Iphone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3?

[Sticksboi05]

Honestly, you should wait for the Nexus 4...which is expected to be announced on the 29th.

Having the SIII is an excellent phone, but being someone who routinely flashes and mods their phone...the Nexus line is the best and addresses the issue of framentation (You get all the latest updates)

It's rumored to not have LTE. That is a deal breaker to me. Inexcusable for a phone in 2012 to not have LTE.

[hunterx]

NFC is enough reason to go with Android. Apple doesn't yet have it. Android's tablets, most of the new ones, have it if you want to transfer videos or photos from your phone to your tablet or vice versa. NFC doesn't get much press, but it's uses are fantastic. Get in your car and have an NFC tag programmed to turn wireless off, bluetooth on, connect to your car, open a music or GPS app. Get to your office, have an NFC tag there to turn your phone on silent, maybe open Pandora or Sirius radio. Going to the gym? program Airplane mode and open up your music player. Going to bed? Turn off sound and turn on alarms. And my wife likes this one...Doing laundry? I always forget when to swap it out and I don't always pay attention to the loud buzzing...but I can tag my phone and it will set a reminder to switch out laundry after so much time.

http://tagsfordroid.com/

[hp703]

It's rumored to not have LTE. That is a deal breaker to me. Inexcusable for a phone in 2012 to not have LTE.

In that case I'd recommend getting the LG Optimus G...which is essentially the same exact phone(But with the LTE radio).

From a developers perspective, it's Nexus hands down...I like having LTE, but HSDPA is fast enough for me if I cant have it.

[Sticksboi05]

In that case I'd recommend getting the LG Optimus G...which is essentially the same exact phone(But with the LTE radio).

From a developers perspective, it's Nexus hands down...I like having LTE, but HSDPA is fast enough for me if I cant have it.

HSPA+ is plenty fast so long as you aren't tethering, but there's just no reason to not put LTE in at this point.

[MattFancy]

NFC is enough reason to go with Android. Apple doesn't yet have it. Android's tablets, most of the new ones, have it if you want to transfer videos or photos from your phone to your tablet or vice versa. NFC doesn't get much press, but it's uses are fantastic. Get in your car and have an NFC tag programmed to turn wireless off, bluetooth on, connect to your car, open a music or GPS app. Get to your office, have an NFC tag there to turn your phone on silent, maybe open Pandora or Sirius radio. Going to the gym? program Airplane mode and open up your music player. Going to bed? Turn off sound and turn on alarms. And my wife likes this one...Doing laundry? I always forget when to swap it out and I don't always pay attention to the loud buzzing...but I can tag my phone and it will set a reminder to switch out laundry after so much time.

http://tagsfordroid.com/

I really need to use NFC more. Those all sounds like brilliant uses for it.

[I_Bleed_B&G]

Just having NFC on an Android phone is worth getting the S3 or any Android phone. You can do so much with it.

Here is a example video

[DjTj]

NFC is enough reason to go with Android. Apple doesn't yet have it. Android's tablets, most of the new ones, have it if you want to transfer videos or photos from your phone to your tablet or vice versa. NFC doesn't get much press, but it's uses are fantastic. Get in your car and have an NFC tag programmed to turn wireless off, bluetooth on, connect to your car, open a music or GPS app. Get to your office, have an NFC tag there to turn your phone on silent, maybe open Pandora or Sirius radio. Going to the gym? program Airplane mode and open up your music player. Going to bed? Turn off sound and turn on alarms. And my wife likes this one...Doing laundry? I always forget when to swap it out and I don't always pay attention to the loud buzzing...but I can tag my phone and it will set a reminder to switch out laundry after so much time.

http://tagsfordroid.com/

Unless WiFi is really draining your battery, you should probably leave it on while in the car. It can make your location more accurate by just monitoring the WiFi hotspots that are near you (this is part of what those Google Maps cars are doing as they drive around cities). This can make a difference especially in cities where your GPS signal might be bouncing off several buildings.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Unless WiFi is really draining your battery, you should probably leave it on while in the car. It can make your location more accurate by just monitoring the WiFi hotspots that are near you (this is part of what those Google Maps cars are doing as they drive around cities). This can make a difference especially in cities where your GPS signal might be bouncing off several buildings.

