Which Is Easier? Android Or iOS?

ANDROID VS APPLE - SIMILAR DIFFERENCES?

Okay folks, the topic of today's SoundCloud podcast is the following question: "Which is easier to use? Android or iOS?"

This question has come up from time to time, and the answer used to be a resounding iOS. But that's not necessarily true anymore.

"Tune in" to the podcast and hear my reasons why this discussion is a moot topic. You might be surprised to hear what I have to say about this.

I'm an Android fan who has 2 Apple iOS devices on the side. What do you carry in your pocket? Which operating system appeals to you, and why?

Sound off in the comments section and let the world know!

Carlton Flowers
Geek Podcaster Supreme

Black Friday Shocker - My Plans Averted

MY 2012 BIG SHOPPING FEVER LETDOWN

This has been a crazy year for gadget shopping and Black Friday. I had somewhat of a clear plan of attack, and it was derailed.

As you know, I've been salivating over the Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet. I was eligible for an upgrade in October (or so I thought). Once the price of $299 was unvelied for the second generation Note, I decided to wait it out for a while.

But something happened that forced me to change my plans. My daughter lost her Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone on the day before our family vacation. So I decided to go for the Note 2 now, and hand off my current Galaxy S2 to my daughter because she wasn't due for an upgrade.

I was really excited about getting the Note 2 even though I wasn't ready to part with the money. So I perused the web for Black Friday deals. The lowest price I found was $249 through Amazon.

Before ordering the phone, I decided to make a quick trip to the AT&T store in Ohio where I was spending Thanksgiving. I wanted to hold it in my hands for the first time. I had tested a first generation Note before, but I wanted to see how the new form facctor would feel.

Right off the bat, my first thought was "this smartphone is way too big". I was shocked that I had such a reaction. I've been wanting a humongous smartphone since the first generation Note was released. This was the moment I had been waiting for, and I didn't have that "magic feeling" that I was expecting.

The store did not have a working model, and I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to try out the new S Pen and all of its features. I thought that maybe my mind would change and I'd feel better about the size if I had a chance to test drive the stylus.

I played around with a few other smartphones, including the Galaxy S III, the HTC One X, and the Nokia Lumia 920. I was most impressed with the Lumia 920, and started having thoughts of making a switch in my game plan.

Even though the Lumia 920 with Windows Phone 8 was clearly the most intuitive and impressive operating system of all, I admitted to myself that I'm not ready to ditch Android and make such a big switch. So I stayed focused.

I fondled the Galaxy Note II one more time, then I left the store more confused than when I had arrived. I went back home to drop the dough on a new phablet.

When I logged into my AT&T account, I was met with a surprise: I wasn't eligible for an upgrade!

Apparently, AT&T changed the rules on early upgrades for the primary account holders of family plans. The old rule was that you could do an early upgrade and new 2-year contract at the end of a year. But the new rule is 18 months minimum time before you can do an early upgrade.

At first, I was frustrated and angry. But afer I settled down, I was actually relieved that this happened. I wasn't ready to pull the trigger, and I'm finding that I am undecided on what I want with a smartphone.

By the time I am eligible for an upgrade, I probably won't be getting a Galaxy Note II. I will have had enough time to make a well-informed decision, and I'll have a better gadget strategy.

I'm leaning towards going back to Gadget Strategy B, which is having a smartphone that is actually a phone, then a 7" WiFi tablet, and my laptop. Who knows... maybe I'll get my stylus craving settled with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9.

In the meatime, my money will be staying in my bank account.

Carlton Flowers
Frustrated Gadget Addict

CZ Tech Talk - Upgrade Fever Fries My Brain

UPGRADE FRENZY AND INDECISION CAUSES MENTAL INSTABILITY IN GEEKS

Hey guys & gals. This is one of those posts where Carlton just speaks his mind. I'm not writing this post to win a Pulitzer. I'm just writing it to dump a few thoughts from my mind at the present moment.

