Tonight the world new took place flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4. Now that its characteristics have become known, let's compare it with the previous generation of the model to understand how much better the new product has become.
| Characteristics | Samsung Galaxy S3 | Samsung Galaxy S4 |
| Type | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| Housing type | monoblock | monoblock |
| Standard | GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/900/1900//2100 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100, LTE |
| High speed data transfer | GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (up to 21 Mb/s), HSUPA, LTE (depending on market) | |
| Dimensions (mm) | 136.6×70.6×8.6 | 136.6×69.8×7.9 |
| Weight (g) | 133 | 130 |
| Processor (for smartphones) | Exynos 4212 (32 nm, ARMv7), 1.4 GHz (quad-core) + GPU Mali 400 MP4 | Exynos 5410 Octa 1.6 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 and 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 or Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz Krait 300 + GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP3 or Adreno 320 |
| Memory | RAM 1 GB + 16/32/64 GB internal memory | RAM 2 GB + 16/32/64 GB internal memory |
| Expansion slot | microSD (up to 64 GB) | microSD (up to 64 GB) |
| Main screen | Super AMOLED (Pen Tile), 4.8″, 1280×720 pixels (306 ppi), 16 million colors, touch, capacitive, multi-touch support, Corning Gorilla Glass | Super AMOLED HD, 4.99″, 1920×1080 pixels, 16.7 million colors, touch, capacitive, multi-touch support, Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Battery | Li-Ion, 2100 mAh | Li-Ion, 2600 mAh |
| Communications | USB 2.0 (micro-USB), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (DLNA), NFC | USB 2.0 (micro-USB, USB Host, MHL), Bluetooth 4.0+LE (A2DP), NFC, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GLONASS, Wi-Fi hotspot, IR port |
| Photography | 8 MP (with BSI sensor), autofocus, face detection in the frame, geotagging, image stabilization, 1.9 MP front camera | 13 MP, autofocus, face detection in the frame, geotagging, image stabilization, Dual Shot, Cinema Photo, 2 MP front camera |
| Video shooting | 1920x1080 pixels, up to 30 fps, image stabilization | 1920x1080 pixels, 30 fps |
| Flash | LED | LED |
| operating system | Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) + proprietary TouchWiz interface | Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) + original TouchWiz interface |
| FM radio | Yes | No |
| Additional features | media player, video telephony, S Voice ( voice control), Pop up Play (picture-in-picture function), Google services, position sensor (G-sensor), gyroscope, barometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, light sensor, a-GPS/Glonass module, applications for accessing social networks | video telephony, media player, a-GPS/GLONASS receiver, Google services, accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, electronic compass, thermometer, barometer, Smart rotation eye-tracking, Smart pause, Smart school, S Health, Air Gestures |
As you can see, the new product has become better than its predecessor in everything; even the weight and size indicators have decreased, despite the increased screen diagonal. Also surprising is the fact that in a thinner case it was possible to accommodate 25% more capacious battery, and neither it nor the screen made the smartphone heavier; on the contrary, it “lost weight” by 3 grams. This is reminiscent of the automobile industry, where five years ago manufacturers made it a rule to introduce new models that were lighter than previous ones. Exactly the same situation with the sixth iPhone generation, which is 20% lighter than its predecessor. The trend is good, because not everyone likes to carry devices weighing 160 grams or more in their pocket. We just have to wait for the first reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S4 to understand whether Samsung managed to make the smartphone not just better in terms of characteristics, but also improve ergonomics and its software capabilities, as well as operating time and camera quality.
Official video showing all the features of the Samsung Galaxy S4
Apple and Samsung - who would have thought 5 years ago that these two companies would compete for leadership in the smartphone market? That Nokia, Microsoft, Blackberry will be in the “catching up” category, that Symbian and Windows Mobile will disappear into the shadows of history, and their place will be taken by “super-open” Android and “super-closed” iOS?
No other IT industry is changing as quickly and so dramatically as the mobile technologies. It is in communicators that most advanced inventions are first implemented, and it is mobile computers that embody all the interesting developments.
A rapidly changing and growing market dictates its conditions to device developers. Only those companies that invest enormous efforts in developing and implementing new ideas and ideas can survive, let alone take leadership. It is breakthrough technologies and bold ideas that can attract the attention of users and the general public. As practice has shown, they can even create new demands, market segments, and change people’s attitudes towards imposed restrictions that they could not accept before. Apple and Samsung became such companies - each for its own reason, but still there is a connection between these reasons.
Their presentations further confirmed the importance of both companies’ devices to the public. Perhaps the appearance of no new electronic device is surrounded by such rumors, speculation, excitement, admiration and disappointment as the appearance new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S. The companies themselves are happy to stir up interest in the presentation and turn it into a show.
The two companies are friends and rivals, cooperating and simultaneously engaged in dozens of legal battles. Borrowing ideas from each other, legal and illegal use of technology - all this simultaneously divides companies and makes them dependent on each other.
This review is dedicated to the new Samsung flagship, one of the most anticipated mobile devices of 2012, the third model in the Galaxy S family - Samsung Galaxy S 3 (we will use the Arabic numeral in the model name below so as not to force you to distinguish between S III and S II).
