Samsung Galaxy S III (Virgin Mobile)
The Samsung Galaxy S III is a very capable Android smartphone featuring 4G LTE speeds, 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor, a gorgeous Super AMOLED 4.8-inch display, and an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording HD video and still images simultaneously. The S3 is also equipped with NFC technology, 16 GB built-in memory, microSD slot for additional storage, multi-format music player, WiFi, and GPS. This device offers access to thousands of apps, games, movies, books, and music on the Google Play Store.
Optimized for peak performance, the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S III offers one of the most sophisticated interactive mobile experiences to date. You’ll be able to send photos, videos, and information easier and faster than ever while staying in close connection to friends and family members from wherever you are.
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Intuitive, stylish, and simple to use (see larger image).
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Delivering impressive processing power to allow more applications to be accessible simultaneously, the Galaxy S III also features a brilliant 4.8-inch display that extends to an ultra-thin bezel to maximize the viewing area. The expansive display is also protected by Gorilla Glass 2.0 to guard against cracks and scratches and provide enhanced touchscreen responsiveness.
The Galaxy S III runs the Android 4.1 operating system (a.k.a., Jelly Bean), bringing a redesigned user interface with enhanced multitasking, notifications, full Web browsing experience, and more. You’ll also enjoy innovative, next-gen features such as Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy S III, and Near Field Communications (NFC) capabilities.
Going beyond simple point-and-shoot photography, the 8-megapixel rear camera offers a Burst Shot mode that captures still pictures at a rapid-fire pace at three images per second with zero shutter lag, and its Best Shot feature recommends the best picture to keep based on colors, lighting, and clarity. It also records Full HD 1080p video with a backside illuminated sensor that improves performance in low light environments–and you can even capture a photo while shooting video.
Other features include Bluetooth 4.0 with stereo audio streaming, 16 GB internal storage, memory expansion via optional microSD cards, and up to 9.2 hours of talk time.
Simple, Instant Sharing
The Galaxy S III has enhanced features that both you and your contacts will enjoy. It’s designed to make sharing easy and more direct so your friends and family can experience every moment with you, regardless of your location.
Connect Through Touch: With S Beam, just place two Galaxy S III phones back-to-back and you can transfer photos, videos, documents, and more. In just three minutes you can successfully share a 1 GB video file–it’s fast, easy, and you don’t even need a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.
Send Pictures in a Flash: Thanks to Buddy Photo Share, the Galaxy S III recognizes the faces of your friends, so it can share photos with them right away. And with Share Shot, you can send photos to all your party guests so everyone leaves with snapshots of the event.
Access Content on Multiple Devices: Through AllShare Play, you can share files with other devices and access those files on various devices, such as documents or multimedia files between your Galaxy S III phone and a tablet, PC, or television. With AllShare Group Cast on the Galaxy S III and a Wi-Fi network, you can share and collaborate on documents, presentations or images in real-time with multiple friends or co-workers without loading the file separately.
Intelligent and Intuitive Interaction
Smart enough to detect your face, voice and motions, the Galaxy S III provides a more convenient and natural way for you to interact so it fits seamlessly into your daily routine.
Tell Your Phone What to Do: The S Voice feature enables the Galaxy S III to actually listen and respond to your words: tell it to wake up, snooze, take a photo, answer a call, send a text message, or play a favorite song.
Don’t Miss a Message: If you’ve been away from your phone, the Smart Alert feature will give you a vibrating nudge to let you know about missed calls and messages.
Vital Statistics
The Samsung Galaxy S III weighs 4.7 ounces and measures 5.4 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches. Its 2100 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 9.2 hours of talk time.
