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iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3

D

Decision2012

Lurker
Hi All,

So here goes, my wife and I have all Apple products. From my in-store experience I'm unimpressed with the iPhone 5 and very impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3. I'm also a Verizon customer. Here's my concerns about the S3;
Can I transfer iTunes from a Macbook Pro to the S3?
Can I have my iCloud email on the S3?
Can I also have an exchange email set up that uses a gmail server?

In 2 weeks my wife and I are due for upgrades. I'm afraid that if I buy the S3 there will be an S4 right around the corner. I am better off waiting? Any compelling reasons as to why the S3 is a must have for previous iPhone users?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
 
Do you mean transfer your iTunes music library? I believe Doubletwist allows this. iCloud email? If that's a Yahoo, Gmail, etc acct...yes. Exchange email...Sure that's possible.
As far as getting an S3 and S4 before around the corner. It's only been out like 4 months. An iPhone 5s is likely to come out soon as well. With these contracts being 2 years now, you're always going to have a device that ends up outdated before youre eligible to get a new one.
I returned my iphone 5 for the s3 less than 14 days ago and it was the best thing I ever did.
 
I just did the upgrade to the S3 from the 4S but returned it after 14 days of trials.

Can I transfer iTunes from a Macbook Pro to the S3?
Yes. I did it with DoubleTwist but be prepared for trouble actually getting the Mac to recognize the USB connection.

My MacMini with OS10.8 would not recognize the S3 when connected via USB. There was an app that permitted a file-manager-like tool but it didn't work with the Verizon version of the S3 and did for AT&T's. I installed Airtwist (not sure it was called that) which did allow DT to act like an Android version of iTunes. Slow as a snail but it did transfer my playlists and such.

Before rushing to judgement on the IP5, read here:

http://androidforums.com/5049522-post135.html

My advise is to hold-off just a few more weeks before commiting to a specific Android device.

AT&T will be releasing a few new phones in the next 3-4 weeks, most notably the LG Optimus G, and the (if you believe the rumor mill) Samsung S3 Mini, and there's a new Nexus phone coming very soon as well.

Smoothly sculpted, not trim - AT&T's fresh new gadgets up close - CNET Reviews

I returned my S3 because many of the 'it just works' aspects of iOS aren't quite there yet. Having said that, I am VERY impressed with Android and am hoping the issues I noted will be alleviated with the new batch of phones and Jelly Bean's impending release.
 
Decision2012 said:
Hi All,

So here goes, my wife and I have all Apple products. From my in-store experience I'm unimpressed with the iPhone 5 and very impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3. I'm also a Verizon customer. Here's my concerns about the S3;
Can I transfer iTunes from a Macbook Pro to the S3?
Can I have my iCloud email on the S3?
Can I also have an exchange email set up that uses a gmail server?

In 2 weeks my wife and I are due for upgrades. I'm afraid that if I buy the S3 there will be an S4 right around the corner. I am better off waiting? Any compelling reasons as to why the S3 is a must have for previous iPhone users?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
Click to expand...

I now have an iPhone 5 and SSG3, no matter what I do with the SG3, I can not get many things to work like the iPhone, so be ready to understand that if you switch, you will lose some features and functionality, but if you go into it with an open mind you will be able to make the switch.

iTunes, I know people do it with various apps, but it is not as smooth

No you can not have iCloud on the S3, (I am a long time Apple iPhone users, ever since the 3G, so having everything embedded into Apple started with Mobile Me, etc. Apple will not allow their IMAP client to talk to any device other than an iOS device or Mac with Lion or greater, it will not work.

Exchange works, I have mine setup with my personal email and work exchange 10, however the stock mail client is boring at best, also there are other apps like TouchDown! which is more robust, however anything you find that works well in the Android store will usually have a premium price to it ranging from $4.99 to $20+ A lot of apps are free but have tons of adds, which after time can get annoying.

Gmail works perfectly, I use it to backup my Calendar, Contacts, Email, and Phone settings.

I was able to port my contacts from my MacBook Air to Outlook, then import them into GMail, however I was not able to do that with my calendar.

