Subtle, useful Android 4.0 lands on Samsung Galaxy Note July 10

Android 4.0 on the Samsung Galaxy Note comes with updated productivity tools. Click for a larger view.

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

AT&T will start upgrading its Samsung Galaxy Note to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tomorrow, and CNET got an advanced look.

After a week with the updated phone, I can say that existing owners will be pleased with the boost from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. The OS won't look very different; in fact, a glance at the home screen is indistinguishable from the view on Gingerbread. However, press down on home button and your recent tabs appear, press the Galaxy Note against another NFC phone to engage Android Beam, and hop into the Settings menu for a new layout with usage monitoring.

These are all useful features, but since Samsung isn't changing the Galaxy Note's TouchWiz interface, the update would look a little ho-hum. Enter an update to the Note's stylus-friendly productivity tools, which Samsung is calling Premium Suite.

Access recent tabs by pressing on the Galaxy Note's home button.

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

What's new in S Note
To be clear, Premium Suite refers to S Note, S Memo, and a new My Story app, which isn't preinstalled, but which is available from Google Play.

S Note offers the most exciting new features of the three. You're now able to import and annotate PDFs, which is enormously useful for taking quick notes on existing documents. In addition to importing PDFs, you can also import and annotate S Memo files, photos, maps, and other images you cropped and saved with the S Pen.

There are also new templates that help you create more information-rich multimedia notes. These are definitely inspiring, but will still take time, especially if you share my one-two combo of sometimes perfectionism mixed with a lack of artistic skill. Either way, Samsung's two tip sheets are great for orienting new users.

Shape Match is another new feature within. Draw a diagram with the S Pen and the app will render your lines straight, convert your sloppy arrows into straight sticks, and close your circles. However, you can't be too casual with your squares and squiggles or you may find yourself with some unintended trapezoids and with figures that look more like hieroglyphs than you intended.

The premium suite includes handwriting-to-text functionality.

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

A formula match function performs the same trick for mathematics, by both converting numbers for you and also being able to solve them. Just take care where you jot your numbers; it's easy to get in your own way. Interestingly, Samsung has also tapped the Wolfram Alpha database to search for your handwritten inquiries.

Speaking of handwriting, you can also turn on the handwriting-to-text mode to turn your scrawling into legible text; that is, if your chicken scratch is distinct enough. I've never been able to write both clearly and quickly on the Note, even with its pressure-sensitive stylus, and my finger always finds the button on the stylus, which further interrupts writing.

You also have to think about precision, since an overly large comma will transform into a "1," and so will an "I" that you write without the serif. You'll also have to tap an onscreen control to delete a mistake and insert a space. Editing works, but can be slow-going this way. I'd love to see some optional gestures in addition to the onscreen controls.

The one-handed operation mode is Samsung's way of shrinking the keyboard without shrinking the Galaxy Note's mammoth screen.

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The existing typing input works well with the Galaxy Note's one-handed operation setting, which essentially shrinks your keyboard and lets you move it to the left or right so you can type one-handed. You'll be able to easily find this mode in the systemwide Android 4.0 settings menu.

Not to be forgotten, the leaner S Memo gets a little bit of love in the ICS update as well, in the form of a widget that you can add to your home screen if the spirit moves you. A tap can open a new memo and shortcut you to type, write, or draw, and add a photo or voice. You can also leap directly into a full-scale memo search.

S Memo gets a new Galaxy Note widget with Android 4.0.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

To sum it up
Android 4.0 brings the Samsung Galaxy Note some standard upgrades that enhance it functionality, like Android Beam. Samsung-only software additionally amps up the Galaxy Note's productivity, though the apps continue to welcome future tweaks to smooth out the rougher of its usability edges.

Sourced: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57468573-1/subtle-useful-android-4.0-lands-on-samsung-galaxy-note-july-10/

Samsung wins patent battle - after judge rules its clunky Galaxy Tab is 'too UNCOOL' to look like Apple's iPad

Samsung’s Galaxy tablet computer is not ‘cool’ enough to be confused with Apple’s iPad, a judge has ruled.

