Galaxy S III Features: New Samsung Phone Ships With Camera Trickery, Motion Detection, And More

Now that Samsung has outed its Galaxy S III, it's time to ask the question: "So what's new?"

While the form factor of the smartphone hasn't changed much, a bunch of new Galaxy S III features set it apart from the previous-generation Galaxy S II. We're not just talking about your normal, everyday specs -- the 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, the 2-megapixel front-facing camera, the 16/32GB storage with up to 64GB storage available via the microSD slot -- we're talking about the features that set the Galaxy S III apart from other smartphones. Here are the features we saw at Samsung's Next Galaxy event in London that opened our eyes.

For more on the Galaxy S III, check out our coverage of Samsung's big event, as well as the brand new commercial for the device.

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• 4.8-Inch Super AMOLED Display

  The screen is huge, up from 4.3 inches on the Galaxy S II. A 4.8 inch screen makes it one of the largest displays on a flagship phone there is. Compare with HTC's One X (4.7 inches), the Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx (4.3 inches), and Apple's iPhone 4S (3.5 inches). The resolution is 1280x720.

• S Voice

  Samsung introduces 'S Voice' on the Galaxy S III. To wake the phone up and activate the voice sensor, you simply say "Hi Galaxy!" and the phone wakes up; no need to push a button. Other voice commands, in addition to the stock ones in the Google Voice Actions catalogue: Using your voice, you can launch the camera and take a photo, turn the volume up and down, snooze the alarm (say "Snooze" as your alarm is going off -- dangerous!), and send texts and emails.

• Motion Detection

  If you're writing a text to someone, and then you raise the phone to your ear, the GS3 launches the telephone app and automatically calls the person you were texting.

• S Beam

  The Galaxy S III comes with an NFC chip that allows you to "bump" information like photos or video to other Galaxy S III owners by touching phones together, using a combination of the NFC technology and Wi-Fi Direct. With All-Share Cast, you can beam your screen to any DLNA-compatible television; All-Share Cast also allows you to share your screen onto anyone else's smartphone for document collaboration.

• Pop Up Play

  "Pop up play" will allow you to play a video anywhere on the screen while also performing other tasks, like checking your email or responding to texts. You can make the video window as large or small as you want. Here, you can see a YouTube video playing toward the bottom of the screen while a demonstrator prepares to search Google.

• Burst Shot

  The Galaxy S III's 8 megapixel camera comes with burst photography: Holding down the shutter will take twenty photos in a row; you can then choose the best photo and the phone will automatically erase the other 19. A similar function exists on the HTC One line of phones. An alternate function: The Burst camera can take 8 photos in a row and then automatically choose the best one, if you're too indecisive to choose on your own.

• Buddy Photo Share

  The photography software comes with smart facial recognition: When you take a picture of a friend, it can recognize their face and will prompt you to send that photo to that person's phone or email address.

• Smart Stay

  Essentially an eye recognition technology, the GS3 can sense when you are and are not looking it: When you are looking at your screen, the display will stay illuminated; when you stop looking at your phone, the display goes dark to save power. The feature can be toggled on and off, if you prefer to just let your screen time out.

• This Commercial

  Here's the first commercial for the Galaxy S III. At least, we think it's advertising the Galaxy S III. It might also be advertising a soap opera or Zach Braff film of some kind.

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Comments

[rainyca]

05:52 AM on 02/01/2013

I don't think it will drop, but it said S4 will release later.
But the Survivor Protective Case with Stand for SAMSUNG Galaxy S3 is worth if really have a S3.
http://www.theideasforgift.com/en/301-griffin-survivor-military-duty-protective-case-with-stand-for-samsung-galaxy-s3.html

[1ConcertTickets]

10:45 AM on 06/03/2012

Do you think the price will drop in the next few days/weeks ?
As far as I can see on http://amzn.to/GalaxysIII the current price is 840$ which is extremely unlikely for just a smartphone.

[prot2betakeys]

01:21 PM on 05/10/2012

Yep, that's Nice. I made some good hot review, specs, Apps, and more to new Galaxy if you want you easy can get it here http://bit.ly/JkOeYm
Thanks!

[ElCojonuo]

12:20 PM on 05/08/2012

I'm still using a Motorola Flip Phone; I guess that makes me a neanderthal.

[jyourichi]

07:09 PM on 05/05/2012

As a female, I was one of those Apple lovers. I jail breaked both my iphone 3gs and 4 and had fun with them it for a while. I just got bored with the Apple. I just switched to HTC inspire to try out the Android OS and I love it!! Mind you the phone is more than One yrs old, but I do not like having contracts with Phone companies. I love how the Android OS phones allow me to have complete control of the phone. I am not bashing Apple, but it is no fun unless it is Jailbroken. I disliked itunes, and completely hated that I was forced to use it and download it to my computer. I honestly don't think I will ever go back to Apple. One advantage Apple has however are the apps, but the android market is catching up.

[Timothy Medeiros]

09:19 PM on 05/05/2012

Awesome i was like you to been there done that with Apple. Once you go android you never go back. Faved.

[SolunSteve]

01:57 PM on 05/04/2012

Complete review and comparison with other phones like iPhone, HTC, LG and others can be found here:
http://shareinfoblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/samsung-galaxy-s3-comparison.html

[deniz]

12:47 PM on 05/04/2012

Is there a tablet version of this?