Today, I have upgrade fever. It's official. I can't hold it in any longer. I am conflicted. Deeply conflicted. Hopefully you will understand the fullness of my conundrum by the end of this rambling post. Maybe you can even relate.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2. I love it. It's my beloved smartphone that freed me from the controling confines of the Apple walled garden cult. I will never look back. This is probably one of my most beloved favorite gadgets since the Commodore 64. I'm serious.

But the upgrade frenzy has hit me, and I don't know what to do. I have had a chance to have the Samsung Galaxy S3 for 2 weeks, thanks to AT&T St. Louis, and it was a most wonderful experience. Plus, Postal Jim owns one, and I have had the opportunity to test drive his and compare it side-by-side with my Galaxy S2.

But now the Galaxy Note II is set to launch on AT&T this October. And it is a wonderful, amazing device. It will feature a quad core processor and a newer capacitive induction S-Pen stylus that is even more amazing than the first rendition.

The Galaxy Note II will have a physical home button just like ths Galaxy S III, plus it will have an even bigger display. It's going from 4.8" on the S3 to 5.3" on the Note 2. That's tremendous. This will erase any need for a tablet, that's for sure.

But what truly distresses me is the news that Postal Jim sent me earlier in the week. There are rumors swirling that Samsung will be releasing a Galaxy S4 in February of 2013. Of course that all hinges on the world not ending with the close of the Mayan calendar in December of 2012, but we shall see.

If the world does not implode, what will happen if I have a Samsung Galaxy Note II in my hands, and then the Samsung Galaxy S IV comes available from AT&T with a six-core CPU and more extras than any smartphone has ever seen before?

I really don't know what I would do. I guess that's just the speed of technology. Since making the big switch from the World of Koolaid (Apple iPhones) to the Land of Freedom (Android), I have not gotten used to significant updates on devices within short periods of time.

I'm used to Apple taking baby steps and spending at least 2 years before making a new device that would even wake you up and make you stop and take note. I'm not used to having a new breakthrough cutting edge device thrown in my face every six months.

But I guess that's the price you pay for freedom. Well, unless Apple sues the pants off of Samsung in the near future and they win, and stop them from making devices that are FAR better than their own. What a shame that would be.

So my current thought is that I should go ahead and pay the $199 (or whatever it may be) to upgrade my line as soon as it is possible, and get my grubby hands on the Samsung Galaxy Note II in October. Then when February rolls around, Postal Jim will buy the Galaxy S IV with the six core CPU and a huge 5.0" display, and I will at least be able to play with it and drool over the features until I can get the Galaxy Note III.

That really sounds silly. But I can live with it! Meanwhile, I'm sure Apple will have a phone that comes out giving the Samsung Galaxy S2 a run for it's money... by 2013.

Carlton Flowers
Upgrade Infected Geek

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review - Part Deux

THE GALAXY S3 IMPRESSES WITH GREAT ERGONOMICS

It's time for part 2 of the Samsung Galaxy S3 review that was provided to me by AT&T St. Louis (THANK YOU!) for thorough testing.

I've got more stuff to say about the hardware of the flagship phone that will now be in the spotlight, since Apple has banned its predecessor, the iPhone 4S Galaxy S2 clone.

The shape, form, and function of the Galaxy S3 is a hit. It is ergonomic. Never would I have thought that a gigantic 4.8" display smartphone would fit so well in your hand. The only drawback is not being able to reach a good portion of the upper left screen with your thumb. But it's worth the sacrifice.

The colors of the brushed polycarbonate body are very pleasing to the eye. The Marble White and Pebble Blue have a sleek look, and the blue looks almost metallic.

The polycarbonate makes for a light phone, and that means you'll always have whiners who say it feels "cheap". But the reason this happens is due to Apple brainwashing people into thinking smartphones should weigh 5 pounds and have thick glass screens that shatter on impact.

If you haven't been mentally programmed by Apple, you will probably think this phone has a high quality build and you will appreciate the lightness.

