what DON'T you like about s3

[hbryder]

So I was a longtime Palm Treo user, and still use it for some apps that just are not available for android.

With all the hype and hoopla I would not have expected some of the following gripes, but here is my list


Audio Jack // Blue tooth: Bluetooth for phone call use is disabled with audio jack inserted for music play through speakers. - should be able to set a preference in settings - should have provided a micro-usb charger/audio out cable; cannot find one either
>> They should have a software fix for this

USB vs MTP device: Why would they possible do this? Is the S3 designed to be a toy or a potential business device? Make the format of the memory selectable USB or MTP

volume buttons opposite the on/off is simply bad ergonomic placement: they should have been offset so squeezing with one hand does not land on the undesired opposite button. DUH

cannot copy then cannot paste a ph# into dialer What am I missing?

cannot create an addl folder in email app ie 'saved' where I can store emails.

ability to 'lock' app specific settings - voice input for this app // keyboard input for that app, and make it stick.

where is the track # and other tag info in music players?

File synchronization?? How is it possible that the S3 is inferior to obsolete Palm devices? Beyond music and photos, regular files need to be synched too.

The case ~was~ too slim and slippery for my hand; though a case made it feel better and did not take a good sized phone and make it too big; it made a too small one just right for my hands.

Alarms are blocked by notifications! Went to the restroom last night before turning in for the evening. Missed a call. In the morning the alarm didn

 

[gixer7502]

To be fair, he said 1 to 3 years usage. If you've had 3 iPhones, its not possible to have had each for over 3 years. He also put in the ambiguous "solid use" clause, meaning there is a counter argument for any comeback you have, because solid use has not been defined.

That said, in IT its ingrained to do battery pulls so that's reason alone to dismiss anything thats not got removable batteries




I don't have this issue but it looks and feels cheap. I'd swap it for a metal one if I didn't know it reduces signal

Apple replace the battery for free if its ever needed!!
It is never necessary to do a battery pull. Hardware buttons can be used to perform the same function

 

[gixer7502]

1. Poor battery life
2. Can't reorder phone favorites; can't set which # to call of a favorite (e.g. "mobile")
3. Email app has too few controls
4. Tinny internal speaker
5. Poor speakerphone outgoing voice quality

I would be very happy if all the above didn't exist. But I'm still not trading it for the iPhone 5 I returned on launch day to get my S3.

The bottom line: Samsung, please fix all these problems, exactly two years from now.

And the real bottom line: There is no perfect phone. There's only the best phone for a given person. I think the iPhone 5 is the best phone for 80% of people. And the S3 is the best for those of us who are tech workers and power users, who can make use of its features and don't need the "it just works" interface. Or those who need the big screen in their pocket for watching videos.

Agreed with most of that last paragraph. There is no 'BEST' phone but only the best for that individual.
But why do G3 users go on about the power of their handset or about its quad core processor as reasons for it being better than the iPhone 5 when the iPhone still beats it in every benchmark test?

 

[hbryder]

Agreed with most of that last paragraph. There is no 'BEST' phone but only the best for that individual.
But why do G3 users go on about the power of their handset or about its quad core processor as reasons for it being better than the iPhone 5 when the iPhone still beats it in every benchmark test?

Not all s3 users have quad core, us variant are snapdragon dual core, with 2g ram. The speed of the us version is great, however that's isn't why I personally would say it's better than the ip5, I would say it would have more to do with all the things it can do that the ip5 can't. As it has been said before it's personal preference.

 

[johnnylighton]

I think both phones are fast enough that processor speed is not a good reason to choose one or the other. People should use various phones for enough time in the store to get a feel for them, then buy the one that feels best to them. If they don't know about phones, it's a safe bet to choose from between the IPhone and a very popular Android phone like the S3.

It's a good thing when there are a lot of users on your phone and platform because devs, carriers, makers, and accessory companies support your phone more. But I think people are a little too invested in their choice being adopted by (validated by) others. Just be happy that YOU are happy with your device. (I'm not speaking to anyone in particular)

 

[WildH]

I don't like that the phone is so freaking awesome it makes me want to use it all the time.

 

[hbryder]

I don't like that the phone is so freaking awesome it makes me want to use it all the time.

Not only does it make want to use it all the time, it forced me to go out and buy the Galaxy Note 10.1!!! Dang it!! So mad...now I have to pick between them all the time.... URGH

 

[WildH]

Not only does it make want to use it all the time, it forced me to go out and buy the Galaxy Note 10.1!!! Dang it!! So mad...now I have to pick between them all the time.... URGH

In addition, it makes my iPad with its ios(uck) even more sucky and I wish my employer has apps for android so I could get a tab or Transformer....