Scope of delivery and characteristics
Environmental friendliness - the creators of the communicator remind us of this, as soon as we pick up the box with it. The instructions for water-soluble paints are printed on one side of the packaging. Thick white cardboard surrounds the communicator body, battery and accessories, reliably protecting them. All useful information information about the mobile computer is printed on the back of the box: the main characteristics are listed, the model name is indicated and many logos of the technologies used are placed. Compared to the Galaxy S 2, the packaging of the new product is slightly longer - just enough to accommodate the communicator that has grown in length.
Inside the package there are: a communicator, a battery, a Micro-USB-USB cord, a network charger with USB-compatible connector, wired stereo headset with a set of spare tips, documentation. Nothing superfluous, only the essentials are included.
Characteristics of the pocket Samsung computer Galaxy S III (GT-I9300) are as follows:
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- CPU Samsung Exynos 4412 (quad-core ARM Cortex A9, frequency 1.4 GHz) with ARM Mali-400 MP4 video core;
- Operating system Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich);
- SuperAMOLED HD display, 4.8″ diagonal, 720×1280 pixels, PenTile, capacitive, with multitouch;
- RAM 1 GB, main flash memory 2 GB (512 MB available), additional flash memory 16 GB (11.3 GB available);
- Communication GSM EDGE/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900 MHz);
- Communication 3G HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz);
- HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps;
- Bluetooth v4.0 + EDR;
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n;
- NFC, Wi-Fi Direct,DLNA;
- FM radio with RDS;
- Glonass, GPS + A-GPS;
- Position sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, RGB sensor;
- MHL 1.0, USB Host;
- CMOS camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels, autofocus, LED flash, additional camera with a resolution of 1.9 megapixels;
- Lithium polymer battery, capacity 2100 mAh;
- Dimensions 137x71x8.6 mm;
- Weight 133 g.
Design and appearance
The third model in the Samsung Galaxy S line has moved even further away from what is commonly called the “classic external iPhone view" If the first Galaxy was outwardly almost complete a copy of the iPhone 3G, which Apple did not fail to use in lawsuits, the second Galaxy only vaguely resembled the Apple company’s communicators. Of course, we haven't seen the iPhone 5 yet, but we can say with a high degree of confidence that the Galaxy S 3 resembles only itself and no one else.
The advantages and disadvantages of the design of the third Galaxy can be debated endlessly: some will call the communicator a “shovel” for its resemblance to a thin and long blade of this instrument, others will remember the hero of the review for the minimal thickness of the case and the extremely narrow bezel of the huge display. In general, on design Samsung devices You should pay attention last: the company has always won the attention of consumers not with the delights of the exterior, but with powerful hardware and wonderful displays.
As soon as you take the Galaxy S 3 in your hands, you begin to feel the unusual thinness of the communicator's body, and your eyes are immediately drawn to the picture on the screen - everything else in the physical shell of the communicator is secondary.
Compared to the Galaxy S 2, the body of the new product has become a little longer, there are fewer straight edges, and the transitions between them have become more rounded. The width and thickness of the communicator's body have undergone virtually no changes; it has only stretched out following the increased diagonal of the display. The mass of the communicator has increased. If we compare the new product with other flagships of the summer 2012 market, it does not stand out from the general trend towards increasing the weight of the device and increasing the length of the case. The physical parameters of the Galaxy S 3 and its main rival HTC One X are almost identical.
| Device | Dimensions, mm | Weight, g |
| Samsung Galaxy S 3 | 137×71×8.6 | 133 |
| Samsung Galaxy S 2 | 125.3×66.1×8.5 | 116 |
| Samsung Galaxy S | 122.4×64.2×9.9 | 119 |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 115.2×58.6×9.3 | 140 |
| HTC One X | 134.4×69.9×8.9 | 130 |
The screen dimensions of the new product are such that the thumb covers only half of its area when working with the communicator with one hand. Even if you grab the computer case in the middle, your thumb still does not reach all corners of the display. Only by sacrificing the reliability of the grip, the author, with great difficulty, managed to reach all four corners of the screen at once with the finger of one hand. From my third Samsung version Galaxy S has finally become a communicator that can be conveniently operated with only two hands.
The computer arrived at the editorial office in a white guise. This option, subjectively of course, looks somewhat ordinary. White glossy plastic makes the smartphone even more similar to a personal hygiene item, with which wits on online forums love to compare modern all-in-one communicators. The second color option for the communicator currently sold in the Russian Federation - metallic blue - looks more interesting.
The main advantage of white plastic is that fingerprints are invisible on it. They are also not visible on the silver material from which the keys and the stiffening rib that runs along the perimeter of the mobile computer case are made. Apparently, this is also plastic, although very durable. In general, there are no complaints about the assembly of the communicator: all structural elements are fitted very firmly and reliably. Creaks and backlashes that have disappeared even in the cheapest Chinese smartphones, are also absent from the Samsung flagship.
Despite its size, the communicator is comfortable to hold in your hand. The width and thickness of the mobile computer case provide a secure grip, while your fingers are directly above the sound and power control keys. The situation with carrying the review hero in your pockets is ambiguous: if it still fits in your trouser pocket, then you can safely forget about putting the communicator in your shirt pocket.