It is purely preference, but I will tell you that you need to understand a lot of things will not work in the Android world, coming from a Mac world, you just need to decide whether or not you are willing to accept it.

I am going back to my iPhone for personal, and my company is providing us with SG3 for business, however I thought I could use one phone for it all, just too much time invested into Apple, so to me it is not worth the effort.

Good Luck
 
Before rushing to judgement on the IP5, read here:

what DON'T you like about s3
Click to expand...

What have the merits or demerits of the S3 got to do with the merits or demerits of the I5? You could be incredibly unhappy with the S3 but that doesn't mean the I5 is great "by default". This is what is known as a "false dichotomy".

I returned my S3 because many of the 'it just works' aspects of iOS aren't quite there yet.
Click to expand...

I don't understand that sentence. Are you saying that some of the fully functional aspects of IOS aren't ironed out on the SGS3?
 
i'm a Mac user and have had every iphone since the first. i switched
to an HTC EVO 3D with sprint for about 6 months and it was ok. the
battery life sucked and i was forced to buy a huge extended battery
from Seidio that made it really thick but at lease it lasted all day.

when the iPhone 5 was announced i preordered one from at&t and
canceled sprint. the IP5 was very nice but my eyes are bad and i
just couldn't see the small screen very good. after playing with a
GS3 at a local at&t store i was convinced, i sold the iPhone 5 and
bought a red GS3. there are some drawbacks like no iTunes and iCloud
but the advantages of the GS3 outweighs them all. finally a phone
that lets me do what i want !
 
parishmc said:
i'm a Mac user and have had every iphone since the first. i switched
to an HTC EVO 3D with sprint for about 6 months and it was ok. the
battery life sucked and i was forced to buy a huge extended battery
from Seidio that made it really thick but at lease it lasted all day.

when the iPhone 5 was announced i preordered one from at&t and
canceled sprint. the IP5 was very nice but my eyes are bad and i
just couldn't see the small screen very good. after playing with a
GS3 at a local at&t store i was convinced, i sold the iPhone 5 and
bought a red GS3. there are some drawbacks like no iTunes and iCloud
but the advantages of the GS3 outweighs them all. finally a phone
that lets me do what i want !
Click to expand...


That's my dilemma, no iTunes or iCloud email are HUGE drawbacks as I'm sucked into the tangled web of Apple.
 
if you can't use an upgrade until 2 more weeks i would DEFINITELY wait until the end of October/mid November. Google is announcing their new Galaxy line and by the looks of the new LG phone they will trump the S3. The new phones for this holiday will have the S4 pro processor which has a MUCH beefier GPU, and they might also have a quadcore WITH LTE.

Definitely wait for the holiday season. But then again there is nothing that is LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of s3. It already hs 28nm cpu, very good graphics (equal to iphones 4s/ipod touch 5g), great batttery, excellent screen, etc. But if you can wait, wait for christmas, always a crazy phone or at least a google experience phone that will be appealing.
 
Decision2012 said:
Hi All,

So here goes, my wife and I have all Apple products. From my in-store experience I'm unimpressed with the iPhone 5 and very impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3. I'm also a Verizon customer. Here's my concerns about the S3;
Can I transfer iTunes from a Macbook Pro to the S3?
Can I have my iCloud email on the S3?
Can I also have an exchange email set up that uses a gmail server?

In 2 weeks my wife and I are due for upgrades. I'm afraid that if I buy the S3 there will be an S4 right around the corner. I am better off waiting? Any compelling reasons as to why the S3 is a must have for previous iPhone users?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
Click to expand...
I can tell you I have had my SGS3 since the day it was released and I have had none of the problems that PAPPY35 has had. I have been a long time Android user and my SGS3 'just works' everyday I turn it on. No major tweaking.
I deal with many phones at my work over 400 some Android and some IOS. I'm a major Android fan but I also see both sides of the coin and for you if you are a Apple fan/house then stick with Apple keep it simple. Android does not have Itunes but we have play store and yes you can load your gmail account but not as an Exchange account(some have got this to work but report problems) Bottom line Exchange is to be used for Exchange. The new SGS3 has a new encryption called SAFE. Not sure why people try to set up webmail (hotmail gmail yahoo mail aol mail) as an exchange account.
But for you and your wife I would stick with what you know unless you are willing to change and learn a different way to do stuff. On my SGS3 everything works just fine and so does the iPhone5's I have setup.
Good Luck!

http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s3-safe-us-95699/
 
Decision2012 said:
That's my dilemma, no iTunes or iCloud email are HUGE drawbacks as I'm sucked into the tangled web of Apple.
Click to expand...

