What is the screen size of samsung galaxy s3. Samsung Galaxy S3 review - the best smartphone of all time? Speed ​​and performance

Well, now let's move on to the review itself.

Like any other flagship smartphone, samsung galaxy The S3 was met with a mixed reception: some enthusiastic, others can hardly hide their disappointment. Two or three weeks before the official announcement, all publications in the press and blog-forum discussions in one way or another boiled down to the fact that Samsung is preparing something unimaginable. But, of course, the revolution did not happen - the Galaxy S3 turned out to be just a good smartphone. This was the main reason for the disappointment. And although Samsung did not officially disclose key parameters, the expectations of most fans were clearly too high. Exactly the same, as you remember, was with the iPhone 4S. Unrealistic expectations did not affect sales in any way: the iPhone 4S sells better than the iPhone 4. Samsung's flagship has a similar story - the Galaxy S2 sold better than the original Galaxy S. And there is no doubt that the Galaxy S3 will break the previous record.

Samsung Galaxy S3, the new flagship

If you do not touch on the technical details (we will talk about them below), then in the Samsung Galaxy S3 there are several key points that fall into the list of key trends in 2012. Fast camera (on-time, continuous shooting) - times. Advanced NFC-functions - two. Large, or even huge display - three. Quad-core processor - four. LTE support - five. And advanced voice features - six. There are, of course, other interesting innovations, but now it is worth focusing on the fact that Samsung does not act as a trendsetter. All of the above met in smartphones from other manufacturers, presented at CES in January and MWC in February this year. The Korean manufacturer essentially combined all the latest innovations in one device, without trying to reinvent the wheel. Maybe it's for the best?

Specifications, platform

Agree, the specifications look impressive, although with all the desire it is difficult to consider something fundamentally new in them. The increased resolution of the front camera (as well as the ability to record video in HD) is somehow perceived as something insignificant. In my opinion, this is also quite a trend. Speed mobile internet is growing rapidly (and Russia, apparently, will not lag behind the rest of the world as it did with 3G communications), which means we will be able to make high-definition video calls. So 1.9 megapixels in the Galaxy S3 will come in handy.

Despite the fact that the flagship initially offers a fairly large amount of memory (64 gigabytes maximum), it still has a microSD slot that supports media up to 64 GB. Thus, the maximum memory capacity will be 128 GB, which is more than the iPhone and even more than some ultrabooks.

The battery has grown to an impressive 2100 mAh, which - in theory - should give a good battery life. However, it has not yet been tested. But one thing is for sure: the Galaxy S3 will definitely last longer than the Galaxy S2. Well, one more thing is the use of microSIM instead of a regular SIM card.

Design, screen, built-in camera

With a live acquaintance, the screen of the Galaxy S3 seemed too big to me. From a technical point of view, there are no complaints and cannot be in principle. Bright, saturated Super AMOLED-matrix with maximum viewing angles (almost 180 degrees vertically and horizontally) leaves no chance for competitors. This is the best screen in smartphones in terms of picture quality, so we will take it as a new sample for comparison. With a resolution of 720x1280 pixels and a diagonal of 4.8 inches, the pixel density is quite high - about 300 ppi. But back to the question of size. It is very difficult for the owner of an average male hand (me in particular) to reach the upper corners of the screen with his thumb. In general, the comfort zone ends at about four inches, provided that the frame around the screen is narrow enough. Anything larger than four inches already makes it difficult to work on the go. Not always, not in all applications, but nonetheless.

Blue Samsung Galaxy S3 front view

The large screen, oddly enough, almost did not affect the size of the case. And although the Galaxy S3 is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor, its dimensions do not make you feel uncomfortable when the smartphone is in your pocket. The weight is small - 133 grams. So you can carry the device even in the breast pocket of a shirt.

But the body materials are not impressive at all. And although there are metal elements in the design, and the screen is hidden under the “armored” Gorilla Glass, the main part of the body is made of glossy plastic. In my opinion, the Galaxy Nexus stands head and shoulders above in this respect, outwardly it looks more expensive, nobler.

The front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

Yes, there won't be a big color variety - Samsung introduced the Galaxy S3 in two colors: dark blue and marble white. White looks more elegant, and shows itself to be a more practical solution - fingerprints are not visible on its surface. And, by the way, at the demo booths in London's Earls Court Exibition Centre, white smartphones were crowded with far more fellow journalists than blue ones. This is also an indicator. We can only hope that six months later, Samsung will not release an “exclusive pink” Galaxy S3, as happened with the Galaxy Note.

Home button on the front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

Front camera and various sensors on the front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

The set of controls has not changed much. On the front side there is only one mechanical button (Home), the other two (Back and Menu) are touch-sensitive, with easy feedback. Obviously, users of previous smartphones from Samsung will not have to change their habits. The side faces traditionally housed the power button (on the right) and the double volume rocker (on the left). Due to the thin profile of the case, the buttons on the ends also came out very thin, so adjusting the volume during a call is frankly inconvenient. It remains to hope for an equalizer, which is designed to automatically make the interlocutor's voice more intelligible without having to turn up the volume. The principle of operation is generally clear, and the implementation itself does not provide for multiple options, but it is not yet entirely clear how well this will work in practice. This is what we will find out in the full review.

Contrary to expectations, Samsung did not saturate the camera with megapixels. And despite the fact that the hardware base allows you to quickly and easily work with 16-megapixel images, we have only 8 megapixels. However, this is more than enough for all occasions, especially considering that phone photos are usually not printed on large formats. Another thing is interesting - the camera is capable of doing up to 3.3 frames per second during continuous shooting. Mirrorless cameras can boast about the same indicator. entry level and advanced digital compacts. For a phone, this is something beyond. The camera app launches in less than a second (990ms to be exact) and shutter lag is zero, according to the company. This is a rather ridiculous statement, since there is no shutter as such in mobile cameras. Well, since there is no shutter, there is no delay in its operation. Everything is logical, you won’t find fault, but we know what’s what.

