Samsung Galaxy S III

[FlyinPenguin]

So I have been very content with my HTC Thunderbolt, that is, until I saw this beast. This phone seems likely to create some big waves in the mobile phone world. It is coming to the US on four national carriers and one regional.

Take a look at these specs:

    4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display (1280 x 720)
    Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
    Dimensions: 5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches
    Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz dual core CPU
    Weight: 4.73 ounces
    2GB RAM
    16GB Internal storage
    Up to 64GB expandable memory (microSD)
    2100mAh battery
    Bluetooth 4.0
    MicroUSB
    4G LTE
    8MP Camera w/ LED Flash (4x zoom)
    1.9MP Front-facing camera
    S Beam capable

There is also a 32GB version available at launch and a 64GB version planned for later.

This thing is an absolute beast. I imagine 10bit video will be no problem once the codec support is available.

I am really tempted to pick one of these up when it comes out. Part of me feels like I should wait for the 64GB version though.

It just really sucks I have to pay full retail if I want to retain my truly unlimited data (Verizon). It is going to cost $599 for the 16GB and $659 for the 32GB. I don't even want to know what the $64GB will cost retail. It is only $199 and $249 with a new/renewel two year contract.

Here are some pretty pictures: http://www.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-s-iii-gallery

[halfelite]

it already does here is a video playing a 10bit clip. goto 2 minute mark doesnt show much but does play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46IiRyigUH0&feature=player_embedded

[vuzedome]

Looks like there's codec support, just need a capable machine, seems like the S III is it.

[FlyinPenguin]

That's good to know codec support is finally here. That makes me want this device even more.

[zopilote]

although the SGS III counts with a plenty of capabilities, i still think that samsungs still lacks their smartphones from a dedicated hdmi port.

[Tatsujin]

That's good to know codec support is finally here. That makes me want this device even more.

can play animu?!

[Dhruv]

No matter how good their specs may look...
There is always one problem with the Samsung S series (i have only used S series of Samsung)
they are just fucking pieces of plastic...which i absolutely hate
i held S II in my hand and i was having a feeling that it may fall down or may accidentally drop it at any moment
iPhone on the other hand has some weight and is glass and metal which looks elegant

Btw which screen is better?
Retina display or Super Amoled?

can play animu?!

i have this ques too...
can iPhone 4 play anime?

[FlyinPenguin]

No matter how good their specs may look...
There is always one problem with the Samsung S series (i have only used S series of Samsung)
they are just fucking pieces of plastic...which i absolutely hate
i held S II in my hand and i was having a feeling that it may fall down or may accidentally drop it at any moment
iPhone on the other hand has some weight and is glass and metal which looks elegant

Btw which screen is better?
Retina display or Super Amoled?

Yeah, the plastic issue is the only that that bothers me. I hate the extra bulk case protectors add so plastic is an even bigger liability. It is just such a beast under the hood and the screen looks really nice from what I am reading so I will just have to risk it.

Retina vs Super Amoled? Super Amoled turns off the pixels when not in use so it uses less power and tends to have really good contrast ratios.  Retina is incredibly crisp and clear but it is way too small on the IPhone. I've surfed the web on my dad's IPhone 4S and despite the clarity, it pales in comparison to my Thunderbolts (not SA mind you) 4.3" display. I can't imagine how inferior it would feel to the Galaxy S III's 4.8" screen. The extra real estate just makes the experience so much better to me. For me, it isn't so much an issue of the screen technology but more about size and resolution. I usually buy high end smart phones so even an inferior screen technology tends to look amazing.

I wouldn't be surprised if you find Retina displays on Android devices in the coming years, although under a different name. Then we can all watch Apple sue or try to block a phone from being sold (like they are with the Galaxy S III).

[deadskin]

That's good to know codec support is finally here. That makes me want this device even more.

Most media players have supported this for a while now. Only in software decoding though.

[FlyinPenguin]

That's good to know codec support is finally here. That makes me want this device even more.

Most media players have supported this for a while now. Only in software decoding though.

