This is a not so good review of the Samsung Galaxy S III cellphone. I bought one Saturday and I’m probably going to return it later today for a refund and reactivate my Motorola Droid X. Maybe some of you can talk me out of it. The interesting thing is that the Samsung Galaxy S3 gets glowing reviews everywhere and I will say up front, ALL THE STUFF IN THE GLOWING REVIEWS ARE TRUE.
So – you are asking – if this is such a great phone, why am I thinking about returning it?
It has to do with what I use my phone for and what I need it to do. I have been generally happy with my droid X but it’s not a 4G phone so I can’t talk and be on the Internet at the same time. The GPS is somewhat flaky and at times GPS stops working for some unknown reason. And a faster processor with more memory would be nice. So I’m interested in upgrading. But the upgrade has to do all the stuff my DroidX does and more.
The Galaxy S3 had all the specs I was looking for and then some. Assisted GPS works far better than the DroidX, the screen was bigger, faster processor, more memory, talk and surf at the same time, front facing camera, Android 4.0x ice cream sandwich. I thought – this is the phone for me. I very much wanted for this phone to be something I liked and was highly motivated to make it work.
But – after buying it I came to realize it had flaws that I just can’t live with and am about to wipe it to factory setting and send it back. Here’s why:
The DroidX has real buttons at the bottom for Back and Menu. The Galaxy S3 has touch buttons that are far too sensitive. And the real buttons are far too easy to push. So you can pick up the phone or hand it to anyone without accidentally pushing things that you don’t intend to push.
The phone is also thin and slippery and hard to pick up and when you do pick it up you find yourself pushing the side buttons accidentally. I did buy a cheap plastic case protector to put it in and that did help a little and maybe if I got a better one that would help solve that problem.
The next big item is that I use my phone in the car a lot. I live in the San Francisco Bay area and GPS navigation is a must and Samsung has no car dock for this phone. Tried some generic docs but just not the same. With my DroidX it just snaps in and I have power and it brings up the vehicle menu and it just works. After fooling around with a number of options I eventually realized that I was never going to get the car functionality from the Galaxy S3 that I needed.
Unlike Microsoft Windows which is about the same no matter what brand you get the Android phones are very different from brand to brand and Motorola gets the details right on usability. It generally just works. Samsung doesn’t pay that much attention to detail. I think the difference is that perhaps Motorola actually tests with real users and perhaps Samsung doesn’t or they would realize their problems.
It’s just a lot of little things. When I pair the Bluetooth with my 2012 Honda CRV the music player starts automatically. When I push the button on the dash to stop the music it doesn’t work. So I have to dig through the menus to stop the music when I get into the car. The DroidX auto launches the car app as soon as I mount it. The S3 doesn’t. So I have to unlock the screen and start a car app manually.The DroidX also would display the song title on the Honda screen, the S# doesn’t. I though the music player would be more compatible, not less.
Rotation is also annoying on the S3. This is a software issue but the damn thing is always flipping between portrait and landscape modes in an annoying way. Just enough to drive me nuts and makes me hate this phone. Generally I want it in portrait mode unless I turn it all the way on its side. Actually the DroidX flips too often for me as well but the Galaxy S3 is worse.
All the ring tones that come with the unit suck.
The S-Voice feature sucks as well. They are trying to clone Siri and Siri is just a gimmick. What I’d like to see is Google voice search get a few more useful commands and hold off on the nonsense until they get the AI really good.
The larger screen is nice but actually because it is larger it doesn’t fit in my hand as well. I’m not seeing as much benefit as I had hoped and Android is written for a smaller screen. So I’m beginning to think that 4.3 inches is actually the sweet spot for screen sizes.
The battery is larger than most 4G phones but you really need 2500 mah minimum for a 4G phone and battery like on the DroidX still seems better. Because of the larger screen this phone should have 3300 like the Razr Maxx. If they did it would make the phone a little thicker and easier to pick up.
The phone dialer is lame compared to the DroidX which shown more options. Much easier to redial.
Overall, this phone’s software needs a lot of work. There are just a lot of little things that should work that either don’t or don’t work right as compared to my DroidX. I think Samsung just doesn’t get it when it comes to doing it right.
So I’m about to take it back unless someone can talk me out of it. Feel free to comment. I’m thinking I’m going to hold out until someone comes out with a better phone than a DroidX.