Haha... It just made me laugh that you didn't like the guy's "car mode." (Although, I don't think WiFi helps your location services if you're not actually connected to a hotspot. And you usually are not when you're in a car.)

Seriously, I think what he said at the end is the key. We are scratching the surface with NFC. I am thinking iPhone5 or new android right now, and I am coming around on NFC being a must. Which means no iPhone.

[MattFancy]

Haha... It just made me laugh that you didn't like the guy's "car mode." (Although, I don't think WiFi helps your location services if you're not actually connected to a hotspot. And you usually are not when you're in a car.)

Seriously, I think what he said at the end is the key. We are scratching the surface with NFC. I am thinking iPhone5 or new android right now, and I am coming around on NFC being a must. Which means no iPhone.

Definitely just starting to realize all the things NFC can be used for it. And he didn't even mention being able to pay for things using your phone. So you wouldn't need to carry around credit cards and such. Now I'm still skeptical about that, but its still a nice feature to have. Why would you choose an phone that doesn't have the latest and greatest features?

[DjTj]

Haha... It just made me laugh that you didn't like the guy's "car mode." (Although, I don't think WiFi helps your location services if you're not actually connected to a hotspot. And you usually are not when you're in a car.)

It doesn't need to connect to a hotspot. Just looking at SSIDs and checking against Google's database can help improve location accuracy.

Here is a statement from Google explaining that they keep a database of WiFi locations:

From tagging a post with your location, to checking in to a restaurant, to simply finding out where you are, location-based services have become some of the most popular features of today’s Internet. One of the key ways technology companies are able to determine a location for these services is through a location database, which matches publicly broadcast information about local wireless networks with their approximate geographic location. By looking for wireless access points that are close to a user’s phone, location providers can return the approximate location you need. In addition, this method is a good alternative to other approaches, like GPS, because it’s faster, it works indoors, and it’s more battery-efficient.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/greater-choice-for-wireless-access.html

And this is also true for iPhones. Here is a quote from Apple's website explaining that they use Wi-Fi for location services:

Depending on your device and available services, Location Services uses a combination of cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS to determine your location. If you're not within a clear line of sight to GPS satellites, your device can determine your location using crowd-sourced Wi-Fi and cell tower locations.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4995

If you're ever in a city with tall buildings, you'll see that leaving WiFi on does actually improve the accuracy of your location.

[chipwhich]

Definitely just starting to realize all the things NFC can be used for it. And he didn't even mention being able to pay for things using your phone. So you wouldn't need to carry around credit cards and such. Now I'm still skeptical about that, but its still a nice feature to have. Why would you choose an phone that doesn't have the latest and greatest features?

If you bought a phone today, when the ability to not carry around credit cards and pay for things with NFC comes around, you will have already purchased a new phone with newer technologies.

Who needs to share a playlist.

If NFC becomes a real standard, it will take a long time to have it widely used. Longer than the life of your phone your picking up today

[Btubes18]

The Nexus S 4G is an out of date phone, hardly a fair comparison to an iPhone 5. That's like claiming an HTC One X is better than an iPhone 3GS. Plus you probably have been on Gingerbread most of this time, right? When did you upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich?

I will definitely say until Ice Cream Sandwich, Android paled in comparison to iOS.

was comparing it to an iphone 4...which is what my wife has. I did upgrade to the new operating system and I have to say it is better than before. Honestly, it really is about personal preference...with my expierence the iphone works fine out of the box, droids take some time and customization to really get all the bang for your buck...just personal preference.