The arrangement of design elements has undergone changes in the Galaxy S 3 compared to the previous model of the communicator. The main key at the bottom of the computer's front panel has changed its shape, becoming narrower and wider. Subjectively, this had a negative impact on the ease of use of the device. The additional camera and sensors at the top of the bezel are now located on the right side of the phone speaker. To its left is now an information LED - a huge step forward for Samsung in terms of ergonomics. Now the owner of the communicator does not need to think and wonder whether his satellite is charged, whether new calls and messages have arrived, whether there are notifications from the system - just look at the LED. Surprisingly, it took Samsung 3 years and a bunch of devices to add one light bulb.
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The set of touch keys and their location have not changed: to the left of the central key there is a button to call up the program menu, to the right - to return to the previous screen. They still tend to fire randomly.
The location of the speaker on the back of the device has also changed. From the thickening at the bottom of the body, it has now moved upward and is located next to the camera lens. The camera itself is located on a smaller protrusion compared to the Galaxy S 2. Overall back panel the communicator has become more smooth.
The battery compartment cover - which is also the back panel - now covers the entire area of the case and extends its edges to its ends. Removing it is not a problem, nor is installing it back. It has sufficient flexibility, but it should not be checked for breakage again.
Once you gain access to the battery compartment, it becomes possible to replace the memory card without disconnecting the battery. By the way, if you look at the location of the battery and microSIM card, the question arises: what actually caused the need to use a SIM card slot of this particular format? There is so much space that a regular-sized SIM card could easily fit.
The volume and power control keys are in their usual places: the first is on the left side of the communicator, the second is on the right. There is still no separate button to control the camera.
At the top of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 there is a headphone jack and an additional microphone. The main microphone and Micro-USB-compatible connector are located at the bottom end of the case.
How did the Samsung Galaxy S 3 turn out in the end? Everyone can decide this issue for themselves. In our opinion, the hero of the review is not the standard of design delights, but there are no objective complaints about the appearance of the new product. Design features there are both negative and positive. The first include the narrow and inconvenient central key, as well as the unmotivated use of the format microSIM cards. There is no need to remind us at all about the traditional absence of a camera control button and the touch buttons that are triggered at the wrong moment. Advantages in the design of the new product: the aligned rear panel of the communicator body and an extremely convenient information LED.
Software
It's no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is running the latest version operating system Android, namely 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). There is also nothing surprising in the fact that Samsung installed on the communicator branded shell TouchWiz.
The most convenient way to identify innovations in the software of the review hero is to compare it with its predecessor, which has latest update firmware with Android 4.0.3.
The lock screen of the Galaxy S 3 has learned to send the user directly to several applications: phone calls, Samsung ChatON, browser and camera. It also displays information about missed calls and messages. This achieves the functionality that HTC Sense introduced last year. To access the communicator, you no longer need to move your finger across the screen; just touch it and tilt the device itself. All this is undoubtedly convenient, but does not make sense from a security point of view. To the methods of secure screen locking (password, face recognition, pattern, PIN code), another one has been added - face and voice (that’s right, at the same time).
Changes in the system's main screen shell are minimal: the weather widget has been combined with a clock, and a denser placement of icons has made it possible to place another icon in the list of main applications. The list of main communicator settings in the taskbar has grown and began to scroll horizontally.
Most branded applications received the prefix “S” in their names: S Memo, S Planner, S Suggest, S Voice. The first of them is a well-known application for creating notes, text and graphic, well known to Galaxy Note owners. The second is a calendar planner synchronized with Google. Third, as the name suggests, is a collection of applications that are worth downloading and installing on your device, according to Samsung. The last application, S Voice, is worth a closer look.
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The Siri electronic assistant has become the basis for building a new type of user interaction with a computer. Various systems voice recognition existed before and is developing now, but it was Siri that brought this technology on new level and attracted the attention of a wide audience - thanks to the huge army of fans Apple devices. Naturally, Samsung, as the manufacturer of the main competing devices in the segment mobile computers, could not ignore the appearance of this program without attention. The answer to Siri was S Voice.
It is worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy S 2 has an application for voice recognition, but its functionality is limited to a set of primitive actions: call a subscriber, type a message, play a certain melody from the library. Also, do not forget that Google search engine Almost all Android devices have a built-in voice recognition system that simply translates a phrase into a specific search query. Voice recognition is also built into many Google apps, but it doesn't compare to the centrality and ease of use of Siri and now S Voice.
Appearance The S Voice program is concise and extremely similar to the Siri interface. The owner of the communicator sees a button to call an assistant and phrases of dialogue with a virtual interlocutor. Like Siri, S Voice only works when connected to the Internet and actively communicates with the server that processes requests. The program understands speech in several languages, Russian is not among them.
To operate, the application requires access to a variety of data stored in the communicator's memory, including personal data. So before using S Voice, you should familiarize yourself with the policy for handling them, which is available on the website of the program developer, Vlingo.
The iPhone 4S review mentioned above includes a chapter describing Siri's capabilities and a few phrases that were asked of the assistant. It was interesting to know how his competitor would cope with them (the questions were pronounced in English).