The voice speaker equalizer feature mentioned above is just one of the Galaxy S3's many software features. Another interesting feature is eye tracking through the front camera. For example, if you are reading a book, the smartphone will keep the screen brightness at the same level and will not let you turn off the backlight if you suddenly linger on a page. Moreover, according to eye movements, automatic page scrolling is implemented. But, of course, this does not work on the go - you need to sit still and behave inactively. Naturally, they called it technology and came up with a separate name for it - Smart Stay.

Available also NFC module, which will be used to transfer files between mobile devices, as well as to make payments. As for monetary transactions, there is still no complete clarity. Samsung is working closely with VISA and promises to set up the appropriate infrastructure in London by the start of the Summer Olympics (is this why the Galaxy S3 is being touted as the official smartphone of the 2012 Olympics?).

With file transfer, everything is simple - we bring one phone to another and wait for completion. By the way, the data transfer rate in this case is very high and is about 5.5 megabytes per second. It will take a couple of seconds to send an average song, and a HD movie can be sent in 10-15 minutes. Unless, of course, there are no restrictions on the size of the file.

Yes, now the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a branded voice assistant. Own Siri, which is called S Voice. Looks exactly the same, works in a similar way. Shows the weather, sets an alarm, looks for maps and all that stuff. But here's the thing - this thing on the Galaxy S3 will be called Siri (yes, they are already called - look at blogs and microblogs), but no one will ever call a similar application on the iPhone Es-Voice. Do you understand what I mean?

At release, S Voice will support eight languages ​​(in fact, even 7 or 6): German, Italian, Korean, French, American and British English (essentially one language), Spanish and another Spanish (apparently Catalan ).

During the presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S3

As an illustrated answer to the question "why do we need 4 cores?" Samsung showed the function of playing video on top of all windows. The same feature is available by default in any self-respecting media player for Windows or Mac OS. If you're watching a movie and suddenly need to reply to someone in Jabber or look up a fact on Wikipedia, you can do it while watching. In the presence of big screen, the function is not meaningless, but something tells that it will not be very popular. In addition, it is not yet entirely clear whether it will be possible to do the same, for example, in Skype during a video call.

Attempts to simplify the interaction with the phone look interesting. For example, the Direct call feature allows you to call the person who sent you a message by simply holding the phone to your ear. I wouldn't say it makes life much easier. For example, a call button on the screen would be a simpler and more obvious solution. But you need to somehow justify the title of the flagship device.

Well, now let's move on to the review itself.

Like any other flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S3 was met with a mixed reception: some are delighted, others can hardly hide their disappointment. Two or three weeks before the official announcement, all publications in the press and blog-forum discussions in one way or another boiled down to the fact that Samsung is preparing something unimaginable. But, of course, the revolution did not happen - the Galaxy S3 turned out to be just a good smartphone. This was the main reason for the disappointment. And although Samsung did not officially disclose key parameters, the expectations of most fans were clearly too high. Exactly the same, as you remember, was with the iPhone 4S. Unrealistic expectations did not affect sales in any way: the iPhone 4S sells better than the iPhone 4. Samsung's flagship has a similar story - the Galaxy S2 sold better than the original Galaxy S. And there is no doubt that the Galaxy S3 will break the previous record.

Samsung Galaxy S3, the new flagship

If you do not touch on the technical details (we will talk about them below), then in the Samsung Galaxy S3 there are several key points that fall into the list of key trends in 2012. Fast camera (on-time, continuous shooting) - times. Advanced NFC-functions - two. Large, or even huge display - three. Quad-core processor - four. LTE support - five. And advanced voice features - six. There are, of course, other interesting innovations, but now it is worth focusing on the fact that Samsung does not act as a trendsetter. All of the above met in smartphones from other manufacturers, presented at CES in January and MWC in February this year. The Korean manufacturer essentially combined all the latest innovations in one device, without trying to reinvent the wheel. Maybe it's for the best?

Specifications, platform

Agree, the specifications look impressive, although with all the desire it is difficult to consider something fundamentally new in them. The increased resolution of the front camera (as well as the ability to record video in HD) is somehow perceived as something insignificant. In my opinion, this is also quite a trend. The speed of mobile Internet is growing rapidly (and Russia, apparently, will not lag behind the rest of the world as it did with 3G connection), which means we will be able to make high-definition video calls. So 1.9 megapixels in the Galaxy S3 will come in handy.

Despite the fact that the flagship initially offers a fairly large amount of memory (64 gigabytes maximum), it still has a microSD slot that supports media up to 64 GB. Thus, the maximum memory capacity will be 128 GB, which is more than the iPhone and even more than some ultrabooks.

The battery has grown to an impressive 2100 mAh, which - in theory - should give a good battery life. However, it has not yet been tested. But one thing is for sure: the Galaxy S3 will definitely last longer than the Galaxy S2. Well, one more thing is the use of microSIM instead of a regular SIM card.

Design, screen, built-in camera

With a live acquaintance, the screen of the Galaxy S3 seemed too big to me. From a technical point of view, there are no complaints and cannot be in principle. Bright, saturated Super AMOLED-matrix with maximum viewing angles (almost 180 degrees vertically and horizontally) leaves no chance for competitors. This is the best screen in smartphones in terms of picture quality, so we will take it as a new sample for comparison. With a resolution of 720x1280 pixels and a diagonal of 4.8 inches, the pixel density is quite high - about 300 ppi. But back to the question of size. It is very difficult for the owner of an average male hand (me in particular) to reach the upper corners of the screen with his thumb. In general, the comfort zone ends at about four inches, provided that the frame around the screen is narrow enough. Anything larger than four inches already makes it difficult to work on the go. Not always, not in all applications, but nonetheless.

Blue Samsung Galaxy S3 front view

The large screen, oddly enough, almost did not affect the size of the case. And although the Galaxy S3 is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor, its dimensions do not make you feel uncomfortable when the smartphone is in your pocket. The weight is small - 133 grams. So you can carry the device even in the breast pocket of a shirt.

But the body materials are not impressive at all. And although there are metal elements in the design, and the screen is hidden under the “armored” Gorilla Glass, the main part of the body is made of glossy plastic. In my opinion, the Galaxy Nexus stands head and shoulders above in this respect, outwardly it looks more expensive, nobler.

