Vlad Savov

All the extras are optional, as Oskay says.

This might betray a bit of negligence on my part, but I’ve not really tested either phone’s default browser extensively. Chrome for Android is one of the first apps I download these days.

The few websites I visited in the Galaxy S III’s standard browser were rendered well.

The protrusion is too small and the key has too much travel for accidental activations. Not saying it’s impossible to do, but I’ve not been able to do it.

The precise answer is that the Galaxy S III is compatible with Android Beam, but no other devices are (yet) compatible with S Beam.

I’m surprised to hear that about your One X. In my experience it’s been very smooth and the same goes for the Galaxy S III. I wouldn’t say there’s a distinguishable difference in fluidity between the GSIII and the latest couple of iPhones.

Been there, done that.

I’m more into fruit and vegetables.

The Xperia S just came out! Why don’t you spend some more time enjoying / getting to know it?

The Galaxy S III is definitely more powerful than the Galaxy Note, but that extra power doesn’t yet have a proper outlet. The processor-intensive apps and games aren’t there to give you a real-world difference in performance between the two devices.

Media controls on headphones designed for iOS devices don’t work fully — the pause button works, but the volume up and down buttons don’t. I’ve seen this widely with iOS-friendly headphones and other Android handsets. The GS III is just typical in that respect.

It works well, so long as you don’t forget that the front-facing camera needs to be able to see your eyes.

Haven’t had any such problems with either device.

Dock’s also customizable, but I think the app drawer icon is anchored where it is.

The default home screen can be moved around, yes. In the stock configuration it’s the middle one (i.e. 4 of 7).

Not really, it looks exactly like the pictures.

I don’t find it attractive, but then the more I use it the less I care. The only times I’m looking at this phone are when its display is on, making its physical appearance pretty much irrelevant.

By being really comfortable to hold and operate, by having no rough edges to impede your grip, by allowing you to swap out the battery or use microSD card storage, by implementing a sensible control scheme… the Galaxy S III got the score that it got.

Its about more than just the material; the thickness of it matters too, for example. Nokia’s Lumia construction essentially melts a slab of polycarbonate around the electronics (I know they carve it, but the imagery of melting is more appealing to me).

And yes, the surface texture is a big part of the feel in the hand, which is what the original question was about.

Waiting to see the next iPhone may take you four months or more. Are you prepared to wait that long? Additionally, in such circumstances, you’ll be highly unlikely to still want to buy the GS III, since there’ll be something else on the horizon.

The standard tech-buying advice applies: if you want or need something today, buy it. If not, wait until you do.

GSIII for image quality, with 4S a close second and the One X a distant third.

The order for camera software, however, is reversed: HTC way ahead of the other two.

Just tried it on the YouTube app and I don’t see the option to do it. Pretty sure this is only available for video you have loaded onto the phone.

App drawer is fully customizable. You can re-order or hide them whatever way you like.

The score you’re referring to is design, not looks. That should answer (or better yet, preclude) your question.

Totally agree with this in principle, but as things stand today, it’s easier to use the GS III solution.

Definitely off-topic. :)

HTC.

That’s correct.

Objectively, I feel like the GS III is the best, but subjectively I prefer the One X. You also have to consider that “the best” is judged purely on what the phone is, not what it can be, so the fact I’d immediately customize the One X can’t figure into that equation.

It produces noise, like they all do. Without a nice large sensor size — we’re talking dimensions unreasonable for a smartphone — you’re always going to see noise in poorly lit pictures. So the best thing you can do with a smartphone camera is judge how it performs in decent conditions, and the Galaxy S III is the best I’ve personally tested yet.

Very rarely.

Sturdy and reliable.

And it is. Best word I can offer to describe it is ‘reasonable.’ It’s behind the best, but ahead of the worst.

I wouldn’t do it due to the double risk of having it stolen or sitting down on it a bit too firmly, but it fits in pockets just fine.

Samsung never told me the display was Pentile. I always suspect.

I have to disagree with jaywontdart. The Pentile aspect of the display didn’t bother me. It was the auto-brightness jumping around and the general blue hue to everything that make it less than ideal.