Got a Galaxy S3, returned it the next day. (kept iPhone 4)

[miamialley]

I've had iPhones since 2008 and was really tired of the 3.5" screen and the stale iOS. After a lot of research and thought, I figured it was time to test out the android. I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3 a couple of days ago, knowing I had 30 days to return it. Yes, I knew the new iPhone is coming out, but I was convinced I was ready for the Android change. I jailbreak my iPhone to get it to do what I want and figured why not just go Android and get it over with.

I returned the SGS3 the next day and reactivated my iPhone 4. Having a MBP and an iPad, trying to incorporate an android phone into the equation was a real pain. Transferring everything over the Galaxy was such a process. Samsung's software to do this isn't even compatible with Mountain Lion, so I couldn't even install the software. Other options are limited in various ways and didn't work for me as result.

There were things I liked more about the SGS3 and things I disliked (but could fix most of those with tweaks). There were also many things about Android that were neither better or worse than iOS, but rather, were just different and would take some getting used to.

Ultimately, if the new iPhone doesn't have a suitable screen and LTE, I will jump ship to the SGS3 and just work out the ways to make it play with my Apple devices. In the mean time, I'm going to hope the new iPhone looks great. If it is, getting it is just so much more efficient in terms of user experience with my MBP and iPad.

I read so many threads about people who switched from iOS to Android and visa versa, but ultimately, I knew I just had to try it for myself. And I needed more than just playing with it in the store or viewing videos.

Apple makes it really difficult to leave their ecosystem, that's for sure.

 

[brock2621]

Welcome back

I really do not wish to leave... It's been so long that it's just ingrained into me.

There are things I wish I could change about iOS, many are novel or more convenient, but I've built my daily life on apps, iOS and hardware combined.

That and the fact the if I went android, it would be a nexus phone. Samsung introducing S-Voice, and S-Cloud etc. just rubs me the wrong way...

 

[batting1000]

Welcome back

I really do not wish to leave... It's been so long that it's just ingrained into me.

There are things I wish I could change about iOS, many are novel or more convenient, but I've built my daily life on apps, iOS and hardware combined.

That and the fact the if I went android, it would be a nexus phone. Samsung introducing S-Voice, and S-Cloud etc. just rubs me the wrong way...

S-Cloud, lol.

 

[lilo777]

You are just another victim of Apple strategy. When you bought Mac computer you should have known that software choices would be very limited and trying to use it with anything but Apple devices is a challenge. Now you have to live in this Apple world with limited choice of hardware: two desktops, three laptops, one phone and one tablet. Luckily lately more companies started supporting OS/X but it still is a black sheep. But look on a bright side: limited hardware choices but plenty of rumors

 

[Anti-Lucifer]

You are just another victim of Apple strategy. When you bought Mac computer you should have known that software choices would be very limited and trying to use it with anything but Apple devices is a challenge. Now you have to live in this Apple world with limited choice of hardware: two desktops, three laptops, one phone and one tablet. Luckily lately more companies started supporting OS/X but it still is a black sheep. But look on a bright side: limited hardware choices but plenty of rumors

what a load of fud. Because you cannot be part of this great apple ecosystem, you spew a bunch of personal fud opinions about him being a "victim"?

If having airplay, photostream, 3D maps, notifications (in ML), tons of great software for cheap prices, awesome laptops/desktops/iDevices to use because it works is being a victim, then that's fine.

Go ahead and don't be a victim of apple but a victim of androids ecosystem or lack of. I have an SG2 and let me tell you, i would give it up in an instant for an iPhone 4S - but I love my ipad so much, I don't need a smartphone.

It's really your loss if you can't see how great this apple ecosystem is. There's NOTHING on the PC side that I use that isn't on the MAC side.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Ultimately, if the new iPhone doesn't have a suitable screen and LTE, I will jump ship to the SGS3 and just work out the ways to make it play with my Apple devices.

We already know it's going to be a 4" screen. Any larger is just wishful thinking.

If you can't even last one day with the Galaxy S3, what makes you think you can do better the second time around?

 

[slayer666]

Want a big screen buy an iPad. An iPhone is meant to be a phone and comfortable while holding. It's not suppose to be a brick.

 

[Technarchy]

Want a big screen buy an iPad. An iPhone is meant to be a phone and comfortable while holding. It's not suppose to be a brick.

I think the term "platter" is more fitting...

 

[Calidude]

The S3 is kind of a disaster of a phone so I'm not surprised when people return it.

 

[matttye]

The S3 is kind of a disaster of a phone so I'm not surprised when people return it.

