Samsung Galaxy S III Smartphone Review

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product Name: Galaxy S III
Model Number: GT-I9300 Network Models: SGH-I747, SGH-T999, and SCH-I535
UPC: 635753499919
Price As Tested: $564.99 Unlocked No-Contract (Newegg / Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Samsung.

Desktop and notebook computers are slowing being dominated by the smartphone, a portable yet capable electronic device that grows more powerful with each new generation. For users who want to stay productive, or merely connected while away from their desk, the smartphone is proving to be a mobile workhorse. Samsung is a master of portable consumer devices, and a pioneer in the smartphone industry. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Samsung Galaxy S III (model GT-I9300), an ultra-powerful smartphone with 4.8" HD Super AMOLED screen and Google Android 4.1.2 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

Featuring a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 SoC, the Samsung Galaxy S3 touts 2GB of integrated system memory and 32GB of built-in storage space. Samsung's 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED screen is the real attraction for this device, with a 306 ppi pixel density good for 1280x720p resolution.

Google's Android OS is the most popular smartphone operating system on the planet, surpassing Apple's iOS for the iPhone. Samsung effectively combines Google Apps (gapps) with many of their own proprietary features. The list of proprietary features is quite long since Samsung has taken to naming each and every function on their phone (ie: Smart Alert, which is when the phone vibrates upon receiving a message), so this article will concentrate on the most significant innovations.

Samsung GT-I9300 Specifications

• Dimensions: 5.38" x 2.78" x 0.34" (136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm)
• Weight (with battery): 4.70 oz (133 g)
• Colors: Pebble Blue and Marble White
• System Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960
  • 1500 MHz
  • Dual core
  • Krait
• Graphics processor: Qualcomm Adreno 225 GPU (formerly ATI Imageon)
• Memory:
  • 2048 MB RAM System memory
  • 32 GB Built-in storage (64GB available soon)
  • microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC up to 64 GB
• Display:
  • 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED (1280x720)
  • 306 ppi pixel density
  • 16,777,216 colors
  • Capacitive Touchscreen, Multi-touch
  • Scratch-resistant glass
• Network/Bearer and Wireless Connectivity:
  • 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
  • 3G (HSPA+ 21Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
  • 4G (Dependent on market)
• Wireless Connectivity:
  • WiFi a/b/g/n
  • WiFi HT40
  • GPS/GLONASS
  • NFC
  • Bluetooth 4.0 (LE)
• Audio and Video:
  • Audio Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X
  • Video Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)
• Camera:
  • Main (Rear): 8 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag
  • BSI Sub (Front): 1.9 Mega pixel camera, HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BSI
  • Sub (Front): 1.9 Mega pixel camera, HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BSI
• Sensors: Accelerometer, RGB light, Digital compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer
• Battery: 2,100 mAh (9.20 hours average talk time)
• Operating System: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Previous Page - Next Page >>