Something new about the Galaxy S3 is the location of the lock button. With its new super large size, it has been moved to the side instead of the top. It's a whole lot easier to access the lock button with one hand at its new location.

A huge advantage that continues on with the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the removable battery. You don't get that with other brands. The battery cover is easy to remove, and the humongous super efficient battery pops right out. On that note, I must say that the battery life of the S3 was very impressive.

When you pop off the back cover, you'll notice that you don't have to remove the battery to get to the SD card slot or the SIM slot. Other models like to hide these items behind the battery.

The last thing I will mention in this post is the speed of the device. With a quad core 1.4GHz processor and 1Gb of RAM, aplications fly. There's no "glitchyness" in scrolling, loading, or running apps.

From my testing, the cameras have been improved and so has the camera software. It's packing 8 megapixels in the back and 2 megapixels in the front. Plus you have the new picture sharing capability, where you can send pics to other S3 devices in close proximity.

Next we'll talke more about hardware upgrades, and software functionality. I have a lot to share about this phone. I'll admit, it was an instant love affair when I took it out of the box, and my adoration for this device did not end when I had to sadly pack it up and send it back.

Do you own a Samsung Galaxy S3? What are your favorite new features? Talk about it in the Disqus comments section below!

Carlton Flowers
Samsung Tester

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review - The Chowder Heads Rebuffed

GALAXY S3 CLEARLY TOP-LEVEL DEVICE DESPITE TROLLICIOUS REVIEWS

I'm so miffed by a lot of the reviews on the Samsung Galaxy S3 that I had to make up a new word. The trollicious chowder heads who claim it is a disappointment and not a major upgrade over the Galaxy S2 must have a hidden agenda.

In the immortal words of Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon, let me make this perfectly clear! The Galaxy S3 is most definitely a quantum leap upgrade over the Galaxy S2. I own a Galaxy S2, and thanks to AT&T St. Louis, I have had quality time test driving the Galaxy S3. Therefore, I speak from hands-on experience.

First of all, the design is amazingly ergonomic. When I first saw the rounded design of the Galaxy S3, I was disappointed. All of that vaporized when I first held the new device in my hand. The feel of the smartphone's upgraded body is much more ergonomic than its predecessor, and it is aesthetically superior when compared side-by-side.

I love the smooth rounded edges, plus the transition from the edges of the screen to the bezel. It has a slightly convex curvature similar to the HTC One X. It is a far cry from the hard edges of the iPhone 4S. The Galaxy S2 seems to take its cues from the 4S, while the S3 enters new territory completely.

When you turn on the device, you get a new splash screen. Plus you get a new way to unlock the device and enter into the home screen. Rather than a slide-to-unlock variation, you get a ripple effect and water sound. The design is elegant, and the action is smooth.

Display-wise, the colors and brightness of the screen seem to move more towards a natural look when compared to the Galaxy S2, which has been accused of being "cartoony" with its brighter-than-life colors. I think the color variation and brightness of the S3 has hit a sweet spot.

For watching video content or viewing pictures, the S3 is clearly the best device on the market due to the large 4.8" diameter Super AMOLED display. I would have thought a screen this big would have been clumsy and bulky. But surprisingly, I didn't find it to be cumbersome during my test period. Conversely, I found my S2 to be too small when returning to that device.

The Galaxy S3 is not just shaped great in the X-Y plane. It's also impressive in the Z-plane with its razor thin depth dimension. The edges are rounded, but it doesn't sacrifice depth. You loose the big hump found on the S2, and the thinness of the device makes it less obtrusive considering the larger display.

Something that I absolutely LOVE about the S3 is the physical home button. This was a grand slam home run in my book. The shape is an elongated oval, unlike the round home button found on the iPhone 4S. I truly missed my physical home button when I ditched my iPhone for my first Android device, the Galaxy S2. The combination of physical home button plus soft buttons on either side works great. Plus you can double click the home button  for a "recent apps" popup.

