Galaxy S3 owner

[marc11]

Before I get slammed as an Apple hater, let me just say that I currently own an iPhone 4 and a MBP, my wife and kids have an iPad, iPad 3, iTouch 4 and a Macbook, so we are in the Apple camp....

Back in October I purchased the Nexus 7 over the mini for a variety of reasons, the top two being cost and value; I felt the Nexus 7 offered a greater value and I wanted to try Android, so a low entry price made sense to me.

Fast forward to today; I am currently living in Japan and will be retuning home next month; I have an iPhone with Softbank that I purchased when I got here, I did not upgrade to the 5 because it didn't make sense as you CANNOT unlock Softbank phones and they will not unlock them for you, not matter what, so no reason to buy a new phone that would be sold or useless shortly there after.

Anyway, after using my Nexus 7 for a while I was so impressed by the Android OS that when it came time to buy a phone for use at home, I stayed with Android and grabbed an S3 at a great price. (my company gets a signifigant discount on ATT). Of course I know the S4 is coming this summer, but I needed a phone within the next two weeks and the S3 for the price I paid more than does the job.

The point of this thread is, I wonder how many people also went through this? I know I have read many threads of "I tried Android and I am back to iOS" but what about the other way around. Anyone sample Android and stayed?

For me the big point in staying with Android is the interaction and productivity the OS has given me. When I use the two back to back, my iPhone and my Nexus, I get frustrated with the grids, searching for icons, and layers of menu items within settings along with the inability to do anything that doesn't include multiple swipes, touches and clicks of the home button.

Hell, sometimes I just want to check my email or schedule and not have to unlock my phone, click the email icon, then double click the home button then click the calendar icon, then double click the home button and click the email button, when two swipes from the lock screen do the same thing....

Anyone else found the same thing?

 

[Explicitic]

You really won't have many problems with Android unless you're really sucked into the Apple ecosystem. Most people who switch to Android then back to iOS do it because they use Apple products all around the house and miss having things like iTunes, iMessage, and just "everything connected." Just about all, if not all, are able to be done on Android just through different methods and applications.

So basically, if you're not too into the ecosystem where you rely on Apple programs for everything, you won't see a problem. Stick with the S3 and Android and maybe even try doing some modifications to it. You'll definitely like it.

I suggest at least rooting the phone to get some extra functionality. People tend to exaggerate the security downsides of rooting but in reality, there aren't that many if you know what you're doing and those people don't know what they're talking about, or they have just never heard of checking permission requirements for that application before pressing the "Allow" button....

You may also want to wait for the Galaxy S4 by trying a few different phones. Get the S3, play with it, and exchange it for a different phone to play with. Do that a few times and the S4 will be around soon.

 

[marc11]

You really won't have many problems with Android unless you're really sucked into the Apple ecosystem. Most people who switch to Android then back to iOS do it because they use Apple products all around the house and miss having things like iTunes, iMessage, and just "everything connected." Just about all, if not all, are able to be done on Android just through different methods and applications.

So basically, if you're not too into the ecosystem where you rely on Apple programs for everything, you won't see a problem. Stick with the S3 and Android and maybe even try doing some modifications to it. You'll definitely like it.

I suggest at least rooting the phone to get some extra functionality. People tend to exaggerate the security downsides of rooting but in reality, there aren't that many if you know what you're doing and those people don't know what they're talking about, or they have just never heard of checking permission requirements for that application before pressing the "Allow" button....

You may also want to wait for the Galaxy S4 by trying a few different phones. Get the S3, play with it, and exchange it for a different phone to play with. Do that a few times and the S4 will be around soon.

I thought about playing with a few phones; it isn't a bad idea. I really thought I would miss the Apple eco system, but all the apps I used on my iPhone I found for my Nexus 7 no problem and for iCloud, my family and I do use the shared calendar and contacts a lot, but there are two apps I use on my Nexus 7 that syncs with iCloud for these and it works perfectly. And with Google Play Music, all my itunes music transfered to Google Play and onto my device or available to stream without an issue. It is seemless and works perfectly in the background, so I didn't lose any music.

There is also Photostream which is a bit of a bummer to lose, but I can work around it with Dropbox photo sync to my MBP so not a big deal.