The American electronics giant had argued the Samsung Galaxy Tab was too similar to their own product, but the claim was dismissed today at London’s High Court.

Judge Colin Birss QC said: ‘They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool.’

He said consumers were not likely to get the two tablet computers mixed up and ruled the Samsung tablets do not infringe Apple’s registered design.

‘The informed user’s overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following: From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back,’ he said.

‘The overall impression produced is different.’

The judge said that while the Tab and iPad look similar from the front, he noted differences in the thickness and details on the backs of the devices.

‘There are some minor differences but to my eye there are two major differences. The most important difference between the Samsung Galaxy tablets and the Apple design is the thinness of the Galaxy tablets. The next most significant difference is the detailing on the back of each of the tablets.’

The judge added: ‘To an informed user, the Galaxy tabs do not merely look like a thin version of the Apple design, they look like a different, thinner design of product.’

The American electronics giant had argued the Samsung Galaxy Tab was too similar to their own product, but the claim was dismissed today at London¿s High Court

Samsung Galaxy Tab compact tablet computer on display during a press conference

He said he had questioned if those two differences were enough to overcome the similarity of the front of the devices and the overall shape of them.

Apple had argued that the front face and overall shape were the most important factors because the informed user would spend the most time looking at the front and holding it.

The judge said he did regard the overall shape as very significant but said there there was a very obvious visual similarity at the front.

‘In my judgment the key to this case is the strength or significance of that similarity. As I have said, the significance of the near identity of the front surfaces of these products is reduced to a degree by the existence of similar fronts in the design corpus. The question is - to what degree?

‘This case illustrates the importance of properly taking into account the informed user’s knowledge and experience of the design corpus. When I first saw the Samsung products in this case I was struck by how similar they look to the Apple design when they are resting on a table. They look similar because they both have the same front screen. It stands out.

‘However, to the informed user (which at that stage I was not) these screens do not stand out to anything like the same extent. The front view of the Apple design takes its place amongst its kindred prior art.’

Apple has been given 21 days to appeal against the decision.

A spokeswoman for Samsung welcomed the ruling and accused Apple of ‘excessive legal claims’.

She said: ‘Samsung welcomes today’s judgment, which affirms our position that our Galaxy Tab products do not infringe Apple’s registered design right. As the ruling proves, the origins of Apple’s registered design features can be found in numerous examples of prior art.

‘Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited.’

An Apple spokesman said he would not comment specifically on today’s ruling but reiterated the company’s earlier claims against Samsung: ‘It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging.

‘This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.’

Apple is bringing similar action against Samsung in Germany and the Netherlands.

Sourced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2170986/Samsung-wins-patent-battle--judge-rules-clunky-Galaxy-Tab-cool-look-like-Apples-iPad.html

UPDATE 4-Samsung's Galaxy powers record $5.9 bln profit; euro a worry

 * Record estimated Q2 operating profit of 6.7 trln won* Q2 sales estimated at 47 trln won
* Q3 handset profit could be 5 trln won - analyst
* Q3 operating profit seen at 7.3-9.1 trln won - poll
* Samsung shares down 2 pct, Korean market off 0.9 pct
By Miyoung Kim

SEOUL, July 6 (Reuters) - Soaring sales of the Galaxy smartphone drove record quarterly profit of $5.9 billion at Samsung Electronics, though the South Korean tech giant is sweating over how Europe's debt crisis is denting demand in its biggest market for televisions and home appliances.
The flagship Galaxy smartphones are likely to have stretched their lead over rivals Apple and Nokia - despite a parts shortage that meant it struggled to keep up with stronger-than-expected demand for its latest S III model.
While strong handset sales grab the headlines, more than doubling profit growth, other businesses such as chips and consumer electronics are battling weak prices and demand and a limp euro, which eats away at repatriated profits. In a sign that the euro zone crisis is exercising minds in boardrooms around the globe, Samsung executives said this week the group was operating to a contingency plan.

