The Galaxy SIII, although a great phone, is still not a competitor to the iPhone.

[Zaap]

Before anyone can claim that the Note 2's 5 million in two months figure puts it in a 'niche' they'll have to show the average number of units any given phone model sells in comparison, and prove that the Note 2 is below average.

(I don't know myself one way or the other, but I'm *guessing* 5 mil in 2 months is not below average and is probably above average.)

 

[Tempered81]

12 million iphone 5's in the first week.

33% IOS, 58% Android

7 IOS smartphones, 5,000+ Android smartphones

 

[OBLAMA2009]

the gs3 screen has a very blueish tint to it and if you look at the demos in the verizon store, it is is EXTREMELY susceptible to screen burn in.

people that want an androind phone with more polish and that has higher quality hardward like an iphone should get motorola. i think theyre they best android phones by far

 

[grkM3]

12 million iphone 5's in the first week.

33% IOS, 58% Android

7 IOS smartphones, 5,000+ Android smartphones

I think we have another super fan here folks!

Care to post any links to any of the bs claims you just said?

Last I saw iPhone 5 sold 5-6 million in its first week and the gs3 pre sold 9 million before it even came out.

Android has almost 75% world market share and the gs3 alone is out selling the iPhone 5 so you canforget ios vs 5000 phones.

The gs3 is the reason apples stock is down to record lows and the company is bleeding to death

 

[stag3]

that's funny because everyone that i know that has a motorola, can't wait to upgrade to anything but a motorola when their contract is up. most people want the s3, but at this point i'd just wait for the s4 if the droid dna isn't to your liking.

 

[Medu]

Let me get this straight. The GS3 is too light, but the iphone5 which is even lighter is just perfect?

 

[grkM3]

Let me get this straight. The GS3 is too light, but the iphone5 which is even lighter is just perfect?

Don't forget the iPhone 5 has 4g also!!

And I had 2 moto droids before my gs3 and my droid x fell apart and the screen started to in glue from the inside and would leave weird marks when pressed.

Same exact thing happened on my friends droid x too

 

[BenSkywalker]

So it's not a super large number that indicates broad appeal.

Its' sales rate would indicate 30 million units a year. That would be the third or fourth best selling phone in the world. It would also be more then the first couple of iPhone models sold, would you have called them niche?

The Note 2 is too big for me, I'm not a big fan of it, but I can certainly understand the appeal.

The phone makes the pants pocket bulge beyond any reason.

GS3 fits in my 501s without any problems whatsoever, bulging is a rather telling statement, I'm guessing you've never actually put on in your pocket. The GS3 is thinner then your iPhone 4S, you may want to check things like that out before you decide the direction of your story(when presenting fiction as fact, check out actual data first).

4G? Totally overrated, unless you are rich, need it for work, or just stupid and pay for a more expensive data plan.

If an extra $10-$20 a month makes you think of someone as either rich or stupid, go sell your phone on ebay and pick up a flip phone on straight talk. You could save yourself twice that amount. We are talking about a couple hundred bucks per year.

I tested all this this extensively. (both phones are great outside though) Hows that for you, non-believers?

I think what people, wisely, aren't believing is that you have actually used a GS3

 

[exdeath]

Lol at 4g being for rich. I pay $65 month for Verizon 4G LTE unlimited.

40 mbps vs 300 kbps and <= 150 ms ping yeah totally pointless and overrated.

For me it's the difference between being annoying and frustrating to use and giving up and always trying to get to a PC with a real connection, or being able to not even turn my PC on for weeks because my phone is faster than my home broadband.

 

[ControlD]

Lol at 4g being for rich. I pay $65 month for Verizon 4G LTE unlimited.

40 mbps vs 300 kbps and <= 150 ms ping yeah totally pointless and overrated.

For me it's the difference between being annoying and frustrating to use and giving up and always trying to get to a PC with a real connection, or being able to not even turn my PC on for weeks because my phone is faster than my home broadband.

That's for your entire plan? If so, how in the world did you get such a plan? My 2GB 3G plan is way, way more than that.

