Let me start off by saying I'm an avid Android fan and I own many Android devices. I also encourage friends and family to purchase Android products. My first Android device was the Droid X. My second Android phone is the S3. What I have to say here about the S3 is good info for anyone needing a new phone, looking to upgrade and/or looking to make the jump to Android from Windows, Blackberry or ios. Many of my comments can be attributed to other phones or OS's as well. However, we are currently discussing the S3. Ok, now on to why the S3 is Bad for you!
I purchased my S3 back in August and it's been an interesting <3 months. I do not have an addictive personality but this phone is testing that trait in me. Here are the main points:
Materials
Samsung has held a hard line on plastics. They have been dogged on about the materials they use compared to other phones on the market. I will admit that I did like the materials used in my Droid X. The aluminum frame was nice and sturdy. However, it did make the phone more heavy. I have come to really like the weight of the S3. It's a nice light device but not too light. When it comes to these devices (our phones that have become an integral part of our lives) size, weight and shape have become increasingly important. Form and function have almost become equally important. Samsung has stayed with using plastics, high quality plastics too. Just look at the drop tests and you quickly realize why Samsung has stayed with plastic. Gorilla Glass is a plastic and it's what is used in the S3 as well as the iphone 5. (Many other phones too.) Samsung makes more smartphones than any other manufacturer in the world. They know a thing or two about choosing the correct materials for a smartphone. I'm not saying aluminum or other materials are a bad choice, actually they're really nice. But there are advantages to using high quality plastics. Plastics help with impact absorption, flex when needed and are less expensive to produce. They can also be produced in a larger quantity easier and more quickly. Let's keep in mind that our phones are not devices we keep for a lifetime. If I'm shopping for something I am planning on keeping for a lifetime then I put more importance into the materials used based on the time I plan on keeping that item. Samsung has done a great job balancing the pros and cons of plastic in their devices. It needs to feel good in the hand, and to explore that we move onto the next section.
Shape
The shape of this phone is beautiful and calming. Let me explain. I have come to really like the curves of this phone. The slight curve of the top and bottom of the phone, the curve of the sides from the front to the back and most importantly the curve of the glass! THIS is where the phone wins me over everyday. If you have an S3, hold it in your hand and run your thumb over the top right or left corner of the glass. Feel the curve of the glass as it rolls down to the silver trim. I find myself running my right thumb over the glass right over where the camera is, from the screen to the corner of the glass. It just feels good. The bottom corners have a similar curve but not exactly. They're different. Along the sides the glass curves off as well. This is a really nice touch Samsung did with the glass design. I was showing my phone to a good friend the other day (an iphone owner) and was telling him that I find myself running my thumb over the glass at the top corners often. And actually, it's very often. He brought up a good point. He believes that it calms, or soothes, me. It's like a highly polished stone that people rub. It calms them. My phone is acting as that polished rock. I find myself running my thumb over the curves in the glass when I'm driving or waiting in line. I have actually become dependent on it. Addicted? Perhaps...
Screen
Ok, I admit this one up front! I'm addicted to this screen!! It's absolutely gorgeous! The size is amazing and I cannot see myself ever going back to a smaller screen. This screen is perfect. It's nice using a screen this size not only for calls but for FB, surfing the net, watching Netflix, etc... The screen is one reason why I find myself reaching for this phone way too much! This screen is addictive and you will love it!
Hardware
This phone performs! It's fast, fluid and powerful! It amazes me how fast and fluid this phone is considering it's running an OS that requires tons more code. As we all know Android can be customized more than any other phone OS. In order to do this it takes considerably more code to run. There are more checks and info the OS has to read, process and act upon which calls for more processing power. Remember, Samsung is the largest producer of smartphone internals and hardware in the world. They don't only build it for themselves but they build internals for Apple. They know a thing or two about phone hardware and screens. Their processors are amongst the best.