"Europe is our biggest consumer electronics market and we may have to initiate cost cuts and product price increases should the euro fall further from the current level," said one executive who didn't want to be named as the plan is internal.
"Our smartphones are flying off the shelves, with some outlets reporting 40-60 percent sales growth, but that's distorting the overall trading outlook which is more challenging due to the weak global economy and a weak euro."
The euro has fallen around 5 percent against the Korean won since April, and about 8 percent in the past year, to 2-year lows.


PRICE PRESSURE
In its April-June earnings guidance on Friday, Samsung, valued at $170 billion and the world's leading maker of TVs, smartphones and DRAM memory chips, estimated operating profit jumped 79 percent to 6.7 trillion won from a year ago - in line with an average forecast in a Reuters survey of 23 analysts.
That would be 14.5 percent higher than the previous record quarterly profit in January-March. Samsung estimated its second-quarter revenue at 47 trillion won ($41.4 billion), just below a 50 trillion won forecast.

"Revenue is below our forecast, which suggests price pressure was more severe than had been expected in products such as televisions and home appliances," said Nho Geun-chang, analyst at HMC Investment Securities in Seoul.
"Earnings will be stronger in the current quarter as sales of the high-end Galaxy S III will increase dramatically and drive the telecom division's earnings to above 5 trillion won," he said, predicting shipments of the S III would hit 19 million this quarter.

Samsung is due to release its full second-quarter results - the first since its components chief Kwon Oh-hyun took over as CEO - towards the end of this month.



Samsung and local rival LG Electronics are among the few global TV makers making money and gaining market share from stumbling Japanese rivals Sony, Panasonic and Sharp.

But, spooked particularly by a weak chip market, Samsung shares have dropped 15 percent in the past two months, while the broader Korean market has fallen just over 5 percent, and Apple has gained almost 3 percent. The stock lost another 2 percent on Friday, closing at 1.16 million won ($1,000) in a market down 0.9 percent.

"Samsung's profits have yet to peak, and with smartphone sales and recovering chip prices to propel earnings even higher in the second-half, the bar's been raised so high that even in-line earnings disappoint some optimists," said Lee Jin-woo, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities.
Smaller Taiwanese rival HTC, which once boasted the biggest share of the U.S. smartphone market, on Friday reported that its quarterly net profit more than halved as European sales disappointed and U.S. sales were delayed by customs inspections.


MOBILE DRIVER
Profit from Samsung's mobile division is likely to have more than doubled to around 4.4 trillion won from a year ago, with sales of around 50 million smartphones - at a rate of 380 every minute.

Current quarter mobile profits are expected to forge further ahead as the latest Galaxy model enjoys a boom before the next iPhone launch. Samsung's overall third-quarter operating profit is likely to be between 7.3 trillion won and 9.1 trillion won, an increase of as much as 36 percent from the second quarter, according to a Reuters survey of 14 analysts. The mobile business brings in more than 70 percent of Samsung's earnings.

While the next iPhone, expected later this year, will likely slow Samsung's handset earnings growth, it will boost the Korean firm's semiconductor earnings as Samsung is the sole producer of processing chips used to power the iPhone and iPad, and also supplies Apple with mobile memory chips, NAND flash and display screens.

"Earnings will grow further as the semiconductor division will also stage a solid recovery on the back of improving DRAM and NAND demand," said Jeff Kang, an analyst at Daishin Securities, adding the division could increase earnings by 1 trillion won this quarter.

Sourced: http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/06/samsung-earnings-forecast-idINL3E8I54F420120706

Samsung loses bid to overturn US Galaxy tablet sales ban

Samsung has lost its bid to overturn the ban on US sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Samsung has lost its attempt to overturn a ban on US sales of its flagship Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer, in a fresh blow for the South Korean manufacturer in its patent war with Apple.

