Samsung Galaxy S3: All That is Good and Bad

Samsung launched its next-gen smartphone - the Galaxy S3 - on 3 May. The device features a 4.8in display and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and is set to arrive in the UK on 30 May. There will be two colour choices - Pebble Blue and Marble White - although more options are promised. The retail price is undisclosed but we do know it will go on sale with 296 carriers in 145 countries.

"Our aim with the Galaxy S3 was to develop the best smartphone ever made, and by focusing on creating a unique user experience through superior hardware and enhanced usability we believe we have done just that. The device has been created by keeping in mind our daily needs and capability as human beings. Simple yet brilliant, the Galaxy S3 is packed with smart features that enables it to understand and respond to our actions providing the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experience," said Andy Griffiths, Managing Director, Samsung UK and Ireland, at the phone's launch.

There was a lot of rumour and conjecture about the phone and its specifications in the build-up to Thursday's event. The big question, now, is does the phone live up to its expectations?

Pros

Design - In terms of design, the S3 is fairly lightweight - 133g - and reasonably thin - 8.6mm. Samsung claims it has been designed to optimise palm grip.

Operating System - The Galaxy S3 will run on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which reportedly offers intuitive technologies delivering a uniquely personalised mobile experience.

Storage Capacity - The Galaxy S3 offers storage options of 16GB and 32GB with Samsung promising a 64GB version will be available soon. The phone supports a microSD slot, which neither the iPhone 4S nor the HTC One X has.

Near Field Communication (NFC) - The Galaxy S3 features NFC technology that allows for cashless transactions and transfer of data by simply tapping two compatible devices together.

S Voice - The Galaxy S3 has a voice-activated personal assistant - similar to Apple's Siri - called S Voice. The advanced natural language user interface can answer or reject calls and can tell the camera when to shoot. In addition, it is even capable of sending messages and e-mails and organising schedules.

Additional Features - Direct Call, Smart Alert, S Beam, AllShare Cast, AllShare Play, Smart Stay, Pop-up Play and Burst shot are few of the notable features the Galaxy S3 is equipped with.

Wireless Charging - The Galaxy S3 features a wireless charging technology, courtesy an inductive charger.

Cons

Camera - The HTC One X, the iPhone 4S and Galaxy S2 have an eight megapixel camera. The S3 brings nothing new to the table here.

RAM - Despite the fact the S3 has more RAM than either the iPhone 4S or the One X (1GB to 512MB), there were reports suggesting the device could come with a whopping 2GB of RAM.

Processor - Prior to the launch of the S3, Samsung announced their phone would be powered by a 1.4GHz Exynos 4 quad-core processor - the company's first quad-core application processor and reportedly boasting twice the processing capabilities of its predecessor, the 45nm process-based Exynos 4 dual core. However, given that the new chip has debuted with the Galaxy S3, it remains to be seen whether the chip lives up to its potential.