. The developers were not even too lazy to pack their miracle in a rather attractive box that does not take up much space.

We open it and here it is - a device that can enchant many. Let's open it, and there: a communicator, a battery, a Micro-USB-USB cable, a wall charger with a USB-compatible connector, a wired stereo headset with a set of spare attachments, documentation. There is also one highlight - if you turn the box over, then you can see all necessary information about Galaxy S3. In other words, the developers have done everything so that the user gets everything he needs to work.

Let's move on to the specifications of the device:

Samsung Exynos 4412 processor (quad-core ARM Cortex A9, 1.4 GHz) with ARM Mali-400 MP4 video core
Operating room Android system 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
SuperAMOLED HD display, diagonal 4.8 ″, 720 × 1280 pixels, PenTile, capacitive, with multitouch
1 GB RAM, 2 GB main flash (512 MB available), 16 GB additional flash (11.3 GB available)
Communication GSM EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
3G HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Bluetooth v4.0 + EDR
Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n
NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA
FM radio with RDS
Glonass, GPS + A-GPS
Position sensor in space, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, RGB sensor
MHL 1.0, USB Host
8MP CMOS camera, autofocus, LED flash, 1.9MP secondary camera
Li-polymer battery, capacity 2100 mAh
Dimensions 137 x 71 x 8.6 mm
Weight 133 g.

Elegant and personalized Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung's new flagship has become something new when compared to its brethren. If previous versions, we can say, took the features of the well-known iPhone, then the third generation in the Galaxy S line has become a kind of individual personality, which hardly anyone can find fault with, he has become himself.

The appearance is very attractive, as soon as you pick up the device and forget about all the problems, you just want to turn it on. The slightly curved body only gives it an outward beauty, but let's not dwell on the exterior of the device. Of course, this is a rather important factor for some users and the convenience of using the gadget depends on it, however, Samsung is unlikely to have made any strong emphasis on this, all the main things are stored inside, not outside.

The screen of the device occupies almost the entire front part of the device, where you can find only three buttons: to the left of the central key there is a button to call the program menu, to the right - to return to the previous screen. It seemed to me very convenient to work with one hand. But it is worth noting that people with short fingers are unlikely to be able to freely press thumb hands all over the screen, but I don't think this will be such a big problem for users. It should be noted that the third generation in the Galaxy S line has most likely become a full-fledged communicator, which should be operated not with one, but with two hands, which makes it much easier to work with the device.

There is also no superfluous on the sides: an on / off button and a volume control.

The top of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 houses a headphone jack and an additional microphone. The main microphone and Micro-USB-compatible connector are located on the bottom of the case.

Also, the device is equipped with two cameras. Near additional camera the sensors are located. To the left of it is now an information LED, which can be seen as a huge step forward for the company in terms of ergonomics.

Our gadget received a very attractive color - metallic blue, but there is one small drawback, the communicator should purchase a cover, because the back panel of the device quickly gets invisible at first glance scratches. But do not miss one moment that the assembly of the device is very professional, there are no protruding and loose parts, the assembly was taken very seriously.

Opening the back cover of the device and we see a very interesting picture, the battery is located there, however, the place for the microSIM card and memory card are no longer under it, which greatly simplifies their replacement, now there is no need to remove the battery.

After gaining access to the battery compartment, it becomes possible to replace the memory card without disconnecting the battery. By the way, if you look at the location of the battery and the microSIM card, the question arises: what, in fact, caused the need to use a SIM card slot of this particular format? There is so much space that a SIM-card of a regular size would fit freely. However, as I think, microSIM is not convenient enough, it is not clear why the developers came to such a decision in order to install it in their device, because there is enough space. What is most interesting is that it is not so easy to get the SIM, it feels like, having thrust it in once, it is simply impossible to pull it back out of there.

Summing up a little on appearance Galaxy S 3, we can say that the novelty has become quite comfortable and received new forms that should interest many users. Of course, there are downsides, but you shouldn't dwell on these little things. In general, everything is fine.

Samsung Galaxy S3 software filling

So, let's move on to the main question - what is the new flagship Samsung phone Galaxy S3? The device received the latest OS version under its control. Android version 4.0.4. Also, do not overlook another important fact that the company has installed the TouchWiz shell on its offspring.

The screen is unlocked by moving your finger. Immediately, we have access to: ChatON, Camera, Samsung Apps, Play Store, phone, contacts, messages, browser. Also, do not forget that the developers have added quite interesting "goodies" to the security methods for locking the screen - a face and a voice.

As for the shell of the main screen itself, there were no special changes, and therefore, you can not stop at this place and not go into details (the weather widget was combined with the clock, the denser placement of icons allowed placing another icon in the list of main applications). Also striking are the applications that received the prefix S: S Memo, S Planner, S Suggest, S Voice. As for the latter, do not overlook it. We all know the well-known electronic assistant Siri, which became a kind of basis for building a new type of user interaction with a computer, and so, Samsung, in response to this application, released its own - S Voice. This is a very convenient function for a communicator, the voice is recognized very well, but do not forget that it is especially convenient for people who know English. It should also be noted that with the help of this program you can perform literally any actions and your actions are not limited to just calling a subscriber or, for example, dialing a message.

