The Samsung Galaxy S3

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Azure

Or install a vibrate app that can control vibration for different notifications.

As for the email thing, I highly recommend K9 mail. I think it works rather well.

Thanks. May try both. I hate the default mail app because it doesn't keep track of older messages in my various folders, but I find the Gmail app a little cumbersome at times.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Yeah, I had the notification sound set as default but had put the phone on silent and still had "vibrate when ringing" enabled. Changed the notification tone to silent and that got rid of it.

Good stuff.

Whatever did you do with the broken screen?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Good stuff.

Whatever did you do with the broken screen?

Just ended up getting the screen and digitizer replaced. A guy on eBay did it for $150, which was about half of what it was going to cost to get it done locally.

[Kipper is King]

So, the s3 might be getting an update which will give it some of the s4's features!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2272168

http://www.sammobile.com/2013/05/20/...-galaxy-s-iii/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K02K...ature=youtu.be

[rubecube]

Switching to Slim seems to have really improved my battery life and performance. Had no idea how much TouchWiz was gumming up the works.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Switching to Slim seems to have really improved my battery life and performance. Had no idea how much TouchWiz was gumming up the works.

If you were on stock Touchwiz it is absolutely brutal. I couldn't believe all the crap that was running or syncing in the back ground that I couldn't disable.

I like Slim. Seems to have all the features you need and they do a great job with the code. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a great selection on non Touchwiz based ROMs for the S3 (compared to Nexus devices anyways). There are AOKP ROMs but I am not a fan. Slim seems to be the best of the bunch but I am looking to try something else.

[Igster]

I dunno...my wife is on stock and her battery lasts longer than mine on Slim. I don't really have much else loaded than her and she uses her phone more than me.

[chalms04]

Anyone know the best place to get a screen replaced?

[drew24]

Originally Posted by chalms04

Anyone know the best place to get a screen replaced?

Any idea of it is easy to do? I'd look it up before you let someone else do it. iPhix was going to charge me $99 for them to fix my headphone jack. I just ordered the part for around $15 and it took about 15 minutes to fix. I'm sure there's a bit more risk when doing a screen but I'd look at buying a replacement screen off eBay and fixing it myself first.

[rubecube]

Awesome. I'm now getting this issue:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2133401

#### you, Samsung.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I wish Google would release a Google Play version of the Note 3. I could find myself using a phone of that size.

[Nyah]

Without reading through the previous 28 pages of this discussion, I'm just going to throw out my questions even though they've probably already been asked. That's a LOT of reading.

I'm thinking about trying out the Galaxy S3 for my next phone as my plan is coming up for renewal. I don't have anything against my iPhone, but as I still have the 4 the battery is awful and it's not the fastest anymore when it comes the the internet...or anything, really. I just like change. If I'm not sold on the Galaxy after using it, I'll move onto the next phone on my next renewal. I've never had a phone that I hated. So a few questions, keeping in mind that I know absolutely nothing about the Galaxy besides my friends telling me it's great and what it looks like :

1. The main thing I use my phone for (besides texting & calls) is listening to music. I listen to my music all day at the office as well as on my way home from work on transit, and a lot of the time while I'm at home as well. I need a phone that will store my 20+GB's of music. I also really like the idea of iTunes, not on my computer but on my phone. If I hear a song/album I love, I can just go onto iTunes and download it on the spot. Does Galaxy have something similar to this? Is there a program that you need to install on your computer to manage your music or is it more of a 'drag & drop' system? Don't get me wrong: trying to use iTunes on the computer makes me want to pull my hair out but a similar program ON the phone would be great.

2. Are the apps comparable to those in the Apple world? There are some great apps available for iPhone, and I'm just wondering if they are made for Galaxy as well? A few for example: travel apps, sports apps (TSN is my favourite), games, etc. Would you say they're better on the Galaxy or comparable?

3. International travel. I have WhatsApp on my phone right now and it's really handy when it comes to keeping in contact with family when I'm overseas, which is at least two or three times a year. I know with iMessage you can also text those contacts that use iPhones if you're on Wifi... how about Galaxy? Is WhatsApp compatible and do they have a texting program that allows texting with Wifi without a network?

Any other notes & advice would be appreciated as well. Should I jump on it now, or wait until the next Galaxy release (how often are they released)? Pros/cons?

Edit: this may be a really dumb question, but does the Galaxy have the ability to link work email? I'd need that too.

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Without reading through the previous 28 pages of this discussion, I'm just going to throw out my questions even though they've probably already been asked. That's a LOT of reading.