Inquiry regarding stocks Samsung assistant relayed it to the Google search engine. The Samsung Galaxy S 3 does not have a full-fledged application for working with quotes (only a widget), so we can consider this issue handled correctly. The question about the current US President did not force S Voice to launch the search engine; the correct answer was given within a few seconds. The response to a request to tell me something about Barack Obama was completely unexpected: for some reason S Voice suggested searching the Internet for information about the British Prime Minister. Considering that Siri didn’t answer this question at all, S Voice can be considered a more advanced program from the point of view of abstract logic. A request for information about New York City banks was processed incorrectly, likely due to an error in the phrase itself. The question of whether I need an umbrella, unfortunately, remained unanswered - the second loss of S Voice to a competitor.
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The S Voice program tries to be useful to the user and copies the main part of the functionality of Siri. It wouldn't be surprising if both applications use the same knowledge bases. At the moment, both seem a bit crude, but Siri seems like a more advanced development. Although, of course, Siri has a greater head start - the support of a powerful corporation and an abundance of developers. Time will tell whether S Voice will catch up, as it will show the relevance and viability of this method of interaction between the user and the machine as a whole.
Concluding the description of the S Voice program, several more of its functions should be noted: firstly, waking up the communicator and launching the assistant voice command, secondly, interaction with various built-in applications, ranging from alarm clocks to Google maps search.
In general, the developers of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 tried to make the communicator more intelligent and responsive. The list of possibilities is extensive, most of them are related to the computer's position sensor in space. For example, if you pick up your smartphone, it will vibrate when there are notifications about missed calls and unread messages. Or another example: the communicator will start dialing the number of the subscriber whose information is on the screen if you bring the device body to your ear. Many of these features were present in the previous Galaxy S 2 model - for example, changing the image scale when tilting the device with two finger taps on the screen. Many don’t really work - for example, going to the beginning of a long list by tapping on an additional microphone. But it is worth noting the desire of the developers to make maximum use of the capabilities of the various sensors built into the communicator to simplify the life of the device owner.
The Samsung Galaxy S 3 has a place for many additional applications of the company itself. In addition to the above, these include: Samsung ChatON- analogue of Apple iMessage, messaging via an Internet connection, and not with via SMS, Samsung Apps - own application store Samsung, AllShare Play- an advanced DLNA client that allows you to remotely connect to the content of media servers via the Internet, Game Hub- catalog of paid and free games Samsung company.
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Several well-known third-party applications were also found in the device's memory. Dropbox does not need any special introduction - this is one of the first cloud storage and file synchronization services. Galaxy S 3 owners are provided with up to 50 GB of virtual disk space. Yandex.Kinoafisha And Yandex.Weather- two well-known services Russian company, implementing the functionality obvious from their name.
There is only one text input method (besides voice) in the Galaxy S 3 - the Samsung keyboard. Previously found in other Samsung communicators Swype keyboards the hero has no review. But the Samsung keyboard can recognize handwritten input - if you practice, then practically without errors.
So, Samsung has done a great job of introducing new unusual technologies into firmware your flagship. Time will tell how popular they will be, but for now, owners of the new product should learn English and learn not to touch their neighbors when swinging the communicator's body.
Display and sound
AMOLED matrices are exactly what has always attracted the attention of mobile device lovers to Samsung products, both literally and figuratively. There is no need to describe the advantages of these matrices once again; it is better to dwell specifically on the display of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 communicator.
In general, its parameters are similar to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus screen. Judge for yourself: the matrix sizes are 4.65 and 4.8 inches, the resolution is 720 by 1280 pixels, the matrix type is HD SuperAMOLED. It is worth noting that there is no “Plus” prefix in the name of the matrices - this means that they are made using PenTile technology, unlike the SuperAMOLED Plus matrix of the Samsung Galaxy S 2 communicator. However, high resolution (in terms of dots per inch, the Galaxy S 2 had only 217 dpi, while the S 3 has almost 306), eliminates all the shortcomings of the PenTile matrix: the grain of the picture is invisible, and the lines of text characters look smooth and clear, but not blurry. If you put it next to Galaxy of the second and third generations and look at the image on the screen, it is difficult to detect the difference between the picture on the displays of the first and second communicator.
The brightness of the Galaxy S 3's AMOLED display is very high. It is adjusted automatically, but not always optimally. In most cases, the display appears very dim regardless of the power saving settings: apparently, keeping the brightness level low when automatically adjusting is the developers' idea. In addition, constantly switching brightness is annoying.
The display sensor recognizes many simultaneous touches; up to 10 simultaneous signals were tested - there were not enough fingers for more.