The front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

Yes, there won't be a big color variety - Samsung introduced the Galaxy S3 in two colors: dark blue and marble white. White looks more elegant, and shows itself to be a more practical solution - fingerprints are not visible on its surface. And, by the way, at the demo booths in London's Earls Court Exibition Centre, white smartphones were crowded with far more fellow journalists than blue ones. This is also an indicator. We can only hope that six months later, Samsung will not release an “exclusive pink” Galaxy S3, as happened with the Galaxy Note.

Home button on the front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

Front camera and various sensors on the front side of the Samsung Galaxy S3 case

The set of controls has not changed much. On the front side there is only one mechanical button (Home), the other two (Back and Menu) are touch-sensitive, with easy feedback. Obviously, users of previous smartphones from Samsung will not have to change their habits. The side faces traditionally housed the power button (on the right) and the double volume rocker (on the left). Due to the thin profile of the case, the buttons on the ends also came out very thin, so adjusting the volume during a call is frankly inconvenient. It remains to hope for an equalizer, which is designed to automatically make the interlocutor's voice more intelligible without having to turn up the volume. The principle of operation is generally clear, and the implementation itself does not provide for multiple options, but it is not yet entirely clear how well this will work in practice. This is what we will find out in the full review.

Contrary to expectations, Samsung did not saturate the camera with megapixels. And despite the fact that the hardware base allows you to quickly and easily work with 16-megapixel images, we have only 8 megapixels. However, this is more than enough for all occasions, especially considering that phone photos are usually not printed on large formats. Another thing is interesting - the camera is capable of doing up to 3.3 frames per second during continuous shooting. Entry-level mirrorless cameras and advanced digital compacts can boast about the same indicator. For a phone, this is something beyond. The camera app launches in less than a second (990ms to be exact) and shutter lag is zero, according to the company. This is a rather ridiculous statement, since there is no shutter as such in mobile cameras. Well, since there is no shutter, there is no delay in its operation. Everything is logical, you won’t find fault, but we know what’s what.

The voice speaker equalizer feature mentioned above is just one of the Galaxy S3's many software features. Another interesting feature is eye tracking through the front camera. For example, if you are reading a book, the smartphone will keep the screen brightness at the same level and will not let you turn off the backlight if you suddenly linger on a page. Moreover, according to eye movements, automatic page scrolling is implemented. But, of course, this does not work on the go - you need to sit still and behave inactively. Naturally, they called it technology and came up with a separate name for it - Smart Stay.

There is also an NFC module that will be used to transfer files between mobile devices, as well as to make payments. As for monetary transactions, there is still no complete clarity. Samsung is working closely with VISA and promises to set up the appropriate infrastructure in London by the start of the Summer Olympics (is this why the Galaxy S3 is being touted as the official smartphone of the 2012 Olympics?).

With file transfer, everything is simple - we bring one phone to another and wait for completion. By the way, the data transfer rate in this case is very high and is about 5.5 megabytes per second. It will take a couple of seconds to send an average song, and a HD movie can be sent in 10-15 minutes. Unless, of course, there are no restrictions on the size of the file.

Yes, now the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a proprietary voice assistant. Own Siri, which is called S Voice. Looks exactly the same, works in a similar way. Shows the weather, sets an alarm, looks for maps and all that stuff. But here's the thing - this thing on the Galaxy S3 will be called Siri (yes, they are already called - look at blogs and microblogs), but no one will ever call a similar application on the iPhone Es-Voice. Do you understand what I mean?

At release, S Voice will support eight languages ​​(in fact, even 7 or 6): German, Italian, Korean, French, American and British English (essentially one language), Spanish and another Spanish (apparently Catalan ).

During the presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S3

As an illustrated answer to the question "why do we need 4 cores?" Samsung showed the function of playing video on top of all windows. The same feature is available by default in any self-respecting media player for Windows or Mac OS. If you're watching a movie and suddenly need to reply to someone in Jabber or look up a fact on Wikipedia, you can do it while watching. In the presence of a large screen, the function is not without meaning, but something tells that it will not be very popular. In addition, it is not yet entirely clear whether it will be possible to do the same, for example, in Skype during a video call.

Attempts to simplify the interaction with the phone look interesting. For example, the Direct call feature allows you to call the person who sent you a message by simply holding the phone to your ear. I wouldn't say it makes life much easier. For example, a call button on the screen would be a simpler and more obvious solution. But you need to somehow justify the title of the flagship device.

The world has changed and if earlier a smartphone with a display diagonal of just over 4 inches looked like a shovel, now, picking it up, it may seem that this is exactly what you need. Korean developers presented their flagship with a capital letter, focused on software and autonomy.

Frame

At first glance at the phone, it becomes clear that Samsung did not reinvent the wheel and it is unlikely that it will be possible to discover something new in the design concept. You can catch yourself thinking: "Somewhere I have already seen this." It is understandable, because the device is very similar to its younger brother Galaxy Nexus.

The smartphone is available in 5 colors: pebbles, titanium gray, garnet red, white marble and black sapphire. The body of the Galaxy S3 is made of glossy plastic, which, as far as we remember, provoked a number of indignations due to the dirtiness of the case and its predisposition to scratches. But take the device in hand, you are unlikely to feel cheap, uncomfortable or unaesthetic. The build quality is at its best, nothing crunches or creaks, the rear removable cover, although thin, is very flexible and durable. Even if it gets scratched, you can always buy a new one for some very little money. In addition, plastic is more resistant to impact when dropped, which cannot be said about glass. The case is only 8.6mm thick and weighs 133g.

Screen

When meeting with all attention involuntarily switches to HD Super AMOLED display with a diagonal of 4.8 "and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The image on it turned out to be very lively, contrasting and juicy, the viewing angles are wide, but the PenTile technology, on the basis of which the screen is made, is more of a disadvantage than an advantage, because graininess, although barely noticeable, but it is still there.But, nevertheless, watching movies or photos, surfing the Internet or just playing on such a device is pleasant and very comfortable.The developers obviously did not make a mistake by relying on a large screen diagonal, and you will understand this when you touch it.