I'm thinking about trying out the Galaxy S3 for my next phone as my plan is coming up for renewal. I don't have anything against my iPhone, but as I still have the 4 the battery is awful and it's not the fastest anymore when it comes the the internet...or anything, really. I just like change. If I'm not sold on the Galaxy after using it, I'll move onto the next phone on my next renewal. I've never had a phone that I hated. So a few questions, keeping in mind that I know absolutely nothing about the Galaxy besides my friends telling me it's great and what it looks like :

1. The main thing I use my phone for (besides texting & calls) is listening to music. I listen to my music all day at the office as well as on my way home from work on transit, and a lot of the time while I'm at home as well. I need a phone that will store my 20+GB's of music. I also really like the idea of iTunes, not on my computer but on my phone. If I hear a song/album I love, I can just go onto iTunes and download it on the spot. Does Galaxy have something similar to this? Is there a program that you need to install on your computer to manage your music or is it more of a 'drag & drop' system? Don't get me wrong: trying to use iTunes on the computer makes me want to pull my hair out but a similar program ON the phone would be great.

2. Are the apps comparable to those in the Apple world? There are some great apps available for iPhone, and I'm just wondering if they are made for Galaxy as well? A few for example: travel apps, sports apps (TSN is my favourite), games, etc. Would you say they're better on the Galaxy or comparable?

3. International travel. I have WhatsApp on my phone right now and it's really handy when it comes to keeping in contact with family when I'm overseas, which is at least two or three times a year. I know with iMessage you can also text those contacts that use iPhones if you're on Wifi... how about Galaxy? Is WhatsApp compatible and do they have a texting program that allows texting with Wifi without a network?

Any other notes & advice would be appreciated as well. Should I jump on it now, or wait until the next Galaxy release (how often are they released)? Pros/cons?

Galaxy has as much space to store your music as iPhones ++++ AND you can add your own sim cards as well to increase space.
Just as many Apps as iPhone and many are the same.
WhatsApp is available in the Play Store for Galaxy.

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Without reading through the previous 28 pages of this discussion, I'm just going to throw out my questions even though they've probably already been asked. That's a LOT of reading.

1. The main thing I use my phone for (besides texting & calls) is listening to music. I listen to my music all day at the office as well as on my way home from work on transit, and a lot of the time while I'm at home as well. I need a phone that will store my 20+GB's of music. I also really like the idea of iTunes, not on my computer but on my phone. If I hear a song/album I love, I can just go onto iTunes and download it on the spot. Does Galaxy have something similar to this? Is there a program that you need to install on your computer to manage your music or is it more of a 'drag & drop' system? Don't get me wrong: trying to use iTunes on the computer makes me want to pull my hair out but a similar program ON the phone would be great.

2. Are the apps comparable to those in the Apple world? There are some great apps available for iPhone, and I'm just wondering if they are made for Galaxy as well? A few for example: travel apps, sports apps (TSN is my favourite), games, etc. Would you say they're better on the Galaxy or comparable?

3. International travel. I have WhatsApp on my phone right now and it's really handy when it comes to keeping in contact with family when I'm overseas, which is at least two or three times a year. I know with iMessage you can also text those contacts that use iPhones if you're on Wifi... how about Galaxy? Is WhatsApp compatible and do they have a texting program that allows texting with Wifi without a network?

Any other notes & advice would be appreciated as well. Should I jump on it now, or wait until the next Galaxy release (how often are they released)? Pros/cons?

Edit: this may be a really dumb question, but does the Galaxy have the ability to link work email? I'd need that too.

1. The iphone is a better music player as a device. It is their claim to fame and they are good at it. Android however is not bad just will take some getting used to and some adjustments in your musics metadata. Android has the play store which IMO is no better or worse in terms of music offerings. The expandable memory is nice on Samsung devices but occasionally some devices can suffer from the SD card not present issue and require a reformat.

2.Pretty much all the apps you can buy on apple exist on android. iOS apps tend to be a bit more polished then android apps but android makes up for it in more useability and choices. For example facebook is more user friendly on iOS but is limited in functionality as on android I can create custom opening rules, alerts and linking (as well as widgets).

3. Like mentioned before Whatsapp exists on both platforms and IMO is a bit better on android due to the ability to customize alerts. iMessage works with any data connection it does not just need wifi. iMessage is good for what its worth but useless when all your friends and/or family do not have an iDevice.

