Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 : Can It Beat Cherry Mobile, Starmobile, and MyPhone Android Smartphones in its Price Category?

Like Samsung's Galaxy S series of handsets, this branch of the Galaxy family has also come a long way. Members of the Galaxy Ace line, which include the first Galaxy Ace, Ace 2, Ace Duos, and Ace Plus have all become best-sellers in the Philippines and have helped the brand get a strong hold of the midrange smartphone category for the past three years.

Mark of TP: Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, the youngest and most powerful member of this family, is looking to experience the same success story as its older siblings. But considering the changing mobile landscape in the country, I reckon reaching similar heights won't be as easy.

Looking at these images, it's clear that Samsung Galaxy Ace follows the Galaxy S4's design language. As for technical specifications, the device sports a 4-inch TFT display with 480 x 800 pixels resolution coupled with an unspecified Dual Core 1 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. To keep the phone up and running, Samsung has paired it with a 1500 mAh battery which, I think, the Korean company has clearly skimped on. Now, as for the camera, we're getting a 5 MegaPixel snapper with LED flash and a front facing VGA camera, just like those found on Samsung Galaxy Ace 2. In terms of storage, you'll have 4 GB, which is expandable via micro SD supporting of up to 32 GB.

Mark of TP: Aside from the regular version that has all of those specs, Samsung will also release a Duos or Dual SIM variant with similar features and an LTE version with a slightly larger 1,800 mAh battery pack, 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor, and 1080p video playback capability.

Despite retaining some specifications of its former iteration, the Galaxy Ace 3 nonetheless comes with some software features of the current flagship release. The midrange handset will run Android 4.2.2 Jellybean out of the box skinned by Samsung’s TouchWiz Nature UX interface and will inherit some of the nifty applications available on the S4 such as: S Translator which instantaneously translates words when you need it, S Travel providing relevant travel information to help you prepare for your next trip, Smart Stay which keeps track of your eyes and smartly dims or turns off the display depending on where you're looking, and S Voice which is Samsung's version of iPhone's voice command functionality and virtual assistant - Siri. With all these features packed into that 4 GB internal space, I'm just hoping that Galaxy Ace 3 users won't experience any storage shortage.

The phone's design and set of specifications are decent but can Ace 3 become a success here just like the previous Aces? Personally, I think this phone definitely sell well because it offers a viable S4 alternative to those who can’t shell out a lot of cash to get Samsung's immensely popular flagship model. How about you, TP Friends? With all the powerhouse offerings by local companies like Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, and Starmobile, are you still willing to get this Ace 3? What are your insights about this phone? Let us know in the comments below.

Mark of TP: Samsung Philippines has yet to announce the availability of this handset in the country. I'm guessing though that it should land here sometime this Q3 with SRP of roughly Php 12,000 to 14,000 -- that's the based on the price tag of Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus upon release last year. In that price bracket, Ace 3 should go head to head with the likes of the moderately more affordable Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0, MyPhone A919i, and Starmobile Diamond V7. Now, to answer Nico's question, I think that if you're looking strictly at technical specifications, there's no competition. Without a doubt, these local Quad Core flagship releases totally slay SGAce3 in that department. In terms of design, well, that's subjective (though I've played with Starmobile Diamond V7 and it's gorgeous). So are there any advantages - if at all - to choosing Ace 3 over those three? Well, you do get all of those apps that are unique to Samsung handsets plus since there are more developers around the world who can potentially work on the phone, maybe you'll get more tweaks and even custom ROMs for it.

#TPWriterFellows Batch 1 Member and DLSU student, Nico Aguila is the self-proclaimed 'official' tech support guy of his friends. He's always ready to give you tips and tricks with Android devices and even gives you advice on which phone or tablet you should get -- whether it be running on Android, iOS, or Windows Phone operating system. Nico sees TechPinas as the best tech website in the Philippines and also as his safe haven when he reads tech news that is happening in the country. When he graduates, Nico plans to find a stable job in tech, have a family when he can, and of course, expose his future kids to technology and TechPinas so that they'll enjoy great bonding times together.