+1
Of course I did what he said I did. I never denied doing so. I was simply trying to illustrate that when people cite how many "awesome" apps the app store has, a good chunk of them are garbage.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Phones anybody here switched from the 4S to the Samsung Galaxy S3?
- Thread starter imeth
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
+1
Of course I did what he said I did. I never denied doing so. I was simply trying to illustrate that when people cite how many "awesome" apps the app store has, a good chunk of them are garbage.
Of course I searched for them. You missed my point entirely. Whether you have to search for them or not, they are there. They exist, on the app store. They make up a large portion of the bazillion apps people like to brag about when talking about how "awesome" the app store is. I provided a screenshot to illustrate that a large percentage of the apps are fluff and filler.
I would bet that out of all the apps on the app store, probably less than one percent of them are worth anything.
[/COLOR]
I used those phones to show i have had experience with andriod and ios. All those phones i had at the time except the pantech were great mid tier phones. I wasent makeing a hardware comparison simply gui.
I'm sorry but no, they weren't great. The Inspire was basically the Evo from the previous year, the infuse was a large screen phone with low-end innards, and Pantech just makes trash all around. Your experience on those devices would greatly differ to an experience on a high-end device. That's like me saying I have experience with Windows, and my only experience being with a $200 celeron machine with 512bm of RAM. Sure, it's Windows, but the experience would be much better on a high-end machine built for performance, instead of built to be cheap.
The quality of those phones wether hardware or the build quality means nothing to me when i am testing the os myself. Im not looking for speed exc. Im looking at how sense or touch wiz is layed out. If i wanted a high tier andriod phone to compare it to i would of included the story of me borrowing a galaxy s 2 for a week. I understand what you are trying to say and would of agreed if i was trying to make the same point. You seem to not understand what i am trying to say.
I guess don't. I don't know why a person would be interested in looking at how an overlay is laid out, but not interested in seeing how well it's capable of running. That's a bit odd... but hey, to each their own.
I have had the S3 for two weeks now, I also have an iPhone 4S, to be honest, the user experience for me is about the same for either phone, the S3 (European quad core) has no lag, the speed of both is about the same, apps don't crash on either and look stunning. The build quality is also about the same on both phones, those that have commented about the flexible back of the S3 IMHO, miss the point, it won't break when removing or replacing back on the phone, and more interestingly, doesn't flex while on the phone.
Which do I prefer? At the moment it is the S3, I like the larger screen and thats about it, it fits in my pocket and I can use it one handed.
Having read about the next iPhone, extended but not wider, I have come to the conclusion that Apple will surprise us, I think it will be a larger phone all round and the design will "wow" us all, I don't think it will be like the 4S in any way, I still have an upgrade so then, that is the phone I will probably prefer and use.
I have had a 3GS, 4 and 4S, what I have learned is that I prefer a larger phone and that at the moment, companies like Samsung and HTC have caught Apple up, Apple will be well aware of this, I expect them to raise the bar again when the new iPhone is released and leave the following pack scratching their heads again. That is what I hope for anyway.
Of course, if Apple had released the new iPhone two years after releasing the iPhone 4, rather than the two years and three or four months that will have elapsed, all the above would have been irrelevant, I would have picked up my new iPhone in June when one of my upgrades was due and not given a second thought to any of the other manufacturers or their phones.
Which do I prefer? At the moment it is the S3, I like the larger screen and thats about it, it fits in my pocket and I can use it one handed.
Having read about the next iPhone, extended but not wider, I have come to the conclusion that Apple will surprise us, I think it will be a larger phone all round and the design will "wow" us all, I don't think it will be like the 4S in any way, I still have an upgrade so then, that is the phone I will probably prefer and use.
I have had a 3GS, 4 and 4S, what I have learned is that I prefer a larger phone and that at the moment, companies like Samsung and HTC have caught Apple up, Apple will be well aware of this, I expect them to raise the bar again when the new iPhone is released and leave the following pack scratching their heads again. That is what I hope for anyway.
Of course, if Apple had released the new iPhone two years after releasing the iPhone 4, rather than the two years and three or four months that will have elapsed, all the above would have been irrelevant, I would have picked up my new iPhone in June when one of my upgrades was due and not given a second thought to any of the other manufacturers or their phones.
Last edited:
Like i said in another thread after seeing all these switching to android topics. I bought an S3 to test it for a week and give it away. Now i am still rocking the S3 and my 4s is in a box in perfect condition in my cloth shelve...
