Why Buy a Smartphone?
These cellular devices are much more than just cell phones; they provide instant access to the web. Whether you’re researching news to predict the stock market or looking for the perfect golf course on the weekend, you’ll find it on the net.
Many of these devices allow you to sync with your desktop computer. This means you can store, view, and work on documents directly on your handheld. You can also receive and respond to emails as they arrive in your inbox on your home computer with real-time push email.
These products can also serve as multimedia devices, so your entertainment goes with you. They can store and display pictures and videos of friends and family and even entire feature-length movies. Most can take pictures and capture video, but the most common multimedia function is the ability to play MP3s—sit back, relax, and enjoy your favorite tunes while traveling or during breaks.
Another perk of using one of these devices is the fairly recent development of third-party applications (or apps). These apps range from those geared toward hardworking business tasks to entertaining games and everything in between. With thousands of apps available to download in a range of prices, there’s sure to be something that will appeal.
Smartphones: What to Look For
In the past, business people were easily identifiable—they carried large briefcases, binder planners and perhaps a brick cell phone. The scene has changed and so has the way we conduct life and business. One of these devices stores important data and documents, offers a calendar planner, provides instant access to the internet and email and keeps you in touch with clients, coworkers, friends and family – anytime and anywhere.Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate these cellular devices.
Design
Size and weight, along with screen size and resolution, make a difference in the display and handling of these devices.
Size and weight, along with screen size and resolution, make a difference in the display and handling of these devices.
Multimedia
The best business cell phones have at least a 5 megapixel camera with zoom features and the ability to play and record audio and video. These cell phones act as life management devices and include organizational features like calendars and task lists. Most sync with home computers allowing for document viewing and editing.
The best business cell phones have at least a 5 megapixel camera with zoom features and the ability to play and record audio and video. These cell phones act as life management devices and include organizational features like calendars and task lists. Most sync with home computers allowing for document viewing and editing.
Call Features & Quality
The foundation of business is communication, and these product's first function is as a cellular phone. These devices for business should include all typical cell phone features including speakerphone, three-way calling, voice dialing, call waiting, etc.
The foundation of business is communication, and these product's first function is as a cellular phone. These devices for business should include all typical cell phone features including speakerphone, three-way calling, voice dialing, call waiting, etc.
Battery Life & Memory
The most practical products are compact, include good input and display options, and enough battery life to last through a full day’s work and beyond.
The most practical products are compact, include good input and display options, and enough battery life to last through a full day’s work and beyond.
Additional Features
Many cellular devices include practical tools like calculators, map applications and GPS. Some have the ability to support third-party or browser-based programs that can perform a variety of specific functions. Third-party apps are becoming a key component, allowing the user to customize their smartphones to support their lifestyles.
Many cellular devices include practical tools like calculators, map applications and GPS. Some have the ability to support third-party or browser-based programs that can perform a variety of specific functions. Third-party apps are becoming a key component, allowing the user to customize their smartphones to support their lifestyles.
Who's the top smartphone maker?
Apple and
Samsung are duking it out for the smartphone crown, but other contenders
are up for a good fight too. Who do you think is the top smartphone
maker?
The Galaxy S III is Samsung's latest smartphone volley.
(Credit:
Samsung)
It's epic. There's the clashing of pixels, the gnashing of
processors, and the crunching of operating systems locked in a battle
for supremacy.
Apple and Samsung both have claims to the crown, but (much like the Highlander) there can be only one!
Apple topped the U.S. smartphone market with a 29 percent share in the first quarter, according to stats from NPD, but Samsung rocketed to a 24 percent share in the same period. Worldwide, it's a flipflop. Samsung rode the popularity of Android into the No. 1 smartphone slot last quarter with 29 percent global market share, according to IDC, while Apple accounted for 24 percent.
Choosing a smartphone king can be subjective depending on the criteria you're using. You may have an emotional attachment to your Samsung Galaxy S II or undying loyalty to the iPhone 4S. You may decide to go strictly by the global sales numbers or you may give more weight to the U.S. market.
