Galaxy with 3 version of Android. Firmware for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300. Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 firmware process

Contents of the article

Want Android 4.4.4 KitKat on your Galaxy S3? You can flash it from ParanoidAndroid.

Samsung has officially stopped upgrading the international variant, meaning you can't get the official Android update KitKat. Naturally, when such a thing happens, online communities pick up the slack. And this is very good news, because Samsung, despite a lot of complaints and online petitions, does not seem to want to upgrade its Galaxy S3 to KitKat (even though everyone knows that you can; Android 4.4.4 is designed to run on a 1GHz processor and 512 MB random access memory).

ParanoidAndroid is a ROM created by a dedicated team of developers, and the latest (final) version has just arrived for the international Galaxy S3 model, that is, the model designated I9300. Of course, being a custom ROM, the process of installing it on your phone requires you to have root access, which could potentially brick the phone if it goes wrong and void the warranty too.

Still unsure? Here is an excerpt from Android View about the ROM review: “PA3+ is an AOSP based ROM and what I love most is its beauty, especially the hybrid flexibility. ROM performance is fast and responsive, but one thing that still worries me is battery life. Don't expect very decent battery performance from it. Install it, enjoy it, and look forward to a battery leak fix in the future."

We hate to say things like this, but we must emphasize that if you are going to root your phone and install this ROM, then you are doing it at your own risk. We are not responsible if your phone stops working!

Before we begin

First of all, it is important to clarify that this software and procedure is for the international variant of Galaxy S3, I9300 only. To make sure you have the correct model, go to Settings > About Phone, where you should see the model number. If it's an I9300, move forward. In addition, the phone must be disconnected from the network.
Secondly, it is a good idea to make backups of any important files or data that you might have on board your Galaxy S3 before moving on. You can manually connect your phone to a PC and extract what you need, or you can use a custom recovery tool like ClockworkMod or TWRP - these tools create an entire backup of your phone and you can restore it to the way it was if things go wrong or you change your mind (provided that the phone is not completely bricked, of course).
Make sure your computer has updated USB drivers to connect to your phone.
Make sure USB debugging mode is enabled on your smartphone. Go to Settings > Developer Options and check the Enable USB Debugging box. Note that if you can't see Developer Options, you can open them by tapping the software build number seven times.
Make sure your phone is fully charged.
Make sure you have microSD card in phone.

You must have root access to your smartphone!

Get the files

You must download the custom PA ROM:

ParanoidAndroid ROM

You must also download compatible Google apps, you have a choice of two sets:

Google App Files (template)
Google App Files (full)

Now stitch it!

Using these downloaded files, connect your phone to your computer with via USB. Copy the PA firmware and Google Apps archive files to the root folder of the phone's SD card - do not extract the files!

Now you can install the ROM using recovery methods either through ClockworkMod (CWM) or TWRP Recovery.

If you are using CWM

Select "wipe data/factory reset". Then select "Yes" when prompted.
Select wipe cache partition and confirm.
Go to the CWM main menu. Click "Advanced" and then wipe the Dalvik cache and confirm.
Select "Install Zip from SD Card" then "select zip from SD Card". Find the final ParanoidAndroid ROM file, select it and then confirm.
Once this is done, select “Back” next to “Reboot system now” in the recovery menu. Wait for the phone to complete the reboot process, which may take up to five minutes.

If you are using TWRP

Turn off your phone and wait 5-10 seconds until it turns off completely.
Boot your phone into recovery mode by holding Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons simultaneously until the recovery screen appears. You can use the Volume keys to navigate through recovery options and the Power button to select an action.
Click "Erase" and scroll down. Select "Reset to factory settings".
Now select Erase > Advanced Erase and select System. Scroll down and select Swipe to Erase.
Click install and locate the final ParanoidAndroid file on your SD card. Scroll down the screen and make a selection to confirm the firmware.
Follow the same procedure for Google App files.
Once the installation is complete, click “restart” and select “System.” The reboot may take up to five minutes.
Note that if the phone gets stuck in boot loop, perform a factory reset from recovery mode.

Among the dozens of smartphone models produced annually by one of the market leaders - Samsung - the manufacturer's flagship devices attract special attention. As for the software part of Samsung flagships, here we can talk about the widest possibilities for its changeability. Let's consider the Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S III model in this aspect - the methods for flashing the device will be discussed in the material offered below.

A high level of performance and a large performance reserve, thanks to the use of the most advanced achievements in the industry, make it possible to easily use Samsung's flagship solutions for many years, without a critical drop in performance. Only the software part of the device requires some attention. However, for interacting with system software, up to its complete replacement, there are convenient tools and proven methods.

