Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 Philippines vs. Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100 : Specs Comparison, Release Date and Price Guesstimate, 2012 vs. 2011 Flagship Smartphone Battle!
With the official announcement of Samsung's 2012 flagship smartphone yesterday, a lot of questions were answered and previous rumors and speculations finally saw clarification.
However, the formal unveiling of Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 also brought a lot of new inquiries to be addressed. Last night, for instance, I received a slew of questions in the TP Mailbox from our readers about the Korean giant's latest top-of-the-line offering. Some of the questions we got include,
1. When is it arriving in the Philippines and how much will it cost?
2. Will Samsung Galaxy S3 be a good buy?
3. I own a Samsung Galaxy S2, would you recommend that I upgrade to Samsung Galaxy S3?
Like what I always say, TechPinas values all messages, comments and inquiries we get from our TP Friends. I promise that, when I can, I'll answer all of your emails. But for now, let me address those three questions I posted.
1. Samsung Mobile hasn't given word on Samsung Galaxy S3's official release in our country. Nonetheless, an industry insider recently told me that the company had chosen the Philippines to be one of the first to get the handset (Great news, eh?); He said that SGS3 might arrive in Pinas by the end of May. Again, no word yet on the official suggested retail price but we're guessing that the flagship phone will enter the country with a Php 30,000 price tag.
2. I haven't seen the phone in the flesh - but based on its specifications alone and my familiarity with how well Samsung creates their current smartphones (As some of you know, I own a Samsung Galaxy Note), I'm confident that Samsung Galaxy S3 will be a good buy -- especially if it's going to be your first Android smartphone. But don't take my word for it - right now, at least - just wait for our initial impressions post and full review. Honestly, I'm just as excited as you to hold SGS3 and play with it.
3. Here in TechPinas, we stick to facts - so let's turn to TP's Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 side-by-side specifications comparison table answer the question:
Clearly, if you're coming from SGS2, the biggest improvements you'll get with SGS3 would have the be more spacious, higher resolution display, the more powerful Quad Core CPU, and the new software features including S-Voice - a Siri-like voice powered assistant, Smart Stay - which detects if someone is trying to look at the screen and automatically turns on or turns off the display, S Beam - for easily sharing content via NFC, and those found in the new default camera application. Yes, Samsung Galaxy S3 has a bigger battery but I think that supposed advantage is cancelled out by the bigger, more power-hungry screen; According to Samsung, SGS3's quad-core CPU is more energy-efficient than the dual-core version running SGS2 and if that's true, at least, that one less thing to worry about. As for LTE support, we're not sure if the Philippines will eventually get the variant - but in case it arrives within this year, we can only hope that our networks will be ready carry it, bundled with LTE services.
I'll do a design comparison once I've actually seen SGS3 in the flesh. Off hand, from just looking at the photos and specs sheet, it's clear that the 2012 flagship is wider, taller, and thicker (by 0.1 millimeter) than its predecessor. Likewise, it flaunts a rounder form factor versus the squarish design of Samsung Galaxy S2.
Now, if you're going to ask me if you should upgrade from SGS2 to SGS3, let me throw these questions back at you: Has SGS2's 4.3-inch display become too small for your taste? Do you really need all the power from that quad-core chip? How badly do you want those software enhancements? Your answers, of course, will tell you if you should level-up now and get your phone's successor. So what do you think?
However, the formal unveiling of Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 also brought a lot of new inquiries to be addressed. Last night, for instance, I received a slew of questions in the TP Mailbox from our readers about the Korean giant's latest top-of-the-line offering. Some of the questions we got include,
1. When is it arriving in the Philippines and how much will it cost?
2. Will Samsung Galaxy S3 be a good buy?
3. I own a Samsung Galaxy S2, would you recommend that I upgrade to Samsung Galaxy S3?
Like what I always say, TechPinas values all messages, comments and inquiries we get from our TP Friends. I promise that, when I can, I'll answer all of your emails. But for now, let me address those three questions I posted.
1. Samsung Mobile hasn't given word on Samsung Galaxy S3's official release in our country. Nonetheless, an industry insider recently told me that the company had chosen the Philippines to be one of the first to get the handset (Great news, eh?); He said that SGS3 might arrive in Pinas by the end of May. Again, no word yet on the official suggested retail price but we're guessing that the flagship phone will enter the country with a Php 30,000 price tag.
2. I haven't seen the phone in the flesh - but based on its specifications alone and my familiarity with how well Samsung creates their current smartphones (As some of you know, I own a Samsung Galaxy Note), I'm confident that Samsung Galaxy S3 will be a good buy -- especially if it's going to be your first Android smartphone. But don't take my word for it - right now, at least - just wait for our initial impressions post and full review. Honestly, I'm just as excited as you to hold SGS3 and play with it.