I have plenty more to report about, but I am going to have to chop up my reivew into parts to keep this from turning into a novel. But the evidence presented thus far is good enough to prove that this is a successful and significant upgrade for the Galaxy line.

By the time I am done with my review series, there will be no doubt that anyone trying to make an argument that the Galaxy S3 was not a major upgrade must obviously be a paid troll. That or just a plain chowder head. Sorry trolls and chowder heads, you have been officially rebuffed!

Watch for Samsung Galaxy S3 Review Part 2. We'll talk more about the hardware, and then we'll hit the software and functionality on Part 3!

Carlton Flowers
Non-Chowder Head Samsung Reviewer

Grab a Samsung Galaxy S3 now from Amazon.com from $99 to $189 with a 2-year contract! Click the links below to check them out from the AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint stores on Amazon now!

AT&T Galaxy S3 From $189

Verizon Galaxy S3 From $149

Sprint Galaxy S3 From $99

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - Unpacking Fresh Rumors

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 2 TO BE UNVEILED AUGUST 29TH

The excitement is starting to build, and I can hardly stand it. At the end of this month, we will know all the glorious details about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. All will be told at the "Unpacked" event on the 29th.

The freshest rumors about the Galaxy Note 2 that we can believe are as follows:

• Quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos cpu
• 5.5" display
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system
• Advanced S Pen
• Galaxy S3 styling
• $199 to $249 price tag

That is enough of a technical lineup to get me to sign on the line when my upgrade becomes available in mid-October. I will be ready to jettison my Galaxy S2 and roll the dough into a Galaxy Note 2.

I am most excited about the advancements that are being made with the S Pen. The accuracy is said to have been improved, and there are also rumors about it using micro conductivity (the same principle that allows a finger with a capacitive inductance display to work).

If I am able to land a Galaxy Note 2, you can forget any plans about the need of buying a tablet. I won't have any reason to waste the money. The Galaxy Note 2 will be big enough to serve as a tablet with a 4G LTE radio, but small enough to pack as a smartphone.

That will make me one happy gadget camper indeed.

Are you in the market for a Galaxy Note 2? Is this your perfect device, or do you think it's too much phabulous phablet for your phront pocket to handle? Sound off!

Carlton Flowers
Phuture Phablet Man

Take "Note" Part Deux! The Galaxy Note Returns - Fresh Rumors!

WHY THE SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE II ANNOUNCEMENT HAS ME AT "HELLO"

Folks, I have not been this excited since the ramp-up to the release of Samsung's Galaxy S2 smartphone. There's a new phablet coming to town, and it's a perfection of the first-generation smash hit!

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is said to be announced in August of 2012 at a special event. This could be a knock-out punch for Samsung, and they have my full undivided attention. My upgrade is due in October, and this is the #1 device on my short-list!

First of all, if you know me, I have been a fan of the stylus since the days of the Palm Treo.

I was super excited about the invention and introduction of the capacitive induction display when the first iPhone arrived, but the only down point is that you can't use a sharp, hard-tipped stylus with such a touch screen. So when the first generation Galaxy Note came to fruition, I just about did a back flip.

It's too bad that the Galaxy Note came after the Galaxy S2. Otherwise, I'd probably own one right now. But the Galaxy Note II looks like it could be taking some design cues from the Galaxy S-III superphone. That, to me, is a fantastic thing.

Not to get off topic, because I will address this later... but the Samsung Galaxy S-III is the most beautiful, functional, ergonomic smartphone that I have ever gripped in my greasy little geek fingers. Nothing, and I mean nothing comes close to its gorgeous design and cutting edge techno-features.

But I digress...

The only thing that will keep me from buying the Galaxy S-III in October would be a redesigned Galaxy Note II that has the nouveaux look and feel. We won't even get into the techie talk, because new design + S-Pen stylus = "enough for me to blindly buy".

