The Samsung Galaxy S3 officially debuted earlier this month and with it revealed what Samsung’s Galaxy brand would be all about in 2012. The Samsung Galaxy S2 was the mold by which other Galaxy branded phones were based off (Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus, Skyrocket, etc) and similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S3 will likely be the base for the Galaxy Note 2 and the Google Nexus 4 is Sammy wins the contract once again.
Samsung Galaxy S3 features review
While the Samsung Galaxy S3 hardware was top notch, there were mixed reactions at the launch. The reason was because of some hardware shortcomings (no 12-megapixel camera or 2GB RAM as rumored) as well as its exterior design which still relied on plastics.
Samsung has been know for being on the bleeding edge of technology and hence a lot was expected of the Galaxy S3 hardware. However we saw Samsung take a different turn with the third-generation Galaxy S phone, and instead focus heavily on software in order to improve user experience as well. Samsung touted the Galaxy S3 as being “designed for humans” and developed the following features into the Samsung Galaxy S3:
Smart Stay: Uses the front-facing camera to keep the screen on while you’re looking at it; Direct Call: If you’re texting someone but decide to suddenly hold the Samsung Galaxy S3 up to your ear, it will automatically initiate the a call; Buddy Photo Share: uses face detection to automatically share pictures of your friends with your friends; AllShare Play: AirPlay clone that lets you share your screen with any other S3 users or DLNA-enabled devices on local WiFi; Smart Alert: If you have any missed messages or calls, Smart Alert will vibrate your handset when you pick it up off the table; and Voice: Siri clone that employs natural language for searching weather, browsing music tracks, configuring alarms and more.
Now this is quite refreshing when it comes to an Android device, especially since Samsung’s primary focus is usually on hardware.
Lastly, while the hyperglazed plastic body of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been criticized feeling cheap, it makes it lighter than most smartphones which are even smaller than it. This also makes it more comfortable for one-handed operations.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is light, refreshing and may have stumbled upon the right formula to take on the upcoming iPhone 5 which carries on Apple’s strategy to build devices that are more focused on user experience than hardware specs.
