android samsung

• Review
• REEVOO
• Specifications
• Best Deals
• 118 comments

TechRadar rating

4.5/5

For

• Excellent battery life
• Superb screen
• Quad core speed
• Top media management

Against

• Subjective design
• S Voice not optimised

See Best Deals

Samsung Galaxy S3 review

The Samsung Galaxy SIII - a phone worthy of the hype

By Gareth Beavis August 7th

118 comments

Page 1 of 18Introduction and design

Update: We've now spent a few months living day in, day out with the Samsung Galaxy S3, so check out our findings. We've also got the latest version of the software, so we've updated the review with all the fancy new features as well.
With the latest version of Android, a whopping 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen and a whole suite of Apple-beating features, is the new Samsung Galaxy SIII the greatest phone ever?
Samsung has made a big deal about this new phone, not only choosing to launch it at a big and glitzy standalone event in London but also claiming nearly 10 million pre-orders before it's even launched.
The price is pretty palatable for a top-end phone – the likes of Three are already offering it for just £34 a month with oodles of minutes and data, which is already much, much cheaper than any iPhone would ever launch for.
And there are even cheaper deals - it can be had for £28 per month from The Carphone Warehouse with no upfront cost... you can probably find it even cheaper on line but it's a very low tariff level for a top end phone to launch for.
But let's get down to the main question – is this the phone you should be spending your hard-earned cash on?

Samsung Galaxy S3 Hands-on Review VideoWatch more videos like this01:36

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 polycarbonate – 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.

We'll lay it out right now: the plastic feeling of the Galaxy S3 won't appeal to all. It feels very lightweight (despite tipping the scales at 133g) in the hand, and some people will read this as feeling a little cheap.
However, it's exactly the same sensation as we found on the Galaxy S2, and given the silly numbers of sales that had, we think there's more than a market for a phone that you'll barely notice in your pocket most of the time.

But we'll be very clear on this - the Galaxy S3 is not a cheap-feeling phone. It's got a really solid Gorilla Glass 2 front, a well-packaged interior and a more robust battery cover. It's polycarbonate rather than bog-standard plastic, although we're not sure some people will like the more rounded nature of the design.

However, despite being made of similar material, there's no doubt that the One X feels more premium in the hand thanks to being a touch more weighty… there's something about something so large being so light that some will find disconcerting.
Amendment: the HTC One X is actually 3g lighter than the S3, but despite carrying both around at once, the S3 still felt lighter, which shows the way texture can affect the way a phone feels in the hand.
There's no doubt in our minds that the Pebble Blue offering is the much more attractive option, as the Marble White looks similar to a low-end Galaxy Mini or similar – the brushed effect is really necessary.

Compared to rest of the Galaxy line, the S3 has more in common with the original Galaxy S than the S2, with curved edges the theme in the design language. The home button has also been elongated, although the same menu and back buttons remain from the prequel.