Samsung Galaxy S3: Consumers vs. Critics; Do Reviews Come to a Consensus?

Samsung's Galaxy SIII is the world's No. 1 selling smartphone as of last quarter and customers seem to be enjoying the new device.

Consumer Reviews

"I am so happy with this phone," writes JT on Amazon's review Board. "I still say that it's just amazing and worth every penny. Apple fan boys beware cause Samsung is here to stay. The phone is extremely light and the display is very big and beautiful. The phone does look big at first, however web browsing, reading books and playing games is very easy due to the screen size. In addition after a while you do warm up to the size and it's hard to go back to a smaller phone. In addition the user experience is great."

On CNet's review board, one user said the S# finds a balance between a light and a solid phone.

"I've owned a lot of smart phones over the years, including Blackberries and an iPhone, but I've never owned one that effortlessly combined a beautiful aesthetic, a natural, comfortable feel, plenty of power, light weight and a responsive, balanced operating system in such a harmonious way as the Samsung Galaxy S3 does," the user wrote.

Critic Reviews

CNet declared that Samsung has done it again with the S3.

The site gave the phone an overall rating of 8.7 and said it is "pumped with high-performing hardware and creative software features, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an excellent, top-end phone that's neck and neck with the HTC One X."

"Samsung has continued to produce stronger subsequent models than its first Galaxy S home run," the reviewer wrote. "There's a reason why the Galaxy S II sold over 50 million units worldwide, and why the GS3's preorder sales smashed U.K. records. Samsung clearly has its formula worked out for making higher-end features familiar, expected, and easily within reach -- and in the all-around excellent Galaxy S3, it shows."

PC Mag called the phone "a huge achievement."

"The GS3 wins our Editors' Choice award narrowly, on feature points," PC Mag's Lead Mobile Analyst Sascha Segan wrote. "Even if you don't use some of its more arcane features-and you won't-SD card support, the removable battery, higher video recording frame rates, better voice dialing and call quality nab the prize."

Wired said the phone aims for the stars and is very good, but not quite great.

"The Galaxy S III is Samsung's most ambitious smartphone yet, and it serves as a testament to the company's growing stature as a premium handset maker," reviewer Nathan Olivarez-Giles wrote. "However, the S III isn't quite an iPhone killer, nor does it dethrone the One X as the best Android handset. While it's a fine smartphone, it's not the unqualified success it aspires to be, and it's regrettably held back by software that never works as well or as easily as it should."

Laptop Mag called the phone "the smartest Android phone yet."

"It's obvious that Samsung expects to sell a lot of Galaxy S IIIs," Mark Spoonauer wrote. "After all, many of the hallmark features (S Beam, Share Shot, etc.) assume that your friends and family will have this device, too. Based on our testing, we'd say this is a safe assumption. Overall, this Android device impresses because of its slim design, good battery life, and fast 4G speeds but especially because of its intelligence. You'll spend weeks discovering all the fun and useful tricks the S III has up its sleeve."