“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” asked Samsung Galaxy S3. The mirror answered, “You. You are still the fairest.” But after the release of iPhone 5, does this answer hold the truth?
Smartphones of different brands and models have been competing in all aspects. Two of the most prominent ones now on the rise are iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3. The debate of which is better seemed to have subsided though, after the launch of Apple’s iPad mini and its cohorts.
In this article, we’d like to revisit the deal between these two cool mobile devices. We’ll not dare to go into details of specifications, as most other reviews have done the same. Instead, we’ll discuss the good, the bad and the ugly features of these smartphones.
iPhone 5
The Good: Longer Screen
Especially if you’re a gamer and one who frequently uses your phone for web browsing, you will be delighted with the larger screen now of the iPhone 5. From 3.5 inches to 4 inches, the screen provides you with a lot more room to view text entries, images and animations. Everything would be more visible without the need to squint your eyes.
The Bad: Wi-Fi connection
Users have been clamoring about the problem with Wi-Fi connection. Many are experiencing loss of access and disconnect. After series of tests done with other iPhones of lower models in the same area, it has been found that iPhone 5 was not the culprit. Rather, the cause was the iOS 6! Apple’s side has not commented on this.
The Ugly: Light Leakage and Scratches Susceptibility
The design of the iPhone 5 is really attractive. Sadly though, online communities have sent their complaints regarding the light leakage found in the white version of the smartphone. This problem is in between the aluminum antenna and the display glass. This is vividly shown as a small crack around or near the power button. The light leakage may not be seen during daytime or when there’s bright lighting, but it is obvious when in dim light or darkness.
The black model, on the other hand, has earned several reports about getting scuffed. Its anodized aluminum back, as compared to the white model’s aluminum back, is much prone to scratches and light damages. So it should be better be cased immediately after getting out of the box.
Samsung Galaxy S3
The Good: Design
With curved edges and sleek design, the Galaxy S3 feels premium in the hand. Compared to its predecessor S2, its home button is elongated and the soft keys (menu and back buttons) are more user-friendly. Having the sharpest screen on the market, Samsung Galaxy S3 is proud to have its 4.8-inch screen project higher definition images in AMOLED that accentuate visuals and contextual menus fantastically. If colors are not vibrant enough, you can just adjust the level of brightness in the settings.
The Bad: S-voice
Competing against iPhone’s Siri, Samsung lacks wit and whim and functions inconsistently. In most times, you have to repeat your words for it to understand and perform a full range of tasks. You have to executive voice commands in a more straightforward manger—as a robot and not human. Expect to get your patience tested with its ineffectiveness. Better use your thumbs to type than your voice; you would be just wasting time in dictating over and over again to get the right words. Also, note that S-voice is driven by the server, so it does not work well without a decent Internet connection.
The Ugly: Camera
Though the S3 is elegantly constructed overall, it has maintained its snapper as the S2 which disappointed many users. This means that the 8-megapixel camera has not upgraded any better. During the rivalry of S2 against the smartphone models of its time, this 8MP was considered above average. However, now that people anticipate for a 12-megapixel camera to be fitted into the S3, it just failed. Additionally, its maximum aperture only measures up to f/2.6. In this case, shots taken in low light will still have the displeasing noise.
Conclusion
Despite the adjustment of consumers to these two smartphones, they still stay on top of their game, unlike Nokia who just got out from the top 5 of the smartphone league. If you’re torn between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3, you’re not the only one. They have both their good, bad and ugly sides. Packed with the latest technology to keep your pulse racing up, they are sure to be worthy of any pocket.
Author bio
Aubrey Samson, is a a freelance programmer, an annual mountaineer and a former mathematics tutor. During her free time, she spends time watching missed tv series on her “3D TV” , listening to music and composing songs as well. Her favourite music genres are pop and R & B.
