iPhone 4S/5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3!

[LiciousLily]

The time has come to upgrade my phone, woot! Which one do YOU prefer?

It is SO tough making a decision on this! I LOVE Google Maps, and the 'Places' that come on Andriod phones. I use it as my main GPS and little mini travel guide when I travel. I don't know if Apple is this user friendly to that sort of thing. On the other hand, I think I am in love with the iPhone5's camera. . but. . I haven't seen the Galaxy camera quality myself.

Opinions? Knowledge? Experiences?

 

[LuckySmiles]

Droids are better phones. iphones are better toys. End.
I have a galaxy SII and i love it.. because I have a samsung tv it's like my mini flatscreen haha but it's an awesome phone. Iphones you have to pay for all the apps? whats up with THAT nonsense... :twocents-02cents:

 

[sweetiebatman]

My Iphone 4s is epic, the thing with Apple is the hardware is never much of an upgrade, its all in the software which means I have a great phone with the 4s with all the capabiliies of the 5, without the sheep like sleeping outside the shop and extortionate contracts :lol:

I would not do without my Iphone now, I have too many apps I rely on

 

[16_bit]

I myself prefer android, being able to just plug my phone to laptop via usb and it acting like a memory card is great for me. I can then just drag and drop, or copy and paste any files whether my phone can use them or i just want to transfer them. I wouldn't like having to sync with itunes everytime i wanted to do something. But that's me, i have a little ocd so being able to control more is better for me.

In terms of the cameras, from what i know (as i don't have any personal experience with both):
In daylight/bright settings the iphone is better
In low light settings the galaxy is better (both with and without flash).

 

[LuckySmiles]

I myself prefer android, being able to just plug my phone to laptop via usb and it acting like a memory card is great for me. I can then just drag and drop, or copy and paste any files whether my phone can use them or i just want to transfer them. I wouldn't like having to sync with itunes everytime i wanted to do something. But that's me, i have a little ocd so being able to control more is better for me.

In terms of the cameras, from what i know (as i don't have any personal experience with both):
In daylight/bright settings the iphone is better
In low light settings the galaxy is better (both with and without flash).

YES my camera quality is AWESOME on my galaxy.. I stand firm on this I love my macbook.. but i think iphones suck lol

 

[BullFrogBlues]

The iphone 5 camera has issues when taking photos with bright light in it. See http://gizmodo.com/5947972/apple-acknow ... g-it-wrong

 

[Anonymous]

im a total iphone person .. i currently have the galaxy s II but i have seen the 3 in action and it looks pretty awesome. but in my personal opinion i say iphone 4,4s doesnt matter to me !

 

[HiGirlsRHot]

I just got my Samsung S3 this week. This is my first smartphone, when I was younger I use to be techy and was an early adopter, but no longer. I really don't have much to compare it to but I will say that with fairly big hands and fat fingers I can actually type on the large screen where I struggled with my friends iPhones to use them. The speech recognition feature works surprisingly well.

 

[Mirra]

I don't like iPhones, I don't support Apple, and I love that Android is open source.

That said, I haven't been terribly impressed with the skins OEMs create on Android. The custom applications developed by OEMs are often amazing (AllShare comes to mind) but their Android skins (Touchwiz for Samsung) isn't my cup of tea. My mother bought a Galaxy S3 and loves it but when I tried to use it, I found it inhibiting to navigate compared to what I'm used to with my Galaxy Nexus. That said, you can ROM a Galaxy S3 with an AOSP (Android Open Source Project) based ROM and get a similar experience. Once that's done, the only thing I'm not a fan of with the Galaxy S3 is the physical buttons. I love the soft keys on my Nexus. Unfortunately, the next Nexus (or Nexuses if rumors are true) are coming out sometime between the end of the month and the end of the year.

Pros for Android

• Doesn't have to be managed with iTunes.
• Open source is great for developers.
• Adopts new technology more quickly (LTE, NFC, etc).
• Multitasking ability (especially good with a couple of the OEM skins).
• Large amounts of customization.

Cons for Android

• OEM Skins mean not all Android phones give the same experience.
• Newest technology is often buggy for early adopters.
• Available accessories aren't even close to what's available for iPhone.
• Carriers have control over updates for phones.