Camera

The main camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels is a new generation matrix with back illumination, which in poor lighting conditions allows you to take photos or videos of very decent quality. The camera is fast and allows you to click at 3.5 frames per second. By the way, the device can recognize faces, which can be useful if, for example, you want to send a few photos to your friend, which depicts him. The smartphone is capable of recording HD video and taking photos at the same time.

The front camera with a resolution of 1.9 megapixels is equipped with Smart stay technology (we will discuss it below).

What is inside

Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 has a processor with 4 cores with a frequency of 1.4 GHz, 1 GB of RAM and 16, 32 or 64 GB of internal memory. The memory can be expanded with microSD cards up to 64GB. The smartphone works quickly and without freezing, as far as possible on Android devices, the smoothness of the interface is almost iOS-th. The Android 4.0.4 operating system is installed on board.

Although performance tests show high marks, it is still a mistake to believe that the smartphone is a cut above the Iphone 5. The iOS optimization is so well done that even with quad-core muscle, the Galaxy S3 often loses (see Iphone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 video review). But again, this is most likely an Android problem, but certainly not the device itself.

A removable battery with a capacity of 2100 mAh is able to provide autonomous operation of the device for about 1 day in active mode. With an average load, a smartphone can live almost 2 times longer.

Functions

The device is equipped with many functions, some of them can be really useful and in demand.

Smart Alert- a function that will notify you of missed events as soon as you take the phone in your hand.

direct call- the ability to call a subscriber at the time of reading SMS, for this you just need to bring the device to your ear.

smart stay- Captures your gaze and automatically adjusts the screen backlight for comfortable use and saves power. For example, if you are reading, the screen will not turn off, but if you look away from it, it will turn off after a while.

social tag- the ability to link the faces of your friends in the photo album with social networks. For example, looking at a friend's photo, you will see his status on the network.

S Voice- Allows you to control your phone with your voice. For example, you can use voice commands to unlock your phone, answer or reject an incoming call, control music volume, or take a picture.

Pop up play- Now you can do two things at the same time, for example, watch videos and read SMS.

I would also like to note a special editor that allows you to independently create a vibration rhythm for alerts.

conclusions

The phone justifiably deserves all the ratings and praise. It turned out to be very balanced, thanks to an excellent screen, a solid camera and software equipment. If at the start of sales at a cost of about 30,000 rubles. glossy plastic and the PenTile screen caused controversy, but now, at a fairly affordable price, passions have subsided a bit. Like any other modern smartphone, it is very functional, but at the same time it stands out from the general range of models, thanks to the new intelligent approach of developers in its design. The device seems to be trying to predict your thoughts and desires, and you know, it really succeeds.

Check out the video review section for more.

Samsung Galaxy S3 price

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Apple and Samsung - who would have thought 5 years ago that these two companies would compete for leadership in the smartphone market? That Nokia, Microsoft, Blackberry will be in the "catching up" category, that Symbian and Windows Mobile will go into the shadow of history, and their place will be taken by "super open" Android and "super closed" iOS?

No other IT industry is changing as rapidly and as drastically as the IT industry. mobile technologies. It is in communicators that most of the advanced inventions are first introduced, it is mobile computers that embody all the interesting developments.

A highly changing and growing market dictates its own terms to device developers. Only those companies that invest huge efforts in the development and implementation of new ideas and ideas “in hardware” can survive, and even more so take the lead. It is breakthrough technologies and bold ideas that can attract the attention of users, the general public. As practice has shown, they can even form new requests, market segments, change people's attitude to the imposed restrictions that they could not come to terms with before. Apple and Samsung have become such companies - each for its own reason, but there is still a connection between these reasons.

Another confirmation of the importance of the devices of both companies for the public was their presentation. Perhaps the emergence of not a single new electronic device does not acquire such rumors, speculation, excitement, admiration and disappointment as the appearance of the new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S. The companies themselves are happy to stir up interest in the presentation and turn it into a show.

Both companies - friends and rivals, cooperate and simultaneously conduct dozens of lawsuits. Borrowing ideas from each other, legal and illegal use of technology - all this simultaneously divides companies and makes them dependent on each other.

This review is dedicated to the new flagship Samsung, one of the most anticipated mobile devices 2012, the third model in the Galaxy S family, the Samsung Galaxy S 3 (we will use the Arabic numeral in the model name below so as not to force you to distinguish between S III and S II).

Delivery set and specifications

Environmental friendliness - the creators of the communicator remind us of this, one has only to pick up a box with it. An indication of water-soluble paints is printed on one side of the package. Thick white cardboard surrounds the body of the communicator, battery and accessories, reliably protecting them. All useful information about the mobile computer is printed on the back of the box: the main characteristics are listed, the model name is indicated and many logos of the technologies used are placed. Compared to the Galaxy S 2, the packaging of the novelty is slightly longer - just enough to accommodate the communicator that has grown in length.

Inside the package are: communicator, battery, Micro-USB-USB cable, power Charger with USB-compatible connector, wired stereo headset with a set of spare tips, documentation. Nothing fancy, just the essentials included.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S III Pocket PC (GT-I9300) are as follows:

• Samsung Exynos 4412 processor (quad-core ARM Сortex A9, frequency 1.4 GHz) with ARM Mali-400 MP4 video core;
• Operating system Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich);
• Display SuperAMOLED HD, diagonal 4.8 ″, 720 × 1280 pixels, PenTile, capacitive, with multitouch;
• 1 GB RAM, 2 GB main flash (512 MB available), 16 GB secondary flash (11.3 GB available);
• GSM EDGE/GPRS communication (850/900/1800/1900 MHz);
• Communication 3G HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz);
• HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps;
• Bluetooth v4.0+EDR;
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n;
• NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA;
• FM radio with RDS;
• Glonass, GPS + A-GPS;
• Position sensor in space, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, RGB sensor;
• MHL 1.0, USB Host;
• 8 megapixel CMOS camera, auto focus, LED flash, 1.9 megapixel secondary camera;
• Lithium-polymer battery, capacity 2100 mAh;
• Dimensions 137×71×8.6 mm;
• Weight 133 g.