 

[Chrono]

Honestly, there really isn't any reason for making these type of threads. The OP prefers the iPhone... others prefer xyz brand of phone... who cares? Can't we all just get along? I am a non apple fanboy (anything non apple I like to use)... but started using a mac book air 13.3" for kicks... and I even have to admit there apple has this refinement that no other manufacturer has copied as of yet. But again, it's all about preference... just use what you like be happy.

 

[TuxDave]

It would also be more then the first couple of iPhone models sold, would you have called them niche?

You can't be serious in comparing sheer sales numbers across different times. I don't think you need some random guy on the Internet to tell you why that is a bad example.

But anyways, I sometimes think you can say iPhones used to be a niche product. Someone posted above that it looks like they don't want 100% of the population. Some may argue they only want the portion that can generate the most profits. I sometimes bring out Dr Pepper as a widely profitable niche product. They don't want to branch out to cover everyone but instead focus in a targeted area to create loyal followers.

This is probably boiling down to semantics on what is a niche product but that is how I understand it. Feel free to educate me on the test to prove it or not.

 

[TuxDave]

Honestly, there really isn't any reason for making these type of threads. The OP prefers the iPhone... others prefer xyz brand of phone... who cares? Can't we all just get along? I am a non apple fanboy (anything non apple I like to use)... but started using a mac book air 13.3" for kicks... and I even have to admit there apple has this refinement that no other manufacturer has copied as of yet. But again, it's all about preference... just use what you like be happy.

Threads like this is what I typically expect on a tech forum. People sharing personal experience with a device and giving a review. The op probably didn't have to be so scathing towards the sgs3 but its hard to review things without having some scapegoat to emphasize the pluses of a device.

And people can disagree and share counter experiences or corrections. But to accuse people of being paid shills or insulting the intelligence isn't what I like to read. I think people are too emotional.

I know I personally reply to iPhone criticism with evidence when I can because I have the device and can easily verify or deny. I can't really vouch very often on the benefits of android without owning one. Unfortunately I think I've been interpreted being some fanboy at times. I swear whoever came up with the isheep term must've been the most brilliant troll.

 

[exdeath]

That's for your entire plan? If so, how in the world did you get such a plan? My 2GB 3G plan is way, way more than that.

Grandfathered unlimited plan with separate voice, text, data plans. Downgraded voice and text to bare minimum since I hardly used them in the last year, then 25% discount through my work.

 

[MrX8503]

I actually like lighter phones. For example the iPhone 5. I love the design of the 5, but dislike how scratch prone it is. The 4 was pretty scratch resistant all around, but shatters easily.

Plastics...never really a fan of them other than for toys that need to be kid safe. I like my electronics to have an industrial feel.

 

[lothar]

Running with this:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ations-hit-1.3m-per-day-says-googles-schmidt/

And that the Note 2 sold 5mil over 2 months.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Note-2-Sales-Shipments,19292.html

The percentage is something like 5% or so. So it's not a super large number that indicates broad appeal. So maybe I'm wrong and if someone is able to out argue me without breaking into a debate of semantics, I don't think a 5% penetration rate rules out an object from being a niche product. But I guess if you're able to show me that the people who are purchasing it come from a wide range of backgrounds, then I can see it not being a niche product and not really targeting some special purpose (like a work phone or an enthusiast phone or I dunno what)

So yeah, maybe I'm using niche incorrectly, but I use it if the people buying it all have a very common background. (super tech-saavy, or mostly by corporations or mostly by 30 year olds or something).

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-niche-product.htm

Something like that. I'm sure they sell of a ton of it but in this case, the purpose is for a specialized group within the market of smartphones.

What Android product do you know that broke selling 5 million units in 2 months?
Certainly not any HTC, Motorola, or any other Android manufacturer product. Certainly not any Nexus product.
If you consider the Galaxy Note II to be a niche product because of that, then all products from HTC, Motorola, and any other Android manufacturer are all niche products.

 

[lothar]

The gs3 is the reason apples stock is down to record lows and the company is bleeding to death

Not sure if serious...