For anyone who cares to know my background for developing my opinion, I only interact with iPhones when setting up email on the phones of students who have them. I have also interacted with a lot of different Android phones for this same reason. I personally have a rooted Droid Charge running a custom ROM and launcher which is unfortunately stuck on Gingerbread. My work phone is a Galaxy Nexus which is also rooted and running AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4.

 

[Michael_G]

Samsung galaxy S3 wins hands down.

I had an iPhone 3gs and and iPhone 4, the poor signal quality is what killed it for me in the end.
The iPhone 5 is a complete waste of time, if you have a 4s there's absolutely no reason to get a 5 as there both the same except the 5 is very slightly bigger and thinner.

 

[LilyMarie]

My mom recently got the Galaxy S III for free because she extended her contract, and I spent yesterday playing around with it, downloading apps for her etc.

It's perfect, I love it so much!! I wish I could have it and I'd totally buy it if my current phone (Galaxy Ace) wasn't only 6 months old. The S III is so, so fast, beautiful and there are so many ways you can customize it...
The only 2 downpoints:
- IMO it's sort of on the large side, sometimes I have to make an effort to reach the upper left corner of the screen with my thumb. But I have small hands.
- sVoice, the Siri of the Samsung, is rubbish (but I wouldn't use that anyway).

 

[Michael_G]

Says it all. :-D

 

[LolasLiger]

I've had the S3 for two months now. I upgraded and was given the choice of the S3, HTC One or waiting for the Apple. I dismissed the Apple straightaway as I have been anti-Apple since they stopped being the champion of the little guys and started acting like bullies. I also dismissed the phone itelf as being no more than a cosmetic improvement on the Apple 4.

The HTC lost out because it won't allow the memory to be expanded, nor the battery to be changed.

I love the Samsung. There was a time when I wouldn't touch Samsung with a barge-pole, being firstly a Nokia loyalist, and then a HTC one. What sold me on the S3 was the speed, the size of the screen and the ability to use it as an ereader, mp3 player, web browser, gps and camera, as well as a phone.

However, I would not say that it is perfect. Firstly the battery length is abysmal compared to every phone I have owned previously. I am lucky to get more than 24 hours out of it, even with battery saving apps. I could shut everything down that may seem superfluous but that negates having such a phone.

Secondly, the signal quality can be rather hit and miss. It is susceptible to interferance. It took me a week to realise that my modem was causing problems when i was in a certain room. Talking of modems, some of the built in features can be temperamental. Connecting to my home wifi took a week until i found a work around online.

It is also hungry for data. If you don't have a contract with unlimited data (which I do), then you have to remember to turn off all automatic updates. Some apps seem to want to update almost every other day.

There is also the issue of the US S3 being different from the international model. So if anyone is considering getting one in the US, make sure the reviews you read are for the US spec and not the international one. I have heard there may even be difference in models being supplied by different carriers in the US. And each carrier is responsible for when the release critical updates, and some are better than others at rushing those through.

Overall, I think the S3 is the best hi-spec phone on the market. Is it the best phone for everyone's needs? No. If you are someone who is out and about a lot and use voice calls a lot then you may find the battery length very frustrating.

As an aside, one way of extending the battery is to use either a bluetooth or a hands free kit. It makes quite a difference.

 

[LolasLiger]

- sVoice, the Siri of the Samsung, is rubbish (but I wouldn't use that anyway).

I don't think it is too bad for what it is. It becomes more useful if one sets a shortcut on the screen rather than relying on the double tap of the button. My one gripe with it is that many apps are not configured to work with it. I use a different app for texting (the one I use allows for free international texts which are not covered by my carrier's package) and S-Voice won't recognise it. :angry4:

 

[Mirra]

- sVoice, the Siri of the Samsung, is rubbish (but I wouldn't use that anyway).

I don't think it is too bad for what it is. It becomes more useful if one sets a shortcut on the screen rather than relying on the double tap of the button. My one gripe with it is that many apps are not configured to work with it. I use a different app for texting (the one I use allows for free international texts which are not covered by my carrier's package) and S-Voice won't recognise it. :angry4:

Once the S3 gets Jelly Bean and Google Now, you won't care about Siri or S-Voice in my opinion. Google Now takes the already respectable Google Voice Search and utilizes it amazingly, and the voice search is just the beginning. Some people say the new Siri with iOS 6 is better than Google Now and that may or may not be (I haven't looked for any side-by-side comparisons) but with the new Nexus phones, Android 4.2 will be released with an enhanced Google Now.

