I want to post a little review of my take on the Samsung Galaxy SIII
I have been using the iPhone 4S (jailbroken) since it came out in Hong Kong, and I decided to switch over because of the iPhone 5 rumors (I don't really just want a taller screen), and a not-so-exciting iOS 6 OS.
I'll make this as unbiased as possible.
Design:
The S3 does look a bit plastic, but I feel like the thin and lightness makes up of it. The 4S does have an edge on the "design" here, because it just feels solid, and good to hold. Not too heavy, not too light. Both got their pros and cons.
Screen color:
This is what set the difference. The color in iPhone 4S looks more saturated than the S3. The S3 has very bright colors, probably due to the SuperAMOLED. I have compared both phones with a picture of Barack Obama, and (not being racists here), his dark skin color appears to be so different from both phones.
I would say the iPhone 4S is more "natural" in viewing photos, while S3 shows more vibrant colors. I prefer the 4S here.
Screen Size:
But taken the screen size into comparison, S3 wins hands down. I feel so comfortable viewing everything with a bigger screen.
Viewing website.... watching videos... feels nicer on the S3 than the 4S.
One thing to notice though, I have both IGN apps on both phones, and the Retina display kicks in better when I watch "The Daily Fix".... it seems sharper and clearer.
But I find it more enjoyable to watch/read stuff on the S3 than the 4S. S3 wins here.
Homescreen UI
We are now talking about the OS.
Android's UI wins hands down. It is more customize-able, more options, more features, more stuff you can put on in all "home screens".
You can make it simple with just icons/folders, or messy with widgets, icons and folders.
Customization (freedom to do that) is the key.
iOS's Homescreen is too simple. Too "the same since 2007"....
Granted, I did jailbreak the iPhone, but it's hard for me to find the customize still. I have to download Winterboard, find the appropriate themes etc... it was a hassle, coz my phone always hangs with "mobile substrate" errors. (I think that's what it is called)
I like Android for this here.
Camera and editing
I think the iPhone 4S takes better photos (clearer and more details), maybe due to the optics.
But on the other hand, the S3 takes better videos.
Both got good editing features, but S3's stock camera app wins hands down.
Granted, I have some nice 4S camera apps that can edit photo nicely too..... kinda a draw to me.
Keyboard
This is when I think iOS's keyboard is a lot better. yes there is Swiftkey 3, but it doesnt have Chinese input yet, so I'm stuck with the Samsung Chinese IME input, which sucks.
I like iOS's cut/copy/paste much better than Android's as well.
This is the feature I miss the most for iOS.
Apps
No comment here because the apps I have in iOS, is basically the same as the Android version....
In my opinion though, iOS's whatsapp does looks nicer. But that's just ONE app. A draw to me.
Notifications:
I jailbroken my 4S to make it feel like the Android's. That means, I think Android's notification center/bar wins the iOS's original one.
What else?
Battery life, still testing. Seems the same to me between 4S and S3...
Siri > S voice. I disabled S voice lol.
I like the ability to back up my stuff to a microSD card too.....
Google Maps > iOS 6 maps though...... I cannot live without streetview.
Conclusion
In the end, I think both OS has its merits and shortcomings.
I miss the iOS dearly, and I can switch back anytime..... but for now, I will stick with Android because of the better MAPS and SCREEN SIZE... that is the reason why I switched anyways.
Before you guys bash me, it's just my opinion. I think both systems are great, but again, just my "need" is different, and S3 is the phone that suits my need for the moment.
=)
Cheers