Apple and Samsung are the current heavyweight contenders when it comes to market share, but they're not the only smartphone options. The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx can be found on CNET's current Best Smartphones list and HTC's One also staked a claim on the list.
Let's tackle this issue with a subjective opinion poll. Who reigns supreme over the smartphone world? Your choice may range outside of the Apple versus Samsung clash, so we've got some options to reflect that. Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments what swayed you.
Apple and Samsung both have claims to the crown, but (much like the Highlander) there can be only one!
Apple topped the U.S. smartphone market with a 29 percent share in the first quarter, according to stats from NPD, but Samsung rocketed to a 24 percent share in the same period. Worldwide, it's a flipflop. Samsung rode the popularity of Android into the No. 1 smartphone slot last quarter with 29 percent global market share, according to IDC, while Apple accounted for 24 percent.
Choosing a smartphone king can be subjective depending on the criteria you're using. You may have an emotional attachment to your Samsung Galaxy S II or undying loyalty to the iPhone 4S. You may decide to go strictly by the global sales numbers or you may give more weight to the U.S. market.
Apple and Samsung are the current heavyweight contenders when it comes to market share, but they're not the only smartphone options. The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx can be found on CNET's current Best Smartphones list and HTC's One also staked a claim on the list.
Let's tackle this issue with a subjective opinion poll. Who reigns supreme over the smartphone world? Your choice may range outside of the Apple versus Samsung clash, so we've got some options to reflect that. Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments what swayed you.
Some Top Smartphones Review
Samsung Galaxy S3 Review (pebble blue, unlocked)
You've probably read all the rumors about the next Samsung Galaxy smartphone. And guess what -- most of them are pretty spot on. Samsung's upcoming flagship handset, now with an official name, the Samsung Galaxy S III, has finally made its debut here in the chilly English capital.
The handset official specs include a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 720p resolution (1,280x720 pixels), HSPA+ connectivity, an 8-megapixel camera, 2,100mAh removable battery, as well as a quad-core Exynos processor. It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as its operating system, and will come in two color options: blue or white.
Meet the Samsung Galaxy S III.
(Credit:
Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)
I had a chance to handle the smartphone before the official launch event, and here are my initial impressions of the handset, including a look at some of the newer features of the TouchWiz user interface.
Samsung Galaxy S III
is a smartphone running the Android operating system that was announced by Samsung on 3 May 2012 in London. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S II, The device will release in Europe on May 29, 2012. It will release in the US on June.It will be available in two colour options—marble white and pebble blue—along with numerous new software features and hardware accessories. These include Smart Stay (the screen remains on when the user looks at the screen, otherwise it sleeps), Direct Call (which allows the user to call a person whose text message is currently on screen simply by raising the phone to the ear), Pop Up Play (allows a video and other activities to occupy the screen at the same time), S Voice, Buddy Photo Sharing, Allcast Share Dongle, Group Cast (documents collaboration), wireless charging, S Pebble MP3 player, dock/charger, C-Pen, slimline case, and car mount. The phone comes in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB variants, and an additional 50 GB of space is offered on the Dropbox service for purchasers of the device for two years, doubling rival HTC's 25 GB storage for the same duration.
The international version has Samsung's Exynos 4 Quad system on a chip containing a 1.4 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and an ARM Mali-400 MP GPU. However, the US version is expected to use Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC to support LTE functionality.Dimensions of the device are 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm and weighs at 133 grams with a 2100 mAh Lithium Ion battery.
The Galaxy S III is the official device of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The 4.8-inch 720p display looks great -- everything appears sharp, fonts were crisp, and colors were vibrant. Samsung was not willing to tell me early if the display uses a RGB matrix display (three subpixels per pixel) or a PenTile (two subpixels per pixel) one. I suspect it's the latter because of the name of the display -- it lacks the "Plus" at end, which denotes the RGB matrix version. It's likely the S III uses the same display found on the Galaxy Note, but for a slightly smaller panel.
