Want a Galaxy S3, but are these cons worth it? Have till the weekend to decide. Your view?

buy the s3 it's awesome

The only issue i hate about the S3 it should be a con is that is so awesome tooooo many people have it. Like I wanted a phone were people ask me what it was....

All I get is you can afford the S3 thats so cool... STaying updated huh

crossmr said:

I just had an iPhone 4 and when my contract finished I switched to an S3. I'm still setting it up, but I can tell you after using an iPhone for 2 years straight a lot of things feel "weird". I'm sure I'll get used to it, but right now everything is just uncomfortable. Especially typing...

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I did the same as you but after 4 years of iPhones - I had the 3G then held onto my 4 until the 5 but was left disappointed.

The iOS keyboard is currently the best touch keyboard, absolutely hands down - even Android keyboard devs admit to that. It had to be near perfect since it was the first properly marketed touch screen mobile - it would have failed if it were worse than our old Nokia keyboards!

That said, you should try SwiftKey on your S3. I tried the month trial and have now paid the

Im actually using Swype it's working really well so far. works well in Korean too

The website for swiftkey nearly gives me a seizure

I'm strongly agaisn't some of the application responses.

Google Play just hit 700,000 apps. Time to take over apple app store and slap apple while we're at it. Android has tons of game, amazing games, and most of these games are FREE on android. If you're worried about applications having poor reviews then there's a few reasons:

Google Play has way more reviews. Maybe that's just me..but apple's apps have no reviews..like a few thousand. Google Play racks up HUNDREDS of thousands of reviews..and in the top apps..millions of reviews. So it's more of a realistic reflection of the app in google play..you can say thats a bad thing but because of the nature of android DEVs like and use the feedback so it's only a good thing.

If a popular app keeps getting 1 star reviews for an issue I can bet you the devs will already be working for a fix. That's why Android is absolutely dominating the mobile OS market. It's a real community.

wisheezy that's an interesting take, but I gotta say that of all the apps I used on the iphone and loading up their android versions, a lot of them are just bad. My Korean English dictionary is slick and nice on the iphone, same company same version on the android, buggy and looks ugly. They're charging the same price, had I known it was so bad I would have actually pirated that one.

Banking software? On the iphone it's quite a lovely piece of software, works well, very slick. On the android it looks like baby's first banking software as designed by a guy with access to two crayons.

SO far there are lots of things I'm liking about android, but some of the app quality has been very disappointing.

crossmr said:

wisheezy that's an interesting take, but I gotta say that of all the apps I used on the iphone and loading up their android versions, a lot of them are just bad. My Korean English dictionary is slick and nice on the iphone, same company same version on the android, buggy and looks ugly. They're charging the same price, had I known it was so bad I would have actually pirated that one.

Banking software? On the iphone it's quite a lovely piece of software, works well, very slick. On the android it looks like baby's first banking software as designed by a guy with access to two crayons.

SO far there are lots of things I'm liking about android, but some of the app quality has been very disappointing.

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I think when it comes down to using an app that was good on iOS then getting it on Android and finding that it's not as fluid or good as the iOS version then i'd really suggest finding an alternative. You'll find the applications that are really beautiful on iOS are companies that are obviously focused on the app store market and developing for that.

I think if you look for an alternative for the android version. I.E. another dictionary app on android that meets your requirments for the service it'll provide then I'd like to think you'd be able to find a alternative app on google play that provides the same service that is beautiful on Android.

The beauty of android, as I'm sure you're fully aware of by now, is the pure choice, freedom of change, plenty of options to make your phone perfect. Many apple users would probably argue this means it doesn't work straight out the box..but for me..the fun of android is waking up one day and thinking..

"I hate my whole loader and lock screen now. I'll change it" and then an hour later you basically have a whole new look to your phone.

I partly agree with your banking app point. I also get the feeling some apps are in earlier stages than the iOS versions but with Google growing at such a massive rate I think they will realise this is an opportunity worth investing and they will get better.

Keep looking around the play store, try apps..even if they're paid..luckily you can get a refund on Google Play within 15 minutes so if immediately the app is horrible for you (interface, etc) then you can get a refund and move along.

I hope the app issue doesn't cloud your decision on how good android can be.