Note that S Voice tries to be useful to the user and copies much of Siri's functionality. It won't be surprising if both applications use the same knowledge base. However, both systems still need to be refined. Today, in my opinion, they are not perfect.

However, you should not dwell on one program, because Samsung developers have invested great efforts in creating such a flagship model and managed to stuff the device with a huge number of different applications. Some are responsible for messaging (Chat ON), others allow you to remotely connect to the content of media servers via an Internet connection (various games, books, music, programs and much more).

All applications work pretty quickly, there is even an opportunity to turn on your imagination and customize the phone to your personal character, you can even install an application with which you can take measurements of premises and take notes there, install a flashlight and much more. In a word - the developers have given great opportunities to their users, it remains only to learn how to use it wisely.
Do not miss another moment - the device received another interesting application - Dropbox - a cloud storage and file synchronization service. Users of the third generation Galaxy S can use up to 50GB of virtual disk space, which is already quite serious.

If we draw a small conclusion, we can say that Samsung is not looking for easy ways and offers its users more and more advanced technologies. Everyone can make a choice, how and what he will use, it remains only to wait and think - what of the proposed will be of more interest to modern society, and what will not receive special attention, after which it is already possible to create something new.

Display capabilities and sound

Display
If we compare the display of the device with other devices, then we can say that it somewhat resembles screen samsung Galaxy Nexus:

Matrix sizes 4.65 and 4.8 inches
Matrix type - HD SuperAMOLED
Resolution 720 by 1280 pixels

The AMOLED display of the Galaxy S 3 has a very high brightness that adjusts automatically. However, the automation sometimes starts, so to speak, to disappoint - the brightness often starts to switch, especially inconvenient when watching a video. The display sensor itself is very sensitive and capable of recognizing multiple touches at the same time. However, let's focus on video playback.
The built-in video player works quite nicely and can even play Full HD. Of course, you can install third-party players that will work better, but I didn't really need it. The factory video player is capable of minimizing into a window that hangs on top of other programs, and continuing playback while the user is doing his own thing. There is also an opinion that standard video and audio players can now stream to any DLNA device on the network (connect to Samsung TV Smart TV, etc.), but I did not have such an opportunity.

Sound
As for the sound, almost everything is decent here and there is enough of it. However, the headset that comes with the device did not really please me, at maximum volume it starts to "cut" the ears, however, this moment occurs only when you turn on the radio receiver, which is a very curious fact, and when playing melodies from the player, everything is pretty decently. You can listen to calm music with great pleasure, however, in my personal opinion, there is not enough bass. As for the radio receiver itself, it has the ability to support RDS and can record a signal in the form of 3GA files (very convenient, you can record your favorite music, or interviews or radio programs into the device). Quite convenient to use and not a lot of hassle.

Connection

Samsung's flagship communicator got everything under its control, a full set of modules wireless communication, the only thing missing is 4G support. Special problems with cellular communication I didn’t find surfing the Internet is a pleasure, especially when connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi connection.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module versions:

Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n (Supports: Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA, Kies Air).

Another great news should be noted, the third generation of the Galaxy S line supports Glonass. The user of the device can now determine his location, which is provided by the signal of our satellites.

Camera

Galaxy S3 received the same camera as its predecessor - 8 Megapixels. You can record videos with Fukk HD 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second. (MP4 (H.264, AAC)). The camera also received an autofocus system and an LED flash, which can be used as a flashlight using the application. In a second, you can take several photos at once, which are of good quality.
Do not overlook the fact that the camera has the ability to recognize faces when shooting, plus all this - taking pictures right during video recording and an image stabilization system. The quality of photos and videos is very decent, here are a few options:

Click to enlarge

Speed and performance

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3 received control over the Exynos 4412 chip developed by the company itself, and these are four ARM Cortex-A9 computing cores operating at 1.4 GHz, and an ARM Mali-400 MP4 video processor. The amount of DDR2 RAM is 1 GB.

Performance tests:

Softweg Benchmark 1.03 Test

Quadrant Standard Test

Test in AnTuTu Benchmark 2.8

Calculating pi in Super Pi:

From the above tests, we can safely say that the Samsung Galaxy S3 is undoubtedly at the very top.

Output

If you look at the overall situation, then we can safely say that Samsung Galaxy S3 managed to get its gold and rise to the very top of fame. This is a powerful communicator that few people will be able to compete with in 2012. Its main rival, most likely, will remain the iPhone 5, which also burst into the sales market sharply. Of course, after some time something new and more modern will be released, but today this flagship of Samsung has still managed to conquer a huge number of users. Perhaps many will say that the price for it is greatly overestimated, it is hardly possible to disagree with this. However, it is better than the numerous clones that have been roaming around the world for more than one year, the price and quality speak for themselves.