What’s in the Box
Samsung Galaxy S III handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, quick start guide
Connectivity
Communications & Internet
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Hardware
Memory
Camera
Multimedia
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Product Features
- Display: 4.8-inches
- Camera: 8-MP
- Processor Speed: 1.5 GHz
- OS: Android 4.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- Network: CDMA 3G / EVDO Rev A/4G WiMAX LTE
- 1.5 GHz Dual core processor
- 4.8 inch full touchscreen-super AMOLED plus 8MP Primary Camera and 2MP Front Facing
- Android 4.1 Ice Cream Sandwich
- CDMA 3G EVDO Rev A/4G WiMAX and LTE
- WiFi/Mobile Hotspot Capability
Fantastic Phone! Truly Flagship First of all, I’d like to thank Amazon because they, for some miraculous reason, sold me this phone brand new for $317. How, I don’t know, considering retail on Virgin’s website is $399. The point I’m trying to get across is if Amazon drops the price of this phone substantially, believe that it is no scam. It’s just flat-out generosity.Now, on to the phone.Even though I had large savings on this device, it is well worth it even if you pay full price. I came from an HTC Evo 3D which I thought was a fantastic, capable device, but there truly is a difference between a flagship and non-flagship. The Evo had great specs, despite being non-flagship, both on paper and performance-wise, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I would gladly put it at an 8.5 or 9. However, this Galaxy is a 12 on that same scale. It really stands out as a true flagship because of its performance and build quality. This phone is plastic vs. the Evo’s half metal/half rubberized plastic build but I still appreciate the Galaxy’s build quality more. The phrase, “you get what you pay for” could never be more true than here. This phone is unparalleled on the Virgin selection, as of the time of this review. I can only see it bested by the Galaxy S4 or Note 2, but surprisingly, not by much. Plus, let’s remember this is a no-contract device on a $35/month plan. Unbeatable.The ProcessorThis Galaxy is not the Galaxy S3 i9300 version (international quad-core 1.4GHz version, 1GB RAM). This is the US version (dual core 1.5GHz version, 2GB RAM). I haven’t had the international version so I can’t make a comparison, but I can say that this processor is extremely capable, unsurprisingly. You will not notice lag, even if you intentionally open a lot of apps to test its performance. Everything, including all transitions, are smooth 99% of the time, which is pleasant to the eye and makes it a competitor with iPhone’s fluidity when it comes to operating systems. The processor will easily handle all games on the market, photo editing apps, etc. It will handle anything the hardcore or simple user will demnd because this phone was made to multi-task, hence, the multi-window feature, a feature you’ll have to explore when you purchase this phone. I think the processor helps a lot with the internet as well. I put my Evo and Galaxy on 3G and tested the speeds in loading videos and webpages. On the same 3G network, the Galaxy bested the Evo significantly every time. Bottom Line: Fully capable, fast processor.CameraWhat can I say? It has an 8MP sensor and acts as such. I can’t make comparisons because this is the first phone I’ve had with an 8MP camera, but I can say that from 5MP on the Evo to 8MP on the Galaxy, there is a big clarity difference. Obviously the Galaxy’s camera would be better, but I’ve always thought the Evo had a great camera for only being 5MP. Still though, the Galaxy’s 8MP does the job. Very nice, crisp, clear pictures, good low-light performance, vibrant colors. First phone that has truly allowed me to leave my point-and-shoot at home. Favorite feature (even though there are tons of awesome features, such as Burst Shot & Panorama): Zero shutter lag. The camera is so fast!GamingLike I said before, no problems. Run Asphalt or some other heavy game and it’ll perform well. P.s. Graphics look fantastic. 306 ppi screen is quite impressive.BatteryOkay, important topic here to many users. From my Evo to this Galaxy, the battery life of this Galaxy is far superior. However, I know that some others may not find this battery that great if they compare it to other devices with better batteries or simply because they are heavy users and the Galaxy barely lasts a day with them. However, for me, the average user (I chat on Messenger almost all day, so internet is always on, the occasional texting and picture taking, sometimes need GPS Navigation, occasional web search) I found the battery to be just fine. It lasted me all day, plus, it actually charges pretty quickly. And this while I had a live wallpaper. This battery should be fine for almost all average users, but if not, invest in a slim extended battery. No big deal.Call Quality/NetworkNo problems whatsoever with texting or calling, I always seem to have a signal and 3G service that isn’t drastically slow. The 3G is fine, but I’m still excited for 4GLTE coming to my city this year. The call quality was great, there’s a feature that amplifies the voice volume. Other people were clear to me, and I was clear to them. No issues.MemoryYou get approximately 11GB usable internal memory out of the 16GB capacity. Fine with me. Evo only gave me 1GB usable space out of the 4GB capacity.OSTouchWiz didn’t bother me. I actually like it and all the transitions, better than HTC Sense. But that’s a personal preference issue.Bottom…
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