Design and appearance

The third model in the Samsung Galaxy S line has moved even further away from what is commonly called the “classic iPhone look”. If the first Galaxy was outwardly almost a complete copy of the iPhone 3G, which Apple did not fail to use in lawsuits, then the second Galaxy only remotely resembled Apple's communicators. Of course, we have not yet seen the iPhone 5, but with a high degree of certainty we can say that the Galaxy S 3 looks like only itself and no one else.

One can argue about the advantages and disadvantages of the design of the third Galaxy indefinitely: some will call the communicator a “shovel” for its similarity to a thin and long blade of this tool, others will remember the hero of the review for the minimal thickness of the case and the extremely narrow rim of the huge display. In general, the design of Samsung devices should be the last thing to pay attention to: the company has always won the attention of consumers by no means with exterior frills, but with powerful filling and wonderful displays.

As soon as you take the Galaxy S 3 in your hands, you begin to feel the unusual thinness of the communicator's case, and your eyes immediately turn to the picture on the screen - everything else in the physical shell of the communicator is secondary.

Compared to the Galaxy S 2, the body of the novelty has become a little longer, there are fewer straight edges, the transitions between them have become more rounded. The width and thickness of the communicator's body remained practically unchanged, it only stretched out following the increased diagonal of the display. The mass of the communicator has grown. If we compare the novelty with other flagships of the market in the summer of 2012, then it does not stand out from the general trend towards an increase in the weight of the device and an increase in the length of the case. The physical parameters of the Galaxy S 3 and its main rival HTC One X are practically the same.

The screen size of the novelty is such that the thumb covers only half of its area when working with the communicator with one hand. Even if you intercept the computer case in the middle, the thumb still does not reach all corners of the display. Only sacrificing the reliability of the grip, the author with great difficulty managed to reach all four corners of the screen at once with the finger of one hand. From the third Samsung version Galaxy S has finally become a communicator that is convenient to operate with only two hands.

The computer came to the editor in a white guise. This option, subjectively of course, looks somewhat ordinary. White glossy plastic makes the smartphone even more like a personal hygiene item, with which the wits love to compare modern all-in-one communicators on online forums. The second variant of the communicator's color scheme, which is currently sold in the Russian Federation - metallic blue - looks more interesting.

The main advantage of white plastic is that fingerprints are invisible on it. They are not visible on the silvery material from which the keys and the stiffening rib are made, passing along the perimeter of the mobile computer case. Apparently, it is also plastic, although very durable. In general, there are no complaints about the assembly of the communicator: all structural elements are fitted very firmly and reliably. The creaks and backlashes that have disappeared even in the cheapest Chinese smartphones are absent from the Samsung flagship.

Despite the size, the communicator is comfortable to hold in your hand. The width and thickness of the mobile computer's chassis provide a secure grip, while keeping your fingers directly above the sound and power keys. The situation is ambiguous with carrying the hero of the review in pockets: if he still fits in a trousers pocket, then you can safely forget about putting the communicator in a shirt pocket.

The arrangement of design elements has undergone changes in the Galaxy S 3 compared to the previous model of the communicator. The main key at the bottom of the front panel of the computer has changed its shape, has become narrower and wider. Subjectively, this had a negative impact on the convenience of managing the device. The secondary camera and sensors at the top of the bezel are now on the right side of the phone speaker. To the left of it is now an information LED - a huge step forward Samsung in terms of ergonomics. Now the owner of the communicator does not need to think and guess whether his satellite is charged, whether new calls and messages have arrived, whether there are any notifications from the system - just look at the LED. Surprisingly, it took Samsung 3 years and a bunch of devices to add one light bulb.

The set of touch keys and their location has not changed: to the left of the central key there is a button to call the program menu, to the right - to return to the previous screen. They still tend to trigger randomly.

The location of the speaker on the back of the device has also changed. From the thickening at the bottom of the case, he has now moved up and is located next to the camera lens. The camera itself sits on a smaller ledge compared to the Galaxy S 2. Overall back panel communicator has become more even.

The battery cover - it is also the back panel - now covers the entire area of ​​​​the case and comes with its edges to its ends. Disconnecting it is not a problem, as well as installing it back. It has sufficient flexibility, but it should not be checked for fracture once again.

After gaining access to the battery compartment, it becomes possible to replace the memory card without disconnecting the battery. By the way, if you look at the location of the battery and the microSIM card, then the question arises: what, in fact, caused the need to use a SIM card slot of this particular format? There is so much space that a SIM card of a regular size would fit freely.

The volume and power keys are in their usual places: the first - on the left side of the communicator, the second - on the right. There is still no separate button to control the camera.

On top of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 are a headphone jack and an additional microphone. The main microphone and Micro-USB-compatible connector are located on the bottom of the case.

What did the Samsung Galaxy S 3 look like in the end? Everyone can decide this issue for themselves. In our opinion, the hero of the review is not a standard of design delights, but there are no objective complaints about the appearance of the novelty. Design features are both negative and positive. The first ones include a narrow and uncomfortable central key, as well as an unmotivated use of the microSIM card format. The traditional absence of a camera control button and the touch buttons that work at an unnecessary moment can not be reminded at all. Pluses in the design of the novelty: the aligned rear panel of the communicator case and an extremely convenient information LED.

Software

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is running the latest version of the operating system. Android systems, namely 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). There is also nothing surprising in the fact that Samsung has installed a proprietary shell TouchWiz on the communicator.

It is most convenient to identify innovations in the software stuffing of the review hero by comparing it with its predecessor, which has the latest firmware update from Android 4.0.3.

The Galaxy S 3 lock screen has learned to send the user straight to several applications: phone calls, Samsung ChatON, browser and camera. It also displays information about missed calls and messages. This achieves the functionality that appeared in HTC Sense last year. To access the communicator, you no longer need to move your finger across the screen at all, just touch it and tilt the device itself. All this is undoubtedly convenient, but it does not make sense from a security point of view. To the methods of secure screen lock (password, face recognition, pattern, PIN code), another one was added - face and voice (that's right, at the same time).