OS
ICS is amazing and Jelly Bean is even better!! The OS completes the cocktail that creates my addiction. It's fun, different and visually pleasing. In addition I can change it up any way I want. I can make this phone MY phone. I can set up each homescreen to do many things other than just list app icons. This type of customization can assist you in being more productive. One option that I find very useful is the LED indicator. Something I used on my Droid X and something I could not live without in my phone. However, it goes so much deeper than that. Once you get into the OS you continually discover new things it can do. For example, the sharing capabilities of the OS and the S3 are amazing! Once I choose a photo in the gallery there is a plethora of choices of how to share it. The option to watch videos or movies while sending texts, surfing the web, sending emails or whatever else you want to do on your phone is fun, useful and has a wow factor to it. Some say this is a useless feature. Really? Have you ever surfed the net on your computer while watching tv? I'm doing that right now. The S3 allows you to do that on the go. It helps demonstrate the power of the OS. The camera software in ICS (and Jelly Bean) has a ton of capabilities. It's fun to explore all the options the camera software affords you. Burst shot, smile shot (really really cool!), panoramic, best shot, etc... The sharing capabilities directly from the camera is fun too. Explore the camera options.
I find myself playing around with the OS learning new options, downloading apps that add options to the phone or changing up the look of my homescreens. Launchers are a great way to change a significant amount of the phone interface. All of this adds to the fun of the phone.
Finally we come to why I say the S3 is Bad for you. Or me in this case. Well, because I find myself on this phone WAY WAY WAY too much!! I find myself reaching for it every 5 mins. If I'm in a meeting, at a stop light, hanging with friends, watching tv, relaxing on the couch or in bed or when I think of something I want to look up I reach for my S3. The feel, the form, the speed and the fun of the OS make this phone absolutely Addictive! And remember, I don't have an addictive personality. I am on this device way too much! I cannot get enough of it. It feels good to use, is the right size, the form and shape, the right curve, the speed, the gorgeous screen, the customization of the OS and all of it in one device. I need to find a way to stop using it so often. I'm serious, It's getting to be a problem. I have had to leave it in my truck at times so that I won't reach for it. Now, some will probably say we all reach for our phones more when they're new. I've had it for almost 3 months! The newness effect we get with new devices and toys wears off because we learn everything that device does and usually that device or toy does one or two things. This device is proving to be more than just a phone that can email and surf the net. It has proven that it's deeper than just that. I keep discovering things that it does that I didn't know it did or I knew it did but I have never used. Then on top of that, Jelly Bean adds new options and capabilities.
I have written this entire post without ever scratching the surface of all the things that the S3 can do. Things that other phones or OS's cannot do. So, if you're considering an S3 I caution you to be careful and make sure you're ready for a phone of this magnitude. It may become an addiction you cannot control. Smartphones are becoming more and more an integral part of our lives. The S3 has taken that integral part to a new level.
I purchased my S3 back in August and it's been an interesting <3 months. I do not have an addictive personality but this phone is testing that trait in me. Here are the main points:
Materials
Samsung has held a hard line on plastics. They have been dogged on about the materials they use compared to other phones on the market. I will admit that I did like the materials used in my Droid X. The aluminum frame was nice and sturdy. However, it did make the phone more heavy. I have come to really like the weight of the S3. It's a nice light device but not too light. When it comes to these devices (our phones that have become an integral part of our lives) size, weight and shape have become increasingly important. Form and function have almost become equally important. Samsung has stayed with using plastics, high quality plastics too. Just look at the drop tests and you quickly realize why Samsung has stayed with plastic. Gorilla Glass is a plastic and it's what is used in the S3 as well as the iphone 5. (Many other phones too.) Samsung makes more smartphones than any other manufacturer in the world. They know a thing or two about choosing the correct materials for a smartphone. I'm not saying aluminum or other materials are a bad choice, actually they're really nice. But there are advantages to using high quality plastics. Plastics help with impact absorption, flex when needed and are less expensive to produce. They can also be produced in a larger quantity easier and more quickly. Let's keep in mind that our phones are not devices we keep for a lifetime. If I'm shopping for something I am planning on keeping for a lifetime then I put more importance into the materials used based on the time I plan on keeping that item. Samsung has done a great job balancing the pros and cons of plastic in their devices. It needs to feel good in the hand, and to explore that we move onto the next section.