Maybe, but what is "fluff" to you might be the "greatest app ever" for someone else.
Again, I understood you point. I was pointing out how you had to search for them to find them and how you don't come across that many when you're just browsing the app store.
Saying that only one percent of over 500,000 apps are useful is a sad excuse.
The S3 seems to be a game changer. Historically the iPhone has insanely high loyalty rates. It will be interesting to see how or whether that changes. I plan to get the LTE iPhone this fall. I don't really need a bigger screen, but better data is certainly worth it.
Sure it's a nice phone, but I fail to see how it's a game changer. A game changer is what the iPhone was when it was announced in 2007.
I had the S3 for a week and returned it. 4.8' screen is way to big for use with one hand. I did like having expandable memory and removable battery but iPhone just suits me perfect and with all the accessories and apps I have invested I choose to stick with iOS.
It's a game changer in that it is the first Android phone to draw iPhone-like initial sales and mind share. The first Motorola Droid came close in terms of hype, but it was a flash in the pan. Samsung's Galaxy line has steadily grown into a very profitable line.
IOW, people are seeking out the Galaxy SIII. They aren't just "settling" for it because their carrier doesn't offer the iPhone.
The mobile race isn't so much iOS vs. Android as it is Apple vs. Samsung. They are the only two companies making serious money in mobile phones right now. Everyone else, regardless of OS, is struggling.
I didn't read the whole thread but I thought I'd throw in my opinions.
I've been using a GS3 for a week today. I bought it and left town for a business trip the same day. Figured it would give me a chance to get past the initial "this sucks; going back" phase that happens every time I try to switch. I'll be home this afternoon and the first thing I'll be doing is heading back to Best Buy and getting my iPhone reactivated and my checking account credited.
I loved the phone at first. The screen is gorgeous and the weight/feel of the phone makes it feel like a quality device. The physical home button is nice as well. That's one issue I've always had with android devices. That's about as far as I can go in the positive realm.
The keyboard is the worst part for me. The predictive text is absolutely horrid. It would be better for me if I didnt have to watch the pt line as I typed and select the correct word instead of the phone just inserting the correct word. Whoever said the keyboards between the two devices are practically the same couldn't be further from right. I actually gave up on correcting it after a couple of days and it turned into a game of decryption with my girlfriend. We had some good laughs because the words this thing phone pumps out are nowhere near what I was going for.
When I plug my phone in and carry on with what I'm doing in another room I'll come back a half hour later and the screen will still be lit up. Why? If the phone is locked why wouldn't it turn off after a few seconds?
Holding the phone in my hand and turning it on via the power button, 90% of the time I end up adjusting the volume. Bad location in my opinion.
Again, strictly opinion, the screen is too big. My hands are not small by any means and one handed operation has ended in the phone slipping out of my hand on more than one occasion.
The way apps are built is completely dependent on the developer but I just dost like the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between the two operating systems.
The thing charges waaaay too slowly and barely charges at all if I'm using it while it's plugged in.
Why are the software camera buttons in landscape when I'm trying to use the camera in portrait?
I need about four more hands to count the number of crashes I've had in a number of days. Sometimes I'll get a message saying "Sorry but xxx app has quit" or something along that line. Majority of the time that app wasn't even running.
All in all android has come a long way since 2.3.4 but its nowhere near as refined as I need it to be to replace ios.
Hope this helps.
I've been using a GS3 for a week today. I bought it and left town for a business trip the same day. Figured it would give me a chance to get past the initial "this sucks; going back" phase that happens every time I try to switch. I'll be home this afternoon and the first thing I'll be doing is heading back to Best Buy and getting my iPhone reactivated and my checking account credited.
I loved the phone at first. The screen is gorgeous and the weight/feel of the phone makes it feel like a quality device. The physical home button is nice as well. That's one issue I've always had with android devices. That's about as far as I can go in the positive realm.
The keyboard is the worst part for me. The predictive text is absolutely horrid. It would be better for me if I didnt have to watch the pt line as I typed and select the correct word instead of the phone just inserting the correct word. Whoever said the keyboards between the two devices are practically the same couldn't be further from right. I actually gave up on correcting it after a couple of days and it turned into a game of decryption with my girlfriend. We had some good laughs because the words this thing phone pumps out are nowhere near what I was going for.
When I plug my phone in and carry on with what I'm doing in another room I'll come back a half hour later and the screen will still be lit up. Why? If the phone is locked why wouldn't it turn off after a few seconds?