Changes in the shell of the main screen of the system are minimal: the weather widget has merged with the clock, a denser placement of icons has allowed one more icon to be placed in the list of main applications. The list of main settings of the communicator in the taskbar grew and began to scroll horizontally.

Most branded applications received the prefix "S" in the title: S memo, S Planner, S Suggest, S Voice. The first of these is a well-known application for creating notes, text and graphics, well known to Galaxy Note owners. The second is a calendar-scheduler with synchronization with Google. The third, as the name suggests, is a collection of applications that are worth downloading and installing on your device, according to Samsung. The last app, S Voice, is worth a closer look.

The Siri electronic assistant has become the basis for building a new type of user interaction with a computer. Various voice recognition systems have existed before and are developing now, but it was Siri who brought this technology to a new level and attracted the attention of a wide audience - thanks to the huge army of fans of Apple devices. Naturally, Samsung, as the manufacturer of the main competing devices in the segment of mobile computers, could not leave the appearance of this program without attention. The answer to the emergence of Siri was S Voice.

It is worth noting that Samsung Galaxy S 2 has an application for voice recognition, but its functionality is limited to a set of primitive actions: call a subscriber, type a message, play a certain melody from the library. Also, do not forget that the Google search engine in almost all Android devices has a built-in voice recognition system that simply translates the phrase into a specific search query. Voice recognition is also built into many Google Apps, but taken together it doesn't compare to the centralization and ease of use of Siri and now S Voice.

The appearance of the S Voice program is concise and extremely similar to the Siri interface. The owner of the communicator sees the button to call the assistant and the phrases of the dialogue with the virtual interlocutor. Like Siri, S Voice only works when you're connected to the internet and actively communicates with the server that's processing the requests. The program understands speech in several languages, Russian is not among them.

To work, the application needs access to a lot of data stored in the communicator's memory - including personal data. So before using S Voice, you should read the policy for handling them, which is available on the website of the program developer, Vlingo.

The iPhone 4S review mentioned above includes a chapter describing the features of Siri and a few phrases that were given to the assistant. It was interesting to find out how his competitor would cope with them (the questions were spoken in English).

The assistant relayed the request for Samsung shares to the Google search query. Samsung Galaxy S 3 does not have a full-fledged application for working with quotes (only a widget), so this question can be considered correctly processed. The question about the current president of the United States did not make S Voice launch a search engine, the correct answer was given in a few seconds. The answer to the request to tell something about Barack Obama turned out to be completely unexpected: S Voice for some reason suggested searching the Internet for information about the British Prime Minister. Considering that Siri did not answer this question at all, S Voice can be considered a more advanced program in terms of abstract logic. The request for information about New York City banks was processed incorrectly - probably due to an error in the phrase itself. The question of whether I need an umbrella, unfortunately, remained unanswered - the second loss of S Voice to a competitor.

The S Voice program tries to be useful to the user and copies the bulk of the functionality of Siri. It would not be surprising if both applications use the same knowledge bases. At the moment, both seem a little raw, but Siri looks like a more advanced development. Although, of course, Siri has more head start - the support of a powerful corporation and an abundance of developers. Whether S Voice catches up with the lag - time will tell, as it will show the relevance and viability of this way of interaction between the user and the machine as a whole.

Concluding the description of the S Voice program, several more of its functions should be noted: firstly, waking up the communicator and launching the assistant with a voice command, and secondly, interacting with various built-in applications, from the alarm clock to searching on Google maps.

In general, the developers of Samsung Galaxy S 3 have tried to make the communicator more intelligent and responsive. The list of possibilities is extensive, most of them are related to the computer's position sensor in space. For example, if you pick up a smartphone, it will vibrate when there are notifications of missed calls and unread messages. Or another example: the communicator will start dialing the number of the subscriber whose information is on the screen, if you bring the device case to your ear. Many of these features were in the previous model Galaxy S 2 - for example, zooming when tilting the communicator with two finger touches on the screen. Many do not really work - for example, jumping to the beginning of a long list by tapping on an additional microphone. But it is worth noting the desire of developers to maximize the use of various sensors built into the communicator to simplify the life of the owner of the device.

The Samsung Galaxy S 3 has found a place for many additional applications of the company itself. In addition to the above, these include: Samsung Chat ON - analogue of Apple iMessage, messaging through an Internet connection instead of SMS, Samsung Apps- Samsung's own app store, AllShare Play- an advanced DLNA client that allows you to remotely connect to the contents of media servers via the Internet, game hub- a catalog of paid and free games from Samsung.

Several well-known third-party applications were also found in the communicator's memory. dropbox does not need a special introduction - this is one of the first cloud storage and file synchronization services. Galaxy S 3 owners are provided with up to 50 GB of virtual disk space. Yandex.FilmAfisha and Yandex.Weather- two services of a well-known Russian company that implement the functionality obvious from their name.

There is only one method for entering text (other than voice) in the Galaxy S 3 - the Samsung keyboard. The review hero does not have the Swype keyboard, which was previously found in other Samsung communicators. But the Samsung keyboard can recognize handwriting - if you practice, then almost without errors.

So, Samsung has done a great job of introducing new unusual technologies into the software firmware of its flagship. How much they will be in demand - time will tell, while the owners of new items should learn English and learn not to offend neighbors while waving the body of the communicator.

Display and sound

AMOLED matrices are exactly what has always attracted the attention of mobile device lovers to Samsung products, literally and figuratively. There is no need to describe the advantages of these matrices once again, it is better to dwell specifically on the display of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 communicator.

In general, in terms of its parameters, it is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus screen. Judge for yourself: the dimensions of the matrices are 4.65 and 4.8 inches, the resolution is 720 by 1280 pixels, the matrix type is HD SuperAMOLED. It is worth noting the absence of the “Plus” prefix in the name of the matrices - this means that they are made using PenTile technology, unlike the SuperAMOLED Plus matrix of the Samsung Galaxy S 2 communicator. However, the high resolution (in terms of dots per inch, the Galaxy S 2 had only 217 dpi, while the S 3 has almost 306), eliminates all the shortcomings of the PenTile matrix: the graininess of the picture is imperceptible, and the lines of text characters look smooth and clear, but not blurry. If you put the Galaxy of the second and third generations side by side and look at the image on the screen, it is difficult to detect the difference between the picture on the displays of the first and second communicators.

