Phones Switched to SSGS3: an Apple Girl's perspective (hands on).

[KPOM]

Interesting. I had the Nexus One for nearly 2 years and then switched to the iPhone 4S and don't intend to look back. Google abandoned the Nexus One about 1 OS update too little, probably because they botched the design and didn't give it enough internal storage to accommodate the OS. I figured if this his how Google treats its own flagship, then why should I expect the Galaxy Nexus (much less the Samsung Galaxy SG III) to get any better treatment. It took a while before I got the Gingerbread update, as well. From what I recall, you couldn't just download and install it. You had to wait until Google decided to send the update to your particular phone. Even now, they released Jelly Bean when 93% of Android phones are running Gingerbread or earlier versions.

While Android has its strengths, such as the tight integration of turn-by-turn navigation, as well as notifications, I like iOS.

 

[Ayemerica]

Very good review.

SGIII, GNEX, are both great phones. The only Android phones that are "bad" are the entry level ones. I'll always use iOS just because it gets everything I need done. JB is looking really polished and is going to make apple wake up a little bit.

 

[SurferMan]

I do not propose a different thread - just a sub-forum dedicated to iOS vs other mobile OS's, in which the Android threads would seem to fit better than in a generic iPhone forum. I and others have raised this with the admins (there are at least two threads about this in the Site and Forum Feedback forum). I also posted a poll, and suffice it to say rather more MR readers favored a separate forum than leaving things as they are. Thus, I and others have tried to raise this issue, but the owners of MR are sticking to the status quo for reasons I still do not understand. Perhaps one day I will wear them down (or more likely get banned for being a pain in the a$$).

This is the only board I know of that does this, any other forum I'm on has sub forums, I race and main board has a sub forum for other makes. Android forums do, audio forums, Ford and GM etc boards have sub forums for each other on their boards

Its so easy to do and add but the people running this site for whatever reason wont , even though its been asked for dozens and dozens of times.

 

[mbell1975]

Interesting. I had the Nexus One for nearly 2 years and then switched to the iPhone 4S and don't intend to look back. Google abandoned the Nexus One about 1 OS update too little, probably because they botched the design and didn't give it enough internal storage to accommodate the OS. I figured if this his how Google treats its own flagship, then why should I expect the Galaxy Nexus (much less the Samsung Galaxy SG III) to get any better treatment. It took a while before I got the Gingerbread update, as well. From what I recall, you couldn't just download and install it. You had to wait until Google decided to send the update to your particular phone. Even now, they released Jelly Bean when 93% of Android phones are running Gingerbread or earlier versions.

While Android has its strengths, such as the tight integration of turn-by-turn navigation, as well as notifications, I like iOS.

The Nexus was always supposed to be a developer phone, not so much a consumer phone. My friends with the Nexus One still have the new versions of Android way before others. Guess you should have done some research before buying or learned to root and flash ROMs.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Very good review.

SGIII, GNEX, are both great phones. The only Android phones that are "bad" are the entry level ones. I'll always use iOS just because it gets everything I need done. JB is looking really polished and is going to make apple wake up a little bit.

Thank you.

As an update I have noticed a lacking: my two fave games PvZ and Bejeweled blitz don't seem to be supported. Not a huge deal breaker but annoying none the less.

 

[lilo777]

Thank you.

As an update I have noticed a lacking: my two fave games PvZ and Bejeweled blitz don't seem to be supported. Not a huge deal breaker but annoying none the less.

You'll find new fave games and it is possible that not all of them will be available on iOS. The two platforms are not identical. But we can expect that in the future most (if not all) most popular games will be released on both platforms - unless Android becomes too dominant and, just like in Windows/Macs case, companies drop support for iOS.

 

[DodgeV83]

Thank you.

As an update I have noticed a lacking: my two fave games PvZ and Bejeweled blitz don't seem to be supported. Not a huge deal breaker but annoying none the less.

Fragmentation

 

[Calidude]

Thank God. Can't understand the Android trolls coming to this forum to post in the first place. Does not change my mind except that you Android trolls are wacko

Android users don't come to this forum. They were former iOS users who recently converted, just like the OP and myself.

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It's a lot easier to get banned if you start supporting the GOP in the political threads.

Basically, if you criticize Obama or Apple, you'll find that you get a lot more warnings in your inbox. That's just how it is here.

 

[jdlorinser]

To the people saying that the GS3 screen has whites that are dingy and brightness that is just not bright even when turned up: Samsung has a setting on all of they're Amoled phones that drastically decreases the intensity of the screen, making it look dull and unattractive. They actually ship the phones with this setting on and they do it to achieve maximum battery life. This is not a good idea on Samsung's part as it turns people away from the phone, just look at all the negative statements in this thread about the screen.

On the GS3 this setting is found in: Settings; Display; 'Auto adjust screentone' uncheck the box. It makes a world of difference. Whites are whiter, brightness is brighter... all with no noticeable difference in battery life. Samsung what were you thinking?!

 

[Calidude]

On the GS3 this setting is found in: Settings; Display; 'Auto adjust screentone' uncheck the box. It makes a world of difference. Whites are whiter, brightness is brighter... all with no noticeable difference in battery life. Samsung what were you thinking?!