 

[Chrono]

BTW, I own a note 2 and love the thing, but recently used an iPhone 2g for two weeks and thought that even being a 4-5 year old device, it was still a great phone.

 

[TuxDave]

What Android product do you know that broke selling 5 million units in 2 months?
Certainly not any HTC, Motorola, or any other Android manufacturer product. Certainly not any Nexus product.
If you consider the Galaxy Note II to be a niche product because of that, then all products from HTC, Motorola, and any other Android manufacturer are all niche products.

Relax. Sales numbers and niche products are related up to an extent. Otherwise all crappy products would be considered niche products. If you feel that SGS3 and the Note 2 target the same broad audience, well, how do we test that?

I find that the Phone-Tablet Phablet name they give it was trying to distinguish it for a unique purpose and use. That is why I call it a niche product and that niche market may be very profitable and perhaps even be a growing market segment. I'm not an MBA guy, I don't really understand the exact terms to describe a product or a market. But that usage of "niche" is how I traditionally use it.

Edit Plus I see a ton more SGS3 ads. If I had to guess, I would see the SGS3 positioned as the "mainstream" product with the Note 2 for another segment. Similar to CPUs where there's a mainstream, low end and enthusiast line.

 

[Red Storm]

A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing. So the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact. It is also a small market segment.

I can build a uniquely shaped ball that is more egg shaped than a traditional round ball and can only be used for one sport. However, this is not a niche product because football is an activity that millions of people participate in.

So once again, the Note is not a niche product.

 

[grkM3]

Not sure if serious...

Stock went from 700 and took a shit since iPhone 5 came out.just search it on google

 

[TuxDave]

I can build a uniquely shaped ball that is more egg shaped than a traditional round ball and can only be used for one sport. However, this is not a niche product because football is an activity that millions of people participate in.

So once again, the Note is not a niche product.

I assume you got that from Wiki. Going by the next sentence in that quote, ESPN targets a niche of sports fan. That's doesn't sound like a small market to me. So actually yeah, I would probably say if sports fan is a niche market, american football players would also be a niche market and thus a oblong football be a niche product.

 

[jiffylube1024]

And before you rage at my post, please keep in mind that I do admit that the Galaxy S III is a great phone, and truly the best Android phone out there. It is finally smooth enough and fast enough. Just not nearly good enough to be compared to the iPhone. ; )

Neither platform is perfect, OP. Android still doesn't have a fully consistent UI interface and isn't quite as smooth as iOS (Though Android 4.1 and the latest apps are a big improvement from the Android 2.3.x days). iOS itself looks and feels a bit dated, with no widget support and a gimped notification shade compared to Android.

As to your points, a few of them are valid, and some of them you're really reaching because the iPhone 5 invalidates your point. If the iPhone 4/4S was so perfect in size and weight, then why did Apple work so slavishly to get the iPhone 5 thinner, lighter and taller? The point that any phone is too light is stupid at this point. Especially if you're going to use any sort of case on the phone, which adds to the weight.

If the Galaxy S III is too big for your tight pants, then something smaller like the HTC One S could be more to your liking (if Android's your thing, which for the OP, it isn't). I do find it annoying that there's no true flagship Android phone in the 4.3-4.5" size.

The "I need to borrow a charger" argument is also completely variable. First of all, the iPhone 5 does away with the standard Apple charger. Second of all, the Android phone uses micro USB, meaning any Android/Blackberry/Windows Phone/most Android Tablet chargers work fine, as do many bluetooth headset chargers.

-I do agree that the 4.8" screen isn't big enough for extended book reading. However, it's MUCH superior for surfing the web on than the 3.5" or 4" screens on iOS.

If the Galaxy S III is too dark for you, then FOR GOD'S SAKES TURN UP THE BRIGHTNESS!! Many of these phones (including iPhones) come pre-set for better battery life with power savings on and brightness turned way down. Once you go into the settings and tweak the brightness, the GS III's screen shines (no pun intended). Plus, you can easily tweak the brightness using a brightness toggle widget.