The brightness of the AMOLED display on the Galaxy S 3 is very high. It is adjusted automatically, but not always optimally. In most cases, the display seems very dim regardless of the power save settings: apparently, keeping the brightness level low when automatically adjusting is the design of the developers. In addition, the constant switching of brightness is annoying.

The display sensor recognizes many simultaneous touches, up to 10 simultaneous signals were checked - there were not enough fingers for more.

Let's see how things stand with the playback of videos of various formats in the Samsung Galaxy S 3.

The regular video player coped with video up to Full HD, but it is highly dependent on the hardware support of a particular format. Third-party players that can play video in software mode did a better job. Almost all the videos have been watched.

It is worth noting interesting feature Galaxy S 3: he knows how to "play along" the sound track with the help of vibration. When the sound volume at low frequencies reaches a certain high level (it doesn't matter whether the sound is played through the speaker or headphones), the communicator starts to vibrate to the beat - such is the mobile subwoofer.

The video player is able to minimize into a window that hangs on top of other programs, and continue playing while the owner of the communicator is doing other things. What is the practical use of this feature on a mobile device is an open question. But unusual, indeed.

Regular video and audio players have the ability to stream to any DLNA device on the network. Managed to connect the communicator to the TV Samsung Smart TV and play both video file and music.

The volume of the built-in speakers in the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is sufficient: in the phone one - for trouble-free communication with the interlocutor, in the main one - for playing ringtones, alarm clocks and navigator tips. The volume level is changed both with the help of a button on the left side of the communicator's case, and programmatically. The built-in audio player does not understand Cyrillic MP3 tags, but allows different ways"improve" the sound.

The included headset has a good sound, but, unfortunately, it is not separable: the headphones are not detached from the control unit, which includes a microphone, volume and call control buttons.

Once you connect a headset or headphones to your device, you can use the Galaxy S 3's built-in FM radio. The receiver control program looks unusual, but it is very convenient to use. In the center of the screen there is a virtual knob for analog frequency tuning, by rotating which you can find the desired station. On the sides of it are buttons for quickly searching for a station. When they are touched, the program automatically searches for the nearest frequency with a sufficiently high-quality signal. The radio receiver supports RDS, has good sensitivity and allows you to record the signal in the form of 3GA files. The frequency of any station you like can be stored in the communicator's memory, the sound is output both to the headphones and to the speaker.

Wireless interfaces and communication

Communicator Samsung Galaxy S 3 has a complete set of wireless modules, lacking only support for 4G networks. The maximum data exchange rate in the cellular network for the hero of the review is 21 megabits per second for reception and 6 megabits per second for transmission.

There were no problems with cellular communication with the Galaxy S 3. The communicator has successfully completed the role mobile phone and provided Internet access at a speed appropriate to the area and the capabilities of the cellular network.

Versions Bluetooth modules and the latest Wi-Fi: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n. There were no problems with their work. The following additional technologies are supported: Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA, Kies Air.

It was possible to connect a wireless headset to the communicator. The titles of the tracks were correctly displayed on the headset screen, but the subscriber's number was not displayed during a phone call. A single press of the call key on the headset led to the launch of the electronic assistant S Voice, double - to repeat the last call.

The Galaxy S 3 has many communication technologies that are rarely found in other mobile devices. Judge for yourself: Near Field Communication (NFC) in two forms at once - S Beam and Android Beam, both involve fast data exchange between two devices at a short distance, MHL is an HDMI-compatible video output option for wired connection to high-definition digital signal receivers, USB On-the-go - the good old USB Host that allows you to connect USB devices such as mouse and external storage devices such as flash drives and hard drives to the communicator. The last two interfaces are implemented in a Micro-USB-compatible connector on the bottom end of the communicator.

But, of course, the main feature of the Galaxy S 3, at least in Russia, is the support for Glonass. Yes, now the owners of the flagship Samsung communicator can determine their location based on the signal of domestic satellites, which sometimes come to the aid of American colleagues from the GPS network. The A-GPS technology contributes to the rapid correct determination of coordinates.

Camera

The CMOS resolution of the Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy S 3 is the same - 8 megapixels. As a result, the maximum resolution of images that can be obtained on both devices is 3264×2448 pixels. Video is recorded in Full HD 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. The video format is MP4 (H.264, AAC).

An autopsy of the communicator by craftsmen showed that the Galaxy S 3 uses a Sony BSI sensor. The same, or very similar, is installed in Sony communicators and Apple iPhone 4/4S smartphones.

The main camera of the review hero is equipped with an autofocus system and is complemented by an LED flash. The start of the camera control program is fast, the time until the first picture is taken is short. The only thing missing new product - a separate key to control the shooting.

The interface of the camera control program is similar in all Samsung communicators. In the center is the sight of the focusing system, its location can be changed manually by touching the corresponding area of ​​the screen. On the right are: the button to start shooting, the switch for photo and video modes, a miniature copy of the last picture or video, which also plays the role of a link to the photo album program. Icons are on the left various settings cameras. Their set can be changed independently, you just need to hold the touch and hold the icon. There are a wide variety of shooting options available, from white balance and ISO to scene shooting and automatic insertion of GPS location tags.

The interesting features of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 camera include face recognition when shooting, taking pictures right during video recording, and an image stabilization system.

You can record video and take pictures using both the main camera and the additional one located on the front panel of the communicator. In the latter case, photos have a maximum resolution of 1280 × 960 pixels, videos - 720p, autofocus is not available.

The quality of photos and videos on the Galaxy S 3 is remarkable by the standards of mobile devices. You can verify this yourself.

Battery life

The increased capacity of the battery in the Galaxy S 3 is compensated by the increased load on it from the hardware stuffing. So in the world of mobile devices has always been, is and, it seems, will be until a radically new compact mobile power source is invented. The standard battery capacity of the novelty is 2100 mAh, which is a very impressive value for communicators. It is also worth noting that the battery of the Galaxy S 3 is not easy, it has an integrated NFC chip antenna.