While the screen is huge, the phone doesn't feel big. It's slightly larger and thicker than the Galaxy S II, but still feels comfortable in my hands. At 4.7 ounces, it's 0.6 ounce heavier than the Galaxy S II and about 0.1 ounce heavier than the HTC One X. The S III is, however, thinner compared with the One X -- 0.3 inch versus 0.35 inch.
Samsung has also made its 2,100mAh battery removable, and the handset will come in three storage capacities: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB (this latter size won't be immediately available). In addition, it has a microSD card slot for up to another 64GB of storage. The handset will have 1GB RAM for running applications.
The S III comes with a removable 2,100mAh battery.
(Credit:
Aloysius Low/CNET)
You can also take a picture while recording a video -- feel free to guess where you first heard of this feature. Other imaging-related enhancements include contact tagging and automatic photo grouping based on who is in the picture. The front-facing 2-megapixel camera will also have face detection -- which keeps the screen awake and from dimming if you are looking at it. It didn't seem to work when I tried it, but bear in mind that this sample is not the finished retail product.
Besides the obvious hardware improvements and software tweaks, Samsung has also added more tweaks to its TouchWiz UI. These include a new "Pop up Play" video function, which lets you watch a video while doing other things such as surfing the Web or sending text messages. Android Beam (an NFC-based feature) has also been beefed up -- it's now called S Beam and will also let you transfer large files using Wi-Fi Direct (for speeds of up to 300Mbps).
S Beam is like the NFC-based Android Beam, but also works with Wi-Fi Direct for sending large files.
Instead of the S Cloud rumors, the S III will come with a free two-year 50GB Dropbox account, twice that of the One X. Lastly, in what appears to be an S III exclusive, the handset will come with Flipboard for Android, a port of the popular news reading app previously only available on iOS.
Flipboard for Android on the Galaxy S III.
For those hoping the rumors about the micro-oxidized ceramic rear are true, well bad news. It's not. The Samsung Galaxy S III sticks to the same plastic build, only this time it comes in blue or white. While the handset felt solid, the plastic rear just doesn't give a good grip like the Galaxy Nexus, and it doesn't feel as durable as the polycarbonate finish of the One X.
Instead of software buttons, Samsung chose to use a traditional physical home button and touch-sensitive keys. I would have preferred the company to have made a bold switch with software keys, hence my disappointment. Also with the Menu key on the left instead of the Back key, I found myself accidentally hitting it while trying to go back. This will not be a problem if you're used to Samsung's button positioning, but if you're like me (I use phones mostly with my left hand), you may find a tired thumb from stretching too much to reach the back button.
Hello, home button. Why can't you be software-based instead?
Samsung has been doing relatively well in the mobile phone industry, and its latest flagship device looks like it will have a high chance of success, too. The plastic build may not be to everyone's liking, but the hardware and software improvements give smartphone buyers good reasons to get this handset. If the image quality of the Galaxy S III's camera can match or best the One X, the S III will likely be one of the best Android handsets you can buy this year.
FAQ:
Samsung Galaxy S III: Everything You Need to Know
Here's the scoop on what Samsung didn't discuss at the launch party of the next hot Android phone.
Samsung Galaxy S III After all of the rumors and speculation, the Samsung Galaxy S III is finally here but you probably have a few questions about this new Android phone.
Samsung is the master of flash and flare at its press conferences, but we’re here to help you get to the nitty gritty of why you should care about this phone. The Galaxy S III will go on sale in Europe on May 23. No official word yet on a U.S. launch, but it could come this summer.
Can the S III Really Follow Your Every Move?
The Samsung S III really wants to be your new best friend--your new psychic best friend. According to Samsung’s somewhat creepy commercial (shown below), the S III “follows your every move.” Scared yet?In reality, the Samsung S III can do things like predict when you want the screen awake by using the front-facing camera to monitor your eyes. If you’re watching a movie on your phone and happen to fall asleep, the phone’s display will turn off.