I don't know about iCloud e-mail but you can export your iTunes library and playlists with Doubletwist AND continue to use iTunes as you source for music purchases but you have to spend a little time fiddling with the tech to make it work on your Mac. If I had a PC I would not have had any issues with connectivity.

Google provides the 'oneness' of iCloud (bookmarks, Photostream, contacts, calandar sync, etc.).

Certain things we, as iOS drones, take for granted aren't there yet in Android but I do encourage you to try it. I did, it wasnt' quite there for me yet but maybe the things I got hung up on are things you wouldn't care about. Android is very nice and I will be switching once my nit-picky issues are resolved.

This was also an interesting read if you never given a thought to Google's business model:

Give Apple maps a chance - CNN.com
 
SurrealOne said:
...I have had none of the problems that PAPPY35 has had.
Click to expand...

A lot of folks seem to get offended when someone contradicts a reported finding. I'm not one of them and am intrigued. I would happily run, not walk, back to the store to get another S3 if these could be proven as false (my issue is in black and my response to the poster is in red).

1. Cannot see the screen outdoors.
Admittedly subjective but is widely reported.

2. Redialing a missed call requires multiple selections.
You can callback a missed call with a one 'button' push? How?

3. No way to easily go to the top of a page (double tap doesn’t work consistently).
Double Tap works consistently for you in every app where it's applicable? What could I be doing wrong? Shouldn't this 'just work' then?

4. Copy/Paste isn’t as easy as it could be.
Again, this is subjective and I could probably get used to Android/Samsung's method.

5. No visual voicemail.
Do you use an app for this? It's not an option out of the box.

6. Default 2sec vibrate is annoying.
Tried but couldn't figure out how to change this.

7. End users should not have to dick around trying to figure out what apps suck juice. That’s a sign of a poorly engineered and integrated software environment. iOS doesn’t seem to have this issue.
Ok. this is a bit whiney... 8-)

8. USB vs MTP device. Should be able to select USB.
Needed a workaround to mount the phone to my Mac, which I found, and not a deal-breaker.

9. Color balance with flash is horrible (heavily blue).
Had the same issue with my 4S so I guess I should have left it off here.

10. How is it that the three main weather apps, Weather Bug, Accuweather, and The Weather Channel, don’t work? WB radar graphics rendering is spotty at best, the other two couldn’t acquire my location from the GPS. All three work great on my iPhone 4S. Makes me, an Android neophyte, nervous about the quality of other Android apps.

There's no doubt these apps had these problems and all of them work perfectly on my 4S (yes, I actually paid for them all on both phones last weekend as a trial - I'm an engineer and needed to test them back-to-back on both phones). Furthermore, I went to a Verizon store, loaded the free versons onto 5 different Android phones they had there and all had the same issue some more than others. (yes I made sure to enable GPS location services on each phone I played with).
 
Decision2012 said:
That's my dilemma, no iTunes or iCloud email are HUGE drawbacks as I'm sucked into the tangled web of Apple.
Click to expand...

I had this exact problem as well when deciding whether or not to go to the S3. I was a long time iPhone owner.

I bit the bullet though, and jumped... I was able to transfer about 80% of my itunes music library over (minus the older m4p files, which I have yet to figure out how to convert). Also, I lost the itunes movies I had, which are deeply DRM protected. Not to mention the apps... but most of the ones I had were free.

Needless to say, all of this left a sour taste in my mouth of Apple. The way they treat their customers is appalling... and you'll see this even more once you free yourself from the Apple shackles.