Holding the phone in my hand and turning it on via the power button, 90% of the time I end up adjusting the volume. Bad location in my opinion.
Again, strictly opinion, the screen is too big. My hands are not small by any means and one handed operation has ended in the phone slipping out of my hand on more than one occasion.
The way apps are built is completely dependent on the developer but I just dost like the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between the two operating systems.
The thing charges waaaay too slowly and barely charges at all if I'm using it while it's plugged in.
Why are the software camera buttons in landscape when I'm trying to use the camera in portrait?
I need about four more hands to count the number of crashes I've had in a number of days. Sometimes I'll get a message saying "Sorry but xxx app has quit" or something along that line. Majority of the time that app wasn't even running.
All in all android has come a long way since 2.3.4 but its nowhere near as refined as I need it to be to replace ios.
Hope this helps.
@Ke1ingtn
Android isn't for everyone, but it is very telling you were unable to figure the phone put via it's settings.
First, were you using the stock keyboard? Swiftkey is much, much better than any stock keyboard. A little research would have told youthis.
You also didn't set your lockscreen timeout. And you likelyhave an app running in the background that is keeping the screen on, i.e. navigation.
Not sure about your camera issue, as mine works as it is supposed to.
The Android OS is not like iOS in that iOS takes care of so many operations for you. Android is dependent upon the user to do many of these things. If you understand how Android and Touchwiz, Blur, Sense work it is a very pleasant experience.
Again, it's not for everyone and it obviously wasn't for you. I'm sure you will bemuch happier back with the iPhone.
Android isn't for everyone, but it is very telling you were unable to figure the phone put via it's settings.
First, were you using the stock keyboard? Swiftkey is much, much better than any stock keyboard. A little research would have told youthis.
You also didn't set your lockscreen timeout. And you likelyhave an app running in the background that is keeping the screen on, i.e. navigation.
Not sure about your camera issue, as mine works as it is supposed to.
The Android OS is not like iOS in that iOS takes care of so many operations for you. Android is dependent upon the user to do many of these things. If you understand how Android and Touchwiz, Blur, Sense work it is a very pleasant experience.
Again, it's not for everyone and it obviously wasn't for you. I'm sure you will bemuch happier back with the iPhone.
Must admit that I did find the stock keyboard and its editing to be abysmal on the S3, I did change to swiftkey and find it superb, it knows what I'm gonna type before I do.
Coming from the iPhone 4s 64gb on Verizon which I used since it was released in October I am very pleased with my Pebble Blue SGS3 32gb (with 64gb micro sd card). Like the person before me said, took me 30 seconds to input my email into the swype beta and now I type WAYYY faster than was ever possible on the iphone 4s. So now email and text, much better experience.
I don't put much stock into "bars of service" or even dbm levels because each OS/carrier can calculate them different. What I do know is calls are the same perfect crystal clear that I enjoyed on the 4s. The one improvement is the speakerphone doesn't distort like it did when put towards the louder range.
Same fluidity finally. No lag or hitches, so far no random reboots or restarts. I love customizing my phone so that puts the SGS3 in a HUGE win category over ios for me.
Yes it was very sad to leave my 500+ iphone/ipad apps behind MANY of which were the paid/premium versions. So i'm going to have to budget in replacing a lot of those games over the next few months.
Battery life I would call very similar but probably an edge to the SGS3. Both lasted me all day with moderate to heavy use but now I am using my SGS3 as a Hotspot for our home in the evenings (to power 2 laptops and ipad and a ps3 for netflix). So I'm probably using my SGS3 more, also because i have "new toy syndrome." (of course 4s has 1400 mah battery and sgs3 is 2100 so the iphones battery life is very impressive and i'm sure the 5 will come out with something even better)
I do love that i can expand the memory and buy a spare battery later if i want. I don't plan on it since i like keeping just my phone (no case even) but i like that i have the OPTION. Something Apple doesn't give (in regards to battery, sd card, keyboards, homescreen, launchers, etc....i know some can be had through jailbreaking but that's another discussion).
The bigger screen has improved my e-reading, web-browsing and netflix watching. Of course you can do all on the iphone but to me at least it's all more enjoyable on a 4.8" screen rather than a 3.5" screen. And since i read between a half hour and an hour a day, web browse maybe 15 min to 30 min and watch netflix for 20 min, that's a good portion of my time on the phone i'm enjoying more now.
