I wouldn't mind doing that. But I dont think i really should habe to. I'm going to give Apple one last chance to wow me. Hopefully it will be a very tough choice this fall between iPhone 5 and one of the new Nexus devices.
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 My review of the SGS3 and Android after 3 years with iOS
- Thread starter Sensamic
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I wouldn't mind doing that. But I dont think i really should habe to. I'm going to give Apple one last chance to wow me. Hopefully it will be a very tough choice this fall between iPhone 5 and one of the new Nexus devices.
I'm curious to know if you can pull down the notification bar with a password? On a nexus I could not do that unless I had no password and it was a pain to have to enter the password everytime to just check what the notification was.
Yes like another posted pointed, what I really meant was restricted. I'm a bit of a control freak, and I love the very detailed battery consumption information on Android. I know, being a control freak the worse phone to use is probably the iphone LOL, but at the time there was simply no other phone that gives the fluid smoothness of the iPhone UI. I am extremely picky about having a smooth UI in all my devices.
No I couldn't care less if everyone had the same home screen as I do. But I do love the gallery widget that lets me view new photos right on the home screen. And having a graphical representation of the weather condition, even though that information is easily obtained by a quick glance out your window, is less "boring" than having a bunch of static icons, no? And yes that AMOLED screen is so saturated with colors it makes everything look like a cartoon. My interest is in the increased screen real estate.
I received the OTA Jelly Bean upgrade on my Nexus. It is now absolutely iPhone smooth in all its operations. What surprised me was that even with Flash elements turned on, scrolling through webpages is still fast and smooth. I started an Amazon movie streaming in the browser and there was no lag scrolling around while the movie was playing. Yes I hate Flash, it's only enabled on demand even on my computers, but at least you can with Android.
I used to resist change. I used a Motorola Razor dumb phone for nearly FIVE YEARS before I even considered a smartphone, and I'm the gadgets freak among friends and family. Even the non gadgets-savvy people I know asked why I was still using an ancient phone. It really opened my eyes when I bit and bought the Blackberry Storm (don't ask
), then quickly changed to the iPhone 3GS after. So I understand if you resist change, but if you decide to give it a try it may open your eyes too
No I couldn't care less if everyone had the same home screen as I do. But I do love the gallery widget that lets me view new photos right on the home screen. And having a graphical representation of the weather condition, even though that information is easily obtained by a quick glance out your window, is less "boring" than having a bunch of static icons, no? And yes that AMOLED screen is so saturated with colors it makes everything look like a cartoon. My interest is in the increased screen real estate.
I received the OTA Jelly Bean upgrade on my Nexus. It is now absolutely iPhone smooth in all its operations. What surprised me was that even with Flash elements turned on, scrolling through webpages is still fast and smooth. I started an Amazon movie streaming in the browser and there was no lag scrolling around while the movie was playing. Yes I hate Flash, it's only enabled on demand even on my computers, but at least you can with Android.
I used to resist change. I used a Motorola Razor dumb phone for nearly FIVE YEARS before I even considered a smartphone, and I'm the gadgets freak among friends and family. Even the non gadgets-savvy people I know asked why I was still using an ancient phone. It really opened my eyes when I bit and bought the Blackberry Storm (don't ask
), then quickly changed to the iPhone 3GS after. So I understand if you resist change, but if you decide to give it a try it may open your eyes too 
Yes like another posted pointed, what I really meant was restricted. I'm a bit of a control freak, and I love the very detailed battery consumption information on Android. I know, being a control freak the worse phone to use is probably the iphone LOL, but at the time there was simply no other phone that gives the fluid smoothness of the iPhone UI. I am extremely picky about having a smooth UI in all my devices.
No I couldn't care less if everyone had the same home screen as I do. But I do love the gallery widget that lets me view new photos right on the home screen. And having a graphical representation of the weather condition, even though that information is easily obtained by a quick glance out your window, is less "boring" than having a bunch of static icons, no? And yes that AMOLED screen is so saturated with colors it makes everything look like a cartoon. My interest is in the increased screen real estate.
I received the OTA Jelly Bean upgrade on my Nexus. It is now absolutely iPhone smooth in all its operations. What surprised me was that even with Flash elements turned on, scrolling through webpages is still fast and smooth. I started an Amazon movie streaming in the browser and there was no lag scrolling around while the movie was playing. Yes I hate Flash, it's only enabled on demand even on my computers, but at least you can with Android.
I used to resist change. I used a Motorola Razor dumb phone for nearly FIVE YEARS before I even considered a smartphone, and I'm the gadgets freak among friends and family. Even the non gadgets-savvy people I know asked why I was still using an ancient phone. It really opened my eyes when I bit and bought the Blackberry Storm (don't ask
care to explain how you have flash on JB when its not supported..