3. Here in TechPinas, we stick to facts - so let's turn to TP's Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 side-by-side specifications comparison table answer the question:
| Detail/Feature | Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100 | Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 |
| Photo (approximates actual ratio) |  |  |
| Availability and Price in Philippines | Now out in the Philippines Current SRP - Php 24,990 SRP Upon Release in 2011 - Php 29,990 | Arriving on June 9, 2012 Current SRP - Php 32,990 |
| Dimensions/ Weight | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm 116 grams | 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm 133 grams |
| Screen/ Features | 4.3-inch (~271 ppi pixel density), 480 x 800 pixels resolution, Gorilla Glass Capacitive Touchscreen, SuperAMOLED display, 16M Colors - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Multi-touch input method - Touch-Sensitive Controls - TouchWiz User Interface | 4.8 inches (~306 ppi pixel density), 720 x 1280 pixels, Gorilla Glass Capacitive Touchscreen, HD Super AMOLED display, 16M Colors - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Multi-touch input method - Touch-Sensitive Controls - TouchWiz User Interface |
| Operating System Upon Release | Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), now upgradeable to Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich | Android OS, v4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| User Interface (Android Skin) | TouchWiz UX | TouchWiz Nature UX |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset | Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 Mali-400MP GPU Exynos 4212 Quad chipset |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Internal storage | 16/32 GB options | 16/32/64 GB options |
| microSD Card Slot | Yes, supports up to 32GB | Yes, supports up to 64GB |
| Wifi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| 3G | Yes, 3G HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps | Yes, 3G HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps |
| 4G | No | Yes, upcoming LTE Version in select regions |
| Camera | 8 MegaPixels, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus and LED flash Video capture (Back camera): Yes, Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second Secondary camera: 1.9 MegaPixels, video not possible via default camera app | 8 MegaPixels, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus and LED flash Video capture (Back camera): Yes, Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second Secondary camera: 1.9 MegaPixels photos, 720p HD 30 frames per second videos * New Camera Features including Burst and Best Shot mode, among others |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | No | Yes |
| Gyro | Yes | Yes |
| Proximity Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient Light Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| EDGE | Yes | Yes |
| GPRS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v3.0 with A2DP | Yes, v4.0 with A2DP |
| Built-in MicroUSB Port | Yes, v2.0 | Yes,(MHL) v2.0 |
| Audio Jack | Yes, 3.5mm | Yes, 3.5mm |
| Built-in HDMI Port | No | No |
| Stereo FM Radio | Yes | Yes |
| Games and Apps | Yes, via Google Play Store | Yes, via Google Play Store |
| Java | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator |
| Default Browser - Flash support | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion 1650 mAh | Li-Ion 2100 mAh |
| Colors | White, Black | Marble White, Pebble Blue |
Clearly, if you're coming from SGS2, the biggest improvements you'll get with SGS3 would have the be more spacious, higher resolution display, the more powerful Quad Core CPU, and the new software features including S-Voice - a Siri-like voice powered assistant, Smart Stay - which detects if someone is trying to look at the screen and automatically turns on or turns off the display, S Beam - for easily sharing content via NFC, and those found in the new default camera application. Yes, Samsung Galaxy S3 has a bigger battery but I think that supposed advantage is cancelled out by the bigger, more power-hungry screen; According to Samsung, SGS3's quad-core CPU is more energy-efficient than the dual-core version running SGS2 and if that's true, at least, that one less thing to worry about. As for LTE support, we're not sure if the Philippines will eventually get the variant - but in case it arrives within this year, we can only hope that our networks will be ready carry it, bundled with LTE services.
I'll do a design comparison once I've actually seen SGS3 in the flesh. Off hand, from just looking at the photos and specs sheet, it's clear that the 2012 flagship is wider, taller, and thicker (by 0.1 millimeter) than its predecessor. Likewise, it flaunts a rounder form factor versus the squarish design of Samsung Galaxy S2.
Now, if you're going to ask me if you should upgrade from SGS2 to SGS3, let me throw these questions back at you: Has SGS2's 4.3-inch display become too small for your taste? Do you really need all the power from that quad-core chip? How badly do you want those software enhancements? Your answers, of course, will tell you if you should level-up now and get your phone's successor. So what do you think?
Labels:
Cellphone
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300
Samsung Galaxy S3 Philippines
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. Samsung Galaxy S2
Versus
.jpg)
No comments:
Let me know your thoughts on this TechPinas article.