I'm new to android too though, I have nothing but praise for the software..it's the best change I made. Infact it's made me dual boot a Linux OS along with Windows 7!

The dictionary app was $16, which on the iPhone was a great investment, its' an incredible dictionary. When it comes to android though, there aren't a lot of quality Korean/English dictionaries. Same on the iOS it was about the only one stood out as completely and well put together, but the android version has some extremely obvious bugs in it that i just don't know how they could have gotten past testing.

I've found some good apps, but to try and say that all android apps are superior simply because they get more reviews, well i just don't buy that.

crossmr said:

The dictionary app was $16, which on the iPhone was a great investment, its' an incredible dictionary. When it comes to android though, there aren't a lot of quality Korean/English dictionaries. Same on the iOS it was about the only one stood out as completely and well put together, but the android version has some extremely obvious bugs in it that i just don't know how they could have gotten past testing.

I've found some good apps, but to try and say that all android apps are superior simply because they get more reviews, well i just don't buy that.

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I never said they were superior but having more reviews clearly will help anyone making a decision on purchasing a product. Well good luck.

andy9l said:

Urgh, "fanboy" argument. No point me questioning someone who uses the word "fanboy" in their points. You're right, I have an emotional connection with a business. That's definitely plausible.

Your argument is completely ludicrous regardless of it being Apple. If, say, Sony were the most valuable company in the world - saying "they will decline" whilst they're selling record numbers of their products is just ridiculous.

No need to defend Google or refer to me, an S3 user, as an "Apple fanboy" because I questioned your somewhat naive outlook on global businesses.

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Is English your second language?

I did not say YOU were an apple fanboy.

SUSS said:

Is English your second language?

I did not say YOU were an apple fanboy.

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"You may love them".

If you're not going to back your points, why make them? Why make remarks like questioning my rather blatant first language? Rhetorical questions, by the way.

andy9l said:

"You may love them".

If you're not going to back your points, why make them? Why make remarks like questioning my rather blatant first language? Rhetorical questions, by the way.

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Look up the word 'may'

Might help you understand the post.

Feel free to ignore my posts in future, i will certainly ignore yours.

I say go for the iPhone. It doesn't sound like you're the "tweaking " type and you're already familiar with iOS. My 2 cents.

SUSS said:

Feel free to ignore my posts in future, i will certainly ignore yours.

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I won't ignore yours, it was just disagreement.

As someone said, I was trying to be logical. I can't see Apple declining any time soon, regardless of their culture. They've grown out of the niche fan market nowadays with their mobile products. They're huge.

Fair enough if you think they've lost their way - I'm sure you have your reasons. For me, a company with recent record sales, Apple or not, is not a company about to decline (at least not at any serious level).

crossmr said:

wisheezy that's an interesting take, but I gotta say that of all the apps I used on the iphone and loading up their android versions, a lot of them are just bad. My Korean English dictionary is slick and nice on the iphone, same company same version on the android, buggy and looks ugly. They're charging the same price, had I known it was so bad I would have actually pirated that one.

Banking software? On the iphone it's quite a lovely piece of software, works well, very slick. On the android it looks like baby's first banking software as designed by a guy with access to two crayons.

SO far there are lots of things I'm liking about android, but some of the app quality has been very disappointing.

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That's a big issue I have with developers. They make an iPhone app and then they slack off when making the Android version. I find it frustrating that when I do things like use the back button on Android, it doesn't behave properly. It doesn't bring me back to the previous screen. Instead it exits the app. I'm like wtf? Learn how to make an Android app. I see this with too many apps. My banking app is like that. When I complained to the developer, she told me to use the mobile web site. Like wtf is that about? If you want me to use the mobile web site, why bother making an app for me?

crossmr said:

I just had an iPhone 4 and when my contract finished I switched to an S3. I'm still setting it up, but I can tell you after using an iPhone for 2 years straight a lot of things feel "weird". I'm sure I'll get used to it, but right now everything is just uncomfortable. Especially typing...
I think in the end I'll like the S3 better, but it will take some getting used to. One annoying thing is the extremely slow USB charge. When plugged into the PC it barely charges at all. At a snail's pace. The iPhone charged fairly quickly on the PC charge. the S3 does charge much faster plugged into the wall though.