Shape
The shape of this phone is beautiful and calming. Let me explain. I have come to really like the curves of this phone. The slight curve of the top and bottom of the phone, the curve of the sides from the front to the back and most importantly the curve of the glass! THIS is where the phone wins me over everyday. If you have an S3, hold it in your hand and run your thumb over the top right or left corner of the glass. Feel the curve of the glass as it rolls down to the silver trim. I find myself running my right thumb over the glass right over where the camera is, from the screen to the corner of the glass. It just feels good. The bottom corners have a similar curve but not exactly. They're different. Along the sides the glass curves off as well. This is a really nice touch Samsung did with the glass design. I was showing my phone to a good friend the other day (an iphone owner) and was telling him that I find myself running my thumb over the glass at the top corners often. And actually, it's very often. He brought up a good point. He believes that it calms, or soothes, me. It's like a highly polished stone that people rub. It calms them. My phone is acting as that polished rock. I find myself running my thumb over the curves in the glass when I'm driving or waiting in line. I have actually become dependent on it. Addicted? Perhaps...
Screen
Ok, I admit this one up front! I'm addicted to this screen!! It's absolutely gorgeous! The size is amazing and I cannot see myself ever going back to a smaller screen. This screen is perfect. It's nice using a screen this size not only for calls but for FB, surfing the net, watching Netflix, etc... The screen is one reason why I find myself reaching for this phone way too much! This screen is addictive and you will love it!
Hardware
This phone performs! It's fast, fluid and powerful! It amazes me how fast and fluid this phone is considering it's running an OS that requires tons more code. As we all know Android can be customized more than any other phone OS. In order to do this it takes considerably more code to run. There are more checks and info the OS has to read, process and act upon which calls for more processing power. Remember, Samsung is the largest producer of smartphone internals and hardware in the world. They don't only build it for themselves but they build internals for Apple. They know a thing or two about phone hardware and screens. Their processors are amongst the best.
OS
ICS is amazing and Jelly Bean is even better!! The OS completes the cocktail that creates my addiction. It's fun, different and visually pleasing. In addition I can change it up any way I want. I can make this phone MY phone. I can set up each homescreen to do many things other than just list app icons. This type of customization can assist you in being more productive. One option that I find very useful is the LED indicator. Something I used on my Droid X and something I could not live without in my phone. However, it goes so much deeper than that. Once you get into the OS you continually discover new things it can do. For example, the sharing capabilities of the OS and the S3 are amazing! Once I choose a photo in the gallery there is a plethora of choices of how to share it. The option to watch videos or movies while sending texts, surfing the web, sending emails or whatever else you want to do on your phone is fun, useful and has a wow factor to it. Some say this is a useless feature. Really? Have you ever surfed the net on your computer while watching tv? I'm doing that right now. The S3 allows you to do that on the go. It helps demonstrate the power of the OS. The camera software in ICS (and Jelly Bean) has a ton of capabilities. It's fun to explore all the options the camera software affords you. Burst shot, smile shot (really really cool!), panoramic, best shot, etc... The sharing capabilities directly from the camera is fun too. Explore the camera options.
I find myself playing around with the OS learning new options, downloading apps that add options to the phone or changing up the look of my homescreens. Launchers are a great way to change a significant amount of the phone interface. All of this adds to the fun of the phone.
Finally we come to why I say the S3 is Bad for you. Or me in this case. Well, because I find myself on this phone WAY WAY WAY too much!! I find myself reaching for it every 5 mins. If I'm in a meeting, at a stop light, hanging with friends, watching tv, relaxing on the couch or in bed or when I think of something I want to look up I reach for my S3. The feel, the form, the speed and the fun of the OS make this phone absolutely Addictive! And remember, I don't have an addictive personality. I am on this device way too much! I cannot get enough of it. It feels good to use, is the right size, the form and shape, the right curve, the speed, the gorgeous screen, the customization of the OS and all of it in one device. I need to find a way to stop using it so often. I'm serious, It's getting to be a problem. I have had to leave it in my truck at times so that I won't reach for it. Now, some will probably say we all reach for our phones more when they're new. I've had it for almost 3 months! The newness effect we get with new devices and toys wears off because we learn everything that device does and usually that device or toy does one or two things. This device is proving to be more than just a phone that can email and surf the net. It has proven that it's deeper than just that. I keep discovering things that it does that I didn't know it did or I knew it did but I have never used. Then on top of that, Jelly Bean adds new options and capabilities.
I have written this entire post without ever scratching the surface of all the things that the S3 can do. Things that other phones or OS's cannot do. So, if you're considering an S3 I caution you to be careful and make sure you're ready for a phone of this magnitude. It may become an addiction you cannot control. Smartphones are becoming more and more an integral part of our lives. The S3 has taken that integral part to a new level.
I have to agree it sure is a awesome phone