What has me super excited is the fact that the new S-Pen could be a capacitive stylus, which would be a first. All of the capacitive styluses on the market have a fat rubber tip in order to mimick a finger. But the new S-Pen is rumored to be able to convey the micro current that a finger touch would give, but with a sharp, hard, pointed tip.

That means incredible accuracy, and action that would rival a real ink pen versus a fat, rubbery tip that doesn't have pinpoint accuracy. Add to that the fact that even the current version is pressure-sensitive, and able to give varying line width.

What has me so tanked-up about the Galaxy Note 2 is the fact that this will give me the best of both worlds: owning a smartphone plus a tablet. And not only will it be a fantastic, pocketable tablet, but one with the best stylus in gadget land.

We don't know what this thing is going to look like, but if the Galaxy Note 2 is anything like the picture depicted, I'm game! Next post, we will get into the rumored technical specifications of the Note 2, and see how close we can get to the production model at announcement time!

Carlton Flowers
Galaxy Purveyor

Why You Shouldn't Buy Your Samsung Galaxy S3 From Sprint

SPRINT CUSTOMERS BUYING A GALAXY S3? SWITCH TO AT&T

If your heart is set on buying the monumental Samsung Galaxy S3 superphone and you are a Sprint customer, I have a bit of advice for you before you spend your money and lock into a contract: SWITCH TO AT&T.

That's pretty blunt advice. And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash or be overly critical of Sprint. Nor am I just "promoting" AT&T. But it's for your own good, and it's due to the hardware that is built into the new Galaxy S3.

Here's the deal...

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has an LTE 4G radio built in. Sprint does not carry any 4G LTE service. Their version of 4G is "WiMax". It's a completely different standard on its own separate hardware network.

WiMax service is going the way of the dinosaur, and that is why many smartphone manufacturers are getting away from it. Samsung has decided not to invest in equipping the Sprint version of the SGS3 with a WiMax radio.

If you do choose to get a Galaxy S3 from Sprint, just understand that you won't be able to run it on their WiMax network. As a matter of fact, you won't even get to run it on the enhanced HSPA+ 4G network (the 2nd-generation of 3G service) like you can through AT&T and T-Mobile.

With your new Sprint SGS3, the best you will get is "EVDO" 3G service on the CDMA network. If you don't know what that means, all you need to know is that it old, slow, and outdated. EVDO 3G is slower than regular GSM 3G service, and it is far slower than HSPA+ "4G" service.

This all might sound confusing, sure enough. But to make it simple, you have 2 types of 4G service with AT&T: They are HSPA+ 4G, and LTE 4G. HSPA+ is the enhanced 3G network which has been enabled to run at tremendously higher speeds than that of standard 3G. 4G LTE is a completely new hardware network that is absolutly mind-boggling blazing fast in download speeds.

So if you are putting your money down on a Galaxy S3 from Sprint, you better understand that you are buying into a network that is basically two generations old when compared to AT&T, Verizon, or even T-Mobile.

If you are patient and you just love Sprint as a provider, you'll eventually get 4G LTE service. But it could be a while before you see it. They do plan on rolling out several major cities this year, but the majority of customers will not see LTE 4G service for a year or two.

And now you know the ressssst, of the story!

Carlton Flowers
Good Day!

PRE-ORDER YOUR GALAXY S3 NOW FROM AMAZON WIRELESS FOR $189!

Get your Samsung Galaxy S3 through Amazon Wireless today on pre-order for only $189! Enjoy all of the benefits of this outrageously amazing superphone featuring a whopping 4.8" Super AMOLED Plus display, a rock-solid Gorilla Glass II screen that is resistant to cracks and breakage, full 1080p HD viewing, Face Unlock facial recognition, blazing fast 4G LTE download speeds on the AT&T Wireless network, Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system, and so much more! Click the link or the thumbnail now to jump to Amazon Wireless and be one of the first to own one of the most cutting-edge smartphones on the market today!