A judge in California on Monday refused to lift the ban – which came into force last week – while the court weighs up Apple's claim that Samsung illegally copied the design of the iPad.

A spokeswoman for Samsung on Tuesday said the company would continue to appeal against the injunction.

Apple and Samsung are involved in patent disputes in several countries around the globe, in a row that has moved front and centre in the battle for the increasingly crowded tablet market.

Samsung was ordered on 26 June to halt US sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 – one of the closest competitors to the iPad – until the South Korean firm goes to trial with Apple on 30 July. The US district judge Lucy Koh also hit Samsung with a US sales ban for its top-end Galaxy Nexus smartphone on Friday.

Samsung said in a statement: "Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the US.

"Regardless, we will continue to pursue a request for an appeal of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 preliminary injunction, which we filed on 26 June to the court of appeals for the federal circuit."

Pre-trial bans on products are rare in the US. But analysts said the injunctions would not have far-reaching consequences for Samsung in the tablet and smartphone markets.

"The impact on Samsung is limited as shipment volume of Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Nexus are quite small," Lee Sun-tae, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities, told Reuters.

"Even if Apple wins an injunction request on Galaxy S III, Samsung will have plenty of time to get around it, as it normally takes quite a long time for a court to process such requests."

Total sales of tablet computers will reach 105m units this year and 143m in 2013, according to the research firm IDC – compared with total PC sales of about 400m, of which more than 60% will be laptops.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab range of tablet computers run Google's Android software, which is also used by a range of rival manufacturers including Sony and Motorola.

Apple is expected to remain the dominant player in the tablet market for the foreseeable future, with Gartner forecasting that the iPad will account for 61.4% of all sales this year. Android tablets are forecast to account for 31.9% of tablet computer sales this year.

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/03/samsung-galaxy-nexus-sales-ban?newsfeed=true

Finally, a Hot Android Phone: Galaxy S III Is Hard to Get

Looking to buy a Samsung Galaxy S III in the U.S.? You do have a choice among five different carriers, but you’ll either be waiting for your phone or paying more than you thought. Due to inventory constraints, the Galaxy S III is already experiencing stock shortages at two carriers and is priced much higher at another. While this says something about Samsung’s production capabilities and limitations, it also speaks to the idea of a single Android smartphone finally generating enough interest to rival that of Apple’s iPhone.
Sprint had planned to begin in-store sales on Thursday, but it is delaying due to “overwhelming demand,” according to Engadget. Those who preordered a 16 GB Sprint Galaxy S III should still receive their phone today, but 32 GB preorders won’t begin shipping until next week. Likewise, AT&T is experiencing device shortages, providing the following statement to The Verge:
“Manufacturer supply constraints of the 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy S III have caused a delay to expected pre-order shipments. Customers who were previously quoted a delivery date of June 21st should now expect their device to arrive no later than Monday, June 25th. We currently estimate future pre-orders to arrive within 10 business days based on available supply. Impacted customers will receive both an SMS and email notifying them of this change.”
Verizon hasn’t made any similar statements, but I suspect the company already knew this might happen. Unlike its peers that launched the phone this month, Verizon didn’t offer a set Galaxy S III release date when preorders began on June 6. Those who did preorder were given a ship-by date of July 9, however. T-Mobile does have the Galaxy S III in stock, but there’s a catch.
Instead of selling the phone for $199 (16 GB) and $249 (32 GB), as others are doing, the carrier priced the handsets at $279.99 and $329.99, respectively. And those prices are after a $50 mail-in rebate, so you’ll pay even more at the time of purchase.
On June 4, when Samsung officially announced that the Galaxy S III would arrive in the U.S. this month, I shared skepticism that while one single phone model was good for the company, it could lead to supply issues:
“There’s only a month or two lag between the Asia/Europe rollout and the U.S. Samsung already had 9 million preorders from operators, and the company says it can only produce 5 million units per month and with a large launch, it’s possible to see shortages.”
That possibility I called weeks ago is reality today. Given the mostly overall positive reviews —see ours here—I can’t say I’m surprised. And I anticipate that Samsung will get production supply to meet demand in the near term, although other regions may have delayed launches to accommodate the issue. Although this may be bad news for those who want a Galaxy S III in hand right now, it’s definitely a win of sorts for Android. No single phone has yet outsold the iPhone. I doubt the Galaxy S III will be the exception, but it’s sure to come closer than any prior Android handset.

sourced:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-22/finally-a-hot-android-phone-galaxy-s-iii-is-hard-to-get

Samsung CEO Calls for Software Improvements

SEOUL—Samsung Electronics Co.'s 005930.SE +0.08% new chief executive on Monday reiterated the need for the company to beef up its software competence in order to maintain its leading position in the technology industry.

Over the past year, Samsung 005930.SE +0.08% has emphasized the need to focus on strengthening its proprietary software to help drive smartphone sales, and estimates by analysts show Samsung surpassed Apple Inc. AAPL +0.27% in the first quarter to become the world's biggest seller of smartphones.

"A particular focus must be given to serving new customer experience and value by strengthening soft capabilities in software, user experience, design, and solutions," Kwon Oh-hyun said in his inaugural speech.

The new CEO didn't disclose how much Samsung plans to spend on strengthening its software division, but his message to boost its relatively weak software arm is in line with the former CEO's stance.

The need to boost proprietary software took on new urgency after Google Inc.,GOOG +1.56% maker of the Android operating system, announced its plan to acquireMotorola Mobility Holdings Inc`.

Although Samsung has been allocating a sizable portion of its resources to its mobile software platform division, the majority of its smartphones continue to run on Android software because its Bada mobile software platform hasn't been popular among global consumers.

As part of its efforts to bolster its mobile software platform, the world's largest maker of flat TVs, memory chips, flat screens and smartphones, bought U.S.-based mobile content service provider mSpot Inc. in early May.

Mr. Kwon, who has led Samsung's chip business since 2008 and its display components business since last year, took the helm of the world's largest technology firm by revenue earlier this month.

He told Samsung staff during a meeting Monday that the company's core businesses must strengthen their dominance in technology and global markets to secure "an absolute lead."

Samsung is in a series of legal tussles with the world's most valuable company, Apple, which is both its customer and competitor.

Apple is the largest buyer of Samsung's chips and displays, but the technology giants have been entangled in a global legal spat since April last year, when Apple filed lawsuits against the Korean company for allegedly copying designs of its iPhone and iPad products.

Samsung counter sued the U.S. company for using their wireless technologies without paying royalties. So far, the companies have around 30 patent litigation cases against each other in around 10 countries.

Sourced: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303703004577473580317557476.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Review: Samsung Galaxy Note

First things first, yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note  is big, massive in fact. If Samsung had branded it a tablet we would have complained it was far too small, as a smartphone, however, it appears comically large at first but quickly becomes a manageable size brimmed with high-end tech.

Looking to forge out a market from the fleet of potential business users the Galaxy Note is a confusing device at first that following a short period of use will have prospective users hooked.

Samsung Galaxy Note Design

Dominating first impressions of the Galaxy Note’s smartphone/tablet bridging form is its monstrous and vibrant 5.3-inch 1280 x 800p HD Super AMOLED display. Offering up beautiful images and video playback on a grand scale the Note’s stunning display is a true leader of the mobile market combining crisp, rich images with a fast, responsive experience.

Despite its whopping 5.3-inch display the Galaxy Note is remarkable slim and light in the hand lining up at just 9.65mm thick and 178 grams in weight. This ultra slim, lightweight design helps make the Note manageable in a single hand although a second set of digits will be needed in order to type on the expansive display.

Samsung Galaxy Note Features

Launching with version 2.3.5 of Google’s Android Gingerbread mobile operating system the Galaxy Note comes with all the usual gubbins associated to the Android OS with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface bringing the handset to life and making it a much more pleasant experience to use.

Further blurring the lines as to whether the Note is a smartphone or a tablet the inclusion of the Samsung S-Pen stylus is, surprisingly, a welcome one. Combining with the 5.3-inch display the S-Pen opens up a host of new possibilities with document editing, note taking and image manipulation handled with ease and pressure sensitive accuracy.

Samsung Galaxy Note Performance

Whilst at first using the oversized Note as your day-to-day on-the-go phone might not seem the most practical or comfortable option, following a day or two of use you will be wondering how you ever managed to survive with the minimalist 3.5-inch iPhone display or even the dwarfed 4.3-inch Super AMOLED offering found on the Note’s sibling the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Despite its power hungry display the Note’s larger form means a bigger battery can be slotted in with the incorporated Li-ion 2,500 mAh battery ensuring the device can surpass the essential one day power hump and continue easily through the better part of days two and three.

Samsung Galaxy Note availability: Out now

Samsung Galaxy Note price: £589 SIM-free

Pros

• Stunning 5.3-inch display
• Solid, stylish construct
• S-Pen stylus

Cons

• Lack of physical camera button
• Back button sensitivity
• Flimsy back panel

Verdict

Large in size, humongous in potential, the Samsung Galaxy Note might not be a first smartphone for the masses, what it is however, is a device that will enhance the experience of many a business user. The Note’s only downfall in popularity is in how much it has limited its prospective target audience.

One of the first modern mobile devices that makes a stylus not only work but further enhance the user interaction with the product, the Samsung Galaxy Note could well be the first in a new era of business minded hybrid devices with its strong all-round performances making it a must for those looking to get work done on the go.

Sourced:

http://www.pluggedin.co.uk/article/samsung-galaxy-note-phablet-expert-review

Review: Samsung Galaxy SIII

A model displays a Samsung Galaxy S III. Photo / AP

Its boggling to think that just a few decades ago, the sort of raw computing power I'm now holding in the palm of my hand took up several warehouse sized buildings and needed its own power station. Meanwhile back to the future, Samsung's latest smartphone computing powerhouse is about as state of the art as it is possible to get in the present day.

Packing the latest version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich), a quad core CPU and a massive 4.8" Super AMOLED HD screen, the SIII has enough features to make even the most hardened Apple disciple take another look. Samsung is claiming nearly 10 million pre-orders, and if the SII is anything to go by, sales look set to go berserk. So how does the Samsung's Galaxy SIII stack up?

Design

Finished in polycarbonate, there's a choice of White or Blue, the review unit I was sent was finished in white which lent it a quiet air of sophistication. Like other recently launched smartphones, the SIII isn't petite. Coming in at a sizeable 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm, much of its size appears to be due to its 4.8" HD screen.

The SIII has picked up some criticism for feeling too light and "plasticy".

I think that compared to other similar phones the definitely SIII feels light (even though it actually weighs in at 133g) in the hand. Whilst an optimist would say that this means less torn pocket fabric, pessimists could argue the SIII feels a little cheap. Funnily enough this was the exact criticism levelled at the Galaxy S2, which of course sold in astronomically large numbers. On the basis of that I'd be willing to wager the market is largely composed of opportunists who'll rush out and buy the SIII whilst  he pessimists and optimists are fighting it out.

In the insanely brief time I was given to review the SIII, I quickly came to the conclusion that it really isn't a cheap-feeling phone. Samsung appear to have really gone to some effort in this department. From its Gorilla Glass front, alloy sides and polycarbonate body, the SIII actually felt far less flimsy than the SII.

