In this second and final part of our review, we discuss the design and performance aspects of the Samsung Galaxy S3, one of the most successful smartphones ever released.
S3 design
The Galaxy S3 is surprisingly light and thin considering the size of the screen. It’s just 8.6mm thick (Galaxy S2 was 8.9mm thick) and weighs 133g. By comparison, the HTC One X measures 8.9mm and weighs 130g, while the iPhone 5 is 7.6mm thick and weighs just 112g. The new Galaxy S4 with its Sony Xperia Z rivaling 5-inch screen is 7.9mm thick and weighs 130g.
A smoother, more rounded appearance debuts on the S3, taking over from the more rectangular appearance of its predecessor, the S2. The pebble-style casing is reminiscent of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone, and while it doesn’t look quite as modern, the smooth curves allow your hand to mold to the device. It’s nice to see that the camera is now almost flush with the main body of the phone, as opposed to the slightly ugly and awkward raised lens casing that the S2 sports.
As is now standard Android smartphone fare, the three back, home and menu buttons are at the bottom of the screen, with only the physical home button the other two being touch sensitive. The other keys are the power or lock key and the volume rocker switch, both of which are located on the top right of the case.
For a top-of-the-line device, the S3 feels a bit cheap. Too much plastic is definitely to blame, and while it’s good quality, without nicer materials like aluminum, titanium, or Kevlar (as found on the Motorola Razr i XT890), it really struggles to feel premium. We would prefer to have a bit of extra weight if it means we can lose a bit of plastic.
The acres of smooth plastic doesn’t help with handling the device either, as it’s often too shiny and slippery to hold firmly. For those looking for a more luxurious feel, the HTC One, iPhone 5, and Sony Xperia T are three smartphones that offer more premium materials.
The S3 is available in blue or white, but as with most popular Samsung phones, look for special edition colors like red, pink, or silver in the future.
S3 performance
The S3 packs a 1.4GHz quad-core processor inside its slim casing, and while the phone has been superseded by the S4 (although it wasn’t superseded, it’s now considered a “budget” model), it still packs more power than enough, both in terms of data processing and graph rendering. HD video is handled extremely well, and overall performance in use feels very slick, without the sluggishness that often comes with lower-end phones like the Nokia Lumia 520 or Sony Xperia J. It also manages to beat the Motorola Razr i. similarly priced, largely because the Razr relies on a fast but single-core CPU.
The S3 even stacks up well against more recent phones like the iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z, and the S3 has enough power to tackle most games on the Google Play store.
Big, high-definition screens, multi-core processors, and the desire for thinner phones are all enemies of decent battery life. To combat this, Samsung has given the S3 a power saving mode to extract the most performance from the battery by limiting CPU usage, wireless activity, screen brightness, altering background colors, and limiting vibrations and sound feedback. This, together with the user-removable 2100 mAh battery, allows Samsung to achieve more than acceptable battery performance.
It’s worth noting that Samsung sells a larger 3000mAh replacement battery for around £45. Those who might be interested in this product should note that the battery is slightly larger than standard, so which comes with a slightly thicker back cover.
Conclution
The Galaxy S3 can be seen as an evolution of its predecessor, with notable improvements like a larger screen, more CPU power, and a slimmer design.
The fact that the new Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z haven’t really made the S3 look dated is testament to the specs packed into this phone. With a powerful processor and a 4.8″ screen, the S3 will be a relevant phone for several years to come. It also raises the question of whether top-tier smartphones like the Google Nexus 4, HTC One, or Sony Xperia Z are really worth the money. . additional cost.