Luckily this thing has more than enough power to rely solely on software decoding.

I giggled like a little school girl when I read this in the Android Central review:

The phone handled everything we could throw at it without breaking a sweat. And we don’t just mean using a live wallpaper without any lag -- we’re talking about playing a 1080p HD video in a window, while browsing the web and playing a 720p flash video in the background. We’ve got laptops that can’t even do that, so to have that level of computational power in a smartphone is just a little mind-blowing.

[vuzedome]

Laptops can handle it, same as most hand held devices, only the experience is different, slow response and such.

And anything can play animu, just what kind of video is the real question.

But still, watching anime on the go is a taboo to me. It should be watched at home in front of my 40" coupled with kick ass stereo.

[FlyinPenguin]

Laptops can handle it, same as most hand held devices, only the experience is different, slow response and such.

But still, watching anime on the go is a taboo to me. It should be watched at home in front of my 40" coupled with kick ass stereo.

Obviously there are laptops that can handle that but there are still laptops being sold that can't. It is still amazing for a phone to have that kind of power. It is amazing how far we have come. I remember how big of a deal it was when phones first got color screens

I also prefer to watch anime on my 40" HDTV with my surround sound but I am on the go alot so I have to watch on mobile devices. I travel alot and often get stuck waiting in my car so being able to watch on my phone is a real plus.

[lapa321]

I can't believe that 10bit actully ran on the phone without artifacting.

What GPU was it running on?

[Freedom Kira]

Laptops can handle it, same as most hand held devices, only the experience is different, slow response and such.

And anything can play animu, just what kind of video is the real question.

But still, watching anime on the go is a taboo to me. It should be watched at home in front of my 40" coupled with kick ass stereo.

I like being able to hook up a phone to an HDTV via HDMI though. That way, bringing movies or anime to a friend's place no longer requires bringing a laptop or your friend having an HTPC.

[FlyinPenguin]

Laptops can handle it, same as most hand held devices, only the experience is different, slow response and such.

And anything can play animu, just what kind of video is the real question.

But still, watching anime on the go is a taboo to me. It should be watched at home in front of my 40" coupled with kick ass stereo.

I like being able to hook up a phone to an HDTV via HDMI though. That way, bringing movies or anime to a friend's place no longer requires bringing a laptop or your friend having an HTPC.

Apparently you don't need a cable anymore as long as your friend as has a PS3, 360, or DLNA compitble Blu-ray player. I haven't tried it yet though. I see there are apps in the Android Market (or should I say Play Store ) that will allow you to wirelessly stream content on your phone.

[kitamesume]

http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/products/phones/xperia-play/
still is a better WTB over the galaxy for me =/
i wonder tho if they charge for every game you download.

[vuzedome]

I can't believe that 10bit actully ran on the phone without artifacting.

What GPU was it running on?

You obviously missed our points above.
It was on CPU power.

Yeah you can now stream everything that's on your phone to a compatible player. Just need the "infrastructure" in your home to be up to the task.

[FlyinPenguin]

http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/products/phones/xperia-play/
still is a better WTB over the galaxy for me =/
i wonder tho if they charge for every game you download.

I love the control pad but spec wise it doesn't hold a candle.

If only the Galaxy S III had that control pad. I would gladly take the extra bulk.

[kitamesume]

its not just the control pad i liked, its the physical size, battery life and the native game supports that piqued my interest.

dat 5hr straight gaming, lol.

[lapa321]

I can't believe that 10bit actully ran on the phone without artifacting.

What GPU was it running on?

You obviously missed our points above.
It was on CPU power.

Yeah you can now stream everything that's on your phone to a compatible player. Just need the "infrastructure" in your home to be up to the task.

So you guys are finally admitting that ARM is now as powerful as a C2D?

I actually asked before if a quad core (like Tegra 3) is poweful enough to play h264 1080p in software mode. But i was told it probably still used partial GPU acceleration and no one corrected him. So what is it really? Is ARM really powerful enough to do 10bit HD software encoding, or is it still relying on the GPU?