I Use the Galaxy Nexus running Jellybean. Many of these problems are also present although I do not find them as annoying. As for the ringtone. It is soooo easy to drop wav files into the ringtone folder that I cannot see how this is a complaint.
The lack of ease for redialing does stink though. Just hitting the dialer should redial the last number again like most phones do.
Also I think all the Android variations is a good thing because you get enough variation in the field to make it competitive. Do you really want one size fits all design?
Yeah – I know I can get another ring tone but just wanted to give some additional feedback in case someone who can change things actually reads this.
I just bought a Galaxy Nexus 2.5 weeks ago, Ice Cream Sandwich. My iPhone 3G v3.0 just works better for the majority of things I must have: email, phone incl. visual voicemail, listening to streaming media.
I bought the GN because the 3G won’t hold a charge worth a damn (it is 3.5 years old now), is slow, and drops calls.
If Jellybean isn’t a lot better, I’ll consider buying an iPhone 5.
ICS is just sloppy. Everyone says the GN, S3, etc are great. I’m not that impressed.
Also, I hate Apple, but feel they must have great patents because the GUI is better on IOS.
WELL,
I hate cellphones, but had to get one..It was cheaper then Wired.
As with MOST computer..and THAT IS WHAT THIS IS..
The main software generally ISNT the best. And with all the iterations over the few years, it can get worse.
Have you located, wondered the net and gotten SOME of the older software? OR been an idiot and KEPT the crap on the original machine?
I KNOW you only have a short time to return the phone. so unless you are willing to PLAY and look around for software that WORKS..send it back.
Another THINK, tends to be OPTIONS. Finding a program that will let you MODIFY how the phone works(if its available) would be a nice trick.
I LIKE KEYBOARDS.. I do, I DO.. Touch screen can REALLY SUCK. I place a touch screen in my pocket and hear it TAP away.. I set it in my pocket with the radio/music playing, and it TAPS and messes up everything. YEs there is a LOCK screen if you want the program.
I WISH there was a button to Rotate the screen, WHEN I WANT TO..
i can not find my shift key, you appear to have found it but don’t know when to use it and when not to. maybe we need to work together.
Feels like a clear generation gap! Not as drastic as when my grandma got her first computer, but still…
1. the sensor buttons have been around for years, and most phones have them. They are considered a better option, as are much harder to break, and if you try to get used to them, you will like them. The key point is to Get Used To Them. You used it for a day, and already making conclusions… every new gadget takes some time to get used to. The difference is that the good changes take very little time to get used to, but a DAY, that way to short.
2. no good case/car holder? Wait a little, there will be one…
how spoiled are we!
In my case I use a magnet for a car holder. It is very elegant, small, and holds very well, but doesn’t have a charger built in, so I connect it manually.
3. Annoyed by rotation, here is a fix:
Grab your Samsung Galaxy S III
From your main home screen press ‘Applications’
Select ‘Settings’
Select ‘Accessibility’
In the Accessibility menu, you’ll see an option for ‘Auto-rotate screen’ with a tick box next to it
Press on the box to remove the tick
Come out of the menus and your screen will now remain static!
taken from http://www.knowyourmobile.com/samsung/galaxys3/galaxys3userguides/1426317/how_to_turn_off_autorotate_on_your_samsung_galaxy_s_iii.html
4. Ringtones!!!, are you serious??? Who judges the phone by the ringtones these days?????!!!!! May be 10 years ago…
5. Don’t like S-Voice, don’t use it. It is indeed crap, but it is an extra crap that you don’t have to use.
6. Doesn’t fit in your hands… its all about getting used to, or trying different cases. If still too large, they I agree, it’s a problem, but give it some time!
7. The battery is an issue for most of Android phones, so nothing new here.
The bottom line is out of all the points that you mentioned, only a couple were valid. The main one is that Samsung is just crap! Their phones are just not finished products. IMHO Samsung never had a good phone, and most likely won’t have one is a near futurel. They are masters of making a hype over their products, but not masters of making the products! I myself always wonder why people SEEM to give them good reviews.
So, having said that, I would go for HTC or Motorolla, that are comparable to this phone. HTC is the best in releasing a finished products, where everything works, and all the features are just useful!
Have fun! Let us know what you decide!
I thought you had a Google Nexus?
Have you tried that. I would expect it to be a paired down but functioning version of the S3.
