Perhaps no phone has ever run me through the full gamut of emotions more completely than the Galaxy S III, a device that was met with the greatest of expectations — so high that they couldn't ever be met, I believe — when it was announced last month. I remember my reaction (shared by many) very well: why doesn't it have a Super AMOLED Plus display? What is this "Nature UX" nonsense? Why does it still look like a Samsung?

My mood initially started to turn when I had my first opportunity to play with the GS III at CTIA later in May. I was surprised in particular by two very important things. One, TouchWiz — once an offensive, cartoonish pile of garbage — was tasteful. Two, the phone felt good. My concerns about crappy materials and creaking bodies were beginning to vanish.

I've now been using the AT&T GS III as my primary phone since Saturday, enough time to formulate a good opinion on it. In brief — to echo something I've said on Twitter — I believe it's the best smartphone ever made, albeit by the slimmest of margins. TouchWiz has evolved in a better direction than HTC's Sense has, and I think this case design may be more resilient than the One X's has proven to be.

Don't get me wrong: they're both stellar devices. It's a photo finish, along with the still-excellent Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S. But for me, the GS III is the new benchmark.