I have Flash installed from ICS. It continues to work after Jelly Bean was installed.
I agree with most of your review.
Sunlight legibility on full brightness for me is excellent, it's near perfect. You're not the first to comment on the screen in that way and it makes me wonder if there's a difference between the US and international versions; I have the international one.
I also agree that Android is easier to use! I don't know if this makes sense, but "harder to learn, easier to use" sums it up perfectly to me
It's a little bit harder to learn how to use Android, but once you do it's infinitely more easy and intuitive to use than iOS.
Sunlight legibility on full brightness for me is excellent, it's near perfect. You're not the first to comment on the screen in that way and it makes me wonder if there's a difference between the US and international versions; I have the international one.
I also agree that Android is easier to use! I don't know if this makes sense, but "harder to learn, easier to use" sums it up perfectly to me
It's a little bit harder to learn how to use Android, but once you do it's infinitely more easy and intuitive to use than iOS.
I have been a apple user for years and years. Still am(typing this on my iPad) but the iPhone has gotten extremely boring. And yes I jailbeak etc but it's still boring. It needs so much to get back in the hunt. I ordered a Verizon gs3 and I can honestly say this phone has me blown away! Absolutely incredible! There is not one single thing the iPhone can do the the gs3 can't and most of the time better. Plus it does more! It's a great product and in my eyes an android phone has done it and done it well and that is to build a operating system and phone that has the ability to take the iPhone out. This phone does just that. The overall experience is great with the gs3 and people that are looking to buy must try this phone! I'm glad I did because now I have unlimited 4g data and a very nice and big screen to take advantage of it. To me there is no way the next iPhone will even compete. Ios6 is already behind and it has not even been released. We don't know the exact details about the next iPhone but I think we can all pretty much agree that 4"s is the size and to me they should not even bother with a half inch. There is not 1 thing I can honestly say bad about the gs3 except that I wish it would have came out months ago. It truly is a great device and people before bashing it should give the phone a full shake! Not 5 minutes in the store, bite the bullet and by one and go home and have at it. And I would bet you won't go back until apple really does something great again which I personally think is years away.
Nope, but I think that's by design. I don't run any security on the lock screen because it's too much hassle and my IT department can do a remote wipe.
I just switched to the S3 for only 14 days. I didnt really have the money so I just returned the phone today. I think I may end up buying the phone at the end of the month tho.
I have one question for those with android phones who had/have ios devises like myself. Do you think the next iphone can take advantage of 4G? What i mean by that is when I was using my S3 i was able to download music, download torrents, use a great youtube app!, use my phone as a hotspot without rooting (foxfi). All things you cant do on iOS. And I was just wondering.......Do IOS users like myself even really need super fast 4g if you cant do "power user" tasks? I don't miss 4g now that Im back on my 4s but man I loved it on my S3! Maybe its because I'm restricted to doing what apple wants me to do.
I have one question for those with android phones who had/have ios devises like myself. Do you think the next iphone can take advantage of 4G? What i mean by that is when I was using my S3 i was able to download music, download torrents, use a great youtube app!, use my phone as a hotspot without rooting (foxfi). All things you cant do on iOS. And I was just wondering.......Do IOS users like myself even really need super fast 4g if you cant do "power user" tasks? I don't miss 4g now that Im back on my 4s but man I loved it on my S3! Maybe its because I'm restricted to doing what apple wants me to do.
Depending on what Apple does this fall, I may go rogue gentlemen. I've been watching Android for some time and I feel that Jelly Bean is what's going to get me to switch. I use a ton of Google products anyway so it's not like it's all that new to me.
The Galaxy S3, after playing with it is phenomenal. The app interoperatability is AMAZING. It's always frustrated me about the lack of openness between apps and getting files/data to and from them and posting them online. Google Now feature looks amazing as well.
Heck, the Nexus 7 looks great. I can literally sell my iPad 3 and get 2 Nexus 7's!
The camera is a huge thing for me and I've like iPhone's hardware. But the S3 changes that, plus what I've seen on my friends GS3, it has wayyyyy more options for taking a photo. Again, Apple seems like they give JUST enough and that's it.
But we'll see. I'm sure the grass is not that much greener on the other side, but some things Apple does really ticks me off.
The Galaxy S3, after playing with it is phenomenal. The app interoperatability is AMAZING. It's always frustrated me about the lack of openness between apps and getting files/data to and from them and posting them online. Google Now feature looks amazing as well.
Heck, the Nexus 7 looks great. I can literally sell my iPad 3 and get 2 Nexus 7's!
The camera is a huge thing for me and I've like iPhone's hardware. But the S3 changes that, plus what I've seen on my friends GS3, it has wayyyyy more options for taking a photo. Again, Apple seems like they give JUST enough and that's it.