Let's see how things stand with video playback of various formats on the Samsung Galaxy S 3.
| File characteristics (container, video codec, resolution, video bitrate, profile, audio codec) | Playback results on a standard video player | Playback results on MX Video Player | Playback results on Dice Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKV / H.264 / 1920×1080 / 9569 Kbps / [email protected]/DTS | Only video plays, no delays | plays normally | |
| MKV / H.264 / 1920×1080 / 39.1 Mbps / [email protected]/ No | not playable | Only video plays, with noticeable delays | Only video plays, no delays |
| MPEG-4 / H.264 / 1280×720 / 6063 Kbps / [email protected]/AC-3 | Only video plays, no delays | Only video plays, no delays | plays normally |
| MKV / H.264 / 1280×720 / 6478 Kbps / [email protected]/AC-3 | plays normally | plays normally | plays normally |
| MKV / VC-1 / 1920×1080 / 17.5 Mbps / Advanced Simple@L5 / AC-3 + E-AC-3 | only sound | plays with noticeable delays | not playable |
| MKV / XviD / 640×346 / 17.5 Mbps / AP@L3 / AAC | only sound | plays normally | plays normally |
| MKV / H.264 / 1280×720 / 3875 Kbps / [email protected]/ AC-3 + AC-3 (Web-Dl-rip) | plays normally | plays normally | plays normally |
The standard video player can handle video up to Full HD, but it is highly dependent on hardware support for a particular format. Third-party players that can play videos in software mode did a better job. We managed to watch almost all the videos.
Worth noting interesting feature Galaxy S 3: it can “play along” with the soundtrack using vibration. When the volume of sound at lower frequencies reaches a certain high level (it does not matter whether the sound is played through a speaker or headphones), the communicator begins to vibrate to the beat - such a mobile subwoofer.
The video player can be minimized into a window that hangs on top of other programs and continue playing while the owner of the communicator is doing other things. What practical use of this function on a mobile device is an open question. But it's unusual, that's a fact.
Standard video and audio players have the ability to stream to any DLNA device on the network. We managed to connect the communicator to Samsung TV Smart TV and play both video file and music.
The volume of the built-in speakers of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is sufficient: the telephone one - for trouble-free communication with the interlocutor, the main one - for playing ringtones, alarm clocks and navigator tips. The volume level is changed both using the key on the left side of the communicator body and programmatically. The built-in audio player does not understand MP3 tags with Cyrillic, but allows in various ways"improve" the sound.
The included headset has good sound, but, unfortunately, it is not detachable: the headphones are not detachable from the control unit, which includes a microphone, volume and call control buttons.
After connecting a headset or headphones to the communicator, it becomes possible to use the FM radio receiver built into the Galaxy S 3. The receiver control program looks unusual, but it is very convenient to use. In the center of the screen there is a virtual analogue frequency control knob, by rotating which you can find the desired station. On the sides of it there are buttons quick search stations. When you touch them, the program automatically searches for the nearest frequency with a sufficiently high-quality signal. The radio supports RDS, has good sensitivity and allows you to record the signal in the form of 3GA files. The frequency of any station you like can be saved in the communicator’s memory, and the sound is output both to the headphones and to the speaker.
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Wireless Interfaces and Communications
The Samsung Galaxy S 3 communicator has a full set of wireless communication modules, only support for 4G networks is missing. Maximum data transfer speed in cellular network the hero of the review has 21 megabits per second for reception and 6 megabits per second for transmission.
Problems with cellular communication the Galaxy S 3 was not noticed. The communicator has successfully completed the role mobile phone and provided access to the Internet at a speed appropriate to the area and the capabilities of the cellular network.
The latest versions of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules are: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n. There were no problems with their work. The following additional technologies are supported: Wi-Fi Direct, point Wi-Fi access, DLNA, Kies Air.
We managed to connect to the communicator wireless headset. The headset screen displayed track names correctly, but the caller's number was not displayed during a phone call. A single press of the call key on the headset launched the S Voice electronic assistant, a double press led to a repeat of the last call.
The Galaxy S 3 comes with a host of data sharing technologies that are rarely found in other mobile devices. Judge for yourself: Near Field Communication (NFC) in two forms at once - S Beam and Android Beam, both involve quick exchange data between two devices on a short distance, MHL - HDMI compatible video output option for wired connection to receivers digital signal high resolution, USB On-the-go - the good old USB Host, which allows you to connect to the communicator such USB devices as mouse-type manipulators and external data storage devices - flash drives and hard drives. The last two interfaces are implemented in a Micro-USB-compatible connector at the bottom end of the communicator body.
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But of course main feature Galaxy S 3, at least in Russia, supports Glonass. Yes, now the owners of the flagship Samsung communicator can determine their location based on the signal from domestic satellites, which sometimes come to the aid of their American colleagues from the GPS network. A-GPS technology facilitates quick and correct determination of coordinates.
Camera
The CMOS matrix resolution of the Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy S 3 is the same - 8 megapixels. As a result, the maximum image resolution that can be obtained on both devices is 3264x2448 pixels. Video is recorded at Full HD 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Video format - MP4 (H.264, AAC).
Opening the communicator by craftsmen showed that the Galaxy S 3 uses a Sony BSI sensor. The same, or very similar one, is installed in Sony communicators and Apple iPhone 4/4S smartphones.
The main camera of the review hero is equipped with an autofocus system and complemented by an LED flash. The start of the camera control program is fast, the time until the first photo is taken is short. The only thing the new product lacks is separate key to control shooting.
The interface of the camera control program is similar in all Samsung communicators. The focusing system sight is located in the center; its location can be changed manually by touching the corresponding area of the screen. On the right are: a button to start shooting, a switch for photo and video modes, a miniature copy of the last photo or video, which also serves as a link to the photo album program. On the left are the icons various settings cameras. You can change their set yourself; you just need to hold the touch and hold the icon. There are a wide variety of shooting options available, from white balance and ISO to scene shooting and automatic insertion of GPS location tags.