Samsung Galaxy S3 Due To Hit The Scene In June

THE US CARRIERS SET TO RELEASE THE GALAXY S3

Hot new rumors are swirling about a June 20th 2012 release of the epic new flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S3 on all carriers!

AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint have all confirmed the eventual landing of the new Galaxy superphone, and it's looking highly likely that we will see it hit the carrier stores this summer. The colors of white, blue, and gray have been kicked around, and it will definitely feature a fully redesigned form factor.

One big change that I had originally not suspected to come to fruition is the addition of a physical home button. It looks like the single home button and 2 soft buttons on the left and right are actually going to appear on the phone. I think this will be a welcomed addition that will add to the simple functionality of the phone.

In the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy S2 and also with the Galaxy Skyrocket, the European versions featured a physical home button while the US versions had the standard 4 Android soft buttons. Now we will see a unified design for worldwide release.

I'm excited about the new 4.8" diagonal screen form factor and thinner design. This should mean that the "bigger is better" design is here to stay with top flight Android smartphones. As the demand for multimedia content increases due to widespread 4G LTE service, it only makes sense.

We still don't know for sure if Samsung will release the Galaxy S3 ahead of the upcomming iPhone 5, but knowing that the next iPhone will also feature a new form factor and bigger screen, you can guarantee that they will not be in a rush to release it early in the summer.

With the rapid growth of the Android market, it might not make a difference. There are enough people in the US that have firmly committed to the Android platform that I don't believe you'll have many ship-jumpers switching from Android to Apple. Both platforms will have a huge level of success, and there's plenty of room in the market for mega growth.

Right now, 50% of the population of this country packs a smartphone. But there is still a significant number of people who have yet to make the transformation from "feature phone" to smartphone. This pool of people might be large enough to even allow the Windows Phone Mango platform to make a serious splash, but at this point I truly believe that Apple's iOS and Android handsets will reap the greatest reward.

We'll be watching for more details as they become more solid. But there's enough exciting information about the Samsung Galaxy S3 superphone to all but guarantee that this will be my next early upgrade in October of 2012!

Carlton Flowers
Galaxy Watcher

Samsung Galaxy S3 - Seriously Exciting Features!

GALAXY S3 HAS AMAZING FEATURES IN STORE FOR SMARTPHONE SEEKERS

We're a few months away from the release of Samsung's next flagship device, the Galaxy S3. We're not sure at this point what the official name will be, but the hardware details on this phone are clear.

We've talked about the amazing display on this device, but let's focus on a few other things that have me chewing my fingernails in anticipation!

Wireless Charging

You'll be able to charge your Samsung Galaxy S3 without a cord. Instead, you'll be using a charging pad that utilizes magnetic resonance, or "inductive charging", to recharge the battery. Just set it on the pad, and the charging starts.

Lightweight Design

The Samsung Galaxy S3 will be sporting a huge 4.8" display, which all but blinds my eyes in comparison to the tiny 3.5" display found on the current iPhone 4S. But here's the "wow factor"... the S3 weighs in at 133 grams. The tiny iPhone 4S? A chubby 140 grams.

Smart Stay

One annoying thing about using smartphones that are in battery-saving auto dim mode is that the screen goes dim when you are trying to read something. The Galaxy S3 will use "Smart Stay" to keep the screen bright when it senses a user's hand near the screen, or the user's face. That's amazing.

S Beam

You'll be able to transfer files from one Galaxy S3 to another with the S Beam feature. It's like "Bump", but better. Just place the devices back-to-back, and you'll be able to transfer music, notes, pictures, or any type of file that is stored on your smartphone.

Tremendous Storage

The Galaxy S3 uses MicroSDXS storage card technogy. That means you'll be able to add a whopping 64 gigabytes of extra storage space to the phone if you so desire. Add that to the existing built-in memory of 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes, and you've got a lot of honking memory.

