Event Coverage

Samsung Galaxy S III - The New Star on the Block (Updated with Video!)

By Wong Casandra - 4 May 2012

The New Star on the Block

The New Star on the Block

Source: Samsung

The moment of truth has finally arrived after months and months of rampant speculation - yes, the Samsung Galaxy S III, successor to the popular Galaxy S II, is now official. Part of a pack of regional media who are invited to have a first look of the device, we were naturally excited to see what the device has to offer. As our time with the Galaxy S III was extremely limited, please treat this article as a preview of sorts, while we get more information and footage during and after the official event.

The Samsung Galaxy S III will be available in two colors: Marble White and Pebble Blue. Seen above is the white version.

Most of the rumors about its hardware specifications are spot-on (see table below); as for its design, it's a hit and miss affair: Yes, the phone comes in two shades and only one home button; but no, it does not have a ceramic cover.

Without further ado, here's the 101 (or at least most of it) on the Samsung Galaxy S III. To start things off, here's a table comparing the specs across the three Galaxy S devices.

The Galaxy S Family: Specs Comparison
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S Samsung Galaxy S II Samsung Galaxy S III
Operating System
  •  Google Android 2.1
  • Google Android 2.3
  • Google Android 4.0
Processor
  •  Single-core 1GHz
  • Dual-core 1.2GHz
  • Quad-core 1.4GHz
Built-in Memory
  •  512MB RAM
  • 1GB RAM
  • 1GB RAM
Connectivity
  • GSM/HSPA
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • USB 2.0
  • WLAN 802.11b/g/n
     
  • GSM/HSPA+
  • Bluetooth v3.0
  • USB 2.0
  • WiFi Direct NFC Connectivity (Optional)
  • DLNA
  • HSPA+/LTE
    (LTE models only available in selected countries)
  • Bluetooth v.4.0
  • USB 2.0
  • WiFi Channel Bonding
  • NFC
  • DLNA
Display
  •  4.0-inch
  • 480 x 800 pixels resolution
  • Super AMOLED display
  • Pixel density of 233ppi
  • 4.3-inch
  • 480 x 800 pixels resolution
  • Super AMOLED display
  • Pixel density of 219ppi
  • 4.8-inch
  • 720 x 1280 pixels resolution
  • HD Super AMOLED display
  • Pixel density of 306ppi
Camera
  • 5-megapixel
  • 1.3-megapixel
    (front-facing)
  • 8-megapixel
  • 2-megapixel
    (front-facing)
  • 8-megapixel, 1080p video recording
  • 1.9-megapixel
    (front-facing, capable of 720p video recording)
Storage
  • 8/16GB
  • microSD
  • 16/32GB
  • microSD
  • 16/32/64GB (available soon)
  • microSD slot (up to 64GB)
Battery
  • 1500mAh
  • 1650mAh
  • 2100mAh
Dimensions
  • 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9mm
  • 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm
  • 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm
Weight
  • 118g
  • 116g
  • 133g

Below is another table comparing the device against other Android 4.0 smartphones out in the market right now:

HTC One X (left), Samsung Galaxy Nexus (center), Samsung Galaxy S III (right).

The Android 4.0 Devices: Specs Comparison
Specifications HTC One X Samsung Galaxy Nexus Samsung Galaxy S III
Operating System
  •  Google Android 4.0
  • Google Android 4.0
  • Google Android 4.0
Processor
  •  Quad-core 1.5GHz
  • Dual-core 1.2GHz
  • Quad-core 1.4GHz
Built-in Memory
  •  1GB RAM
  • 1GB RAM
  • 1GB RAM
Connectivity
  • HSDPA+ / LTE
    (LTE models only available in selected countries)
  • Bluetooth v4.0
  • USB 2.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
  • NFC
  • DLNA
  • HSDPA+ / LTE
    (LTE models only available in selected countries)
  • Bluetooth v3.0
  • USB 2.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
  • NFC (Android Beam)
  • "Pogo pin" connector
  • HSPA+ / LTE 
    (LTE models only available in selected countries)
  • Bluetooth v.4.0
  • USB 2.0
  • WiFi Channel Bonding
  • NFC
  • DLNA
Display
  • 4.7-inch
  • 720 x 1280 pixels resolution
  • Super IPS LCD2 display
  • 4.65-inch
  • 720 x 1280 pixels resolution
  • Super AMOLED display
  • 4.8-inch
  • 720 x 1280 pixels resolution
  • HD Super AMOLED display
  • Pixel density of 306ppi
Camera
  • 8-megapixel (1080p video recording)
  • 1.3-megapixel
    (front-facing, 720p for video chat)
  • 5-megapixel (1080p video recording)
  • 1.3-megapixel
    (front-facing, 720p video recording)
  • 8-megapixel (1080p video recording)
  • 1.9-megapixel
    (front-facing, capable of 720p video recording)
Storage
  •  32GB
  • 16/32GB
  • 16/32/64GB (available soon)
  • microSD slot (up to 64GB)
Battery
  •  1800mAh
  • 1750mAh
  • 2100mAh
Dimensions
  •  134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm
  • 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94mm
  • 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm
Weight
  •  130g
  • 135g
  • 133g

It is definitely no surprise here that the main competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S III is HTC's flagship One X. As you can glean from the table above, the Galaxy S III is very similar to the recent HTC One X in terms of key hardware and design specifications.

On paper, the Galaxy S III seems to have the upper hand with marginally better hardware specifications (bigger screen, larger battery capacity) and an ever-so-slightly thinner body. While alleged GPU benchmark results point to superior performance by the Galaxy S III, we can't tell for sure whether the Samsung Exynos 4 quad-core chip really outperforms the NVIDIA Tegra 3 until we've a unit to conduct proper testing. To add on, both screens look as crisp as each other's on first inspection (the same is observed of both cameras) that we can't say for certain if one is better than the other (again, until we have done more detailed testing). Nonetheless, Samsung should expect the HTC One X to pose a formidable threat to the Galaxy S III. Will HTC One X users regret not waiting for the Galaxy S III? We shall see.

Yep, it's Android 4.0 alright. Call it a case of déjà vu.


So what else differentiates the Samsung Galaxy S III from its competitors? We all know that evaluation of a smartphone shouldn't be based on its hardware specs alone; the direction of the company's implementation, the user experience, and the ecosystem are other important factors instrumental to shaping a good smartphone. And here's where we stop to say: Click on the next page to read on.

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