The initial decision of switching is difficult, but once you make it, you'll be completely satisfied with Android and the GS3. ;)
 
Pappy35 said:
1. subjective
Click to expand...

agreed. the screen is okay for me outdoors, but i understand each person (and screen) is slightly different

Pappy35 said:
2. callback missed call with one 'button' push?
Click to expand...

if youre using the stock lockscreen, slide the notification, and then slide the missed call to the right. technically not a button push, but its pretty simple in my eyes

Pappy35 said:
3. Double Tap works consistently for you in every app where it's applicable?
Click to expand...

i believe this function is very limited in its compatibility with 3rd party apps, if compatible at all. regardless, is this a feature in iphones? i wouldnt know because ive never owned one, but if not, how is it a drawback comparing the s3 to the i5?

Pappy35 said:
4. Android/Samsung's method
Click to expand...

what is apples method? on android, you just longpress to begin selecting text, use the markers to highlight what you want, and hit copy in the menu at the top. i dont see how it could get much simpler than that

Pappy35 said:
5. Do you use an app for this?
Click to expand...

i am on t-mo, so i use their visual voicemail app. if i recall correctly, carriers limit this functionality because they may charge for it.

Pappy35 said:
6. Tried but couldn't figure out how to change this.
Click to expand...

could you clarify this issue a bit?

Pappy35 said:
7. Ok. this is a bit whiney... 8-)
Click to expand...

nah, this bugs me too. maybe google will implement more comprehensive battery monitoring software in the future :)

Pappy35 said:
8. Needed a workaround to mount the phone to my Mac, which I found, and not a deal-breaker.
Click to expand...

also something that bothers me. it seems like google is heading towards a more controlled environment (also evident by their determined lack of an external sd card slot in nexus devices) like apple, which is worrisome

Pappy35 said:
9. Had the same issue with my 4S so I guess I should have left it off here.
Click to expand...

unless my eyes arent trained well enough to detect it, pictures i take with flash come out relatively natural looking for me. ive seen the bluish tint on 4s pictures though, so im pretty sure im not experiencing this. maybe you got a bad image sensor or LED?

Pappy35 said:
10. There's no doubt these apps had these problems
Click to expand...

do these apps offer much more than just a weather widget? i use fancy widgets and it works perfectly. minimal, informative, functional.
 
Decision2012 said:
That's my dilemma, no iTunes or iCloud email are HUGE drawbacks as I'm sucked into the tangled web of Apple.
Click to expand...

But this and what a fellow poster said about being sucked into Apple's ecosystem clearly explains the problem with Apple, not the Samsung GS3. Apple refuses to make their services available to other platforms in hoping to keep you a customer forever. Does Google with Android? Nope. Gmail is available all over, YouTube, etc. Video chat apps are cross platform. Storage cross platform. The entire problem is Apple.

I have actually removed iTunes after switching to Android. Ditched all Apple proprietary services so that now matter what platform I may move to, I'm covered for core services such as email and storage. And you know what? I couldn't be happier with the switch. And don't worry, in reality, these other services "just work" too :)
 
ryancalif said:
I had this exact problem as well when deciding whether or not to go to the S3. I was a long time iPhone owner.

I bit the bullet though, and jumped... I was able to transfer about 80% of my itunes music library over (minus the older m4p files, which I have yet to figure out how to convert). Also, I lost the itunes movies I had, which are deeply DRM protected. Not to mention the apps... but most of the ones I had were free.

Needless to say, all of this left a sour taste in my mouth of Apple. The way they treat their customers is appalling... and you'll see this even more once you free yourself from the Apple shackles.

The initial decision of switching is difficult, but once you make it, you'll be completely satisfied with Android and the GS3. ;)
Click to expand...

If you look in the market there are players that will play some of the files that the stock player won't, there are also apps that you can download to convert your movie files (look at mx player they may already be able to play, not sure though.) Apple does love to make is hard as ....to switch!!
 