Marc will never be happy with any cellphone he buys. However, I am glad he points out flaws to educate the rest of us.
Along with most others here I am sure. Get a Nexus.
When it comes to smartphones today, my thought is, get a hot performer and root it adding what you like on it rather than what is on the stock device. Saying that, I’d still get a Galaxy Nexus, run Jelly Bean on it, get the car dock, get the bigger battery, and enjoy the device! The Galaxy Nexus is the best phone I have ever owned. It is the most up-to-date device I own…
You lost me at “I live in the San Francisco Bay area and GPS navigation is a must”
Goddam foreigner.
Learn to drive. That means knowing how to get where you are going before you leave where you are at.
After you learn to drive, you can have some toys.
One size does not fit all. It is obvious that a lot of people aren’t having issues with things you are having issues with. Either they found a settings menu that adjusted some of these things their way, an apt that allowed them to do things differently or the phone was doing things their way, or they adapted without even thinking about it. In fact some of the things you are gripping about can be easily fixed such as ring tone and I think S-voice can be turned off or ignored. You don’t have to use it. I seem to recall Leo L. hauls around an extra battery or two on trips. They aren’t hard to swap in and out.
If you don’t like the way the phone feels, something that is absolutely subjective, get a cover you like or return it and get a different phone.
I have the Samsung S3 and love the phone. Its still not perfectly setup my way, but all that takes time understanding the new OS. Its bleeding edge, so its not surprising that there are not a lot of accessories out yet for it.
I wouldn’t ditch the phone.. its different.. and different isn’t bad.. its just something new to learn.
Just a thought: could some differences in car/bt behavior be from different OS versions? Are both S3 and DX in question running the same Android version? I suspect not… If true – don’t upgrade DX or you’ll get the same problems. If OS version is the same, those concerns seem to be the biggest stumbling block and thanks for alerting us. (I am contemplating S3 too).
I have had mine for about 2 months now. A rooted, unbranded ICS unit.
Out of the box it sucked. 2 h battery life. I turned off half of the antennae, cut out unnecessary services, installed ATK and Tasker and we’re back on track. More than 1 day of typical use from one charge.
I picked it up in Australia and I’ve been through South America, Europe and Canada with it since. It’s worked well in all areas tested.
My last phone was a HTC Desire S and I thought that a smaller format like that was better, but now I am convinced that this bigger screen is better.
I dropped it and chipped the screen and dented the trim already, it is not very sturdy.
The camera is amazing, both for photos and video. I have not worked out how to downscale video to post to Facebook yet. I like getting hires video, but 120 MB uploads just dont work, so it needs to scale it first. Any app suggestions?
The touch buttons and the physical buttons were a pain when I first got it but I’m over that now.
The low weight means I can carry it in my shirt pocket comfortably, so the bigger screen is no issue.
I went with the swift Key 3 keyboard after trying a few. I switch between English and Spanish, so this is a good option.
I installed the Power Controls widget to help with tethering, screen rotation, etc.
YES, the ring tones do suck. So does the crappy sync software. All I want in the world is for my photos and videos to leave my phone and reappear on my computer, frequently, automatically and without crappy services running on both devices. I had a hard time with drivers on Win7 Ultimate to get it to be recognised as a removable drive. Why is it so hard??
btw, we make games for cell phones and this is also an amazing phone for running games without sucking the battery life like the HTC used to do.
In summary, loving it and I’ll likely be on this phone for another year or more. Living up to the hype in my books.
Are you a bot? Just askin’.
And another thought: One must understand that all the variations in Android hardware, software, GUI is there by design. Android is set up as “survival of the fittest” system with Google just providing DNA. As in Nature this yields great advantages and progress but some duds too. So, over some large population of users and devices, free market will dictate Android evolution vs. “intelligent design” strategy of the Apple (and apparently MS).
This process can surprise. I recently got Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet which as many of Android devices has its own twist on the GUI vs. standard Android. I expected not to like it and to flash the device with Cyanogenmod or something… However, it turns up that I like it more than the standard (few of its quirks are actually very useful for me). That could never happen with iPad or MSwhatever. Android, by the very fundamental setup encourages advancement and filling of the “niches” in usage needs. I’d never trade that for “uniform user experience” mediocrity. One size never fits all.
This is a good point.