FML.

 

[biker74]

Location of speaker / and tinny - bit pants.

Not sure if I have a newer batch, but my battery life is phenomenally good. I'm at 24 hours and still have about 25% left. That's with quite heavy use throughout the day - various tasks. This could be because it's new - day old.

Couple of issues trying to sync up initially but think I've figured it out.

I walked away from Apple for this phone, had the 4S and was so disappointed with the iphone 5 that I wasn't even going to entertain getting it. I'll check back when the iphone 6 comes out. I still cant believe they haven't really changed iOS since original launch.

 

[Pappy35]

1. Cannot see the screen outdoors.
2. Redialing a missed call requires multiple selections.
3. No way to easily go to the top of a page (double tap doesn’t work consistently).
4. Copy/Paste isn’t as easy as it could be.
5. No visual voicemail.
6. Default 2sec vibrate is annoying.
7. End users should not have to dick around trying to figure out what apps suck juice. That’s a sign of a poorly engineered and integrated software environment. iOS doesn’t seem to have this issue.
8. USB vs MTP device. Should be able to select USB.
9. Color balance with flash is horrible (heavily blue).
10. How is it that the three main weather apps, Weather Bug, Accuweather, and The Weather Channel, don’t work? WB radar graphics rendering is spotty at best, the other two couldn’t acquire my location from the GPS. All three work great on my iPhone 4S. Makes me, an Android neophyte, nervous about the quality of other Android apps.

Someone said this: “…power users, who can make use of its features and don't need the "it just works" interface...” Really? So power users have time to deal with buggy interfaces and inconsistent application of menus and settings? That makes no sense. This phone should make customizing the user experience possible, not require a BSCS to figure out work-arounds to things that don't work.

These things are signs of a poorly integrated system. It’s not that ‘iOS can do it’, it’s that these issues are annoying, and should not be there. I’m frankly amazed that none were noted in the various online reviews I read while researching which phone to buy. I returned my S3 for this reason: I want a fully customizable open-architecture device that ALSO JUST WORKS!

I’m going to hold-out for the next round of new phones that are about to hit the market delivered with Jelly Bean in the hopes that many of these issues are gone now. I believe the current crop of Android phones are just about there but not quite. I really loved the many great and cool features the S3 had and really hope the new ones make it over the “it just works” goal line.

 

[hbryder]

In addition, it makes my iPad with its ios(uck) even more sucky and I wish my employer has apps for android so I could get a tab or Transformer....

FML.

Bummer the note 10.1is quite awesome.

 

[jericko]

I just upgrade from a HTC EVO and LOVE this phone, but I have one issue. I use my phone as a alarm clock and have to prop it up so the speaker can be heard. If its laying flush on my nightstand the alarm is almost impossible to hear.

 

[Rxpert83]

I just upgrade from a HTC EVO and LOVE this phone, but I have one issue. I use my phone as a alarm clock and have to prop it up so the speaker can be heard. If its laying flush on my nightstand the alarm is almost impossible to hear.

Ouch. Can you place it touchscreen down?

I know that's not exactly a solution

 

[ryancalif]

Antenna is a bit weaker than the iPhone's.

Other than that, this thing wipes the floor with the iPhone... never going back to iOS.

 

[Rxpert83]

Antenna is a bit weaker than the iPhone's.

Other than that, this thing wipes the floor with the iPhone... never going back to iOS.

The radios is mostly a Samsung thing. I Don't want you to generalize that to all of Android

 

[ryancalif]

The radios is mostly a Samsung thing. I Don't want you to generalize that to all of Android

Good point.

On the plus side though, due to the weaker antenna, the SAR value is very low!

 

[gixer7502]

I think both phones are fast enough that processor speed is not a good reason to choose one or the other. People should use various phones for enough time in the store to get a feel for them, then buy the one that feels best to them. If they don't know about phones, it's a safe bet to choose from between the IPhone and a very popular Android phone like the S3.

It's a good thing when there are a lot of users on your phone and platform because devs, carriers, makers, and accessory companies support your phone more. But I think people are a little too invested in their choice being adopted by (validated by) others. Just be happy that YOU are happy with your device. (I'm not speaking to anyone in particular)

Exactly what you said!!!!!