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You realize that the S3 has a much larger battery that an iPhone 4....so it does take longer to charge. The wall charger that comes with the S3 is more powerful than most, which is why it charges faster on the wall. Under USB it is limited to how fast it can charge.

Hogan773 said:

You realize that the S3 has a much larger battery that an iPhone 4....so it does take longer to charge. The wall charger that comes with the S3 is more powerful than most, which is why it charges faster on the wall. Under USB it is limited to how fast it can charge.

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As an end user, that's irrelevant. All i see is how fast it discharges under use and the speed at which it fills back up under my normal charging scenario.

Surely the cross platform apps will be better for the app store for ios as the devs only had a few different phones to design for, and until recently, all had the same size screen with only two resolution types.

crossmr said:

As an end user, that's irrelevant. All i see is how fast it discharges under use and the speed at which it fills back up under my normal charging scenario.

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Alrighty then......not sure I agree that it's irrelevant but ok. I guess the point is that you are comparing apples to oranges. The GS3 has a larger battery than the Ip4S, so at a constant slow charge thru USB, it takes longer.

I guess you can also jump on the "battery life" bandwagon and say that the Ip4S has longer battery life too (which it does) and again people would say "yes but that is because it has a 3.5 inch screen vs a 4.8....obviously uses more power." That could also be "irrelevant" I guess depending on whether one notices or values the larger screen size which makes for a completely different user experience.

It's sort of like comparing a Honda Odyssey minivan to a Honda Fit and saying that the Fit gets better gas mileage and also doesn't cost nearly as much to fill up the gas tank. I might point out that the Odyssey has a bigger engine and weighs more which is why it uses more gas and has a bigger gas tank, and you might say that is "irrelevant" but to me it is very relevant since I can't fit my 3 kids, wife and all of their stuff into a Honda Fit........

Hogan773 said:

Alrighty then......not sure I agree that it's irrelevant but ok. I guess the point is that you are comparing apples to oranges. The GS3 has a larger battery than the Ip4S, so at a constant slow charge thru USB, it takes longer.

I guess you can also jump on the "battery life" bandwagon and say that the Ip4S has longer battery life too (which it does) and again people would say "yes but that is because it has a 3.5 inch screen vs a 4.8....obviously uses more power." That could also be "irrelevant" I guess depending on whether one notices or values the larger screen size which makes for a completely different user experience.

It's sort of like comparing a Honda Odyssey minivan to a Honda Fit and saying that the Fit gets better gas mileage and also doesn't cost nearly as much to fill up the gas tank. I might point out that the Odyssey has a bigger engine and weighs more which is why it uses more gas and has a bigger gas tank, and you might say that is "irrelevant" but to me it is very relevant since I can't fit my 3 kids, wife and all of their stuff into a Honda Fit........

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It's not really apples to oranges. It's battery life to battery life. Yes, the phones are slightly different, but to an end user that really isn't relevant. They aren't cars and they're an entirely different things. Let's get away from the pointless analogies and actually discuss what it is.

What it is, is as I pointed out earlier when I went out for a couple hours and was doing some very light work on my phone, it chewed through the battery at an alarming rate. Some wifi photo transfer with my eye-fi card and some light IMing. We're talking about twice as fast as the iPhone4. The screen isn't twice as big, and yes I can change the battery, but when I look at how even minor use of this phone kills the battery very quickly. I almost don't want to unplug it.
As it is, it can barely run on the the USB. I was transferring images and finishing setting up things on my phone tonight, and it took like 5 hours to charge it up from around 30%. That's just ridiculous to be honest.
Yes, plug it in to the wall and it charges much much faster, but that's not always an option. Most people don't evaluate a phone like they would a car and really distinguish them in classes, beyond "cheap" and "good"
For most something like the Galaxy S3 is a direct competitor for the same use as the iphone which means it gets directly compared.