Obviously You should return it. With so many complaints…
From my experience (used Galaxy Wave, Galaxy S2, Xperia Ray & now Xperia U… really different types of smartphones) it’s not the matter of preferences but habit plays a big role too.
I tried S3 and it’s just to big for my taste. Beetween 3,5-4 inches is the sweet spot. But it’s just the individual opinion and preference.
There is not such a thing as the best smartphone but the best one for You.
(btw… really enjoying Your column in Bug)
Greetings from Croatia!
i completely agree with the author. i also have both the droidX and G3, and the DX is just a better phone. one thing that he fails to mention is that the DX takes far better still pictures and the G3 often has focus problems in both video and still modes (a symptom of the face recognition software).
end game: i kept the G3 for dalvik development and a mini-tablet tethered to my DroidX which has been re-activated.
not having 4G isnt so bad because it’s only fast in small bursts and i rarely need the data while talking.
G3 is a well marketed disaster.
I’m thinking about getting an external verizon hotspot so I can talk and surf at the same time.
1. GPS in the Bay Area? I’d think it shouldn’t take more than a few days to learn the few key intersections/on ramps that you need to know===MUCH BETTER to keep your brain focused on the drivers/traffic. Real Men don’t ask for directions==from people or from GPS either. BTW, as I don’t have GPS, is it accurate enough for block by block navigation? sure it can give the “route” but can it really say turn at the next block which is only 100 feet away? Amazing if you can use GPS that accurately and not wind up on a loading dock or set of railroad tracks.
2. Truly irritating to have the software working on a device and then it becomes almost unusable because of the Fahrvergnügen of button placement/feel. Such items are simply not tested using real hoomans.
3. Great comment by deowll and wolf above: everything about the phone could be GREAT==but not for you. You have become habituated to something else. Nothing wrong with that at all. ie==as in so many things, many of which are more important, even like politics and religion and sex and music and food and vacations and on an on: there is very little that is right or wrong>>>just what we like or don’t like, what we have become used to and prefer.
Life is like that.
Yea, verily.
Get an iPhone FFS.
Take it back and hack the Droid X. It is supported by Cyanogenmod: http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices/motorola-droid-x
xda-developers can also be another good source for solutions.
Cheers
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices/motorola-droid-x
Check it out!
A very good review! I whole heartedly agree with your comments. I had a lengthy test drive of the Galaxy S3 and came to many of the same conclusions as you have done. The issue and problem isn’t so much one of engineering, as one of “design”. And design is about communicating through form and function. Thank you, Marc.
Another post from Marc Perkel wanting us to help HIM.
Figure out if you like the phone or not for yourself, and leave us alone.
None of this really matters to me.I use my phone to talk with other people.
Sounds like the author of this post is just a lazy ass moron.
It seems this generation has been trained by constant bugs to jump hoops on request. Anyone who doesn’t is “lazy”.
My generation (60s vintage) remembers the days when things DID work as expected and didn’t just break constantly.
John is right in pointing out these problems so they can get fixed.
What I’d like to see is Google voice search get a few more useful commands and hold off on the nonsense until they get the AI really good.
I wonder if we are going to get to the day when we trade in our cars for models that work better with our smart phones… I am not thrilled with the USB functionality in our Jeep Cherokee and am considering getting out my hacking tools…
I told the car salesman of my last vehicle that my biggest gripe was no AUX input or iPod adapter. Indeed, for my next vehicle I just may demand that feature.
Just fucking return it already! Why the hell can’t anyone just do the normal shit that we all do, such as returning a phone you don’t like, without telling the world about it? Yeah yeah yeah, I get it, this is supposed to be a review but really its someone’s internal dialog about making a decision thats been puked up onto the Internet for all to see. Much like my own comment here. No offense to the author.
No need to return it because this is most famous smart phone today’s . and it will be the first android phone I also use it last few day’s like 15-20 day’s and i enjoy it and be very happy
yer engrish sux.
Return it. I would.
I say return it. Your best long-term bet in the Android world is in the Nexus line, which makes it Galaxy Nexus at the moment. It is easily rooted (by design) and always gets both stock and custom ROMs the earliest. Sammy boy on the other hand: makes it more difficult to root and flash, and the updates are dodgy.
Root it and set it up the way you want. You will soon lose the handset muscle memory that is making it feel funny in your hand and no matter what she tells you, bigger is better (to a point).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1563
I think the author is just bitter that he started out on a Droid X. Who uses that phone???