 

[hovscorpion12]

I've owned the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4S & 5. Don't get me wrong there great, but after getting hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S3, it made me look at my iPhone 5 and wonder what could of been. I own the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 to ease the 2 year contract and its been wonders. No problem with integrating iCloud to Android. The one thing i would suggest is that one way or another your going to miss either one. if I do choose to pick up the Galaxy S IV, I will most likely own the 5th gen iPod. Benefit of both sides.

 

[Krimsonmyst]

I used to work for Apple a couple of years ago, and was a genius for the better part of two years.
I was always at the front line of apples early adopters, to the point of buying many new products on launch day.

About 6 months before I left, I started looking into android (something I NEVER thought I would be doing as an apple employee). I picked up a HTC desire HD, and while I didn't hate it, I wasn't crazy about it either.

I went back to the iPhone 4 for a few months, then took the plunge again with a galaxy s2. This time I actually took the time to learn about android's ins and outs.
Best decision I ever made. I stuck with the s2 through ICS launch and then bought the S3 2 days after launch.

I still see where iOS has advantages (though they're getting less and less), but apple's real lack of innovation has all but ensured that I'll probably not go back, not in the near future at least.

 

[Sounds Good]

Hell, sometimes I just want to check my email or schedule and not have to unlock my phone, click the email icon, then double click the home button then click the calendar icon, then double click the home button and click the email button...

How is this done on Android? (I've never used it before)

 

[marc11]

How is this done on Android? (I've never used it before)

You can have email and Calendar widgets on the lock screen and or as pages in the os. So you just swipe left or right and you can see your email with a few lines of text as well as a week or more of upcoming events. Its great for a quick look.

 

[Sounds Good]

I still see where iOS has advantages.

Can you list them, please? I'd like to know what you think.

Thanks!

 

[Sounds Good]

You can have email and Calendar widgets on the lock screen and or as pages in the os. So you just swipe left or right and you can see your email with a few lines of text as well as a week or more of upcoming events. Its great for a quick look.

I see. Sounds convenient. Thanks!

 

[aldo82]

I had an iphone 3G, 3GS then 4 as well as an ipad and macbook. I was a big apple fanboy (and could admit it!) and converted lots of friends and family to the apple way of life. I never considered android.

Due to buying a house around the time the 4S was released I decided to skip it and keep my 4. I was also slightly disappointed with the 4s anyway. Then when iOS6 was previewed my disapointment increased, plus I didn't feel the latest ipads had progressed that much either. To my surprise I started looking into android. I deliberated and deliberated over getting a galaxy S3, probably took me about a month of continually changing my mind before I took the plunge...

Fast forward to now and I am almost fully out of the apple ecosystem. I love my S3 and it beats any iphone hands down as far as I'm concerned. My ipad has been replaced with a Nexus 10 which again seems to do so much more. I still have my macbook but its unlikely I will replace it with apple. When I joined the apple world I never thought I'd leave but having tried the alternatives I've realised that not only are they (in general) much better value for money but also they often offer increased functionality, useability and as far as I'm concerned user satisfaction.

Certainly as far as this customer is concerned, apple lost me and they'll have to change a lot to ever win me back.

 

[Krimsonmyst]

Can you list them, please? I'd like to know what you think.

Thanks!

General smoothness of ios is still better I'd argue. Certainly not to any level that ruins the experience on android, but it is still noticeable in some areas.

If you're in the apple ecosystem, an iphone has an advantage with syncing and just general functionality, although android has a lot of workarounds that nullify that somewhat.

That's actually all I can think of really, I guess there aren't as many as I thought

 

[Sounds Good]

I guess there aren't as many as I thought

Ha! Thanks for being honest about it!

 

[Krimsonmyst]

Ha! Thanks for being honest about it!

I'll always be objective about apple and what it offers. As an ex employee, particularly in the genius role, I got to see a lot of apple that most of their supporters don't.

In fact, the treatment of staff, geniuses in particular was one of the reasons I started to go off them. That's a whole other story, but let's just say that Apple will do whatever it takes to make its customers happy, even if it means undermining and making their staff miserable.

Truth be told, I WANT apple to do well. When apple does well, the competitors are forced to keep up and push themselves harder.
But apple has gone from market leader to market follower. Maybe not financially, but you only have to look at the competition.

Samsung's Galaxy series of phones are selling like mad, HTCs One series has a lot of fans, even Sony is joining in the high end game with the superb Xperia Z. Not to mention google is doing a great job at providing great hardware and software at a very affordable price (Nexus 4, 7 and 10).

