To Pre-Order or not?

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Bird222

[H]ard|Gawd
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I know alot of us are always wanting to see what's coming next, however I need some guidance. I am on AT&T. Should I go ahead and pre-order the Galaxy III?

1. How long do I have to take it back if I don't like it?
2. I usually like to see a phone I want to get in person before I buy. However, what are the chances that this will be sold out if I wait to the official release?
3. Is there any AT&T shenanigans with people on unlimited data upon upgrading?
 
It depends on what phone you have now.

If you have a dual-core Android cortex A9 or the iPhone 4S, skip this and wait for the next Nexi (5 pure Google products coming later this year) or the next iPhone.

Quite frankly, I find it hard to accept that the top of the line Android phones are using an Adreno 225 GPU. I'll wait for a snapdragon S4 pro or prime or something that's better or equivalent to the adreno 320.

If you are coming from a windows phone, don't bother. Wait for Apollo.

If you are coming from an iPhone 3GS or any Android with lesser than a dual-core A9, get the SGSIII or HTC One X. Both are good. One X has slightly better hardware overall, but SGSIII will have more developer support due to it being out on all major and many small us carriers while sharing the same international design.

If you are coming from the iPhone 4, consider getting the One X or the SGSIII. And welcome to LTE. But you can also wait for the next iPhone or wait for the Microsoft Apollo announcement next week.
 
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I pre-ordered but I've been on the same iPhone 3G 8GB since release and I'm ready to throw it against the wall.
 
I am using a Captivate right now. I guess nothing is coming out before probably the holiday season right?
 
Bird222 said:
1. How long do I have to take it back if I don't like it?
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Used to be 30 days, may be 14 days like Verizon now, not sure. Basically, count on at least 2 weeks.

Bird222 said:
2. I usually like to see a phone I want to get in person before I buy. However, what are the chances that this will be sold out if I wait to the official release?
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Does it matter? If you prefer to see it in person, wait until official release. If sold out, but you like what you see, put in an order for the next batch. It's always worth the wait if you're unsure. However, if you think you may want to pre-order, play with any of the SGS2-based phones at AT&T (Attain, SkyRocket, and some slider, I think the Captivate Glide). The SGS3 is more advanced, but is based on the same TW interface.

Bird222 said:
3. Is there any AT&T shenanigans with people on unlimited data upon upgrading?
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Make sure you upgrade either online, or via an official AT&T franchise (not a reseller). You risk losing unlimited data when upgrading from the an unofficial partner or reseller. I've heard that you can lose unlimited buy going through Wirefly, Let's Talk, Amazon, etc. I haven't put this to the test myself.

Also, consider the global SGS3. In terms of real world performance, they'll be similar (S4 is faster per core, Exynos is quad-core, 1GB of RAM not really taxed on mobile yet, S4 allows LTE support). Hardware aside, the global version WILL get faster updates, will in all likelihood be supported longer, does not have carrier bloat ware, is compatible with the $10/mo medianet unlimited (with no throttling) data plan, and allows tethering/hotspot with no restrictions. No LTE, but you have to weight that benefit.
 
AT&T's return policy is still 30 days. Even if they sell out on preorders (and I suspect they will), I can't imagine the stores will be out of stock for long, probably July 1st at the latest.
 
Bird222 said:
I am using a Captivate right now. I guess nothing is coming out before probably the holiday season right?
Click to expand...

Then definitely get the SGSIII. It will be a HUGE HUGE upgrade over the Captivate. The SGSIII has the fastest download/upload Internet speeds, smoothest UI and has no lag whatsoever. It is totally different from the other Android smartphones in this regard, because Android smartphones are usually a bit laggy and have bugs.

The SGSIII is even smoother than iOS. iOS is well known for its smoothness and optimization for a lag-free experience. The SGSIII is smoother than iOS and offers more features and customization. Don't listen to the people who say "well better smartphones will come out next year". Yeah what about the years after that? You will never buy a new smartphone if you have that kind of mindset.

The SGSIII is the best smartphone of 2012, no contest. iPhone 5 wont beat it.
 
Ingenieur7 said:
Then definitely get the SGSIII. It will be a HUGE HUGE upgrade over the Captivate. The SGSIII has the fastest download/upload Internet speeds, smoothest UI and has no lag whatsoever. It is totally different from the other Android smartphones in this regard, because Android smartphones are usually a bit laggy and have bugs.

The SGSIII is even smoother than iOS. iOS is well known for its smoothness and optimization for a lag-free experience. The SGSIII is smoother than iOS and offers more features and customization. Don't listen to the people who say "well better smartphones will come out next year". Yeah what about the years after that? You will never buy a new smartphone if you have that kind of mindset.

The SGSIII is the best smartphone of 2012, no contest. iPhone 5 wont beat it.
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Don't listen to this known Samsung troll. Seriously, when the One X is arguably better on numerous review sites, this is not a very informed recommendation. Can people start reporting this guy???
 
