Legacies aren’t built overnight. It takes time, effort and the ability to take a step back to really see what’s working or what isn’t. You can see this in all great legacies in life.
In the smartphone world, however, few demonstrate this better than Samsung’s Galaxy S line. We take a look at what Samsung has done over the past 7 years to build this incredible legacy for themselves.
Samsung’s Galaxy S series has been having amazing success since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S in 2010. Now, five years later we have its 6th iteration, coming a long way from the original 4-inch smartphone when it was originally made as a direct competitor against the iPhone.
The rest they say, is history.
When it comes to latest Android OS updates, some manufacturers would often give its older flagship device a pass. If you’re using a Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II, Samsung appears not to be giving up on you.
According to a source, Samsung is working on an Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade beyond its current Samsung Galaxy S4 model. The roll out of KitKat for Galaxy S III and Note II is expected to happen later in Q1 this year which is sometime in March. As expected, the new update offers software improvements and probably its latest UI interface which was leaked earlier on. Currently Samsung has started rolling out its KitKat upgrade for the Galaxy Note 3 Exynos version which isn’t available here.
The current Android 4.4 KitKat is designed to work with older devices (as low as 512MB of RAM) in an attempt to close the fragmentation gap among Android smart phones. If it can work with a downgraded Nexus 4 with dual-core processor and only 512MB RAM on-board, there’s little reason why manufacturers are not sharing the KitKat goodness around.
The iPhone 5C & iPhone 5S are the latest smart phones coming from Apple, a company that has changed the way we use touch screen smart phones. While iPhones are generally more responsive and fluid than other platforms, a recent study shows that its latest devices are rather inaccurate when it comes to touches.
OptoFidelity has tested the new iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S and an 18 month old Galaxy S III with their own robotic machine which tests display responsiveness and accuracy down to a mm. As shown above, surprisingly the new iPhones fared pretty badly while the Galaxy S3 screen is rather accurate except for its edges. Being a mm off doesn’t sound much but it is quite a big deal when it comes to typing on the keyboard.
In a close up test on the on-screen keyboard accuracy, it appears that the left most key and the 2 right most key on the iPhone 5C/5S would be highly inaccurate. This would probably mean keys such as Q, O and P would be harder to register.
You can check out the accuracy results of the on-screen keyboard and a video of the OptoFidelity machine after the break.
Immediately after the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, Maxis is seen to have reflected a new pricing for its former flagship device. The 4.8″ Galaxy S III is now priced at RM1,699 outright and it is offered as low as RM1,099 on its SurfMore 75 plan with 24 months contract.
If you’re not eyeing for the latest, the Galaxy S III is still a rather decent buy with the more current Android 4.1.2. If Samsung is still keeping up with its support for older models, it may potentially get Android 4.2 Jelly bean with some of the S 4’s gesture/smart features.
For those craving for something smaller, the 4.0″ Galaxy S III mini has been revised as well to RM999.
For more information, head over to Maxis.
[ SOURCE ]
This post is paid for by Celcom, the operator with Malaysia’s widest network and winner of Frost & Sullivan’s Mobile Broadband Provider of the Year for two years in a row.
Thinking of owning a Samsung Galaxy Note or a Galaxy S III outright? Celcom is offering a special deal where you can buy one at lower price without contractual plans or commitment.
In conjunction with Merdeka celebration, the Galaxy Note can be yours for only RM1,788 while the latest Galaxy S III can be yours at RM1,898. That’s about RM300 off the usual outright pricing. The promo ends this coming Malaysia Day on 16th September.
For more information, head over to Celcom Merdeka Promo page to find a nearest Blue Cube outlet.
The Samsung Galaxy S III might have a funny “designed for humans” tagline but Samsung insists that there’s a lot of thought process involved when designing its current flagship smart phone. They have just released a design story video which explain its key inspirations behind the design and how they integrated nature elements on the Galaxy S III.
It shares how they got inspiration of creating a natural curved body where the back cover mimics a pebble with water flowing over it. In terms of software, Samsung aims to make the experience as natural as possible with gestures and realistic sounds of nature. They have played around with various liquid sounds and the video revealed that the sound of dripping orange juice was used for the phone dialer. Watch the 5 over minute video above.
Maxis has added the Samsung Galaxy S III into its Port-in bundled (MNP) offers.
Just like the iPhone 4S and HTC One X offer, the Samsung Galaxy S III can be yours for only RM799 with 24 months contract of Maxis Value Plus 50 postpaid voice + 1GB data plan (RM98/month). An upfront payment of RM1050 is required which will be rebated back to your monthly bill. This offer is valid until 20th August 2012.
For more information, head over to Maxis.
For the Samsung Galaxy S III, they are no longer shouting loudly about hardware specifications but rather on the unique features that they have. One of them is AllShare which lets you push content to the big screen and among your peers wirelessly. To demonstrate that, Samsung has released a series of videos that shows off AllShare’s advantage in various day to day scenario.
Of course, this only works if all your peers and family members are using a Galaxy S III and compatible devices from Samsung. Interestingly Samsung is no longer taking pot shots against Apple which they did last year and during their Galaxy S III teaser.
Head after the break for 2 more videos.
Earlier on, a Samsung Galaxy S III owner alleged that his newly bought device suddenly exploded while charging in his car. Obviously news of an exploding flagship phone would spread like wild fire. Samsung in the other hand has taken the issue very seriously and they had launched a thorough investigation.
To find out what’s the main cause, Samsung had commissioned Fire Investigations UK (FIUK) to examine the device. It was later determined that the energy source of the heat came externally and it wasn’t from the device itself. The main highlight is that the only possible way to reproduce such damage if it was placed within a domestic microwave.
After the findings were make known, the purported owner had posted in the same forum where he first posted that he retracted all statements against Samsung over the “exploding” issue. He added on that damage was caused by someone else as an attempt to dry off his Galaxy S III that has gotten wet. The FIUK report had also questioned the missing moisture detection patch which is often phone internally.
Hopefully that clears up the rumours of exploding Galaxy S III. You can read the full details over at Samsung Tomorrow Blog.
The Samsung Galaxy S III is finally available on contract with U Mobile from as low as RM588 at all U Mobile stores nationwide. The Galaxy S III which retails for RM2,199 is now offered on 4 contract plan options with 24 months period.
In past bundling, there’s U28, U58 & U88 which comes bundled with 1GB, 2GB and 3GB respectively. Now they are bundling the device with U Premium, which offers 5GB of data, 800 minutes of call & 800 SMS for RM168/month. A major thing to note is that U Premium’s bundled minutes are split 50-50 for calls/SMS made to numbers within U Mobile network and other domestic networks. Obviously the RM588 price offered is tied with U Premium plan for 24 months. If U Premium’s subscription of RM168/month is too much to commit, the Galaxy S III can be yours at RM1,099 on 24 months contract of U88.
For more information, head over to U Mobile’s Galaxy S III page.
Coming in late for the party, U Mobile is offering the Samsung Galaxy S III at their shops very soon. For now, they have started its registration of interest.
According to the page, those that registered will be informed on collection details on the 29th of June. While U Mobile is a late comer, it is good to see a new alternative to offer more choice and competition for consumers. To compare existing Galaxy S III plans from the big 3, check out our bundled plans comparison post.
To register, head over to U Mobile’s Galaxy S III page.
