The Samsung Galaxy S3 has proven to be a popular Android handset in 2012. But then the S2 was successful too. So if you own the S2 is it worth making the upgrade to the newer model, especially if you have to break a current contract to do so?
The Samsung Galaxy S3 vs S2
The S2 is slightly smaller than the newer handset, the Samsung Galaxy S3. The S2 is 116g and 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm, while the S3 comes in at 133g 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm. The S2 is available in black and white while the S3 is in pebble blue or marble white right now. However color is really just a matter of personal preference.
The S3 is the larger of the two handsets thanks to the massive 4.8 inch display which is Super AMOLED. The S2 has a 4.3 inch screen and this is covered with Gorilla Glass while the S3 has Gorilla Glass 2. However that is not to say that the version 2 is any better than the original. Recent drop tests showed that the screen of the S3 broke easier than that of the iPhone 4S. The S3 comes out on top in regards to resolution as this is 720 x 1280p against the 800 x 480p of the S2.
Both of the handsets have 8 megapixel cameras and can take pictures at 3264 x 2448p. They come with LED flash, autofocus and smile detection. The S3 is capable of taking both video and photos together and it has burst mode. The front camera also comes with more megapixels. The S3 has some great camera software and this could come to the S2 if it is updated to ICS.
The S2 has a 1.2GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor that runs Android 2.3.4, upgradable to ICS. The S3 in the US is dual core and has the S4 processor and comes with ICS out of the box.
The S3 can be purchased with 32GB storage, while the S3 comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions. Both can be expanded thanks to an SD card slot with the S2 having a limit of 32GB and the Samsung Galaxy S3 64GB. However its unlikely that you will ever need that much.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has the better battery at 2100mAh which gives around 12 hours talk time compared to the 1650mAh battery of the S2, which gives around 9 hours.
Features of the S3 include S Voice, Smart Stay and Smart Call and the S2 will get these with the ICS update.
As you might expect the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the better of the two handsets. However if you do already have the S2 in contract then you may wish to hang on and wait for the S4, when it is released. If you get ICS upgrade on the S2 then you will not be disappointed and it will take you through to the S4 which we hope is a much bigger upgrade.
