Mobile
5 Features the Galaxy S III Should Have
So you may have heard. The Samsung Galaxy S III is on the way and its launch may coincide with the 2012 Summer Olympics which will be taking place in London. There are already some rumored specifications out for it which include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a quad-core processor, and a high-definition screen of some kind. Sounds like a dream phone, right?
Well, I want to venture further into this dream and tell you about a few other things that I would love to see from the Galaxy S III.
Clearly, not all of these things are going to happen, but I don’t think any of them are too far-fetched, especially for a phone that Samsung hopes will surpass the 10 million Galaxy S II’s that were sold in 2011.
So here is what I think the Galaxy S III should have when it arrives later on this year.
Fast Data Speeds
Samsung has already released two 4G LTE devices in the Galaxy Nexus for Verizon and Galaxy S II Skyrocket for AT&T. It will also be launching a 4G LTE powered Galaxy Nexus for Sprint sometime this summer.
And while it may not come to Sprint or Verizon because of the Nexus, I still think that the Galaxy S III needs to have HSPA+ 42 speeds for T-Mobile and 4G LTE speeds for AT&T.
It’s almost a given that it will.
Amazing Battery Life
But, if it has those kinds of speeds, I want it to have fantastic battery life. One of my biggest gripes with the Galaxy Nexus for Verizon is that it has putrid battery life. Samsung really needs to outfit its devices, especially one of the Galaxy S III’s caliber, with a large battery. If that means sacrificing a couple of millimeters design-wise, so be it. Battery life is much more important.
Take a lesson from Motorola.
They were able to package an absolutely massive 3,300 mAh battery inside of the Droid RAZR MAXX, a device that comes with a frame that measures 8.9mm. That’s thin enough and the battery life on the device destroys the competition.
So how about it Samsung?
Not this, please.
A Bold Design
I hate picking on the Galaxy Nexus here but I have to. I really, really, really hope that Samsung does not go down the same design route it did with the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II devices. Let’s mix it up a bit and get rid of the plastic. I realize that it’s going to cost more money to do something different – say aluminum, but this phone needs to be mind-blowing if it’s going to top the Galaxy S II, the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5.
I also understand the philosophy of staying with what works. But look at Apple and what it did with the jump from the plastic of the iPhone 3GS to glass and metal of iPhone 4?
It definitely didn’t hurt.
Be bold, do something different with the Galaxy S III, Samsung.
Create a phone that feels like it’s worth the $300 I paid for it.
Smaller Display Option
Every single one of Samsung’s Galaxy S II devices had a massive screen. Different size massive, but massive nonetheless. How about a Galaxy S III with a 4-inch screen? How about one with a 4.3-inch screen? How about both?
Not everyone wants a phone with an absurdly big screen, I know I didn’t buy the Nexus because of its 4.65-inch display.
Out of all of these, this is probably the least likely to happen but boy, would I spring for a 4-inch display on a phone rocking Android 4.0 and a quad-core processor. If you don’t trust me on that screen size, go check out the Droid Incredible 2.
It’s still one of my favorite Android phones of all time.
A Ridiculously Good Camera
Last but not least, how about a camera that’s on the same level as Apple’s iPhone 4S? The Galaxy Nexus camera is terrible and the cameras on the Galaxy S II devices weren’t enough to shelve my point and shoot.
The only regret I have about not buying the iPhone 4S is the camera. It’s nothing short of amazing. And just about everyone I know who owns one raves about it. If you don’t believe me, here is a sample from the iPhone 4S:
And here’s one from the Galaxy Nexus:
Yeah, yeah. There are all sorts of variables at work here but just trust me on this. The iPhone 4S camera blows the Galaxy Nexus’ out of the water and it would be nice if Samsung could lessen that gap.
Please do so with the Galaxy S III, Sammy.
Your legions of fans will appreciate it.
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What’s on your Galaxy S III wishlist?
Anonymous
02/01/2012 at 2:41 am
That 4S pic up there looks a bit blured, but I know what you mean the pictures taken with the 4S are nice.
The camera on the Galaxy S II is just as amazing in my opinion. Don’t know if you’ve tried it first hand, but it leaves iPhone 4 pictures in the dust and I would say competes well with the iPhone 4S (which came out quite a few months after).
Jamie Arellano
02/01/2012 at 7:43 pm
There is a major advantage to using plastic instead of metal for the back of the phone. The NFC chip in the Galaxy Nexus has signal boosting features in the case that allow for better NFC signals. Also, if you choose to add a micro sd chip that has NFC capabilities to a device that has a metal back you can’t really transmit the signal. NFC payments are going to be huge in the near future. Phones that have metal backs will be left out of the game.
Stebejovs
02/02/2012 at 1:18 am
“this phone needs to be mind-blowing if it’s going to top the Galaxy S
II, the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5.”
The Galaxy S II already beats the 4S, or at least is on par. So the only thing the S III needs to do is beat out the iPhone 5.
“Let’s mix it up a bit and get rid of the plastic. I realize that it’s
going to cost more money to do something different – say aluminum”
I don’t want a metal phone. Plastic is optimal for stronger build quality, feels less hot, and does not interfere with signaling like metal does.
“But look at Apple and what it did
with the jump from the plastic of the iPhone 3GS to glass and metal of
iPhone 4? It definitely didn’t hurt.”
Sure it hurt. The iPhone 4’s poor build quality resulting from using glass is what lead to extremely high damage rates where a significant portion of customers had to frequently replace the iPhone. Apple dropped the ball on the iPhone 4 and 4S by using glass. Who wants a phone you have to handle like a fragile egg that will break from 1 or 2 falls?
“The iPhone 4S camera blows the Galaxy Nexus’ out of the water”
Better? Slightly. Blows it out of the water? Exaggeration. Plus the Galaxy S II in my opinion has a better camera than the Galaxy Nexus, so this huge gap in camera quality is not really there except in the world of hype.