I'm moving over from an iPhone to the S3 right now and as with all changes, there's a learning curve with its assoc frustrations.
That said...

everyday bug-bears -
* the volume buttons being opposite the power button drives me crazy

* iphone sits better in my hand

* sync all mail feeds - easy on the iphone, tricky n' painful (at least that's how I'm finding it) on the S3

* podcasts - easy on the iphone with the hated itunes - painful on the S3

* exploiting the benefits of the external sd card... many apps don't support it, can't intuitively move files/apps on to it... and still find the files / app support you need

I don't know guys, after 2 months, this feels like the bad old days of Unix - superior OS yes but user-friendly - no way;

bo910 said:

* podcasts - easy on the iphone with the hated itunes - painful on the S3

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True. No matter how much iTunes is hated - it lies between 50 and 100 times better than Kies!

The S3, or Android as an OS, is good if you have time to waste configuring your phone, or enjoy messing with your phone. Fortunately I do, so don't mind these nuisances you've mentioned.

I would agree, though, that Android isn't as user friendly as iOS for the non-techies(!). For the people who are a little more technically-inclined - I'm not sure if it's less user friendly, or just different. I've not really struggled to do anything on my S3 (excluding the abysmal Kies) that I could do on my iPhones.

ceva321 said:

Just curious why did you return your Iphone5 after only one day???

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I had expected the iPhone 5 would come out when the 4S was released, and that it would have significant advances. But Apple released the 4S instead, so I waited an additional year. Finally the 5 was out and it was dropped off at my house at 8:30 am! It was gorgeous - no one makes hardware like Apple.

But when I turned it on and used it, I was completely underwhelmed. Why was the screen taller but not wider? It made no sense. Beautiful panel, but not big enough. I had been waiting for better notifications, and figured that my 3GS didn't get all the new OS features that I would enjoy on the 5. But the notifications screen was no different; it only allowed Apple apps to access it, and I wanted my chosen calendar and to-do list to show me what I need to do on any given day and at any given moment. My 3GS camera had been broken for a year and I couldn't wait for Apple's new camera which was reputed to be second best after Nokia. But it was just OK. That was a big bummer. Why did I wait all that time just for a nicely-built phone that's running an old OS, with a small screen and a camera that's nice for a phone but nothing spectacular?

Then I got the S3. A world of improvements! I can make it do what it want! I can swipe one screen to the right and see a continually-updated calendar and to-do list. The camera is excellent in good light. Battery life - for me - is poor. It doesn't do some things as well as the iPhone, as hard as that is to believe, considering the iPhone is using a years-old interface. But overall, for my use, it kills!

Hogan773 said:

Alrighty then......not sure I agree that it's irrelevant but ok. I guess the point is that you are comparing apples to oranges. The GS3 has a larger battery than the Ip4S, so at a constant slow charge thru USB, it takes longer.

I guess you can also jump on the "battery life" bandwagon and say that the Ip4S has longer battery life too (which it does) and again people would say "yes but that is because it has a 3.5 inch screen vs a 4.8....obviously uses more power." That could also be "irrelevant" I guess depending on whether one notices or values the larger screen size which makes for a completely different user experience.

It's sort of like comparing a Honda Odyssey minivan to a Honda Fit and saying that the Fit gets better gas mileage and also doesn't cost nearly as much to fill up the gas tank. I might point out that the Odyssey has a bigger engine and weighs more which is why it uses more gas and has a bigger gas tank, and you might say that is "irrelevant" but to me it is very relevant since I can't fit my 3 kids, wife and all of their stuff into a Honda Fit........

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Just incase you didn't know..or incase this wasn't considered as a factor..


USB charging will be slow as **** depending on your PC. It will never be as fast as wall charging (for now anyway).

So therefore charging a large battery via slow USB will mean a longer charge time..not much else to be said that's all there is to it. iPhone's have much smaller battery capacity

I switched to the S3 about 2 weeks ago, from an Iphone 4S.
Like many here said, it is a matter of preference.

I like many others like the way you can customize your phone.
The OS, altho I have found it is a bit buggier does not motivate me enough to go back to apple.

Google store vs App store: I can honestly say I dont see the difference. all of the apps I use/like are on both stores.

Overall I find the S3(after many hours of research and usage) to be easier in the long run to use. Friendlier if you may.

Reception, I get reception most of the time, where as my brother( Iphone 5 user) doesnt. So Ill give reception to the S3 as well.

Even my brother who is a vivid apple fanboi(ipad, ipod touch,iphone5) was thinking about switching to the S3 after playing with my phone for a couple of days.