But we'll see. I'm sure the grass is not that much greener on the other side, but some things Apple does really ticks me off.
Let me get this straight--
Samsung comes out with a new phone, and it looks like most of you believe this spells the end of iOS--even going as far as to say iOS is the new Blackberry.
I'm not sure I would jump to that conclusion right away.
Samsung comes out with a new phone, and it looks like most of you believe this spells the end of iOS--even going as far as to say iOS is the new Blackberry.
I'm not sure I would jump to that conclusion right away.
No one says this is the end of iOS. It's a fine OS. But Google has jumped leaps and bounds over iOS (for me) with Jelly Bean that people are beginning to realize Apple has us in a Walled Garden. We realize that Apple deliberately excludes features that gives JUST enough, but doesn't go all the way. Why can't the native Camera app in iOS show me the square format? Why can't I send that photo straight to Instagram right after I snap? Why can't I use another camera app as my default camera from the lock screen? It's little things like that, in Apple's quest to keep us using their apps, that is really hurting them. Heck, why can't I use Sparrow as my default mail client instead of iOS trying to load Mail?
Nope, you didn't get that straight. That isn't what is being said... by anyone, as far as I can tell.
This picture pretty much sums up why I switched to the S3. Reading and web browsing is just a vastly superior experience on the 4.8" screen and LTE. There's no red tinge in person BTW.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
I think it runs circles around other android devices, but I still think it's a little behind the iPhone.
It is a giant phone, isn't it?
I dont know if you have the Uk version or not but i dont have the option to disable 4G or 3G on mine. I cant find that option anywhere within the phone. The battery is still good without it but figured if im not in a good 4G area, i could turn it off to save even more battery.
Another great thing about Android is that its so desperately trying to win agaisnt iOS that Google will keep bringing new features iOS will never have or take years to have, like offline voice typing, Google now, Android Beam, etc.
They even want to make something much better than Siri, and then we get the new search Voice app.
We users benefit from this. More and more features and making old ones even better (offline Voice typing and the new search for example).
Just look at iOS 6 and compare. Android is improving its software really really fast including new awesome features. iOS is not doing that anymore (if it ever did, since I wouldnt call awesome features including folders, wallpapers and such in iOS 4, for example. They are not even features really. The same goes for FaceTime 3G or changing the look of the app stores and the Weather app...).
I dont have 4G on my country. My option is to enable 3G or disable it.
They even want to make something much better than Siri, and then we get the new search Voice app.
We users benefit from this. More and more features and making old ones even better (offline Voice typing and the new search for example).
Just look at iOS 6 and compare. Android is improving its software really really fast including new awesome features. iOS is not doing that anymore (if it ever did, since I wouldnt call awesome features including folders, wallpapers and such in iOS 4, for example. They are not even features really. The same goes for FaceTime 3G or changing the look of the app stores and the Weather app...).
I dont have 4G on my country. My option is to enable 3G or disable it.
Last edited:
I've made the switch as well, from iPhone 4S to the international/unlocked SGS3 running on AT&T.
It's night-and-day. Android has come a long way since I last used it (original Moto Droid, and HTC Incredible) & Jelly Bean looks promising. I'm impressed so far, so much so that I have a Nexus 7 on the way too.
My only gripe is the apparent lack of USB Mass Storage support on the SGS3. Other phones with ICS have it (even the SGS2) but the SGS3 appears stuck with MTP and PTP only.
It's night-and-day. Android has come a long way since I last used it (original Moto Droid, and HTC Incredible) & Jelly Bean looks promising. I'm impressed so far, so much so that I have a Nexus 7 on the way too.
My only gripe is the apparent lack of USB Mass Storage support on the SGS3. Other phones with ICS have it (even the SGS2) but the SGS3 appears stuck with MTP and PTP only.
Thats an issue i can't get over on android. I can't get my work exchange email to work without a password and the way stock android was you can't see the preview or anything for emails and texts without putting in the password each and every time. Thats a deal breaker for me. At least with iOS you can get a preview and see if its important or not.
Perfectly said! iOS is great, but it's not top dog anymore. It almost seems like they have gotten lazy over the past years and everyone caught them and now passed them! I will continue to use my iPad daily, my iMac daily but my iPhone is gone. My s3 is here to stay!
Its actually pretty light and fits in the front jeans pocket fine. I know it looks huge but its very manageable. Had a streak for a while and that thing was way too big. I've gone through every iPhone model, including the 4s just recently. I purchased the S3 after missing the larger screen size of my sgs2.
One handed use is a bit more challenging than the iPhone.
Its a good phone, looking forward to see what apple does and I'm sure I'll be back if they get the screen up to 4.3 or so.
That's just... Damn... I'm just waiting to see that Apple has on their sleeves, but most likely I'll jump ship