The Samsung Galaxy S3 is in many ways the smartphone of 2012. It proved that there is room for success alongside Apple's iPhone, and that the Android experience can be on par with, and sometimes better than, iOS. The smartphone is currently on sale across many outlets, so if you're interested in buying for yourself or as a gift for someone, here's what reviewers and consumers are saying.
Reviewers:
Reviewers overwhelmingly gave the Samsung Galaxy S3 a positive reception, calling it the best Android smartphone out there. T3 even went as far as to name it "Phone of the Year."
In a review of the Samsung Galaxy S3 a while ago, I wrote, "The design is sleek and chic, and the phone packs some serious specs that will keep it relevant for a couple years."
CNET's Galaxy S3 review reads, "Pumped with high-performing hardware and creative software features, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an excellent, top-end phone that's neck and neck with the HTC One X."
Website TheVerge gave the Galaxy S3 a score of 8.3, including a 10 for performance and said, "The Galaxy S III is a technological triumph. Not at first sight, perhaps, but Samsung has done the overwhelming majority of things right. The camera is easily the best I've used on an Android device, the processor claims the title of benchmarking champion, and the customizations layered on top of Ice Cream Sandwich are mostly unobtrusive and sometimes even helpful."
Bear in mind that now Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean has rolled out to many international Galaxy S3 owners and those on Sprint and T-Mobile here in the United States.
User Reviews:
Users seem just as enamored with the smartphone.
"The screen is amazing, and it makes the iPhone look like a toy. Apps run smoothly, its very fast, light, and it is hard to put the thing down," writes svizzo.
Chris_Koncz wrote a user review titled, "This really is the ferrari of mobile phones" on CNET.
"Galaxy S3 is an extraordinary good purchase. Recommended for all ex-iPhone users. You wont regret, there is a world outside iTunes :)" says Luca Cascianini on Amazon.
The only real complaints seemed to be a distaste for the glossy, plastic feel of the phone and a couple battery issues. Other than that, pretty much every review out there states that the Galaxy S3 is an amazing smartphone that offers a compelling alternative to the Apple iPhone.