I didn't mention Google Now or Jelly Bean because as far as phones go it's not widely available. The S3 will definitely get it but it's a matter of when and that varies by carrier. If you're on Verizon, you'll probably be waiting longer than on any other carrier. If you're on a GSM carrier, you'll probably get it pretty soon. Some people will find Google Now a little scary. I find it amazing. It knows when I typically go to work and return home each day and will show me traffic conditions shortly before my commute typically takes place. It even knows that a co-worker of mine (his phone that is, not mine) typically goes to church after work 3 days a week and guides him there before home on those days. It knows where I like to eat and suggests other places to eat based on those preferences and my proximity to them. I told it which professional teams I follow (sure hope they do Division I college teams soon) and it keeps me updated on game start time, score, and results. It lets me know when there's major changes in the weather. If I search for a location on Chrome (signed into my Google account), my phone offers me directions and traffic conditions to that location when I leave the house. I don't remember the details on what enhancements are coming with Android 4.2 but it's pretty cool.

As a side note, anyone who is a fan of Android, I highly recommend http://www.droid-life.com for keeping up with the happenings in Android land. Yeah... I get really excited about Android phones. The potential for them seems limitless to me.

 

[Michael_G]

- sVoice, the Siri of the Samsung, is rubbish (but I wouldn't use that anyway).

I don't think it is too bad for what it is. It becomes more useful if one sets a shortcut on the screen rather than relying on the double tap of the button. My one gripe with it is that many apps are not configured to work with it. I use a different app for texting (the one I use allows for free international texts which are not covered by my carrier's package) and S-Voice won't recognise it. :angry4:

Once the S3 gets Jelly Bean and Google Now, you won't care about Siri or S-Voice in my opinion. Google Now takes the already respectable Google Voice Search and utilizes it amazingly, and the voice search is just the beginning. Some people say the new Siri with iOS 6 is better than Google Now and that may or may not be (I haven't looked for any side-by-side comparisons) but with the new Nexus phones, Android 4.2 will be released with an enhanced Google Now.

I didn't mention Google Now or Jelly Bean because as far as phones go it's not widely available. The S3 will definitely get it but it's a matter of when and that varies by carrier. If you're on Verizon, you'll probably be waiting longer than on any other carrier. If you're on a GSM carrier, you'll probably get it pretty soon. Some people will find Google Now a little scary. I find it amazing. It knows when I typically go to work and return home each day and will show me traffic conditions shortly before my commute typically takes place. It even knows that a co-worker of mine (his phone that is, not mine) typically goes to church after work 3 days a week and guides him there before home on those days. It knows where I like to eat and suggests other places to eat based on those preferences and my proximity to them. I told it which professional teams I follow (sure hope they do Division I college teams soon) and it keeps me updated on game start time, score, and results. It lets me know when there's major changes in the weather. If I search for a location on Chrome (signed into my Google account), my phone offers me directions and traffic conditions to that location when I leave the house. I don't remember the details on what enhancements are coming with Android 4.2 but it's pretty cool.

As a side note, anyone who is a fan of Android, I highly recommend http://www.droid-life.com for keeping up with the happenings in Android land. Yeah... I get really excited about Android phones. The potential for them seems limitless to me.

About to add 4.1 jelly bean to my S3 right now.

 

[Mirra]

About to add 4.1 jelly bean to my S3 right now.

I'm loving it. Ever since AOSP 4.1.1 based ROMs have been available for the Galaxy Nexus, I've been on Jelly Bean. I know there are JB based ROMs for a few phones out there now. Is that what path you're taking or has an official release for the Galaxy S3 finally been released on some carrier? I personally am addicted to custom ROMs and have become a pretty big AOKP fan ever since their AOSP based JB build started nightlies.

Heh... we're probably getting this thread way off track. My apologies. I just get so excited about Android and I despise the tactics adopted by Apple regarding management of their products, their patents, and the use of others patents.

 

[Mirra]

Double post and slight necro but I just found this video. It seemed relevant. There's also one that goes the other way... but I'm not arguing in favor of the iPhone so I didn't watch it.