To interesting opportunities Samsung cameras The Galaxy S 3 includes facial recognition functions when shooting, taking pictures directly during video recording, and an image stabilization system.
You can record video and take photographs using both the main camera and the additional one located on the front panel of the communicator body. In the latter case, photographs have a maximum resolution of 1280x960 pixels, videos - 720p, autofocus is not available.
The quality of photos and videos on the Galaxy S 3 is remarkable by the standards of mobile devices. You can verify this yourself.
Battery life
The increased capacity of the battery in the Galaxy S 3 is compensated by the increased load on it from the hardware. This has always been the case in the world of mobile devices, is and, it seems, will be until a radically new compact mobile power source is invented. The standard battery capacity of the new product is 2100 mAh, which is a very impressive value for communicators. It is also worth noting that the battery of the Galaxy S 3 is not simple; the antenna of the NFC chip is integrated into it.
Let's get straight to the point. Several standard time tests were carried out with the communicator battery life, and here are their results. Reading e-book in the FBReader program with 50% display brightness - 11 hours, with automatic adjustment - 12 hours. Listening to music with the display off - 27.5 hours. In the first test, the result of the Galaxy S 3 coincided with that of the Galaxy S 2, in the second the new product worked almost one and a half times longer. This means that the review hero is more energy efficient than its predecessor, but you need to constantly take care of the optimal level of screen brightness. As mentioned earlier, the automation itself does this, sometimes setting the display brightness too low.
The minimum battery life of the communicator is 6 hours. The size is more than worthy. But replenishing the battery charge is very slow, within the same 6 hours from the computer’s USB port.
Speed and performance
The hardware basis of the new Samsung flagship is the company's own chip - Exynos 4412. It includes four ARM Cortex-A9 computing cores operating at a frequency of 1.4 GHz and an ARM Mali-400 MP4 video processor. The amount of DDR2 RAM is 1 GB. If we compare the hardware bases of the Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy S 3, the difference between them is insignificant: the chip process technology has been changed, from 45 to 32 nm, two more computing cores have been added to the two, and the frequency has increased by 200 MHz.
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After the theoretical part comes the practical part, namely a standard set of performance tests.
| Samsung Galaxy S 3 | Samsung Galaxy Advance | Huawei Honor | Samsung Galaxy S2 | HTC Sensation | Samsung Galaxy S | |
| CPU | 4×1.4 GHz | 2×1 GHz | 1.4 GHz | 2×1.2 GHz | 2×1.2 GHz | 1 GHz |
| OS | Android 4.0 | Android 2.3 | Android 4.0 | Android 2.3 | Android 2.3 | Android 2.3 |
| Graphics | ||||||
| Total graphics score | 28.598434 | 26.031881 | 74.65942 | 34.054173 | 63.32414 | 30.028656 |
| Draw opacity bitmap (MPixels/sec) | 8.4698105 | 9.300636 | 26.701435 | 11.17294 | 22.188517 | 8.854302 |
| Draw transparent bitmap (MPixels/sec) | 9.022026 | 6.621403 | 18.962963 | 9.655823 | 16.542812 | 9.512309 |
| CPU Whetstone | ||||||
| Total CPU score | 4053.831 | 3108.2927 | 3200.6553 | 3261.4143 | 2500.6213 | 1571.6143 |
| MWIPS DP | 257.73196 | 205.33882 | 195.69472 | 181.4882 | 162.86644 | 97.84736 |
| MWIPS SP | 347.22223 | 230.94688 | 257.73196 | 296.7359 | 190.4762 | 108.813934 |
| MFLOPS DP | 21.832079 | 40.426186 | 17.900549 | 12.005697 | 26.03444 | 6.510691 |
| MFLOPS SP | 52.480152 | 48.453373 | 46.086174 | 34.02756 | 34.39461 | 14.372471 |
| VAX MIPS DP | 211.25217 | 170.15817 | 190.61703 | 156.00337 | 143.94771 | 111.43894 |
| VAX MIPS SP | 235.84428 | 168.32018 | 181.2764 | 225.92809 | 137.0819 | 97.69196 |
| Memory | ||||||
| Total memory score | 987.88153 | 389.28192 | 550.8008 | 782.7169 | 792.86743 | 647.3529 |
| Copy memory (Mb/sec) | 897.6661 | 353.73187 | 500.5005 | 711.23755 | 720.4611 | 588.2353 |
| Filesystem | ||||||
| Total file system score | 468.00586 | 211.17836 | 279.8356 | 325.3547 | 213.823 | 74.25825 |
| Creating 1000 empty files (sec) | 0.276 | 0.285 | 0.338 | 0.256 | 1.342 | 13.402 |
| Deleting 1000 empty files (sec) | 0.073 | 0.167 | 0.129 | 0.13 | 0.408 | 25.047 |
| Write 1M into file (M/sec) | 227.27272 | 112.35955 | 128.20512 | 99.0099 | 13.513514 | 37.037037 |
| Read 1M from file (M/sec) | 714.2857 | 312.5 | 434.78262 | 555.55554 | 416.66666 | 112.35955 |
| SD card performance | ||||||
| Creating 250 empty files (sec) | 1.324 | 3.3 | 4.556 | 9.34 | 8.588 | 3.444 |
| Deleting 250 empty files (sec) | 0.36 | 4.82 | 5.076 | 12.42 | 4.772 | 3.0 |
| Write 1M into file (M/sec) | 20.0 | 54.347828 | 57.471264 | 23.364487 | 26.88172 | 16.10306 |
| Read 1M from file (M/sec) | 86.95652 | 322.58066 | 400.0 | 312.5 | 357.14285 | 344.82758 |
The Softweg Benchmark 1.03 test showed the complete superiority of the review hero over his rivals in almost all categories. The low scores in the graphics subsystem test are due to the specifics of the test (only two-dimensional graphics) and the increased screen resolution compared to other devices.