The S III also has a feature called S Voice, which is a customized voice-recognition system. Hmm, sound familiar? Like Apple’s Siri, S Voice can recognize a variety of commands. For example, you can say “snooze” when your alarm goes off and buy yourself a little more sleeping time. You can also say “direct call” and ring somebody while you’re in the middle of a text. You can also control the volume of your music, organize your calendar, and launch the camera via voice commands.
However, there's no word, so far, on whether S Voice works with third-party applications. S Voice works with eight different languages, including British English and American English. A few of my friends from across the pond have complained about Siri’s difficulty in understanding them so I guess this is good news there.
Is It Quad-Core Powered?
Samsung confirmed before today’s announcement that the Galaxy S III phones will be powered by the company’s own quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor. Oddly, however, the processor specs were not in the press materials we received today. I have a suspicion that the Samsung quad-core processor is not compatible with U.S. LTE networks. If true, we might see a different processor on the S III phones in the United States. Samsung would not comment on what sort of processor the U.S. versions will have when I asked.
HTC pulled a similar trick with the One X.
The global version runs on an NVidia Tegra 3 processor, while the U.S.
phone uses a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. NVidia’s
quad-core processor was not yet compatible with AT&T’s LTE network
at the time of the One X’s manufacture. In our benchmarks, however, the
U.S. version of the One X did quite well despite having fewer cores.When Will the S III Come to the United States?
According to our sources at Samsung, the 4G (HSPA+/LTE) versions of the S III will come to North America this summer. Samsung said it will optimize the phones for the LTE and HSPA+ networks. Timing, pricing, or carrier partners have not yet been announced.What is the Deal with the New Sharing Apps?
Samsung made a big deal about the ease of sharing from the S III, but from what I can tell, it looks like you can only share from your S III to another. Samsung has enhanced Android Beam, which allows large files to be transferred between phones quickly. Now called S Beam, you can share music, photos, and up to 1GB of video from your S III to your buddy’s S III.To help you understand, here's how Android Beam works on the Galaxy Nexus.
Samsung also enhanced its DLNA service for sharing content from your phone to your TV. AllShare Cast lets you wirelessly connect your Galaxy S III to your TV, tablet, or PC and share files over WiFi. However, you’ll have to buy the separate All Cast Hub accessory in order to use this feature (see the Accessories question below)
What is an HD Super AMOLED display?
The
3.4-inch-thick S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a
1280-pixel by 720-pixel resolution. This is the same display technology
we saw on the Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy S II had Super AMOLED Plus, which
is actually based on a PenTile pixel structure in which pixels share
subpixels.The Galaxy S II phones, on the other hand, have full RGB displays in which the pixels have their own subpixels. This means that HD Super AMOLED displays have lower overall subpixel density, which could translate to reduced sharpness and degraded color accuracy.
When we compared the Galaxy Nexus to the Galaxy S II, however, we didn’t notice a huge difference in display quality. The only quality different we detected was color accuracy, especially with whites (they appeared to have a yellowish tint). I have yet to see the Galaxy SIII up close and personal, so I’m not sure if it suffers from this same issue
One cool thing is that despite the Galaxy S III having a larger display than its predecessor (4.8 inches versus 4.3/4.5 inches), it isn’t much bigger. There’s very little bezel around the phone as the display takes full advantage of the hardware real estate.
Will Battery Life Really Improve?
Battery life is the bane of every tech user. Samsung claims that it won’t be an issue with the S III as it has a larger 2100mAh battery. For comparison, the Galaxy S II has a 1560mAh battery, while the Galaxy Nexus has a 1750mAh battery. The granddaddy of phones with long battery life, the Droid Razr Maxx, has a 3300mAH battery.I fear that Samsung’s all-seeing front-facing camera might put a strain on the battery life, however. Also, phone manufacturers still haven’t worked out all the kinks with battery conservation on LTE networks. Battery life will depend on what sort of processor Samsung is packing into its S III phones for the United States and, as we’ve learned, this is still very much up in the air.
Is the Camera Any Good?