Let's get straight to the point. Several standard battery life tests were carried out with the communicator, and here are their results. Reading e-book in the FBReader program with 50% display brightness - 11 hours, with automatic adjustment - 12 hours. Listening to music with the display turned off - 27.5 hours. In the first test, the result of the Galaxy S 3 coincided with that of the Galaxy S 2, in the second, the novelty worked almost one and a half times longer. This means that the hero of the review is more energy efficient than its predecessor, but you need to constantly take care of the optimal level of screen brightness. As mentioned earlier, the automation itself does this, sometimes setting the display brightness too low.

The minimum battery life of the communicator is 6 hours. The value is more than worthy. But the recharge of the battery goes very slowly, within the same 6 hours from the USB port of the computer.

Speed ​​and performance

The hardware basis of Samsung's new flagship is the company's proprietary Exynos 4412 chip. It includes four ARM Cortex-A9 cores operating at 1.4 GHz and an ARM Mali-400 MP4 video processor. Volume random access memory DDR2 is 1GB. If we compare the hardware bases of the Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy S 3, then the difference between them is insignificant: the chip manufacturing process has been changed from 45 to 32 nm, two more processing cores have been added to the two computing cores, and the frequency has increased by 200 MHz.

The theoretical part is followed by a practical one, namely a standard set of performance tests.

The Softweg Benchmark 1.03 test showed the complete superiority of the review hero over its rivals in almost all categories. Low scores in the graphics subsystem test are due to the specifics of the test (only two-dimensional graphics) and the increased screen resolution compared to other devices.

The gap between the review hero and its competitors in the Quadrant Standard test is even greater. The Samsung Galaxy S 3 knocked out its main rival, the HTC One X, from the top spot in the performance rankings.

The fact that the Galaxy S 3 is a leader in mobile computing leaves no doubt, but for the sake of completeness, let's do a few more tests.

Test results in AnTuTu Benchmark 2.8

Testing the graphics subsystem in NenaMark 2.2 showed a result of 58.7 frames per second.

Calculating the number "pi" in the Super Pi program:

conclusions

What can be said about the Samsung Galaxy S 3? Here it is - the most advanced and powerful communicator of 2012. You can compare it with competitors ad infinitum, most of them can provide the owner with everything necessary for mobile life, but if you need exactly the “most” communicator, then the choice is obvious, and this review is dedicated to it.

Samsung Galaxy S 3 is the result of a gradual evolution of Android devices and modern communicators in general. It is by no means a "discovery" or "revelation", its parameters and characteristics could have been predicted even a year before its appearance. Should owners of previous Samsung flagships change their smartphones? The answer for those who have a Galaxy S 2 in their hands is no. The answer for those who have the Galaxy S and its many clones is not so clear, it all depends on the balance of financial capabilities and mobile needs.

Speaking of price: as is customary in Russia, the initial price for “white” devices is sky high. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the start of sales of the communicator in our country coincided with its appearance around the world. This means that the price of a smartphone is still high abroad, and also that the suppliers of "gray" devices, which are usually the main discounters in the market, do not have the opportunity to seriously reduce its cost. There is only one advice in this situation - enjoy the summer, relax and wait for the price of the Galaxy S 3 to become reasonable.

Until the advent of the iPhone 5, the hero of the review will remain the most perfect communicator - perhaps even after. However, the development of modern smartphones raises one question, which, it would seem, has already been answered. It sounds like this: “And then what?” An endless increase in the number of cores and display resolution - does it make sense when the size of the pixels is already indistinguishable to the naked eye, and there is nothing to do with the extra cores? Extensive development will sooner or later hit the limit of energy consumption. Communicators in the usual sense, it seems, are reaching their limit and ideological dead end, as it was in their time with their brothers based on Windows Mobile. We need a new powerful push and a paradigm shift - the same as the release of the first iPhone. But will he, and when?

It was announced on May 3, 2012. After that, the smartphone passed several tests, which showed very mixed results. But still, everyone noted good performance devices, excellent screen, good camera.

This review of the Galaxy S III will focus on the technical characteristics of the device.

Note that appearance new Galaxy smartphone S III is nothing special.

Almost the entire front surface of the device is occupied by a display, above which there are sensors, a front camera and a logo.

On the back side is the main camera with flash and speaker.

The body of the device is made of special plastic. The assembly of the phone is good: there are no squeaks during operation and backlash.

The size of the Samsung Galaxy S III is 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm and the weight is 133 grams.

Performance and Software

Samsung Galaxy S III has at its disposal a 4-core Exynos 4 Quad processor with a clock speed of 1.4 GHz, as well as 1 GB of RAM, which makes the smartphone very productive. Some consider the new product to be the leader in performance among all smartphones that currently exist.

The device also has GPU Mali-400MP, which makes working with graphics very comfortable.

Permanent memory in the Samsung Galaxy S III provides 16, 32 and 64 GB, depending on the modification. But at the same time there is a slot for cards, which will significantly increase the amount of stored information in the phone.

Note also that the Galaxy S III supports Bluetooth 4.0 modules, GPS, Wi-Fi, LTE networks and 3G networks.

The smartphone provides audio and video players, integration programs with, applications for comfortable browsing the Internet.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is running operating system Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Screen

It is worth paying special attention to the screen of the device - it is a 4.8-inch HD Super with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, protected by Gorilla Glass 2. Note that the smartphone uses a Pentile matrix, which caused dissatisfaction with some users, but Samsung representatives explained this by , what in this type matrices have more green subpixels than blue ones, so the screen will last much longer.

The image quality is very high. Viewing angles are wide, and fading in the sun is negligible.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S III is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus. The quality of the pictures made a good impression: the picture is clear, the colors are saturated, conveying all the beauty of the captured moment.

The camera is also capable of recording Full HD video at 30 frames per second.

There is a 1.9-megapixel front camera for video calling.

Battery

Price

The cost of the Samsung Galaxy S III in Russia will be approximately 30,000 rubles, which is quite acceptable for a smartphone of this level.

Samsung Galaxy S III video review: