- Joined
- Jul 3, 1997
- Messages
- 66,776
- Real Name
- Ronald Epstein
Few days ago, a few short weeks prior to the announcement
of the iPhone 5, I decided it was time to make a change. I
wanted to move over to the Android camp and find out exactly
how much I would like it over the trusty iPhone I have been
attached to for the past 6 years.
Today I made the decision to keep my Galaxy S3.
I seem to be enjoying it immensely. And the fact that I am
going to be shopping for accessories next week kind of solidifies
my position on not purchasing the iPhone 5.
...of course this is all based upon the continued information that
we are receiving about the new phone from Apple. With its current
rumored design, I am really happier with the expanded real-estate
that the Galaxy S3 offers. In fact, if the Galaxy Note 2 is released
in the next 30 days I may upgrade to that phone as it has even a
larger screen. Chances are we won't be getting GN 2 by then.
Still working on getting photos ported over. I just ordered an external
memory card for the GS3 which will be here Wednesday. I can then
simply go to my Mac, drop the photos to the card, and then once
inserted in my GS3, its photo gallery should recognize it. At least,
that is how I am being told it should work.
Have been able to successfully set up an iMap account for Mail.
What I delete on my GS3 also deletes across my Mac devices.
Synced my Contacts and Calendars with Google and now they
also perfectly add and subtract across devices.
Is the Galaxy S3 and Android OS perfect? No. Here are some
downsides....
1. The Galaxy S3 is a battery hog. It should be when considering
the draw on its large screen and processing power. However, once
I stopped tinkering with the phone for hours on end, I was able to
get to the point that I could enjoy a full-days charge. You can also
disable all kinds of active tasks that draw on power.
2. Radio signal not as good as iPhone. WiFi reception drops out
at a *slightly* shorter range than it did on the iPhone.
3. Push/Banner notifications are poor. Loved the way the iPhone
sent you an on-screen alert for incoming mail, chat and news. It
does the same on GS3, but not as prominently. I do hear that the
upcoming JELLYBEAN update will address and improve upon this
problem.
4. Apps not quite as numerous nor (sometimes) as good as those
found on iOS. Don't get me wrong, there is a huge amount of apps
in the Google Play Store, but I find that the Android counterpart on
a few apps is not as good as the iOS apps. On the other hand, it
seems apps are cheaper in the Google Play store and there are more
free apps to choose from.
5. Mac users will be frustrated over lack of seamless integration
with their other Apple devices, but as I noted above, there are
workarounds that actually do work. In fact, I enjoy the challenge
of figuring them all out.
So why have I decided to keep the phone?
I like it better than the iPhone. I suppose I have just gotten bored
with iOS all these years. Unless you jailbreak the device (which I did),
you don't have the customization options that you have on Android.
I really enjoy the graphics and animations on the phone. I think
that the GUI is just prettier for everything rather than having an
industrial look like iOS has.
Of course, I love the fact I can just buy a memory card and add
more memory or swap out a battery should the one I have just dies.
Photos and (especially) video looks stunning on the Galaxy. In
fact, the three of us at my job who bought the Galaxy S3 over the
past week did so based primarily on the quality of taking pictures
and watching video. The screen size makes all the difference.
The file system is easy to understand. Everything you download
has its own file that you can easily search or transfer.
I find myself just naturally doing things I suppose I felt inhibited
doing on iOS. For instance, first day I downloaded a free ringtone
app from the Google Store and I was able to set up all sort of
different notifications using movie ringtones that were available.
I love the way it feels in my hand. It doesn't feel like the iPhone
brick. Much lighter due to the fact it's made of polycarbonate
material. Yes, it feels cheaper in construction but I understand
it's still quite durable.
I am still not thoroughly versed in using this phone yet (as there
are just so many options to set up), but to date, I am liking the
amount of customization that can be done. I am also looking
forward to using Samsung TecTiles which allows you to preprogram
specific commands to your phone with a simple NFC swipe.
Android phones come in lots of flavors instead of a single
iPhone flavor. Lots of different screen sizes to choose from.
Personally, I think the iPhone is a better constructed phone
with better hardware performance. It's the perfect phone for those
that want their device to work a certain way right out of the box.
The OS is so simple that you can hand it a total noob and they
would immediately be able to figure it out.
For those that don't want to be stuck in the closed Apple
ecosystem, the Android OS offers a great deal of customization.
You can spend hours downloading widgets and arranging your
phone exactly the way you want.
Looks like Apple is attempting to pull the Galaxy S3 from the
market, so if anyone is considering to make the switch, you
may wish to do so sooner than later.
I think the best way to make an informed choice on which
brand of phone you want is to play with them both. AT&T allows
you to buy a phone and return it within 30 days for a $35 restock
fee. That was a price I was willing to play to get may hands dirty
with Android. Much better than simply looking at a displayed phone.
There is no wrong decision on which phone to go with. Both are
stellar phones. It just depends on whether you are the tinkering
kind of person of if you want everything to work out of the box
without intervention.
Of course, if Apple blows the doors off everything on September
12th with a phone that clearly pounces on Samsung, I'll be switching
back.