The gap between the review hero and his competitors in the Quadrant Standard test is even greater. Samsung Galaxy S 3 has displaced its main rival, HTC One X, from first place in the performance rankings.
There is no doubt that the Galaxy S 3 is a leader in the field of mobile computing, but to complete the picture, we will conduct a few more tests.
Test results in AnTuTu Benchmark 2.8
Testing the graphics subsystem in NenaMark 2.2 demonstrated a result of 58.7 frames per second.
Calculating pi in Super program Pi:
Conclusions
What can we say about the Samsung Galaxy S 3? Here it is - the most advanced and powerful communicator of 2012. You can compare it with competitors endlessly; most of them can provide the owner with everything necessary for mobile life, but if you need exactly the “best” communicator, then the choice is obvious, and this review is dedicated to it.
| Samsung Galaxy S 3 | HTC One X | Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus | Sony Xperia S | |
| Screen | 4.8″ Super AMOLED HD PenTile | 4.7″ SuperLCD2 | 3.5″ IPS Retina | 4.65″ Super AMOLED HD PenTile | 4.3″ TFT TN |
| Permission | 720×1280 (306 dpi) | 720×1280 (312 dpi) | 640×960 (330 dpi) | 720×1280 (316 dpi) | 720×1280 (342 dpi) |
| O.C. | Android 4.0.4 | Android 4.0 | iOS 5.1 | Android 4.0.4 | Android 2.3.7 |
| CPU | Exynos 4412 (quad-core based on Cortex A9) 1.4 GHz | NVIDIA Tegra 3 (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, based on Cortex A9) 1.4 GHz | Apple A5 (dual-core based on Cortex A9) 800 MHz | TI OMAP 4460 (dual-core based on Cortex A9) 1.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 1.5 GHz (2 cores, Scorpion) |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB | 512 MB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Camera | front 1.9 MP, rear 8 MP | front 1.3 MP, rear 8 MP | front 0.3 MP, rear 8 MP | front 1.3 MP, rear 5 MP | front 1.3 MP, rear 12 MP |
| Battery | 2100 mAh | 1800 mAh | 1432 mAh | 1750 mAh | 1750 mAh |
| Average retail price | $164() | $480() | $156() | N/A() | $123() |
Samsung Galaxy S 3 is the result of the gradual evolution of Android devices and modern communicators in general. It is in no way a “discovery” or a “revelation”; its parameters and characteristics could have been predicted a year before its appearance. Should owners of previous Samsung flagships change your smartphones? The answer for those who have a Galaxy S 2 in their hands is no. The answer for those who have a Galaxy S and its numerous clones is not so clear; it all depends on the balance of financial capabilities and mobile needs.
Speaking of price: as is customary here in Russia, the starting price for “white” devices is skyrocketed. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the start of sales of the communicator in our country coincided with its appearance throughout the world. This means that the price of a smartphone is still high abroad, and also that suppliers of “gray” devices, who usually act as the main discounters on the market, are not able to seriously reduce its cost. There is only one advice in this situation - enjoy the summer, relax and wait until the price of the Galaxy S 3 reaches a reasonable value.
Until the appearance of the iPhone 5, the hero of the review will remain the most advanced communicator - perhaps even after. However, development modern smartphones poses one question that, it would seem, has already been answered. It sounds like this: “And then what?” An endless increase in the number of cores and display resolution - does this make sense when the size of the pixels is no longer visible to the naked eye, and there is nothing to occupy the extra cores with? Extensive development will sooner or later hit the energy consumption limit. Communicators in the usual sense seem to be reaching their limit and ideological impasse, as was the case with their Windows Mobile-based brethren. We need a new powerful push and a paradigm change - the same as the release of the first iPhone. But will it happen, and when?