Yep, I confirm this. It's called "Content Adaptive Brightness" and the Galaxy Nexus has it too but it can be disabled with a custom kernel or mod easily found on XDA.

 

[SR45]

Android users don't come to this forum. They were former iOS users who recently converted, just like the OP and myself.

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Basically, if you criticize Obama or Apple, you'll find that you get a lot more warnings in your inbox. That's just how it is here.

Than why is it, that you are still here, and not stay on the Android forums ? You get a kick out of bashing the iPhone ?

 

[thewaffle]

Re:

when I chose my new phone I seriously debated for weeks between the HTC One X, GSIII, Iphone 4S and Nokia 900 (Windows phone); the lack of an update to WP8 was a deal breaker on the Nokia. I knew between the latter 3 phones I couldn't go wrong but in the end I went with an IPhone for the sheer number of accessories, apps, etc. From microphones (I record some live artist) to speaker docks, to clock radios to tons of applications I knew I was making a sound purchase and decision. The screen size on the android phones was the biggest appeal to me towards the other phones but I'm soon investing in a tablet for my media consumption needs/sofa reading.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Than why is it, that you are still here, and not stay on the Android forums ? You get a kick out of bashing the iPhone ?

For me, I'm still an Apple fan (I own iPad and Macs, if that matters), and even though I've moved from the 4S to the Galaxy Nexus, Apple and the iPhone are still on my radar. Just because people switch devices doesn't mean they're committed to that new device indefinitely. In other words, there's a chance people may switch back depending on what Apple does, and so, for me, I still enjoy discussing the iPhone.

Having said that, the ship is definitely sailing, and already I find myself visiting the forums less and less. More importantly, I find myself engaging less in the conversations between Android/iOS. Ultimately, people have their opinions about which OS is best for them, and so whatever shortcomings that OS has, they must feel it's worth dealing with. Not much can be said beyond clearing up misconceptions and obfuscations of each platform, or calling out any intellectually dishonest representations of the respective OSes. Beyond that, it's people's choices.

 

[Vegastouch]

To the people saying that the GS3 screen has whites that are dingy and brightness that is just not bright even when turned up: Samsung has a setting on all of they're Amoled phones that drastically decreases the intensity of the screen, making it look dull and unattractive. They actually ship the phones with this setting on and they do it to achieve maximum battery life. This is not a good idea on Samsung's part as it turns people away from the phone, just look at all the negative statements in this thread about the screen.

On the GS3 this setting is found in: Settings; Display; 'Auto adjust screentone' uncheck the box. It makes a world of difference. Whites are whiter, brightness is brighter... all with no noticeable difference in battery life. Samsung what were you thinking?!

My Galaxy S doesnt have that so not all the AMOLED 's have it. I only have a brightness level to adjust or have it on Auto, and a power saving mode to check or uncheck and it analyzes the image and auto adjusts the LCD brightness.
However, this phone is on its last hours so glad to know it is in the GS3.

 

[jdlorinser]

My Galaxy S doesnt have that so not all the AMOLED 's have it. I only have a brightness level to adjust or have it on Auto, and a power saving mode to check or uncheck and it analyzes the image and auto adjusts the LCD brightness.
However, this phone is on its last hours so glad to know it is in the GS3.

'Power Saving Mode' = the same thing (just worded differently on some devices). Most reviewers and first time users who say "the screen looks dingy' and 'it's not bright enough' don't know that they can turn this setting off and enjoy a more normal looking screen.

 

[Calidude]

Than why is it, that you are still here, and not stay on the Android forums ? You get a kick out of bashing the iPhone ?

I'm not on any Android forum. I've been here for over 2 years though. I only stopped using the iPhone 2 weeks ago.

 

[Zaft]

I'm not on any Android forum. I've been here for over 2 years though. I only stopped using the iPhone 2 weeks ago.

2 weeks? So it looks like your just trying to justify your purchase

 

[Wrathwitch]

2 weeks? So it looks like your just trying to justify your purchase

It looks like you are trolling with weak bait. I have read a lot of calidude's posts and where we may not always agree on every point. He raises some salient ones. Compared to some posters, he comes across as fairly logical and not the type who needs to justify his purchases.

I am still on this forum (probably for the same reason he is) because I like the people in here and I like keeping current with tips, tricks etc which I glean a lot of in MacRumours. It is also a place to find out about other OSs that come out as there are many discussions here.

I also own an iPad, and a iMac as well.

It's not like I am a zealot or reborn Android girl. But I do like to share my experiences in a non biased way.

To further update my OP, I am still having some difficulties with battery life and wondering if it's just because I am used to the amazing life of an iPhone or if I am having battery issues LOL! Device is too new to me to tell!

Anyone here with the SSGS3 tell me what kind of battery life (hours)you get with average use of it?

 

[SaleenS351]

It looks like you are trolling with weak bait. I have read a lot of calidude's posts and where we may not always agree on every point. He raises some salient ones. Compared to some posters, he comes across as fairly logical and not the type who needs to justify his purchases.

