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The Samsung Galaxy S3 looks the same regardless of carrier, but data speeds are not the same. CNET’s Jessica Dolcourt has spent some time testing the Samsung Galaxy S3 on major carriers, looking at speed and consistency in order to determine which is really the best Samsung Galaxy S3 you can buy in the US.
Fast is a variable variable! Lots of factors affect it, from local coverage to local architecture, to the number of users at any one time. Fluctuation is par for the course and so absolute fastest speeds are hard to quantify.
You also have to think about the difference between diagnostic speeds against real-world tests. In Jessica’s tests she used the Speedtest.net app to measure the down and upload speeds for each carrier.
She also visited websites and downloaded a popular game as real-world tests. Jessica’s neighbourhood is San Francisco, so may well vary from you readers’ tests, the results will also vary widely within SF, and from day to day. Networks are always building themselves up in both rural and urban areas, so flux is natural.
Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3
Verizon performed well at times, with peak upload and download speeds of 28.92MBPS, and other speeds that edged into the 20s over Jessica’s 45 tests. Some tests didn’t leave single digits, though, and the GS3 was at times much slower than expected, languishing in the 3-6MBPS range in downtown Frisco.
Uplinks were usually fast, with a spike at 19.1MBPS, and double figures in 15 out of the 45 tests. Speedtest.net still found decent upload speeds – 6-9MBPS – but there were a few troughs of 2-3MBPS.
Jessica’s real-world test was to download Riptide GP from CNET’s office. This 41.47MB file downloaded in 50 seconds the first time and 55 seconds the second. This download may have been faster in Verizon strongholds (CNET’s office is in a weak area). After clearing the browser cache, cookies and search history, the CNET desktop site loaded in 10 seconds.
AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3
AT&T doesn’t have that great a record in SF, but its 4G LTE service on the GS3 did itself proud in Downtown SF. In more than 30 tests it broke the 20MBPS barrier several times, with highs of 33 and 37 MBPS.
Uplink speeds were generally high, only rarely going below 6MBPS and often reaching 12 and 13MBPS, with a peak of 14MBPS. Of course AT&T still has its blackspots, in which you’ll be lucky to get 1MBPS.
Riptide GP downloaded in just 32 seconds the first time and 37 seconds in the repeat. CNET’s desktop site took just 8 seconds.
T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3
T-Mobile’s HSPA+ speeds were great in a lot of SF, and were consistent, usually in double figures and occasionally over 20MBPS. Some tests could only muster 6-7MBPS for downlinks, with the occasional 1MBPS or below. The median range was 9-16MBPS.
Uploading was slower, ranging from under 1MBPS to a high of 3.32MBPS, so T-Mobile has its work cut out. Riptide downloaded in 33 and 32 seconds, and CNET in 6.6 seconds.
Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3
Sprint didn’t do well in SF, failing to break though 1MBPS in 31 downlink tests. Uplink tests were little better, with a peak of 1.04MBPS. This is set to change, though, with the network switching on its 4G LTE in 15 cities across the US.
The GS3 doesn’t support Sprint’s 4G WiMax network, so until you get LTE in your city, you’ll be using 3G. The diagnostics looked bad, but real-world tests were more encouraging. CNET downloaded in 30 seconds, and sites that were mobile-compatible loaded nearly as fast as on phones on faster networks, like the NY Times in four seconds flat. Riptide GP took ages – 24 minutes and 46 seconds, then 15 minutes and 34 seconds.
Conclusion
The three carriers each win one category each, so you’ll have to decide which feature is more important to you. AT&T had the highest peak download speed and one of the most consistent speed records. Verizon scored the highest and most consistent diagnostic upload test results. T-Mobile had the fastest real-world results for page loading and games downloading.
Sprint is schlepping along on the prehistoric 3G, so we need to cut it some slack until LTE comes to San Fran or New York, when it can strut its stuff. So, AT&T is the overall winner in Jessica’s numerous tests in SF, both for the great diagnostic peaks and the reliability in real-world data speeds. Verizon and T-Mobile jostle for second place, especially with T-Mobile’s good HSPA+ results. Verizon still wins the uploading medal, though.
The rivalry between the networks means that they’re vying to give ever faster data speeds, which can’t hurt anyone!
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