It's the best phone out today. Oh look, another opinion

 

[Calidude]

It's the best phone out today. Oh look, another opinion

It's the phone with the best specs out today. Oh look, a fact.

matttye, I typically agree with you, but not here. The S3 is really one of the cheapest looking, oddly designed phones ever to hit the market. I support Android over iOS, but this handset is just awful to behold.

Have you seen this article? It's pretty much spot on.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...irst-smartphone-designed-entirely-by-lawyers/

 

[matttye]

It's the phone with the best specs out today. Oh look, a fact.

matttye, I typically agree with you, but not here. The S3 is really one of the cheapest looking, oddly designed phones ever to hit the market. I support Android over iOS, but this handset is just awful to behold.

Have you seen this article? It's pretty much spot on.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...irst-smartphone-designed-entirely-by-lawyers/

Firstly I like the design.

Secondly and perhaps more importantly, I spend more time looking at the screen than the phone itself, so the design is not that important. It's incredibly light and ergonomic to hold, which imo is more important than it looking pretty.

Yes I've seen that article and I've no doubt they're correct that they tried to differentiate the phone from the iPhone.

 

[Mr Brainz]

Big up the kool aid crew.

I've disposed of all PCs in my house and now have 3 Apple Laptops and a Mac Mini.

iPhones still can't hold a candle to top end android phones. The S3 is the best phone I've ever owned, an I've owned 2 iPhones.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I've no doubt they're correct that they tried to differentiate the phone from the iPhone.

Surely that fact reflect just as poorly on Apple and their patent trolling as it does on Samsung for their design?

 

[Wrathwitch]

It's the phone with the best specs out today. Oh look, a fact.

matttye, I typically agree with you, but not here. The S3 is really one of the cheapest looking, oddly designed phones ever to hit the market. I support Android over iOS, but this handset is just awful to behold.

Have you seen this article? It's pretty much spot on.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...irst-smartphone-designed-entirely-by-lawyers/

While I do agree with you that I have NOT warmed up to the form factor, I have to give credit to my first ever Android phone. Realize that I was going from being quite the fangirl to a new OS. The phone may be lacklustre in appearance, but so far NO problems with it. Smooth, fast, does everything iOS can do and more (except my damn plants vs zombies!!!).

Yes, appearance IS a nice factor to consider. But think of it in another way, if people matched mates based solely on appearance, fat and ugly people would have died out as a breed a long time ago and likely there would be a lot more stupid people in the world than there already is. I say vive la differance!

For the first time I am using a device based on its qualifications rather than looks. It doesn't look horrible to me, just very lacklustre. Some people really love the design though, much to my surprise!

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I also have a MBP, iPad 2, and iP4. I have no problems incorporating Google Sync between them and GS3 and coexisting with icloud. I admit that setting it up for the first time isn't without some slight trail n error. Main thing is to use iTunes to transfer everything like contacts and calendar to your Google account, then build from there. I say this cause Google has a restore feature incase to do the setup wrong and delete contacts.

 

[phillytim]

Amen, Anti-Lucifer!!!! This X2:

what a load of fud. Because you cannot be part of this great apple ecosystem, you spew a bunch of personal fud opinions about him being a "victim"?

If having airplay, photostream, 3D maps, notifications (in ML), tons of great software for cheap prices, awesome laptops/desktops/iDevices to use because it works is being a victim, then that's fine.

Go ahead and don't be a victim of apple but a victim of androids ecosystem or lack of. I have an SG2 and let me tell you, i would give it up in an instant for an iPhone 4S - but I love my ipad so much, I don't need a smartphone.

It's really your loss if you can't see how great this apple ecosystem is. There's NOTHING on the PC side that I use that isn't on the MAC side.

----------

The Apple Ecosystem makes other companies so jealous that they have done nothing but spent the past decade just trying with all their might to to replicate it, without appearing to be cheap knock-offs.

Microsoft is the closest competitor yet to replicate Apple's success, with the Windows 8 ecosystem, but they're so far behind in mindshare that they can do nothing other than play catch-up. In fact, Microsoft had to enter into a license agreement with Apple for various resources.

Google is another that is doing nothing but trying to replicate the Apple model. They've finally got sick enough of cheap Samsung-style knock-offs, fragmenting the Android ecosystem, that they're now putting out their own branded hardware just to prop up some assemblance of an ecosystem.

There are DOERS (Apple) who create and there are FOLLOWERS (Microsoft, Google, etc.) who run themselves into the ground with envy.

This is obvious to everyone.

