That’s not our quote, that comes from a rather in-depth and insightful review of the Samsung Galaxy S3. We think we’ll be sticking with our Nokia Lumia 900 if that’s what’s on offer.I’ve been playing with the Samsung Galaxy S3 of late, curious to see how it stacks up as a flagship smartphone compared to the likes of the Nokia Lumia 900. Yes, I’m fully aware that Samsung has packed an amazing array of features and tech specs into its latest effort; but I was left cold by the size, awkward interface and general lack of ‘flagship feel’ of this smartphone.
Check out our Nokia Lumia 900 review (plenty of hands on pics)
The thing is, being a Nokia fan, no one was really going to take my opinion seriously. That’s why I was impressed – and more than a little surprised – when I saw this review by Ben Kersey over at Android Community, as it covers off so many of the feelings I’ve been having about the Samsung Galaxy S3.
The first one is that it doesn’t look or feel like a flagship smartphone, not when you compare it to the amazing style, build quality and assured design of the Nokia Lumia 900. Ben explains:
“Let’s get the most controversial point out of the way: yes, this is a polycarbonate build, just like you’ll find on the HTC One X and Nokia Lumia 800 and 900, but Samsung has chosen to go a different route with the look of the phone. While HTC and Nokia’s devices opted for a matte finish, Samsung has instead chosen to apply what it calls a ‘Hyperglaze’ coating to the premium plastic, giving it an appearance that really isn’t too far removed from the original Galaxy S. That’s disappointing.”
Then we get to that headline quote, “Yes, the device has a solid build quality… but the fact remains that it looks like a horrifically cheap device compared to the One X and Lumia 900.” Think about the price you’re being asked to pay for your Samsung combined with the term ‘horrifically cheap device’ for a moment!
Samsung Galaxy S3: screen size
If you’ve checked out our recent Nokia Lumia 900 or Nokia Lumia 800 articles, you’ll know we’ve been looking at the average size of smartphones of late, looking for the optimum screen size. In many cases it seems that the 4.8-inch screen of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has taken it beyond the realm of everyday use.
As Kersey puts it in his review, “The phone is too big for this particular reviewer. It simply isn’t feasible to use the phone with one hand in everyday scenarios. When you’re not straining your wrist and thumb trying to hit UI elements or the physical hardware button at the bottom of the device, you’ll be shifting the handset around in your hand, literally trying to get to grips with it.”
“Galaxy Nexus was already hitting the practical usable limits thanks to its 4.65-inch screen, although that phone was slightly easier to use thanks to the presence of on screen buttons. The increased size of the 4.8-inch screen coupled with the physical hardware button (plus two capacitive keys) is simply too much.”
The debate over the perfect size of smartphone screen is an argument that is set to roll for a long time. However, perhaps the thing to remember here is that the Android OS almost forces you to use two hands just to access your apps. Contrast this with the ever-so-simple and elegant Metro UI that makes the Windows Phone OS so easy to use, regardless of screen size!
Samsung Galaxy S3: tech specs
Yes, we’re impressed with the tech spec of the Galaxy S3. There is no doubt it packs in everything the high-end user wants on their shopping list right now.
“Even if you’re not partial to the design of the Galaxy S III,” Ben explains in his review, “it’s hard to argue that the phone packs the best specs you can cram into a smartphone right now. A quad-core Exynos 4212 processor clocked at 1.4GHz is joined by 1GB of RAM, an eight megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, 16GB of storage with options for 32 and 64GB, plus a microSD card slot.”
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is super-fast at opening and closing apps and accessing websites but the truth of the matter is you’re still trying to open up a Ferrari in a small country lane. There simply aren’t enough opportunities for the serious user to make the most of that grunt power – or is there? You tell us!
Samsung Galaxy S3: interface
With Samsung being the major seller of Android smartphones it shares as much of the profile of the OS as Nokia does now that it’s teamed up with Microsoft to use Windows Phone. Straight from the gate Nokia has been bringing unique and expert differentiation to the platform – just look at Nokia Maps, Nokia Music and Nokia Drive.
Meantime, Samsung has its TouchWiz interface that sits on top of Ice Cream Sandwich and through the use of third-party apps tries to bring differentiation. Does it work? Well according to Kersey’s review it seems a bit of a burden: “We’ll give credit where credit is due: Samsung has done a nice job of cleaning up TouchWiz and making it somewhat more tolerable to use in day to day operations, and has at least made an effort when it comes to the software overall.” he says. “If we were forced to choose between TouchWiz in its current incarnation or Sense 4.0, then TouchWiz would ever so slightly eek out and be the final choice. That doesn’t change the fact that both still needlessly meddle with the user interface and overall functionality, with stock Ice Cream Sandwich sitting far ahead of the two options.”
If you’re interested in S-Voice or Smart Media we’d urge you to have a read of the full review, as neither seems to come away in a positive light. We were left with the key feelings of ‘frustration’ and ‘unpolished’ after reading these sections.
Compare this to the fantastic additions that Nokia has brought to the Lumia range in terms of software innovation and there simply is no comparison.
Samsung Galaxy S3: review conclusion
We’re going to leave you with a couple of quotes from the summing up section, which nicely wraps up this lengthy and full review.
“It’s lightning fast, has a great camera, fantastic multimedia playback capabilities, and the best version of TouchWiz yet, even if that is faint praise. The only real sticking points are the design and size of the phone. If those aren’t issues for you, then feel free to hand over your money for this phone, because it’s arguably the best Android handset you can buy right now.”
“Samsung had high expectations to live up to with this device, and while there was a sense of disappointment after the May event, using the handset should allay any lingering fears. Still, it’s hard not to feel short changed with the build of the device when you’re paying such a high price.”
We think the full length review of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is well worth a read, weighing in at over 5000 words it’s in-depth, interesting and raises some valid points. For our part, it ties up quite a few loose ends and we’re happy to be using the Nokia Lumia 900, which clearly has a better design and build quality befitting a high-end smartphone. While it may not pack in the raw grunt power of the S3, the Windows Phone OS doesn’t necessarily need that kind of power right now!
Right, this is where we hand it over to you. We know the Samsung and Android fans are simply going to call us Nokia fanboys, but with the quotes above all coming from an Android site we hope to hear some honest and constructive comments. Let us know what you think of the review and how you’re getting on with either phone!
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