Best Photo

Your Galaxy S3 smartphone will be able to take 20 pictures in rapid fashion, then pick the best 8 for you to select from and save your favorite pics. Features like this truly gray the line inbetween high-end DSLR camera and smartphone camera.

Direct Call

Let's say you are having a text conversation with a friend. Just pick up your phone and place it on your ear. The Samsung Galaxy S3 will call that person automatically just from the gesture!

So that's a nice roundup of some of the things that really caught my attention with Samsung's newest Galaxy smartphone. I'm sure there will be more to come as details are unveiled, but this is enough to get my heart racing!

Are these new features cool enough to make you pull a couple hundred bucks out of your pocket for an upgrade this summer? Would you chose this smartphone over the next iPhone? Would you switch from an iPhone 4S to a Samsung Galaxy S2? Chime in, share your thoughts!

Carlton Flowers
Galaxy Gazer

Go shopping now and get great deals at Amazon Wireless!

Samsung Galaxy S3 Boasting Big Beautiful Display

SAMSUNG GALAXY S3 UNLEASHED AND ON “DISPLAY”

The Samsung Galaxy S3 superphone is out in the open and scheduled to be released around the world in 2012. This is a significant and monumental leap from the current Galaxy S2 phone, and there’s a lot to talk about with Samsung’s newest Galaxy flagship model.

There are enough things to discuss about this smartphone that I could write a detailed 10-page report. But today, all I want to talk about is the display, it’s size, and the new form factor of the Galaxy S3 model.

Samsung has changed the world of smartphones with its Super AMOLED Plus display. I didn’t think it would be possible to create something of a noticeable upgrade on the quality of the display for the next Galaxy phone. But somehow, they pulled it off.

The resolution of the Galaxy S3 will sport a 1280x760 pixel density which will rival Apple’s Retina Display now seen in the current iPhone 4S. But they have not just jammed more pixels into the screen, they also upgraded the color saturation. From the sounds of it, I think the new display will seem more realistic and less “cartoony”.

The size of the digitizer is a whopping 4.8” in diagonal. That’s a big leap from the current 4.3” size of the Galaxy S2, but still less than the ginormous 5.3” display featured on the Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet hybrid. They claim that it is still operable with one hand with the extra half inch of screen real estate.

The bigger display is a welcomed idea to me, because each increase in size will only take me farther away from the "need" to own a tablet computer. Right now, the 4.3” size of my Galaxy S2 barely keeps me on this side of not buying a tablet. So 4.8” is even better in that regard.

The form factor of the Galaxy S3 has changed. I actually preferred the shape of the Galaxy S2 over the Galaxy Skyrocket because of the sharper corners versus the rounded oval shape. This might be a carryover from looking at my iPhone 4 for the previous year. I didn’t like the oval shape when I first saw the Galaxy S3, but it’s starting to grow on me.

The rounder, more oval-like shape is probably going to mean that the phone will jam into my pocket a lot easier. It’s also going to mean a smoother more ergonomic feel while gripping the phone. I guess I will quickly get used to that.

One of the biggest technological breakthroughs with the display on the Galaxy S3 is its ability to dim the screen when you aren’t looking at it. If you are paying attention to your screen, the camera will be able to “see” your eyes. When it detects that your eyes have gone elsewhere, it will save the battery and go into dim mode, but pop back on when your gaze returns. That is an amazing feat!

Lastly, I am hoping to see the US version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 to ship with the oval elongated physical home button on the bottom of the screen. From the pictures, it looks like the button will come with a software button on either side. I love the idea of this, maybe because of my iPhone background.

So there you have it. The big beautiful display of the Samsung Galaxy S3 which will certainly catch people's eyes when it is released in the summer of 2012. It's enough to get me dreaming of the third generation Samsung flagship device!

Stay tuned for more details and opinion on the Galaxy S3, and please post your comments about what excites you most about the new display! Or not...

Carlton Flowers
Samsung Gadgeteer

SHOP AMAZON WIRELESS NOW FOR GREAT SMARTPHONE DEALS!