Samsung Galaxy S3: What’s in it?

After all of the rumors and speculation, the Samsung Galaxy S III is finally here but you probably have a few questions about this new Android phone. Samsung is the master of flash and flare at its press conferences. The Galaxy S3 will go on sale in Europe on May 23. No official word yet on a U.S. launch, but it could come this summer.

 

Can Galaxy S3  Follow Your Every Move?

The Samsung S III really wants to be your new best friend. For example, the Samsung S III can do things like it can predict when you want the screen awake by using the front-facing camera to monitor your eyes. If you’re watching a movie on your phone and happen to fall asleep, the phone’s display will turn off.

 

The S3 also has a feature called S Voice, which is a adapted voice-recognition system. Like Apple’s Siri, S Voice can recognize a variety of commands. For example, you can say “snooze” when your alarm goes off . You can also say “direct call” and ring somebody while you’re in the middle of a text. You can also control the volume of your music,launch the camera via voice commands and organize your calendar.

 

However, there’s no word, so far, on whether S Voice works with third-party applications. S Voice works with eight different languages, including British English and American English.

 

Is It Quad-Core Power-driven?

Samsung established that the Galaxy S III phones will be powered by the company’s own quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor. However, the processor specs were not in the press materials we received today. It is said that the Samsung quad-core processor is not compatible with U.S. LTE networks. If so, we might see a different processor on the S3 phones in the United States. Samsung would not comment on what sort of processor the U.S. versions will have.

 

When Will the S3 Come to the United States?

According to our sources at Samsung, the 4G (HSPA+/LTE) versions of the S III will come to North America this summer. Samsung said it will optimize the phones for the LTE and HSPA+ networks. Timing, pricing, or carrier partners have not yet been announced.

What are the New Sharing Apps?

Samsung made a big deal about the simplicity of sharing from the S3. It looks like you can only share from your S III to another. Samsung has enhanced Android Beam, called S beam, which allows large files to be transferred between phones quickly. You can share music, photos, and up to 1GB of video from your S III to your friend’s S III.

 

To help you understand, here’s how Android Beam works on the Galaxy Nexus.

 

Samsung also enhanced its DLNA service for sharing content from your phone to your TV. AllShare Cast allows you wirelessly connect your Galaxy S III to your TV, tablet, or PC and share files over WiFi. However, you’ll have to buy the separate All Cast Hub accessory in order to use this feature.

What is HD Super AMOLED display?

The 3.4-inch-thick S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1280-pixel by 720-pixel resolution. This is the same display technology we saw on the Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy S II had Super AMOLED Plus, which is actually based on a PenTile pixel structure in which pixels share subpixels.

 

The Galaxy S II phones, on the other hand, have full RGB displays in which the pixels have their own subpixels. It means that HD Super AMOLED displays have lower overall subpixel density, which could translate to reduced sharpness and degraded color accuracy.

 

When we compared the Galaxy Nexus to the Galaxy S II, however, we didn’t notice a huge difference in display quality. The only quality different we detected was color accuracy, especially with whites (they appeared to have a yellowish tint). It is too early to comment on the Galaxy S3 up close whether it will be the same problem.

 

One cool thing is that despite the Galaxy S3 having a larger display than its predecessor (4.8 inches versus 4.3/4.5 inches), it isn’t much bigger. There’s very little bezel around the phone as the display takes full advantage of the hardware real estate.

How will be the Battery life?

Battery life is the blight of every tech user. Samsung claims that it won’t be an issue with the S3 as it has a larger 2100mAh battery. For comparison, the Galaxy S II has a 1560mAh battery, while the Galaxy Nexus has a 1750mAh battery. The Droid Razr Maxx, has a 3300mAH battery.

 

Samsung’s all-seeing front-facing camera might put a strain on the battery life. Also, phone manufacturers still haven’t worked out all the kinks with battery conservation on LTE networks. Battery life will depend on what sort of processor Samsung is packing into its S3 phones for the United States.

Is the Camera any high-quality?

The Samsung Galaxy phones have always performed quite well in PCWorld Test Center camera subjective tests. According to Samsung, the Galaxy S III will have zero shutter lag. The company also claims that the camera will start in “less than one second.” The S III will also have a burst-shot mode, a feature we saw on HTC’s One phones.

 

The S III camera also will have a feature called “Best Photo,” which will automatically select your best photos out of a series of eight photos taken in succession.

What are the Accessories of samsung S3?

Samsung announced a slew of accessories, including a C Pen stylus (which seems pretty similar to the S Pen on the Galaxy Note), an AllShare Cast Hub for wireless streaming, a docking station for your desk, a wireless charger, a car kit, and an HDMI adapter. Samsung also announcedthe S Pebble “music companion” MP3 player.