[ruyen]

06:02 PM on 06/02/2012

I basically is a tablet. I hear that from people about my SGS2 all the time, and it's screen us way smaller than the 3's.

[LiberalGuyUSA]

11:55 AM on 05/04/2012

When will it be sold in the US?

[thehighbrowpoliticker]

12:17 PM on 05/04/2012

Unfortunately we won't see it until late Decembe.r

[SolunSteve]

02:03 PM on 05/04/2012

You can find a comparison and complete review here:
http://shareinfoblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/samsung-galaxy-s3-comparison.html

[sevenwind]

04:27 PM on 05/04/2012

They said June in the US.

[michaelwg]

09:53 AM on 05/04/2012

I WANT IT! because I don't need it, but i'm a consumer and have been programmed this way.

[frank2061]

11:07 AM on 05/06/2012

So true.

[jjhuddle]

09:48 AM on 05/04/2012

...and the battery life will be 17 minutes.

[geekdrummer]

05:44 PM on 05/04/2012

LOL!

[xanxia]

09:13 AM on 05/04/2012

I'm really looking forward to playing with this phone!! I have loved my s2, I now love the note even more and I cant wait to meet the s3!

[PizzaGuy1]

09:08 AM on 05/04/2012

A 2100mAh Battery??????? Did they learn NOTHING from the Razr Maxx??? I have a Galaxy Nexus, and I love it, but please....a phone with this sort of power is CRYING for a 3300mAh battery or bigger.

[JohnTheMac]

08:31 AM on 05/04/2012

Some "neat" ideas. I like the 'burst' photo mode actually, but I think there's an app for that on my iPhone.
Some of the ideas though, seem a little far fetched. "Hi Galaxy" to wake the phone, am I really going to do that? I'm typically already holding the phone, so what is this saving me? And the texting to phone call when you put the phone to your ear? If any of these processes don't work almost perfectly, they'll just get switched off and forgotten. Imagine texting someone and the 'auto call' gets falsely triggered again and again. It better work perfectly.
Plus, a lot of these features require constant surveillance by the phone. All night, on your night stand, it is listening for you to say "Hi Galaxy"? You're looking at the screen, and it's using the camera to look at your eyes, to put the screen in sleep mode. looking, calculating, all this requires some more power, relative to a simple timer. curious how much is actually being saved. (possibly a lot, I don't know, but there's a lot of stuff going on when this phone is just sitting on a table or in your pocket)

[inMikeWeTrust]

09:35 AM on 05/04/2012

All I can say is, the phone with this laundry list of features really makes use of the Quad Core CPU and Quad Core GPU combo. So now the tiring comment of "YOU DON'T NEED QUAD CORE" has been silenced.

[Jason Gilbert]

09:36 AM on 05/04/2012

To play devil's advocate:
There are apps for burst photography on iPhone; the advantage of this is that you don't have to open up a separate app to enable it. It's just on the native camera.
"Hi Galaxy" seems good for when you're driving or otherwise can't use your hands, like when you're cooking.
The text-to-phone-call mode seems almost pointless to me -- more of a "Look what my phone can do!" than a time-saver. My question about this mode is, When would you not be able to push the "Call" button when you're sending a text message?
I feel the same way about eye surveillance -- more of a party gimmick than an essential smartphone feature.
Siri, quite frankly, is the same way at this point, to be fair, and it is Apple's major selling point of the iPhone 4S.

The battery is the biggest question for me, and to most mobile watchers. If this thing can't go from 9 to 5, it's going to be a major knock. That Samsung has yet to release estimated Talk Time/Web Browsing Time numbers is a bit worrisome.

[Santinelli]

02:36 PM on 05/04/2012

9 to 5 is not the issue. 6 to 11 is TRULY the issue. I know on my Galaxy Nexus I go down 10% every hour, and that is a 1800 battery. 2100 isn't much more...

Other than that, most of the features it lists really aren't anything knew, my Bionic I gave up for the Nexus could pretty much do ALL that. Except of course the Hi Galaxy.

[bryanzth]

08:28 AM on 05/04/2012

And the interface doesn't get in your way, and you can use a feature kinda directly without jumping through hoops? Sounds great. I can already hear MS and Apple's little "screwdrivers" being used in a bit of backwards engineering, unless of course, Apple already knows what's in the phone since it was "lifted" in the same way.

Oh the joys of competition. Now we have to deal with the service providers: John Aravosis talks about his FREE account in France, $26/mo with lots of included goodies:
http://www.americablog.com/2012/05/you-are-being-royally-ripped-off-by.html

Regardless what service provider you choose, you need to know the routine monthly price, since the teasers distract you with unreal 3 month or some such offers.

So the bottom line here is that competition is working in this Samsung article. Now, let's be sure that competition (stiff and fair) works in all aspects of broadband and wifi, eh?

BZ.

[lurkinman]

11:24 AM on 05/04/2012

"I can already hear MS and Apple's little "screwdrivers" being used in a bit of backwards engineering, unless of course, Apple already knows what's in the phone since it was "lifted" in the same way."

MS was way behind before they even launched their phone with Nokia. It's hard to keep up when you have numerous manufacturers pumping up new, "cool" phones every month or so.

[bryanzth]

12:33 PM on 05/04/2012

Hhaha. Who cares? that's how they "do research" anymore these days!

BZ.

[MelanieMorgasm]

08:10 AM on 05/04/2012

im not sure im in to those eye recognition features. it looks cool but mainly i care about let and faster cpu