You are just another victim of Apple strategy. When you bought Mac computer you should have known that software choices would be very limited and trying to use it with anything but Apple devices is a challenge. Now you have to live in this Apple world with limited choice of hardware: two desktops, three laptops, one phone and one tablet. Luckily lately more companies started supporting OS/X but it still is a black sheep. But look on a bright side: limited hardware choices but plenty of rumors

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

I know dragging my entire musical playlist onto an SD card was tricky for me on my S2.

 

[BFizzzle]

It's the phone with the best specs out today. Oh look, a fact.

matttye, I typically agree with you, but not here. The S3 is really one of the cheapest looking, oddly designed phones ever to hit the market. I support Android over iOS, but this handset is just awful to behold.

Have you seen this article? It's pretty much spot on.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...irst-smartphone-designed-entirely-by-lawyers/

thats all subjective. I like the s3 design, as well as many other people.

 

[BFizzzle]

how do you know all this phillytim??
All this talk about ecosystems is nonsense, its just a good business model. Plenty of other companies well before Apple have used this "ecosystem"

The Apple Ecosystem makes other companies so jealous that they have done nothing but spent the past decade just trying with all their might to to replicate it, without appearing to be cheap knock-offs.

past decade? lol iphone hasnt been out that long, if you are referring to their other products etc, i'll have to dressage, i dont think they are all trying to replicate them.

Microsoft is the closest competitor yet to replicate Apple's success, with the Windows 8 ecosystem, but they're so far behind in mindshare that they can do nothing other than play catch-up. In fact, Microsoft had to enter into a license agreement with Apple for various resources.

i guess so.. windows 8 isnt exactly out, so its hard to tell if they are close to any success.

Google is another that is doing nothing but trying to replicate the Apple model. They've finally got sick enough of cheap Samsung-style knock-offs, fragmenting the Android ecosystem, that they're now putting out their own branded hardware just to prop up some assemblance of an ecosystem.

yeah or they just want to maximize their profits, so they are cutting out some of the chain?

There are DOERS (Apple) who create and there are FOLLOWERS (Microsoft, Google, etc.) who run themselves into the ground with envy.

This is obvious to everyone.

I feel like apple, took something (the smartphone, touchscreen etc) and just made it better. The took something that was already created and tried to do it a better way. Could the same not be said about the other companies?

 

[MacManTexas56]

I've had iPhones since 2008 and was really tired of the 3.5" screen and the stale iOS. After a lot of research and thought, I figured it was time to test out the android. I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3 a couple of days ago, knowing I had 30 days to return it. Yes, I knew the new iPhone is coming out, but I was convinced I was ready for the Android change. I jailbreak my iPhone to get it to do what I want and figured why not just go Android and get it over with.

I returned the SGS3 the next day and reactivated my iPhone 4. Having a MBP and an iPad, trying to incorporate an android phone into the equation was a real pain. Transferring everything over the Galaxy was such a process. Samsung's software to do this isn't even compatible with Mountain Lion, so I couldn't even install the software. Other options are limited in various ways and didn't work for me as result.

There were things I liked more about the SGS3 and things I disliked (but could fix most of those with tweaks). There were also many things about Android that were neither better or worse than iOS, but rather, were just different and would take some getting used to.

Ultimately, if the new iPhone doesn't have a suitable screen and LTE, I will jump ship to the SGS3 and just work out the ways to make it play with my Apple devices. In the mean time, I'm going to hope the new iPhone looks great. If it is, getting it is just so much more efficient in terms of user experience with my MBP and iPad.

I read so many threads about people who switched from iOS to Android and visa versa, but ultimately, I knew I just had to try it for myself. And I needed more than just playing with it in the store or viewing videos.

Apple makes it really difficult to leave their ecosystem, that's for sure.

i've done the same thing with Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus...both times I came back.

 

[Technarchy]

I've had the chance to spend time with the GS3 on several occasions at this point.

Never once was I tempted to buy one. It still has too many of the android-isms that made me abandon the platform to begin with.

Outside of iOS, the only OS I find interesting is Windows Phone 8.

 

[lilo777]

what a load of fud. Because you cannot be part of this great apple ecosystem, you spew a bunch of personal fud opinions about him being a "victim"?

If having airplay, photostream, 3D maps, notifications (in ML), tons of great software for cheap prices, awesome laptops/desktops/iDevices to use because it works is being a victim, then that's fine.

Go ahead and don't be a victim of apple but a victim of androids ecosystem or lack of. I have an SG2 and let me tell you, i would give it up in an instant for an iPhone 4S - but I love my ipad so much, I don't need a smartphone.

It's really your loss if you can't see how great this apple ecosystem is. There's NOTHING on the PC side that I use that isn't on the MAC side.

