Google gave away free Samsung Galaxy Nexus phones to everyone attending the I/O and they came with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean pre-installed. So is this phone better than the Samsung Galaxy S3 now that it won’t be seeing the game changing update until the end of the year? The folks over at MobileNApps try to answer that question and with it pit both devices against each other one more time. Here are some highlights in particular we think are worth mentioning in case you are on the market for either one of these Samsung phones:
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nexus (with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean): Hardware vs software
The Nexus comes in at 0.33 pounds and is 5.33 x 2.67 x 0.37 inches and has a 4.65 Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 resolution. The Galaxy S3 weighs 0.29 pounds and is 5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches and has the same display as the Nexus along with the same resolution. Winner: S3
The Nexus is packed with 1GB of RAM and a 1.2GHz dual core processor and comes with 32GB of storage and a 1,820mAh battery that can be removed. There is a 1.3 megapixel camera for video calling and a 5 megapixel camera on the back, which supports 1080p output. There is a 3.5 mm jack for headphones and Micro USB support along with accelerometers and gyroscopes.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in 16GB. 32GB and 64GB versions with a 2100 mAh battery which can be removed and it has wireless charging support. It also has 2GB RAM and there is a 1.9MP camera on the front and 8 megapixel camera on the back which supports 1080p video. It also has the same headphone jack and other outputs of the Nexus. Winner: S3
Now it is no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S3 is leading in the hardware front. But what about software? One of the biggest differences between the two handsets is that the Nexus runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, while the S3 has Android 4.0 ICS.
JellyBean comes with Google Now which is a service that keeps you informed of what matters to you, in real time. There is also an update to the voice to text app, S Voice, which is their answer to Siri. For example you could ask who the Prime Minister of the UK is and the app would tell you David Cameron and show you his entry on Wikipedia. Winner: Draw (S3 has an S-Voice app of its own too)
The notification bar has been updated and is now in the middle of the display and is semi-transparent. Notifications can now be expanded so that they show more details. This comes in handy for pre-viewing emails and text messages. Winner: Nexus
Google Now is a very unique feature and on the Nexus it shows cards which are updated depending on location. For instance it could provide you with scores for your basketball team or it could provide you with information such as where your local Target store is. This is not available on the S3 until it gets the update. For the moment notifications show up with an option for users to open the app. With the update users do not have to open up apps, which sees an increase in multi-tasking. Winner: Nexus
Project Butter is another face lift, this time it increases the performance of the software and offers triple buffering in the graphics along with a higher frame rate. Winner: Nexus
The focus has to be on Android Jelly Bean as is the case with any Nexus device where software is a big part. If you can live without these features then the S3 is a better choice. However if you wish to keep getting surprised by new features, then the Nexus is on the fore front and will likely get another update even before the S3 gets a taste of Jelly Bean by the end of the year.