[Sticksboi05]

was comparing it to an iphone 4...which is what my wife has. I did upgrade to the new operating system and I have to say it is better than before. Honestly, it really is about personal preference...with my expierence the iphone works fine out of the box, droids take some time and customization to really get all the bang for your buck...just personal preference.

I think as far as working out of the box, the phones that have come with ICS have pretty much nullified that advantage for the most part. But it is a shame that a large portion of the Android base uses god-awful software (pre-ICS).

[MattFancy]

If you bought a phone today, when the ability to not carry around credit cards and pay for things with NFC comes around, you will have already purchased a new phone with newer technologies.

Who needs to share a playlist.

If NFC becomes a real standard, it will take a long time to have it widely used. Longer than the life of your phone your picking up today

I'm confused, are you saying you would rather have a phone that doesn't have the best current technology? Or you just like to have what Apple tells you is good?

[hunterx]

Just food for thought...

If you aren't the type to watch videos stored on your phone that requires more than 32GB of space, you may want to also consider the HTC One X. The main differences are that the S3 has a microSD expansion, nearly double the battery life (though 10 hours is plenty...usually you can charge at home, car or work).

They are both on 4G LTE, have 1280x720 resolution, 8mp rear camera with 1080p video capture, have NFC.

Both are out of the box with 4.0 and have been rumored to be upgradeable to 4.1 for a few months. This probably isn't that important since you're already considering the S3.

You can find the HTC One X for under $100...I think ATT even offers me it for $10 with a 2 year contract lol.

[DjTj]

I'm confused, are you saying you would rather have a phone that doesn't have the best current technology? Or you just like to have what Apple tells you is good?

Well, I think it's reasonable to say that it's not necessary to have all of the latest features when they are still in the process of being adopted by the wider industry. NFC has a lot of great possibilities, but it isn't ubiquitous for payments yet, and there will probably be a Galaxy S5 and an iPhone 6 before that really happens. So while it is a "cool to have" feature right now, it will probably be in all top-line smartphones by the time it becomes a "must have."

You could say the same thing about some iPhone 5 features, like multiple microphones and wideband audio. Sure, it's a nice feature to have, and it improves Siri performance somewhat, but since the carriers don't really support wideband audio, it is not a "must have" feature.

[MattFancy]

Well, I think it's reasonable to say that it's not necessary to have all of the latest features when they are still in the process of being adopted by the wider industry. NFC has a lot of great possibilities, but it isn't ubiquitous for payments yet, and there will probably be a Galaxy S5 and an iPhone 6 before that really happens. So while it is a "cool to have" feature right now, it will probably be in all top-line smartphones by the time it becomes a "must have."

You could say the same thing about some iPhone 5 features, like multiple microphones and wideband audio. Sure, it's a nice feature to have, and it improves Siri performance somewhat, but since the carriers don't really support wideband audio, it is not a "must have" feature.

So with all things being equal, because the price of the S3 is the same as the iPhone 5, you would pick the phone with less features since not all the features are being adopted right now? And then next year when the iPhone 5S gets NFC, you'd get that?

[DjTj]

So with all things being equal, because the price of the S3 is the same as the iPhone 5, you would pick the phone with less features since not all the features are being adopted right now? And then next year when the iPhone 5S gets NFC, you'd get that?

Maybe the better audio quality of the iPhone 5 is more important to me right now than the NFC on the Galaxy S3. Maybe I want a smaller phone that fits better in my pocket. Maybe I have a bunch of music on iTunes that I want to listen to no my iPhone. If I got an iPhone 5 now, I probably wouldn't get another phone for two years, and it would be based on my needs then. Upgrading every single year is a waste of money IMO.

I'm just saying that different people might prefer certain features over others.

P.S. I have an iPhone 4S, and I'm not planning to get a new phone anytime soon. In another year or so, I might get an iPhone 5S or a Galaxy S4 or an HTC phone or maybe there will even be a good Windows Phone by then.