Looks-wise the SIII seems to share a lot of the same design cues as the original Galaxy S thanks to its soft rounded edges and subtly curved design, especially when compared to the more squarish look of the SII. One particular subtle touch I liked was the bezel which appears to have been shrunken to make the already sizeable screen seem just that much bigger.

In use, the various controls on the SIII were well thought out and seemed to be intuitively where my fingers thought they should be. Like the original Galaxy S, the SIII sports a physical home button, and uses back and Menu soft keys. The volume up and down button is located on the side of the phone.

Another plus working in the SIII's favour is its removable battery cover. Unlike that other fruity smartphone, SIII owners can swap the battery in and out and even more crucially, avoid sending it back along with a sizeable wad of cash when its battery finally wears out. A microSD slot next to the microSIM port was also a bonus In theory this should allow media junkies to hold several boatloads of media on the SIII as its 64Gb internal memory once coupled with a 64Gb microSD card provides a stonkingly massive 128Gb of storage.

After an all too brief 5 days of use, I can say that in practice, the Samsung Galaxy S3's smart design makes it a very usable phone, although it's definitely not small.

In Use

Perhaps the most immediately noticeable feature of the SIII is its screen (which is a real stunner). Compared to the screen on my original Galaxy S, the SIII showcases just how far screen technology has progressed over such a short time. Four years ago, 320 x 480 resolution smartphone screens were the norm and people were shelling out big bucks for a 720p capable flat screen TV. HD capable peeper pleasing video can fit in the palm of your hand with the SIII. What really helps the SIII's screen is the 309ppi pixel density, which is right up there with the iPhone 4S. While the IPhone's Retina Display is definitely a thing of beauty, its petite 3.5" screen is in dire need of some major upsizing if it is to foot it with the current crop of smartphones.

So if Size definitely matters, Samsung must have been leveraging their video processing learning's from their new OLED TVs to really make the SIII's screen shine. Where OLED display technologies have historically tended to deliver almost garish and harsh colours, the SIII's Super AMOLED screen appears to have been calibrated to deliver far more images and video.

This said, I did find that the auto-brightness setting dimmed the screen a little too much (even though it was probably extending battery life). Even though there is a separate browser brightness setting, I'm quietly hoping for per application auto-brightness levels in a future upgrade.

Bells and whistles

The other feature Samsung have also bravely squeezed into the SIII is S-voice, which is Siri-like but with a distinct Samsung flavour. It can do pretty much everything Siri can do (it even appears to use Wolfram Alpha to get information for responses to any questions put to it). Unfortunately it didn't say that the Nokia Lumia 900 is the best phone ever, and it also doesn't know that 42 is the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Oh well.

What it did do surprisingly well however was manage tasks, such as making appointments and setting an alarm. Activating driving mode, also made it almost completely hands free, which in use was a real bonus. As good as S-voice was, its speech recognition did at times struggle with my kiwi accent.

That said I was able to wake the SIII with a specific voice command and was able to train the SIII to learn a specific wake-up voice command. Either way S-voice was a brave move from Samsung given Apples twitchy trigger finger hovering over the big red button marked "litigation"

The other big feature touted on the SIII is its ability to track your eyes to ensure that its display stays on when you're looking at it. The theory goes that this should keep the screen timeouts and frustration to a sensible minimum. An eye icon is displayed in the notification bar when Smart Stay is keeping an eye on your eyes.

In use it worked most of the time but every once and a while the display would still time-out. Still it is a version 1.0 feature that could become hugely useful if refined and improved with subsequent updates, here's hoping.

All of these gee-wiz features are nice but at the end of the day however, it's really about getting online and making phone calls. Given the SIII is packing a quad core CPU, HD screen and muscular graphics as well as an HSPA+ capable cellular radio, you'd expect it to run like a cut cat when browsing, emailing or texting, and believe me it does.