Decision2012 said:
Hi All,

So here goes, my wife and I have all Apple products. From my in-store experience I'm unimpressed with the iPhone 5 and very impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3. I'm also a Verizon customer. Here's my concerns about the S3;
Can I transfer iTunes from a Macbook Pro to the S3?
Can I have my iCloud email on the S3?
Can I also have an exchange email set up that uses a gmail server?

In 2 weeks my wife and I are due for upgrades. I'm afraid that if I buy the S3 there will be an S4 right around the corner. I am better off waiting? Any compelling reasons as to why the S3 is a must have for previous iPhone users?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
Click to expand...

I noticed someone gave a link to things people didn't like about the s3, I thought I would give a link to some of the amazing things that people love about their s3s just so you can truly weigh your options


http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/570378-coolest-feature-youve-found.html
 
Decision2012 said:
That's my dilemma, no iTunes or iCloud email are HUGE drawbacks as I'm sucked into the tangled web of Apple.
Click to expand...

And this is exactly what Apple had in mind years ago; get people so entrenched in their systems that it is difficult to switch. There's no magic to iCloud, it's just like any number of 3rd party products, like Sugarsync, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., and from my experience, iTunes is incredibly cumbersome. I use Audiogalaxy to stream my music from a home PC to my phone, so something like iTunes is unnecessary. The only thing iTunes does that my music/data streaming apps don't is install apps to my phone, and I just go to the Play store for that. Requiring software to load items to your device is archaic (actually they're more controlling than archaic, but that's a different discussion).
 
Thank you to everyone who has responded. I have plenty to think about. I was in the Verizon store yesterday and simply typed my iCloud username and password into the email icon on the S3 just to see what would happen, and my entire email showed up. That was nice! I can figure something out for iTunes. I do not need my "entire" library on my phone. Just enough songs to make a few playlists. It will certainly be a tough decision.
 
I have both at the moment and seriously can't make up my mind. The S3 is better for me for typing and using media. It's almost as fast. The screen is where I'm torn. The iPhone 5 screen is much brighter and you can read it outdoors. The S3 screens is quite a bit darker and near impossible in sunlight. The iPhone 5 is possibly a better shape to hold.
 
Well I'd hold off on the S3 and look at other Android phones. A common mistake is iPhone users to latch onto one Android phone and compare that one Android phone to the iPhone.

There are upcoming phones being released:

- Galaxy Note 2- Think the S3 on steroids- bigger and better. I'm pretty sure it's coming on Verizon. But it's got a 5.3" screen- not everybody likes that.

- Galaxy S3 mini- it has a 4.1" screen if the current screen size is too big, but I'm not sure if it will be on Verizon.

- HTC dlx- a 5" screen phone- don't know if it will be on Verizon

- upcoming Nexus phones- don't know if it will be on Verizon

- you should take a look at the recently released Motorola phones as well.

What I'm going to say will anger others, but the S3 is old. Rumors about the S4 are already circulating and it will probably June/July 2013 that it comes out. There are a bunch of phones that are coming out. If I were in your position, I'd go for the Galaxy Note 2 or the upcoming Nexus phone. I wouldn't touch the S3 if they offered it for free. Now people here will say, "Well if you wait for the latest and greatest, you'll never buy a phone." With Android, I buy 1-2 months after it comes out or I wait for the next batch of flagship phones. Things move too quick to be stay stuck on one phone.

One of the big issues with Android is that the OS tends to be as permanent as the processor- unless you are into jailbreaking/rooting. You will be lucky to get one major OS update if you stay stock. And don't expect it to be rolled out with everybody else like with iOS. You could get it a year after it is released, not at all, or a few months afterwards.

But if you really like the S3 and aren't hung up on having the latest and greatest, then go for it.
 
DonaldGreig said:
I have both at the moment and seriously can't make up my mind. The S3 is better for me for typing and using media. It's almost as fast. The screen is where I'm torn. The iPhone 5 screen is much brighter and you can read it outdoors. The S3 screens is quite a bit darker and near impossible in sunlight. The iPhone 5 is possibly a better shape to hold.
Click to expand...
I have had both in my hand as well you might need to take auto brightness off and make sure you are turned all the way up on the S3. I think the S3 has the better display. But thats just me.
 
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