[laurent]

Galaxy might be a nice phone, but the fundamental problem I have with most Android phones these days is the bigger is better approach the manufacturers appear to be taking. I'm sorry, but the Galaxy S3 is not something I want to lug around. It feels awkward in my hand is just plain to big too carry in my pocket.

I personally prefer the form factor of the iPhone4/4s/5 primarily because of it's form factor. It fits nicely into my coin pocket. Hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

[MattFancy]

Maybe the better audio quality of the iPhone 5 is more important to me right now than the NFC on the Galaxy S3. Maybe I want a smaller phone that fits better in my pocket. Maybe I have a bunch of music on iTunes that I want to listen to no my iPhone. If I got an iPhone 5 now, I probably wouldn't get another phone for two years, and it would be based on my needs then. Upgrading every single year is a waste of money IMO.

I'm just saying that different people might prefer certain features over others.

P.S. I have an iPhone 4S, and I'm not planning to get a new phone anytime soon. In another year or so, I might get an iPhone 5S or a Galaxy S4 or an HTC phone or maybe there will even be a good Windows Phone by then.

The iTunes thing to me is overplayed. I had a ton of songs on iTunes, but now all of my stuff is stored on Google Music. GM even syncs with iTunes so you can take all of your songs from iTunes and have them right there with you wherever you go.

Galaxy might be a nice phone, but the fundamental problem I have with most Android phones these days is the bigger is better approach the manufacturers appear to be taking. I'm sorry, but the Galaxy S3 is not something I want to lug around. It feels awkward in my hand is just plain to big too carry in my pocket.

I personally prefer the form factor of the iPhone4/4s/5 primarily because of it's form factor. It fits nicely into my coin pocket. Hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

I don't understand the pocket thing. My S3 fits perfectly in my pocket and sometimes I forget its even in there. I guess its different if people wear tighter jeans, but I have zero problem.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

The iTunes thing to me is overplayed. I had a ton of songs on iTunes, but now all of my stuff is stored on Google Music. GM even syncs with iTunes so you can take all of your songs from iTunes and have them right there with you wherever you go.

I don't understand the pocket thing. My S3 fits perfectly in my pocket and sometimes I forget its even in there. I guess its different if people wear tighter jeans, but I have zero problem.

I just got on Google Music as well. It works like a charm. I like that I can play it from multiple devices too.

I'm starting to lean towards the Razr M. I think all of these other phones are just too big. I just want to make sure the Razr M gets the same updates that the "big" phones will get.

[MattFancy]

I just got on Google Music as well. It works like a charm. I like that I can play it from multiple devices too.

I'm starting to lean towards the Razr M. I think all of these other phones are just too big. I just want to make sure the Razr M gets the same updates that the "big" phones will get.

Its really nice to be able to listen to all the music on my computer on my phone or on my computer at work.

I don't think I'd get a phone any bigger than the S3. The Galaxy Note is way too big IMO.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Its really nice to be able to listen to all the music on my computer on my phone or on my computer at work.

I don't think I'd get a phone any bigger than the S3. The Galaxy Note is way too big IMO.

You seem to know what you are talking about with phones, so here's what I want in a phone:

LTE

NFC

Expandable memory

ICS or better

Less bloatware

What do you got?

[DjTj]

You seem to know what you are talking about with phones, so here's what I want in a phone:

LTE

NFC

Expandable memory

ICS or better

Less bloatware

What do you got?

I think I can answer for him: The Samsung Galaxy S3. Next question.

Have you even been reading this thread?

[Skinz4Life12]

You seem to know what you are talking about with phones, so here's what I want in a phone:

LTE

NFC

Expandable memory

ICS or better

Less bloatware

What do you got?

my galaxy nexus has all those features with the exception of expandable memory.

LTE: check

NFC: check

Expandable Memory: Comes standard with 32 gigs (which is plenty for me)

OS: Jelly Bean

Bloatware: NONE

this phone probably runs $100 now