The Samsung Galaxy S 3 - Hands on

Since the Unpacked event, I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my very own Galaxy S3. It finally arrived - in marble white- and I've been blown away.

The Samsung Galaxy S 3 is undoubtedly a very sexy handset. The slim design with thin bezel and slightly curved edges is comfortable and stylish, and the simple design is classy and elegant. This is the first white device I have ever owned and I was a bit dubious at first, but it is very classy. The software design within ICS is more customisable than that of previous handsets, allowing for the layout to be unique to the user. I especially like the fact that additional fonts can be downloaded to further personalise the device.

Beneath the surface, the specs are equally as sexy.  The quad core processor allows for super speedy internet browsing – I’ve never experienced browsing so fast on a mobile device! Pages load seamlessly and quickly, without any lagging when loading pictures. One little niggle I have with the browser is that you can’t Swype input in the URL bar. This is a minor inconvenience, but is annoying since I was used to this with the GS2, and find it much faster and easier than typing a full address.

The camera is slicker and sharper than that of the GS2, allowing for stunning clarity of pictures. All the usual apps and settings are present- with the exclusion of the news and weather app, which I found extremely useful. I can’t seem to find the same app available for download, but have been able to source suitable alternatives. S Memo is also available for this handset, which is handy, but is not as easy to use as that of the Note, which has the added benefit of the S-Pen for easier handwriting input.

The motion features on the S3 are a great addition, and are far from the somewhat gimmicky motions found on the S2. The direct call feature – allowing you to call a contact by just lifting the phone to your ear – is extremely useful when on the go or in a hurry, and the palm to pause is great when you unexpectedly need to mute the device. Smart stay is a really excellent feature – the device recognises when you are watching the screen, and remains on without the need for constantly tapping the screen when reading emails or web articles, or watching video. When watching video, the pop-up play is a cool feature, which allows you to keep the video open in a small screen, while you continue texting, browsing or composing email. These features really enhance the appeal and performance of the device, rather than being gimmicky additions which you won’t really use.

Another useful inbuilt feature is the mobile data counter – without having to download a separate app, the device tracks the amount of mobile data used, and even tells you how this has been used. A handy, and super accurate, feature, especially nowadays when internet use quickly adds up.

The addition of 50GB of Dropbox space is great, as well as the fact that images and video taken with the handset are automatically uploaded, ensuring that you never lose important images. The device ships with 16GB memory, and can take up to a 64GBmemory card – plenty of space for storing anything you could possibly want.

So, it may have taken a while for my network provider to sort my micro sim, but I was very glad when they did, as it meant I could use this as my main handset. At first I was afraid I may be neglecting my trusty S2, which has served me very very well, but the ease of use and stylish design have me convinced that the Galaxy S 3 definitely is designed for humans, and not for sheep!