What's apple giving the market? A very polished, very smooth os, sure.
But one that hasn't changed in 5 years. It's so stale, so stagnant, and so typical of apple to keep spouting the ridiculous line of 'the world's most advanced mobile operating system'.

How exactly?
Come on apple, don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

For a great example of how stale it is, go over to the iPhone forum and have a look at the 'post your home screen' thread. On and android forum, this would be a hotbed of creativity and modding that would satisfy the traditional, the hardcore and the casual user, all with unique style.

On the macrumors thread, it's literally just people trading the wallpapers that sit behind their grid of apps, because that's all they can customise. Sure, they organise their icons differently, but it's hardly what I'd call customisation.

 

[Sounds Good]

Come on apple, don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

And, thank you for THAT visual.

 

[AQUADock]

On the macrumors thread, it's literally just people trading the wallpapers that sit behind their grid of apps, because that's all they can customise. Sure, they organise their icons differently, but it's hardly what I'd call customisation.

You do know you can jailbreak if you want to customize, i find mostly people who use iphones don't care about it so arguing about it is pointless.

 

[Oohara]

You do know you can jailbreak if you want to customize, i find mostly people who use iphones don't care about it so arguing about it is pointless.

That's just what makes that thread so funny though. I mean, if you don't care about customization, why bother with a thread dedicated precisely to showing off how you've "customized" your phone? It seems an exercise in futility. And that's what it looks like, too.

I don't mean to rip on iOS users in general though. On the other side of the spectrum you have those myriads of 'post your Android home screen'-threads where people display compositions so foul they could turn one off of Android forever.

 

[TacticalDesire]

I've owned the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4S & 5. Don't get me wrong there great, but after getting hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S3, it made me look at my iPhone 5 and wonder what could of been. I own the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 to ease the 2 year contract and its been wonders. No problem with integrating iCloud to Android. The one thing i would suggest is that one way or another your going to miss either one. if I do choose to pick up the Galaxy S IV, I will most likely own the 5th gen iPod. Benefit of both sides.

That's what I do. I have a Nexus 4 as my main phone and a 5th gen touch so I've got a foot in both camps. Works well and I like both platforms a lot.

 

[aneftp]

There are choices in the free market. Choose what you like. Not what people push or defend.

The only recommendation I make these days (in USA with carriers on contract). The only recommendations I make is to avoid "free" phones on contract. Meaning lower end phones unless Amazon is having those super special sales.

I always recommend people pay for the higher end phones of the current generation (S3, iPhone 5, Lumia 920)if they are renewing their contracts. And I always recommend people to always shop around especially non iPhone devices at non corp carrier phone shops.

You could have gotten the S3 as low as 96 cents end of November 2012.

 

[marc11]

There are choices in the free market. Choose what you like. Not what people push or defend.

The only recommendation I make these days (in USA with carriers on contract). The only recommendations I make is to avoid "free" phones on contract. Meaning lower end phones unless Amazon is having those super special sales.

I always recommend people pay for the higher end phones of the current generation (S3, iPhone 5, Lumia 920)if they are renewing their contracts. And I always recommend people to always shop around especially non iPhone devices at non corp carrier phone shops.

You could have gotten the S3 as low as 96 cents end of November 2012.

A Galaxy S3 for under a $1 less than 6 months after it was released and has gone on to be one of the best selling phones in the world? Wow, never heard of that deal, but if true, does it make it any less of a phone?

You can get an iPhone 4s for under $1 now, its still a very solid phone and you can get some really crap phones for $200. Price should not be the determining factor alone. Heck I would be more than happy to keep using my iPhone 4 if I could bring it back to the States and connect it to a carriers network.

While I agree with what I think your underlying intent is, which I assume is someone should buy the newest version of the phone they are considering getting, price should not be the main factor at all. My wife is a casual user, mainly phone calls, no email, occasional text and ONCE in a while internet access; she doesn't need a 64 gb iPhone 5, heck she doesn't need an 8 gb iPhone 4s, a low end, even free phone will meet her needs 100% or more.

It is situational IMHO, buy what fits your current and expected near term needs. Any phone that exceeds your needs today certainly can meet them for 2 years; the problem is not the technology, it is the mindset people have of chasing the cutting edge and thinking that for some reason, the day the next generation phone is released the one in your pocket, which worked great yesterday suddenly is crap.

As one matures, he or she realizes the pissing contests has not value and we are continually left chasing the next "high" with the next new purchase and never really appreciate what we have.