CHANG3D said:
Don't listen to this known Samsung troll. Seriously, when the One X is arguably better on numerous review sites, this is not a very informed recommendation. Can people start reporting this guy???
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Yeah, both the S3 and One X are the best phones out there at the moment. For many, the choice will come down to personal preference more than anything.
 
CHANG3D said:
Don't listen to this known Samsung troll. Seriously, when the One X is arguably better on numerous review sites, this is not a very informed recommendation. Can people start reporting this guy???
Click to expand...

You're a HTC troll. Got a problem with my comment? Argue with evidence, instead of waffling with nonsense. No reviews say that the HTC One X is "arguably better" than the Samsung Galaxy SIII overall. Perhaps the HTC One X is arguably better in some aspects, such as the screen (again very arguable since GSM prefers the Samsung Galaxy SIII's Super AMOLED HD screen over the HTC One X's LCD screen). The screen is very debatable because they both use very different technology which have advantages over the other. In terms of UI, the Samsung Galaxy SIII's new TouchWiz 4.0 is much more smoother and responsive compared to the HTC One X's laggier Sense UI. In all overall conclusions, many reviewers say that the Samsung Galaxy SIII is better overall (Phonedog and CNET), while some reviewers put them at a tie (GSM Arena).

Phonedog and CNET all say that the Samsung Galaxy SIII is the better device. Want proof?

Phonedog
Official recommendation: Samsung Galaxy SIII
Reason: The Samsung Galaxy SIII really sets the bar very high when it comes to UI smoothness and quality.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtOAXNaW3kw&feature=plcp

CNET
Official recommendation: Samsung Galaxy SIII
Reason: "Samsung Galaxy S3 pounds HTC One X into benchmark dust"
Link: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3-pounds-htc-one-x-into-benchmark-dust-50008054/

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3-pounds-htc-one-x-into-benchmark-dust-50008054/

Internet browser speed tests:
Results (higher is better):
Samsung Galaxy SIII: 161,687
HTC One X: 95,555
Winner: Samsung Galaxy SIII gets nearly double the score of the HTC One X in terms of Internet browser speeds
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlL_1SxIwno&feature=plcp

Some more evidence:
600x274px-LL-74ebc881_browsermark-galaxy-s3-results.png


t3.jpg


Another Internet browser speed test:
Results: The Samsung Galaxy SIII consistently beats the HTC One X in terms of Internet upload/download speeds.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9wTL3a7kUo&feature=plcp

The evidence is convincing. The Samsung Galaxy SIII is better than the HTC One X by a significant margin in terms of Internet upload/download speeds and Internet connectivity in general. It's not all the evidence I have but in terms of UI smoothness and Internet connectivity/signal transmission, the Samsung Galaxy SIII is 100X better than the HTC One X.

An extension of the CNET article assessing Samsung Galaxy SIII vs HTC One X:
Samsung Galaxy S3 pounds HTC One X into benchmark dust

In the Antutu benchmark, which tests memory, CPU speed and graphics, the S3 racked up an impressive 12,112 points, beating the One X, which scored 10,827 in the same test.

A similar benchmark, Quadrant, awarded the Galaxy S3 with 5,289 points, again beating the One X, which mustered a score of 4,904. The HTC One X ran GL Benchmark's Standard Egypt test at a rate of 52 frames per second, but was once more bested by the Galaxy S3, which ran the same test at 59fps -- the same score managed by the frighteningly powerful new iPad.

The 4.8-inch Galaxy S3 even beat Apple's frighteningly powerful new tablet in one of our browser tests. When we ran the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark (in which lower scores are better), the S3 scored 1,498.9ms, while the new iPad and iPad 2 took slightly longer with scores of 1,890.9 and 1,884.6 respectively. The S3's result also aces the iPhone 4S, which scored 2,181.6ms.

HTC clawed back one victory -- sort of. In the Vellamo browser test the S3's score of 2,077 wasn't as high as the app's database score for the HTC One XL, a phone that's not out in the UK yet.

Despite the HTC One X also offering a quad-core chip and a slightly higher clock speed, our tests show that it's not quite as powerful as the Galaxy S3. That could be down to the S3's Exynos 4 Quad chip being made by Samsung itself, while the Tegra 3 processor in the One X is built by Nvidia.

Number crunching aside, my expert colleague Natasha reckons the Galaxy S3 feels slicker to use than HTC's offering, with no lag or stutter as you cruise around the phone's Ice Cream Sandwich-flavoured interface.
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I'm personally waiting for the SG3 to come out, now that Sprint already ran out of pre-orders for the 32gb.
 
Has it been determined that the AT&T GS3 has an unlocked bootloader and is totally hackable?
 