I am still on this forum (probably for the same reason he is) because I like the people in here and I like keeping current with tips, tricks etc which I glean a lot of in MacRumours. It is also a place to find out about other OSs that come out as there are many discussions here.

I also own an iPad, and a iMac as well.

It's not like I am a zealot or reborn Android girl. But I do like to share my experiences in a non biased way.

To further update my OP, I am still having some difficulties with battery life and wondering if it's just because I am used to the amazing life of an iPhone or if I am having battery issues LOL! Device is too new to me to tell!

Anyone here with the SSGS3 tell me what kind of battery life (hours)you get with average use of it?

I've also noticed too when you get a new phone you tend to play with it a bit more than when you've had the phone for a little while. Not sure if that's the case here. I just ordered a SSGS3 that should be here shortly and I'm coming from an iPhone 4s. I'm sure I'll being using the SSGS3 more than I currently do my iP4s since I'll be unfamiliar with it thus the battery life will drain faster.

 

[AFDoc]

I really don't get haptic feedback. Why does one need to have a vibration to notice you have actually touched the device? I added it to my 4s and got rid of it after about 2 minutes of use because for me it served absolutely no purpose and seemed like a huge battery waste.

 

[djrod]

What about using the phone with only one hand? I use my iPhone like that like 90% of the time, my girlfriend has a HTC Desire HD, and it's really uncomfortable to use because of the 4.3 " screen

 

[lordofthereef]

I do not propose a different thread - just a sub-forum dedicated to iOS vs other mobile OS's, in which the Android threads would seem to fit better than in a generic iPhone forum. I and others have raised this with the admins (there are at least two threads about this in the Site and Forum Feedback forum). I also posted a poll, and suffice it to say rather more MR readers favored a separate forum than leaving things as they are. Thus, I and others have tried to raise this issue, but the owners of MR are sticking to the status quo for reasons I still do not understand. Perhaps one day I will wear them down (or more likely get banned for being a pain in the a$$).

If you want my opinion, and I remind you it is ONLY my opinion, a poll is going to tell you a whole lot of nothing. How many people visit these threads each day? How many actually voted in your polls? If I had to take a wild guess I would say it was less than 5% of everyone who visits here daily. You can view the poll however you wish, but with results like that, many polls on MR tell me "most just don't care about the topic at hand".

I will make a recommendation, as you did to me. You seem to not like these threads in this forum. So why don't you just ignore them? I am honestly not trying to be rude here (though I accept that that is how it may come off to some). You essentially suggested I do the same thing after my initial reaction to your posts. If you don't practice what you preach it's a little tough to expect others to do so. Am I wrong?

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What about using the phone with only one hand? I use my iPhone like that like 90% of the time, my girlfriend has a HTC Desire HD, and it's really uncomfortable to use because of the 4.3 " screen

This is going to be a personal preference. Frankly, I dislike using the phone with one hand, and this INCLUDES the iPhone. As such, it doesn't bother me (because I am generally a two handed user). For things like Pandora, music, etc, it is incredibly easy to launch with one hand on either device. Basically where there is no typing involved I am fine with just about anything, personally. I know, and have seen, people using a 4'+ screen Android device with one hand and they gave no indication (body language, facial expression) that it was frustrating in any way. Clearly there are people that dislike it too. To me it's a little like the removable SD card topic. Some people REALLY need (or think they need) that removable storage. Others do not. It's tough for me to say whether this or that is something that is going to matter to YOU.

 

[Wrathwitch]

What about using the phone with only one hand? I use my iPhone like that like 90% of the time, my girlfriend has a HTC Desire HD, and it's really uncomfortable to use because of the 4.3 " screen

There is no way i can comfortably use it one handed but i cant use any phone comfy one handed.

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I've also noticed too when you get a new phone you tend to play with it a bit more than when you've had the phone for a little while. Not sure if that's the case here. I just ordered a SSGS3 that should be here shortly and I'm coming from an iPhone 4s. I'm sure I'll being using the SSGS3 more than I currently do my iP4s since I'll be unfamiliar with it thus the battery life will drain faster.

That could be it. It seems better today, mind you I have started Juice defender and while it Does in itself use up some battery, I like how it disables wifi when the phone is in sleep in your wifi area and starts it up after sleep.

 

[VulchR]

How many actually voted in your polls? If I had to take a wild guess I would say it was less than 5% of everyone who visits here daily. You can view the poll however you wish, but with results like that, many polls on MR tell me "most just don't care about the topic at hand".

You are correct. All we know is that 152 people out of the 211 who responded to the poll did not agree with the status quo. That's about 75% of the people who responded. If you would like to present evidence for the popularity of the current arrangement of threads with MR readers, then please feel free to enlighten us: Perhaps a poll taken now would give different results, both in terms of the number of people responding and in terms of how people want non-iOS threads organized. The original poll is here.

 

[Calidude]

I really don't get haptic feedback. Why does one need to have a vibration to notice you have actually touched the device? I added it to my 4s and got rid of it after about 2 minutes of use because for me it served absolutely no purpose and seemed like a huge battery waste.

A very large number of people like it. Isn't that reason enough to include a low-impact feature that you can disable if you want?