CNET también está disponible en español.

Don't show this again

The Samsung Galaxy S III says hello

Processing power

A plastic build

Full control

Ice cream, anyone?

Some sweet apps

Make it snappy

Camera options

Your best shot

Showtime

Drag and drop

Tag, you're it

Wireless transfer

Flipboard goes Android

On your command

Face or voice unlock

Getting set

How it compares

Back by the battery

Thin and trim

1
of 20
2
of 20
3
of 20
4
of 20
5
of 20
6
of 20
7
of 20
8
of 20
9
of 20
10
of 20
11
of 20
12
of 20
13
of 20
14
of 20
15
of 20
16
of 20
17
of 20
18
of 20
19
of 20
20
of 20

.slidecontrols a.js {display:none !important;} Prev Next

LONDON--At its "Unpacked" event, Samsung unveiled the latest model in its flagship Android line, the Samsung Galaxy S III. Compared with its predecessors, the Galaxy family gets a more rounded look that's almost similar to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED is sharp, crisp, and vibrant.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Luke Westaway/CNET UK

The quad-core processor should chew through graphically demanding apps.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Luke Westaway/CNET UK

The S III will come in two colors, white or blue. While the blue version has a textured brushed-metal design on the rear cover, it's actually plastic. It feels solid, but it 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.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

Samsung chose to retain the physical home button for the S III instead of using soft keys like on the Galaxy Nexus.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The Galaxy S III runs Ice Cream Sandwich, Android OS 4.0.4.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

Apps in the drawer will feature a more Ice Cream Sandwich-like look.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The 8-megapixel camera of the S III features face detection and a burst mode of six images per second. I couldn't test the image quality at the prelaunch event, so I can't yet tell you if the S III's is better than the camera on the One X (or on the iPhone 4S).

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The 8-megapixel camera is crammed with features and options.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Luke Westaway/CNET UK

After burst mode finishes, you will get a menu where you can select the best picture. The S III is smart enough to pick the "best" image based on whether the eyes are looking at the camera or somewhere else.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

A new button on the video app lets you play a video in the foreground while doing other things like surfing the Web.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The video window is portable, which means you can drag it anywhere on the screen.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

You can also tag faces to add a name. Photos will then be grouped based on contact info stored on the handset.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The handset includes an upgrade to Android Beam called S Beam, which lets you transfer files using NFC or Wi-Fi Direct. Samsung claims the file transfer rate between both phones can go up to 300Mbps.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

Flipboard for Android makes its debut on the Galaxy S III. Dropbox is also preloaded on the handset, and will come with free 50GB storage for two years.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The Samsung Galaxy S III will come with a new look for the S Voice UI -- we last saw this app in the Galaxy Note -- but it looks more refined here.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

Samsung has also added voice unlock to the handset that's meant to be used together with the face unlock app.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Luke Westaway/CNET UK

Here's what the setup process looks like. You'll need to repeat yourself four times for the phone to remember your voice.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

The S III (right) is larger than the S II (center), and slightly larger than the Galaxy Nexus (left), with which it bears some resemblance.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

Underneath the rear cover, you'll find a removable 2,100mAh battery, the microSD card slot, and the SIM card slot.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia

At just .3-inch thin, this enormous phone is extremely slim. It weighs just 4.7 ounces, too.

Caption by Aloysius Low / Photo by Luke Westaway/CNET UK

1 of 20

Prev | Next

Samsung's Galaxy S III is plastic, but powerful (photos)

Updated: May 3, 2012 1:45 PM PDT

15 common Android problems and how...

Latest Stories

Mozilla's Hub experiment brings VR chat rooms to the web so your avatar can chill in a browser

Mozilla's Hub experiment brings VR chat rooms to the web so your avatar can chill in a browser

by Stephen Shankland

Siri, Alexa or Google: Which voice helper is best for you?

Siri, Alexa or Google: Which voice helper is best for you?

by Ry Crist

Lose your keys? Tile and Xfinity let you ask your TV

Lose your keys? Tile and Xfinity let you ask your TV

by Molly Price

Tesla's Autopilot boss Jim Keller leaves the company

Tesla's Autopilot boss Jim Keller leaves the company

by Kyle Hyatt

Astronomers search for alien megastructures in satellite data

Astronomers search for alien megastructures in satellite data

by Eric Mack

Qualcomm cuts licensing fees, hopes to settle with Apple this year

Qualcomm cuts licensing fees, hopes to settle with Apple this year

by Shara Tibken