Yes, one international review and one not applicable benchmark score says it all (the US GS3 will have the same SoC). If Samsung want to be smart about it, maybe they ought to hire someone who is not an ass to troll Internet forums. Why can't Samsung just have an official representative here like numerous other hardware manufacturers on this site instead of trolling potential customers and pissing them off? At least you could be respected for trying to sell your product.

PS Read reviews on Engadget and the Verge, etc.
 
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CHANG3D said:
Yes, one international review and one not applicable benchmark score says it all (the US GS3 will have the same SoC). If Samsung want to be smart about it, maybe they ought to hire someone who is not an ass to troll Internet forums. Why can't Samsung just have an official representative here like numerous other hardware manufacturers on this site instead of trolling potential customers and pissing them off? At least you could be respected for trying to sell your product.

PS Read reviews on Engadget and the Verge, etc.
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It would appear you're the only one getting a stick up your ass.

Also,
theverge
Trustedreviews
Heels and Tech Part 1
Heels and Tech Part 2
digital trends

So yea, pretty much in favor of the s3 in nearly every area but the screen. Everything else will come down to preference. Have a nice day.
 
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ChedWick said:
It would appear you're the only one getting a stick up your ass.

Also,
theverge
Trustedreviews
Heels and Tech Part 1
Heels and Tech Part 2
digital trends

So yea, pretty much in favor of the s3 in nearly every area but the screen. Everything else will come down to preference. Have a nice day.
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Don't listen to CHANG3D. He's very pro-HTC and anti-Samsung.

Thanks for putting up those links. Seems like most reviewers prefer the SGS III as I would have thought.

Another review summarized in a table:

b04dd97e_SGSIIIvsHTCOneXtable1.x-ms-bmp
 
Lol this is all bullshit

no matter which phone you get your gonna root the phone and run a custom rom so comparing browser speeds is pretty fuckin dumb. So it comes down to internal hardware and both phones are more or less the same.
 
the people that are pro htc and anti samsung are like that for a reason. because they got burned pretty hard from samsung back in the day with unlocking bootloaders and anntenea issues gps issues shitty build quality. thats why alot of us are skeptical but so far the sg3 looks to be a one of the best devices right now
 
In the past three days, I've been accused of being an Apple fanboi, a HTC troll, a WP/Nokia fanboy, and a HTC hater. Man, LML!
 
CHANG3D said:
In the past three days, I've been accused of being an Apple fanboi, a HTC troll, a WP/Nokia fanboy, and a HTC hater. Man, LML!
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I still <3 you, welcome to the Interwebz.
 
WIll AT&T have the Galaxy S3 in stock mid July? Or do you think it'll take awhile to get more in stock in case they run out of stock?
 
HTC has issues with build quality and 3G/4G LTE connectivity due to the poorly built antenna.
 
that's funny cosmo have had an evo 4g lte for about 2 weeks and have not had such issues

btw viper ROM is really good. my battery life is amazing
 
Considering Samsung's history of radio and gps issues that effected every single Galaxy S, I suggest samsung trolls to wait before talking about the small percentage of the international Tegra 3 One X affected. The One XL (the One X on AT&T) has been confirmed to not have this issue.

Heck, remember the radio issues with the Galaxy Nexus that required an update to "fix"? How the heck could anyone screw that up? Although I believe Samsung has improved and learned its lessons, but these trolls are annoying as hell.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/18/3094567/htc-one-x-wi-fi-hardware-connectivity-issues
 
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Bird222 said:
I know alot of us are always wanting to see what's coming next, however I need some guidance. I am on AT&T. Should I go ahead and pre-order the Galaxy III?

1. How long do I have to take it back if I don't like it?
2. I usually like to see a phone I want to get in person before I buy. However, what are the chances that this will be sold out if I wait to the official release?
3. Is there any AT&T shenanigans with people on unlimited data upon upgrading?
Click to expand...

1. no clue

2. Highly likely, but there should be units trickling in consistently. Limited supply + high demand generates good buzz. Companies are learning from Apple. Though if you really want one, I suspect you can find one somewhere on release day.

3. I am not sure yet. My unlimited plan is titled "Unlimited Data iPhone Plan." For the Galaxy III I pre-ordered, I signed up and was told by a rep that the "Unlimited Data Smart phone" was the equivalent plan. So it is a new data plan, but still labeled as unlimited. Trust me, I will whine like a bitch if they try to change it from unlimited. (That was the major factor for me staying with AT&T, even though their service in my area is pretty bad.)
 
No one seems to know much about anything when it comes to the US version. That is exactly why i will NOT pre order.
 
Not sure about the US version bootloader being unlocked. Give it a day or two for devices to end up in peoples hands.

Supposedly AT&T is going to start shipping units this week, possibly even today. I haven't received a ship notification yet, but if like the last time I ordered online from AT&T, I'll get notified it shipped the same day I receive it.
 
AT&T also has a 30 day return window, which is pretty generous considering all the other carriers are like 14 days now

My old phone is literally falling apart so I'm willing to give it a roll
 
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