-As for the Samsung feeling like a cheaper device to the iPhone. That's certainly true, plastic doesn't have a premium in-hand feel. However, put a case on it and that goes away. The removeable back means you can put in a new battery (or have 2 batteries, which is awesome for people who are on their phone for hours a day), as well as a 32GB or 64GB micro SD card for dirt cheap. It's pretty awesome having 96GB on your phone, and the ability to interchange even more!

-Your signal strength results are completely in opposition to what I've found. Are both phones on the same carrier? I've found similar signal strength and performance on the iPhone and GS III, as well as call quality.
------

Finally, this is just an issue of style. Stop using the word "perfect" so much in your comments. Once or twice is fine, but you used it seven times in your post! Even before the iPhone 5 came out, calling the 4S perfect in so many ways is a stretch. Now, it's ludicrous. Neither OS or interface is perfect; there are compromizes everywhere! The glass back makes the iPhone 4S look and feel premium, but also overly heavy and just look at what happens whe you drop it! Doesn't seem perfect to me!

 

[lothar]

The saying is "with a grain of salt."

People are so entrenched in their belief that they can't believe anyone could possibly like an iPhone over an SGS3. "The OP HAS to be a fanboy or a paid Apple employee." The knee jerk reactions in this thread really makes me laugh.

Except most of his beliefs are not really valid.
You clearly didn't read the OP or probably glanced through it pretty fast(more likely).
I highlighted his incorrect statements I saw here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34379089&postcount=18

the Galaxy S III is regarded as the best Android Phone out there right now

Nonsense. Widely regarded by who?
Nexus 4, LG Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Note II, and Droid Razr MAXX HD are all >>>>>>>>> Galaxy S III.

The phone makes the pants pocket bulge beyond any reason. It's too big for any pants to be carried in a pocket, unless you wear one of those super baggy pants with bottomless pockets.

How can one claim this when the Galaxy S III is thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S that he came from?
He didn't seem to have any problems with the iPhone 4S bulging in his pants.
If he hates the thinness and lightness of the Galaxy S III, then surely he'll hate the iPhone 5 even more.

if you lost your charge cable and need to charge your phone, you can come up to any 5 people at work or at school, and ask them if they have an iPhone cable - 4 out of 5 will have it. In case of the Galaxy, this has a good chance to be not the case.

An iPhone cable can be more readily found than a MicroUSB cable that works with all recent Android phones? Shens.

why should I waste my time or energy doing that, when I just want to pick up my phone and make a call?

If that's all he wants to do on a phone, then he should get out of the smartphone business and use only feature phones. A Nokia 3310 should suffice.
Those Samsung alerts are showing him some features/shortcuts and he can easily disable them.

4G? Totally overrated, unless you are rich, need it for work, or just stupid and pay for a more expensive data plan.

4G costs the same as 3G on every carrier. Does AT&T or Verizon have a "discounted" 3G plan that they're advertising over their 4G offerings?

When Apple reps implied that their device is "perfect" as is, and doesn't need a bigger screen, I hate to admit it, but they were kinda right!

How would that explain the fact that Apple increased the screen size on the iPhone 5?
I guess both him and the Apple reps made an idiotic conclusion. Either they're both wrong and Apple is correct or Apple is correct and they're wrong...Which one is it?
Is this supposed to be some kind of "flawless" vs. "perfect" comparison of a gem? If something is described as flawless or perfect, how can one improve on it?

the Galaxy S III is a great phone, and truly the best Android phone out there.

More idiotic conclusions from someone that has never used any Android phone besides the Galaxy S III which he only used for 1 day only. He hasn't used or read any reviews of any other Android phones that are better than it...He's completely oblivious.
That's like someone saying a Honda Accord is truly the best car out there after test driving one at a dealership...

 

[lothar]

Stock went from 700 and took a shit since iPhone 5 came out.just search it on google

You haven't proved a single thing.
Apple still generates tons of cash for their shareholders.
They're certainly not "bleeding to death" as you claimed.