Thanks to its hi-res screen, zoomed out web pages were still legible and even better still, web pages rendered pretty quickly over 3G (I tried it on Skinny, Vodafone and 2Degrees in multiple locations at several different times of the day). Over my home Wi-Fi connection websites literally appeared on-screen almost instantly. Flash video played fine (at least that was after I'd enabled Flash player in the settings).

The not so secret sauce to the online awesomeness of the SIII is its Chrome browser which is a component of Android Ice Cream Sandwich. This also handily meant the browser bookmarks on my PC were synchronised once I'd signed into Google. About the only real annoyance I experienced came from my contacts which bizarrely comprised of about 3,500 of people I'd added to Google+ circles. Finding numbers for people I actually wanted to call quickly became painful. Thanks a bunch Google.

Another consideration when looking at a smartphone is its camera and \the SIII wasn't lacking. This said, it came with an 8MP image sensor instead of the increasingly common (yet bulkier) 12mp image sensor. At the end of the day however the SIII's camera was well implemented with a range of shooting modes and most importantly, it took also some surprisingly good photos.

This was helped greatly by a near zero second shutter lag. Instead of waiting for the camera to capture the image (by which time things have usually moved on), I was able to shoot a stream of 10 photos per second using burst mode and then use best shot mode to choose the best picture.

Having played extensively with the SIII's rear camera, I also found myself moderately impressed with its front facing camera, which sported a 1.9MP sensor that was capable of recording 720p video. If you're thinking I liked the SIII's camera functionality, you'd be right. It was not only a solid performer, but there also plenty of really nifty shooting modes such as HDR mode, Beauty mode, Panorama and Smile shot.

The SIII's large hi-res screen, fast CPU and other goodies all need power, and Samsung have supplied it in the form of 2100mAh battery. Energy thirsty tech should make for a short battery life but thankfully I was able to get 1-2 days use depending on how much surfing/phoning I did. Firing up S-Voice however was a real battery killer as it listens to what you say the entire time it's enabled and took battery life down to just under a day (the review SIII was gasping for a charge by 3pm).

ON the connectivity front, about the only thing missing is the kitchen sink. Everything you'd care to name acronym-wise from NFC to GPS, has been crammed into SIII's petite 8.6mm chassis.

The SIII's NFC (near field contactless) communications is based on Android's Beam system and allows other Beam capable handset owners to share map directions, web links and YouTube videos simply by putting both phones near each other Files are also able to be transferred using Wi-Fi Direct, file transfers between SIII's can happen at breakneck speeds. Photos take seconds, HD videos a couple of minutes.

The SIII will also play nice with HDMI equipped TVs using what Samsung call an MHL adaptor lead which connects to SIII via its microUSB. Doing this allows you to mirror your device onto a larger screen which was pretty good for sharing videos, photos and even the odd angry bird session.

Equally handy is what Samsung have branded USB To Go (which requires a micro to standard USB adaptor) which lets you connect a USB hard drive to the phone for easy file transfers.

DLNA has also been bundled which makes for near seamless connectivity to other DLNA hardware such as a Samsung TV, Blu-Ray player or even the humble PlayStation 3 for streaming video and audio. DLNA is perhaps one of the most useful yet underrated features of the SIII as watching videos wirelessly on a weekend morning felt incredibly decadent.

Verdict

There's a lot to like with the SIII, not only does its spec sheet read like something we'd have considered a high spec PC only a few years ago, but it is also literally bulging at the seams with acres of features and functionality. Deciding between Samsung's SIII and HTCs One X is definitely going to be a toughie.

Tech Specs

RRP: Varies depending on carrier and calling plan
Screen: 4.8" Super Amole HD display
Storage: 16/32/64GB depending on model, plus expandable MicroSD card
Cloud storage: 50GB Drop box for two years
Colours: Pebble blue or marble white
Battery: 2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra)
Camera: 8MP rear; 1.9 MP front
RAM: 1GB
Dimensions: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm
Weight: 133g
OS: Android 4.0.4
CPU: Exynos 4 Quad (1.4GHz)