The only two distinctive features of Apple ecosystem are: little choice (like just one phone - what a joke) and higher prices. There are plenty replacements for everything you mentioned in the non-Apple ecosystem. The reverse however is not true. You will not find things like BluRay or LTE-enabled phone or 12MP phone camera or iOS-based P&S camera (like the new Nikon camera that uses Android) or anything approaching Windows Media Center (excellent DVR solution and much more) or a rugged laptop or phone etc.

 

[Stuntman06]

I've had iPhones since 2008 and was really tired of the 3.5" screen and the stale iOS. After a lot of research and thought, I figured it was time to test out the android. I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3 a couple of days ago, knowing I had 30 days to return it. Yes, I knew the new iPhone is coming out, but I was convinced I was ready for the Android change. I jailbreak my iPhone to get it to do what I want and figured why not just go Android and get it over with.

I returned the SGS3 the next day and reactivated my iPhone 4. Having a MBP and an iPad, trying to incorporate an android phone into the equation was a real pain. Transferring everything over the Galaxy was such a process. Samsung's software to do this isn't even compatible with Mountain Lion, so I couldn't even install the software. Other options are limited in various ways and didn't work for me as result.

Since you already own an entire line of Apple products, it will be quite a change to incorporate something non-Apple into it. Apple also stores things in its own way on iOS products. There is not real file system that you can access to just copy files over. I found when moving things from an Android phone to an iPhone to be a pain as well due to the way iOS seems to like to do things its own way that isn't inherently compatible with anything else.

I read so many threads about people who switched from iOS to Android and visa versa, but ultimately, I knew I just had to try it for myself. And I needed more than just playing with it in the store or viewing videos.

Apple makes it really difficult to leave their ecosystem, that's for sure.

Once you become entrenched in one particular ecosystem, it becomes a disadvantage to move away. You have to make more of an effort and do more work to make everything work together and even then, things may not always play together nicely.

I'm not sure if a day is enough to really get used to a different phone. I switched from one Android phone to another Android phone and it has taken me weeks to start getting used to it. Although I don't have difficulty transferring stuff to my new Android phone, there were some nuances that took time to iron out even for me. If you ran into so many difficulties moving things over, I can understand your not willing to work your way through it and give it more time.

You mentioned that you may jump ship again if the new iPhone doesn't have certain features you are hoping for. I'm not sure if jumping ship in a month or two is going to be any easier than this month. What would your options really be then?

 

[miamialley]

We already know it's going to be a 4" screen. Any larger is just wishful thinking.

If you can't even last one day with the Galaxy S3, what makes you think you can do better the second time around?

Since you already own an entire line of Apple products, it will be quite a change to incorporate something non-Apple into it. Apple also stores things in its own way on iOS products. There is not real file system that you can access to just copy files over. I found when moving things from an Android phone to an iPhone to be a pain as well due to the way iOS seems to like to do things its own way that isn't inherently compatible with anything else.

Once you become entrenched in one particular ecosystem, it becomes a disadvantage to move away. You have to make more of an effort and do more work to make everything work together and even then, things may not always play together nicely.

I'm not sure if a day is enough to really get used to a different phone. I switched from one Android phone to another Android phone and it has taken me weeks to start getting used to it. Although I don't have difficulty transferring stuff to my new Android phone, there were some nuances that took time to iron out even for me. If you ran into so many difficulties moving things over, I can understand your not willing to work your way through it and give it more time.

You mentioned that you may jump ship again if the new iPhone doesn't have certain features you are hoping for. I'm not sure if jumping ship in a month or two is going to be any easier than this month. What would your options really be then?

The reason I decided to go ahead and return it so quickly, is because after really seeing all of the complications to data transfer and compromises on ecosystem first hand, I knew after a few hours that it was way too much work to do right now. Meaning, if the new iPhone comes out and lacks something big I want (LTE, bigger screen, etc) then I know the SGS3 would be the phone I would get. When I see the new iPhone, I'll know immediately if it'll work for me. I just thought I was ready to try Android.

If the new iPhone doesn't work for me, then I'll have a better idea of what the SGS3 offers and I would just sort it all out and commit to the different OS and different way of doing things. Also, I wanted to go ahead and make the decision to return the phone because I didn't want to risk dropping it or something and losing my ability to return it because I damaged it.

Want a big screen buy an iPad. An iPhone is meant to be a phone and comfortable while holding. It's not suppose to be a brick.

In my post I stated I have an iPad. I don't take my iPad everywhere, but I do take my iPhone everywhere and want a larger screen. Nothing wrong with wanting that.