GT-I9300
I9300
A310F
SM-A310M
A310M
SM-A310Y
A310Y
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
| Operating system (OS) | Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.3 Jelly Bean | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Android 6.0 Marshmallow Android 7.0 Nougat |
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) | Samsung Exynos 4 Quad 4412 | Samsung Exynos 7 Quad 7578 |
| Process | 32 nm | - |
| Processor (CPU) | ARM Cortex-A9 | ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Processor size | 32 bit | 64 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture | ARMv7 | ARMv8 |
| Level 1 cache (L1) | 32 kB + 32 kB | - |
| Level 2 cache (L2) | 1024 kB 1 MB | - |
| Number of processor cores | 4 | 4 |
| CPU clock speed | 1400 MHz | 1500 MHz |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) | ARM Mali-400 MP4 | ARM Mali-T720 MP2 |
| Number of GPU cores | 4 | 2 |
| GPU clock speed | 440 MHz | 600 MHz |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) | 1 GB | 1.5 GB |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) | LPDDR2 | - |
| Number of RAM channels | Dual channel | - |
| RAM frequency | 400 MHz | - |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Diagonal | 4.8in 121.92 mm 12.19 cm | 4.7in 119.38 mm 11.94 cm |
| Width | 2.35in 59.77 mm 5.98 cm | 2.3in 58.53 mm 5.85 cm |
| Height | 4.18in 106.26 mm 10.63 cm | 4.1in 104.05 mm 10.4 cm |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.778:1 16:9 | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission | 720 x 1280 pixels | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 306 ppi 120ppcm | 312 ppi 122ppcm |
| Color depth | 24 bit 16777216 flowers | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area | 66.07 % | 69.67 % |
| Other characteristics | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.
| Sensor type | CMOS BSI | CMOS BSI |
| Sensor size | 4.6 x 3.45 mm 0.23in | - |
| Pixel size | 1.409 µm 0.001409 mm | - |
| Crop factor | 7.52 | - |
| Svetlosila | f/2.6 | f/1.9 |
| Focal length | - | 3.7 mm |
| Flash type | LED | LED |
| Image Resolution | 3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP | 4128 x 3096 pixels 12.78 MP |
| Video resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP |
| Video recording speed (frame rate) | 30fps | 30fps |
| Characteristics | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode |
Front camera
Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity | 2100 mAh | 2300 mAh |
| Type | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) | Li-polymer |
| 2G talk time | 18 h 1080 min 0.8 days | 12 h 720 min 0.5 days |
| 2G latency | 330 h 19800 min 13.8 days | - |
| 3G talk time | 14 h 840 min 0.6 days | 12 h 720 min 0.5 days |
| 3G latency | 330 h 19800 min 13.8 days | - |
| Characteristics | Wireless charging Removable | Fixed |
| Wireless charging - optional | - |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
Additional Features
Some devices have characteristics that do not fall into the above categories, but it is important to point them out.
| Additional Features | - | SM-A310F - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.621 W/kg; body - 0.524 W/kg SM-A310F - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 1.310 W/kg; body - 1.270 W/kg SM-A310M - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.402 W/kg; body - 0.482 W/kg SM-A310M - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 1.026 W/kg; body - 1.289 W/kg SM-A310Y - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.621 W/kg; body - 0.524 W/kg SM-A310Y - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 1.310 W/kg; body - 1.270 W/kg |
Choosing products in a specialized store Samsung Corporation, I would like to have a clear idea of what the main characteristics, weaknesses and strengths of the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone and the newer Galaxy S3 are. For a clearer understanding, let’s make a comparative description of these gadgets.
Appearance and dimensions
New device Galaxy S3 significantly more previous S2 (in height its size is 136.6 mm against 125.3 mm And in width – 70.6 mm against 66.1mm). At the same time, the older phone is thinner and fits a little better in the hand. The cover material of the old gadget is made of a higher quality material that is not subject to scratches. The layout of buttons, USB ports and smartphone controls are approximately the same. 
Display
S2 has a display 4.3 inches diagonal and made using technology Super AMOLED Plus. Screen resolution amounts to 480x800 pixels. All these indicators are significantly weaker than those of new device, which more on 0.5 inches diagonally and has a more solid permission (720x1280). In addition, its glass that protects the display is slightly thinner and stronger. The color quality of the S3 is the highest possible at the moment. 
Memory
Both models are available in 16 and 32 GB variants external memory, But S3 has an option with 64 GB memory. Volume RAM is the same and amounts to 1GB and, in addition, both gadgets have the ability to connect microcards that increase the memory capacity up to 32 GB. Thus, the capabilities of the devices here are approximately the same.
CPU
Even though S2 and today has advanced dual core processor ARM Cortex A9 on the Exynos 4210 chipset, which copes well with running several programs simultaneously, however, S3 already installation announced 4 core processor, operating at a higher frequency (1.4 Hz versus 1.2).
operating system
Both devices are firmware up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, however, the S3 has more serious equipment. For example, it has the following unique options:
— Smart Stay, allowing the device to respond to the owner’s gaze, turning on the display;
— S-Voice, which makes it possible to perform some functions (bringing the camera into working condition, taking the device out of standby mode, etc.).
Camera and speakers
IN new gadget camera is used from iPhone 4S(Sony module), and in old- from Samsung. The speakers in the devices are spaced in different directions, but the sound volume does not differ.
Battery
Battery capacity new device significantly more than the previous one - 2100 vs 1650 mAh, which allows it to work much longer. However, it is possible to purchase and install batteries with a higher capacity on an old device, which will only slightly increase the thickness of the case. The inconvenience of an old smartphone is that the micro SD card can only be removed after removing the battery.
Conclusions
We can make a definite conclusion that the new Samsung S3 is superior to its predecessor in terms of all its characteristics, although it is not without some minor shortcomings (for example, in design) that do not affect the overall picture. More detailed information about the characteristics of smartphones can be found here.