Of course the data speeds are STUPENDOUS. My normal is probably 10-15mb down range but i've pulled 37mb down and i don't do my speedtest app that often. Either way, I love being able to plug in my phone and use it to stream netflix on my ps3, play everquest on my laptop, have my wife able to check facebook on her netbook and check my emails on my ipad. Verizon LTE i LOVE YOU!
So basically the biggest kicker was to keep unlimited on VZW with the last subsidized phone i could get. It also helps that i'm the type of person that will really research something before i give up on it. (for example the swype keyboard). It seems like many iphone users prize simplicity above all else and if they don't see a grid of squares in front of them, they pout. Prizing simplicity is fine and great (see Apple's capitalist empire) but throwing a fit after a short time with something you can't get to work isn't going to be a helpful personality trait in ANY area of your life.
To be honest, if i could get the SGS3 in the body of a 4" screen, it would be perfect for me. But i have girl like small hands and can still operate the SGS3 just fine (the times my thumb needs to reach to the opposite top corner is about 1% of my actual use) and i prize unlimited lte data above all else.
Maybe i'll be back in the fall when the new iphone hits. Mostly i doubt that though seeing as my wife is the family budget keeper
I don't put much stock into "bars of service" or even dbm levels because each OS/carrier can calculate them different. What I do know is calls are the same perfect crystal clear that I enjoyed on the 4s. The one improvement is the speakerphone doesn't distort like it did when put towards the louder range.
Same fluidity finally. No lag or hitches, so far no random reboots or restarts. I love customizing my phone so that puts the SGS3 in a HUGE win category over ios for me.
Yes it was very sad to leave my 500+ iphone/ipad apps behind MANY of which were the paid/premium versions. So i'm going to have to budget in replacing a lot of those games over the next few months
.Battery life I would call very similar but probably an edge to the SGS3. Both lasted me all day with moderate to heavy use but now I am using my SGS3 as a Hotspot for our home in the evenings (to power 2 laptops and ipad and a ps3 for netflix). So I'm probably using my SGS3 more, also because i have "new toy syndrome."
(of course 4s has 1400 mah battery and sgs3 is 2100 so the iphones battery life is very impressive and i'm sure the 5 will come out with something even better)I do love that i can expand the memory and buy a spare battery later if i want. I don't plan on it since i like keeping just my phone (no case even) but i like that i have the OPTION. Something Apple doesn't give (in regards to battery, sd card, keyboards, homescreen, launchers, etc....i know some can be had through jailbreaking but that's another discussion).
The bigger screen has improved my e-reading, web-browsing and netflix watching. Of course you can do all on the iphone but to me at least it's all more enjoyable on a 4.8" screen rather than a 3.5" screen. And since i read between a half hour and an hour a day, web browse maybe 15 min to 30 min and watch netflix for 20 min, that's a good portion of my time on the phone i'm enjoying more now.
Of course the data speeds are STUPENDOUS. My normal is probably 10-15mb down range but i've pulled 37mb down and i don't do my speedtest app that often. Either way, I love being able to plug in my phone and use it to stream netflix on my ps3, play everquest on my laptop, have my wife able to check facebook on her netbook and check my emails on my ipad. Verizon LTE i LOVE YOU!
So basically the biggest kicker was to keep unlimited on VZW with the last subsidized phone i could get. It also helps that i'm the type of person that will really research something before i give up on it. (for example the swype keyboard). It seems like many iphone users prize simplicity above all else and if they don't see a grid of squares in front of them, they pout. Prizing simplicity is fine and great (see Apple's capitalist empire) but throwing a fit after a short time with something you can't get to work isn't going to be a helpful personality trait in ANY area of your life.
To be honest, if i could get the SGS3 in the body of a 4" screen, it would be perfect for me. But i have girl like small hands and can still operate the SGS3 just fine (the times my thumb needs to reach to the opposite top corner is about 1% of my actual use) and i prize unlimited lte data above all else.
Maybe i'll be back in the fall when the new iphone hits. Mostly i doubt that though seeing as my wife is the family budget keeper
Samsungs stock keyboard is pretty bad compared to Swiftkey or Swype. If you dont know how to change the keyboard then you should have done research.
If you had tried Swype you would have been surprised. Its the best keyboard in the entire world, and its only available on Android. I can type 2x times faster than on iOS and the autocorrection works much much better than iOS.
I havent had a mispelled word in a few days.
Again: learn how to use your phone.