In all honesty, I was much more pumped about testing the ISIS Mobile Wallet than I was about using the Samsung Galaxy III for a month. I love my Macbook, I love my iPhone, and if I had an iPad, I’m certain I’d love that too. But reviewing the app and the phone was a package deal, so I agreed to it. And when I picked up the Samsung Galaxy III from the AT&T store, I felt guilty for ever having such thoughts. The Galaxy was sleek, light, and oh so new. I rushed home to play with my new toy, downloading apps from the Play Store at record speed.
(Left = iPhone 4S , Right = Samsung Galaxy III)
I will tell you that this iPhone toting girl didn’t expect to like the Galaxy. But the more comfortable I became with how the phone functioned, I began to enjoy it. A lot. And over the course of a month, I carried both phones, using the features I liked best about each. And by the end of the month? Well, it’s not at all what I expected.
Things I liked better about the Samsung Galaxy III …
1. Homescreen – The homescreen on the Galaxy is much cleaner and I was able to access almost all of the same apps as I would on the 4S homescreen. I also liked that the time, date, and weather were much larger.
2. Shape – Although the Galaxy has a larger face than the 4S, it is significantly thinner and lighter. I also ended up liking the larger face better than having a smaller phone.
3. Apps – The larger face of the Galaxy allowed for apps to be more user friendly. Check out the WordPress app above and the Twitter app below. More of the buttons you need are accessible right when you open the app rather than having to hunt for them.
4. Notifications – The Galaxy has a red blinking light when you have a notification (similar to the Blackberry), which prevents you from having to turn on your phone to see if anything is new.
5. Email – I preferred emailing on the Galaxy over the 4S, whether it be sending pictures, a regular message, or finding a contact in my address book.
Things I liked better about the iPhone 4S…
1. Text Messages & iMessage – Messaging on the 4S felt much more advanced than on the Galaxy.
2. Camera – I often find that the 4S takes shots comparable to a DSLR when there is plenty of natural light. I was never able to get a photo I was happy with on the Galaxy.
3. App Selection – There are still apps that are available in the App Store that haven’t made their way to the Play Store. Facebook Pages was a biggie for me…
End Result…
Overall, the Galaxy outperformed the 4S in almost every instance. But! At the end of the day, photos and messaging are super important to me and are two major things I’m not willing to sacrifice. Even though I decided to stick with the 4S after the month trial was over, part of me still has a crush on the Galaxy and dreams of the day it comes with a higher performing camera.
Although I received compensation to test the Samsung Galaxy III, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.
After using Meghann’s Galaxy a bunch at HLS last year I had many of the same thoughts that you did. I was SO surprised to like it so much because I too am an iPhone, Macbook girl as well!
I’m glad you did this side by side comparison. The fact that there is such a difference in the photos is definitely a huge factor for me as well. While I stil think I might like a Galaxy for some of the other reasons you mentioned (notifications, screen size, shape) I’m with you, I just don’t think I could sacrifice those other things!
I’m super glad you found this post helpful. I wasn’t sure how people would react to a review post. Phones are such a huge part of blogging though, so I felt it was a tad relevant. One day Samsung or Apple will get the whole thing right!
love this review! I’m always interested in other cell phones. The one you got to review seems pretty awesome… but like you said I’m an apple girl myself.
Thank you!! I’m still surprised that I liked the Galaxy so much. Maybe the folks at Samsung will read this review one day and take note!
I’ve always wondered how the photo quality is on the Galaxy. My friends that have it say it’s great, but I was skeptical. I’m sticking with Apple!!
I have yet to see a fantastic Galaxy photo!