The Samsung Galaxy phones have always performed quite well in our PCWorld Test Center camera subjective tests. While I haven’t personally gotten my hands on the Galaxy S III’s 8-megapixel camera, I can tell you a little bit about its new features.According to Samsung, the Galaxy S III will have zero shutter lag. The company also claims that the camera will start in “less than one second.” The S III will also have a burst-shot mode, a feature we saw on HTC’s One phones.
The S III camera also will have a feature called “Best Photo,” which will automatically select your best photos out of a series of eight photos taken in succession. But do you really want your phone to be your photo assistant?
What About Accessories?
Samsung Galaxy Note S PenSamsung announced a slew of accessories, including a C Pen stylus (which seems pretty similar to the S Pen on the Galaxy Note),
an AllShare Cast Hub for wireless streaming, a docking station for your
desk, a wireless charger, a car kit, and an HDMI adapter.Samsung also announced the S Pebble “music companion” MP3 player. Why does this accessory look so familiar? Oh yes, in 2009, I reviewed the Samsung Pebble MP3 player which looks strikingly similar to the S Pebble.
Is the Galaxy Nexus Outdated Now?
Samsung Galaxy NexusNo,
relax. It might not have as many cores as the S III, and the display
might be a little smaller, but don’t feel bad if you just walked out of
the store with a brand new Galaxy Nexus. Your Galaxy Nexus is still an
excellent, current phone and offers something the Galaxy S III does not:
A pure, untouched Android experience.Have more questions? Sound off in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer them for you.
Samsung Galaxy S III vs. HTC One X vs. iPhone 4S
Now that we finally know the details, find out how the Galaxy S III measures up to the HTC One X and iPhone 4S.
The Galaxy S III packs some power under its hood.
(Credit:
Luke Westaway/CNET UK)
Running Samsung's own 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, 1GB of RAM, plus internal storage ranging from 16GB up to 64GB, the Galaxy S III is certainly a mobile force to be reckoned with. In fact, the phone's components including a powerful 8MP main camera offers many of the same standout imaging features found in the HTC One X such as burst mode and nimble shot-to-shot times. Its four computing cores also threaten to leave the iPhone 4S and dual-core HTC One X in the dust.
Samsung's latest creation also boasts a host of slick voice and face recognition abilities that may beat the iPhone 4S at its own personal assistant game. See how the chips fall in this side-by-side comparison of all three devices. Also be sure to read Aloysius Low's detailed hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S III.
| Samsung Galaxy S III (Unlocked) | HTC One X (AT&T) | Apple iPhone 4S | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Android Ice Cream Sandwich | Android Ice Cream Sandwich | iOS 5 |
| Dimensions | 5.4 inches tall by 2.8 inches wide by 0.34 inch thick; 4.7 ounces | 5.2 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.3 inch thick; 4.6 ounces | 4.5 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick; 4.9 ounces |
| Display | 4.8-inch, 1280x720-pixel HD Super AMOLED touch screen | 4.7-inch, 1280x720-pixel Super LCD touch screen | 3.5-inch, 960x640-pixel Retina Display touch screen |
| Camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording, backside-illuminated sensor; front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording; front-facing 1.3 camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording; front-facing VGA camera |
| Processor | Samsung Exnyos quad-core 1.4GHz processor* | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5GHz processor** | Dual-core 1GHz A5 processor with dual-core graphics |
| Storage | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB, 32GB | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
| Expansion slot | Yes | No | No |
| NFC support | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0; Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n);GSM/HSPA+ 21 | Bluetooth 4.0; Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); WCDMA (UMTS)/GSM; LTE | Bluetooth 4.0; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); GSM/HSPA+ 14.4; CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A |
| World phone | Yes | Yes | Yes (select models) |
| Battery size | 2,100 mAh,removable | 1,800 mAh, not removable | NA, not removable |
| Carriers | Unlocked | AT&T | AT&T, Sprint, Verizon |
| Pricing (on contract) | TBA | $199.99 | $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB |
*Samsung hasn't announced the specs for the U.S. version of the Galaxy S III. Processor specs could change with that announcement.
**HTC's global version of the One X runs on an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor.


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