I have both iOS and Android as my daily phones (5S work phone Note3 Personal phone) and like both. I like how the 5S has 0 lag and the polish of the apps and music player. I hate trying to read a webpage on the iPhone. The Note 3 I love surfing and reading emails/texts as the huge screen makes it easy. I also cannot say enough about google now integration as I believe it is utterly amazing. As an example Google Now set my alarm off 15 minutes earlier on Tuesday because there was an accident on 17th and it realized I would need more time to get to work. When I first installed Google Now it seemed extremely useless but after a month of having it going in the background it has learned all my habits and its actually scary the things it seems to know. Google Now exists on the iPhone as well but I have yet to have it do anything for me on the 5S (but its a work phone so that could have a lot to do with it)

If I was in your shoes I would wait a few weeks as Google will be announcing the Nexus 5 and the outright price is under $400 so the market will be flooded with barely used S4's and N4's which will drive their price down. Or.....you could go with the new Nexus 5 which if the leaked info is correct seems like a great phone.

Edit: Yes the Galaxy has the ability for exchange email, however depending on your works exchange policies you might be required to adjust your security profile on your phone (allow remote wipes, use a passcode etc)

[Nyah]

I haven't heard much about the Nexus but from what you said it sounds pretty cool. For the things I use a phone for (music, apps, internet browsing, etc.) which of the two would you recommend? Are the apps on the Nexus similar as well? Another thing I really like about the Galaxy is the size. I love that it's bigger as the iPhone can be a pain to text on.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Nyah

1. The main thing I use my phone for (besides texting & calls) is listening to music. I listen to my music all day at the office as well as on my way home from work on transit, and a lot of the time while I'm at home as well. I need a phone that will store my 20+GB's of music. I also really like the idea of iTunes, not on my computer but on my phone. If I hear a song/album I love, I can just go onto iTunes and download it on the spot. Does Galaxy have something similar to this? Is there a program that you need to install on your computer to manage your music or is it more of a 'drag & drop' system? Don't get me wrong: trying to use iTunes on the computer makes me want to pull my hair out but a similar program ON the phone would be great.

I can speak to this issue directly, as I came from an Iphone and use Itunes to manage a huge music collection, and had challenges when switching to the S3. The galaxy S3 is passable for music, but not nearly as good as the iphone in that regard.

As far as I know there is no iTunes equivalent to allow you to buy music via the phone. Google Play store doesn't offer music in Canada. For me, I buy all my music on my macbook then transfer it over to the phone, it is a drag and drop process. Transferring files works fine. I would also suggest not using the stock music player and using an app like doubletwist, as it allows you to change tracks on the lock screen.

Another drawback is headphones with music controls...the stock ones with the galaxy suck. And if you choose to use something like apple earpods, you won't get the full scope of controls.

Also, sound quality..its generally fine but I find using some headphones at lower volumes I get some hissing sound that I never heard on my iphone.

Another drawback..I haven't been able to get an app that allows for gapless playback.

It took some customization for me to get the phone to be decent with my music collection, but if you are a music fan I think it lags way behind what the Iphone and Itunes integration provides.

However I love some of what Android provides overall, so its a trade off. You have to decide how important it is to you. For music you can't beat the Iphone IMO.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Igottago

As far as I know there is no iTunes equivalent to allow you to buy music via the phone. Google Play store doesn't offer music in Canada. For me, I buy all my music on my macbook then transfer it over to the phone, it is a drag and drop process.

How much do you spend on music in a month? I find my Rdio subscription handles all of my music needs, and for $7.99/month, does so at pretty unbeatable price.

[Galakanokis]

I run a S3 and really like it so far. I mainly like it for email, texting, surfing that kind of stuff. Never cared to much about my music, it's on there and I listen to it, I don't manage it whatsoever. You can upload all your music to Google play and manage, stream that way if you so desire.

For work email you are best to check in with your IT department first, though there are few companies now that won't do Android and iOS. But security policies vary of course. My company supports stock Samsung but no other android flavors without running a couple of other apps, MobileIron and Touchdown. Not a big deal though as Mobile Iron runs like Samsung's SAFE and I find Touchdown a very nice email app.

There is no built in messaging app that works like imessage but whatsapp is available as well as others. The only requirement everyone you text will have to have the same program. Doable just not as integrated as an iphone. I use Kik for that kind of thing mainly because my cousin works there.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by rubecube

How much do you spend on music in a month? I find my Rdio subscription handles all of my music needs, and for $7.99/month, does so at pretty unbeatable price.

Is this price for unlimited downloads? What's the variety like and are they pretty on the ball with new releases, soundtracks, etc.?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Is this price for unlimited downloads? What's the variety like and are they pretty on the ball with new releases, soundtracks, etc.?

Yep, it's unlimited downloads and streaming. If you like something you're streaming just hit "sync to mobile" and it will add it to your device for offline listening. I think the selection is great. There are a couple of big name, classic rock bands like the Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin that aren't on there, but I've been able to find pretty much everything else I want. They're also pretty on the ball with new content as well. The new Pearl Jam album was on there on release date AFAIK.