Samsung Galaxy S III I9300 International Version Review

What the reviewer liked

• Screen. Very sharp, despite the PenTile pixel layout.
• Cameras. A 2 MP front camera and an 8 MP rear camera with a best photo function that snaps 8 pictures in about a second, plus zero shutter lag.
• LED. A big, bright notification light beside the front speaker, something the Galaxy S line had lacked. The reviewer suggested Light Flow for customizing it.
• Speakers. Loud and clear. The rear speaker sits beside the camera, so a hand is less likely to muffle it.
• Battery. A full day of moderate to heavy use, short of gamers.
• Performance. Handled everything with little hesitation, as expected from a quad-core phone.
• TouchWiz. Improved enough that the reviewer preferred it to Nova Launcher, with features such as Smart Stay and motion gestures.

What could be better

• TouchWiz is full of features but its theme styling will never win a beauty contest.
• The front looks beautiful, but the back looks like a brick.
• The colour choices were odd, with no standard black.
• This international model lacks LTE, which the reviewer felt was a fair trade for true quad-core.

Context

The review was written quickly, as the author had stepped back from the site to care for a newborn. It reflects personal opinion.