 

[gixer7502]

Location of speaker / and tinny - bit pants.

Not sure if I have a newer batch, but my battery life is phenomenally good. I'm at 24 hours and still have about 25% left. That's with quite heavy use throughout the day - various tasks. This could be because it's new - day old.

Couple of issues trying to sync up initially but think I've figured it out.

I walked away from Apple for this phone, had the 4S and was so disappointed with the iphone 5 that I wasn't even going to entertain getting it. I'll check back when the iphone 6 comes out. I still cant believe they haven't really changed iOS since original launch.

If you had a product which was the fastest selling product at every release and capable of shifting 2 million in the first week why exactly would you change it???
You would be an idiot to, from a business perspective.
I don't think iOS needs changing. Could do with some of the functionality added after jailbreak adding as standard though.

 

[Roadie1015]

On my old Droid it would disable data while it was sleeping. I can't seem to find out how to do that on this phone. It made the battery last almost forever if you didn't use it, that was really a nice feature.

 

[ebonybranch]

I love many things about my S3, but it's just too big, too light, too slippery and too fragile. After having had two S3s marked or cracked by fairly mild falls I've finally decided that I'm just not happy with the size and build, so I'm buying a second hand S2 and selling my S3! I've just installed the Polish Jelly Bean ROM on the S3, and it's wonderfully slick; but I can't relax with the phone.

To repeat: I love the phone, but I'm too clumsy to be happy with it.

 

[blenkows]

1) Battery issues

As with a bunch of other people here, I am not fond of the battery life. I guess that's to be expected, but speaking of someone that comes from an iPhone their whole life, they might be disappointed.

2) Volume/Power button arrangement:

I hate hate hate the arrangement of the power button/volume buttons. I don't think I've ever successfully turned my phone screen off (which I always do after I'm done using it for the time being) without accidentally hitting the volume keys. iPhone destroys Galaxy SIII in that regard with the power button on top.

3) The keyboard

Holy hell Samsung's keyboard sucks. Yes, I have swiftkey like everyone else, and that helps a lot. But iPhone's spellcheck and autocorrect is waaaaaaay better than this crap. Thank god for Swiftkey (which still isn't as good as iPhone imo but it is still good)


Those are my main gripes with it. Other than that, I love the phone. I don't mind the flimsy back that everyone seems to hate. I have a case anyway so it doesn't affect me. I'm still glad I made the switch overall, but there are a few things that it can be improved upon for the next model.

 

[jamesino]

About the quick dialing feature, what you can do with Nova (maybe Prime), you can set one of your app icons in the dock to have a Swype functionality.

I set my phone app to automatically dial a favorite contact when I swipe up on it. Tapping is maintains the same function as normal (opening up the Phone app).

 

[Deleted User]

- battery life is terrible
- GPS is weak compared to other phones
- case Build quality/material is amazingly cheap
- external speaker is garbage compared to other premium supersmart phones

You must have a fault my battery life is amazing, best I have ever had on a smart phone. I switch off when I go to bed and most days I can manage 2 days between charges, and yes I do use my phone.

 

[WasabiBomb]

One thing that I really dislike is how easy it is to not see missed notifications. On the iPhone, the screen would light up whenever I got a new notification- meeting reminder, phone call, voicemail, text, whatever- with a nice big visual indicator right in the middle of the screen. And that notification would stay up on the screen, so the next time I woke up the phone, I'd instantly know that I'd missed a call (or whatever).

I haven't found a way to make the S3 do that. I get the vibration or ring, but if I miss that, the only way I know that I've missed something is to pull down the notification panel.

I've tried using a lockscreen replacer (Widget Locker) and a widget that keeps track of events like number of emails, etc... but it's still really easy to miss stuff, and if I haven't specifically set it up to notice other events (like Words With Friends, for example), it doesn't know to tell me.

Is this something that is improved in Jelly Bean? I've come *this* close to returning the S3 over this.

 

[aeiou2]

Handcent does not block stock messenger app, even though I chose the option for it to block both? Why is that? On the Evo this worked with no problem. But on the GS3 it just opens up without asking for the pass code.

Also holding the middle button down brings up your recent apps, but it also opens up your text app and you can see a quick preiview of your recent text. Whats the point of locking your text if they can be seen so easily.

Stock keyboard and swype dont always capitalize the letter I. What is that about? Thats just the basics. :td

I'm only on day 2 but if i cant figure out a way to fix these things then this is going back before day 14.