All manipulations according to the instructions below are carried out by the user at his own peril and risk. The author of the article and the Site Administration do not guarantee the achievement of positive results desired by the owner of the device, and are not responsible for possible damage to the smartphone as a result of incorrect actions!

To carry out the process of reinstalling system software in the Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S3 as quickly and efficiently as possible, it is necessary to carry out several preparatory procedures. This issue should be given due attention, because only after proper preparation can you count on a positive result of the firmware and quick elimination of errors that may appear when installing Android into the device.

Drivers

Almost all procedures that involve serious intervention in the system software of an Android smartphone require the use of a PC and specialized utilities as tools that allow manipulation. Therefore, the first thing you should take care of when you need to flash the Samsung GT-I9300 is the correct pairing of the device and computer, that is, installing drivers.

USB Debugging Mode

In order for Windows applications to interact with the software components of the smartphone, a special mode must be activated on the device - "USB Debugging". This option will need to be enabled for almost any manipulation that involves accessing data in the phone’s memory. To enable the mode, do the following:

Root rights and BusyBox

Without obtaining Superuser rights, carrying out serious interference in software part Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S III is impossible. At the preparatory stage, root rights will make it possible to create a full-fledged backup, and in the future they will allow you to carry out almost any manipulation with the system software, up to its complete replacement.

To gain privileges on the model in question, one of the software tools is used: or - these are the fastest and simplest means with which it is easy to root the device. The choice of a specific application is up to the user; in general, they work equally efficiently and are easy to use.

In addition to root rights, many operations with the Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 model require the device to have installed
BusyBox is a set of console utilities that allow you to perform manipulations that require connecting additional OS kernel modules. The installer that allows you to get BusyBox is available in .

Backup

Theoretically, after installing the drivers to perform manipulations with the Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S III through programs for interacting with memory partitions, there are practically no obstacles left, you can begin Android installation, but, as you know, this process may not always be error-free and can lead to damage to individual software components of the device, not to mention the fact that all user data will be deleted as a result of the procedure and it will be necessary to restore everything necessary - contacts, photos, applications, etc. etc. In a word, it is highly not recommended to start reinstalling Android without a preliminary backup.

User data

To save information accumulated in the phone’s memory during operation, the easiest way is to use Samsung’s proprietary Smart Switch tool, which was mentioned above when describing the driver installation process. We do only three simple steps and all information will be archived in a backup copy:

It should be noted that restoration from a backup created using Samsung proprietary software will only be possible on a smartphone running official firmware. If you plan to switch to a custom one or want to additionally insure yourself against data loss, you can use one of the instructions for creating backup copies offered in the material at the link below:

EFS partition

An extremely important system memory area of smartphones is "EFS". This section contains the device serial number, IMEI, GPS identifier, MAC addresses of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Damage or removal "EFS" in the process of manipulating system partitions, for various reasons it will lead to inoperability of network interfaces, and in some cases to the inability to turn on the phone.

For the model in question, creating a backup "EFS" before reinstalling the system software is not just a recommendation, but a mandatory requirement! Ignoring the operation to create a dump greatly increases the risk of getting an inoperable smartphone!

In order to always be able to quickly restore the partition "EFS" V Samsung Galaxy S3, let's create an area dump using a specialized software tool - EFS Professional.

Recovery "EFS" tab is used "Restore" in EFS Professional. After connecting the smartphone in the same order as when creating a backup, and going to the recovery section of the program in the list "Select a backup archive to restore" you need to select a backup file, check for checkboxes in the field "Archive Backup Contents" and by pressing the button "Restore", wait for the procedure to complete.

Firmware

One of the notable features of Samsung flagship devices is the availability of simply a huge number of modified unofficial firmware for them. The use of such solutions makes it possible to completely transform the software shell and obtain new versions of Android. But before moving on to installing custom ones, you should study the methods for installing official versions of the system. In case of problems, this skill will allow you to restore the model software to its original state.

Method 1: Smart Switch

The manufacturer Samsung has a fairly strict policy regarding interference with the software of its own brand devices. The only thing it allows you to do in relation to Galaxy firmware S3 is officially an update of the system version through proprietary Smart Switch software, which we already used above when installing drivers and creating backup copy information from a smartphone.

Install and launch Smart Switch. We connect the smartphone running on Android to the USB port of the computer.

After the model is determined in the application, the version of the system installed on the phone is automatically checked against the version available on Samsung servers, and if an update is possible, a corresponding notification is displayed. Click "Update".

We confirm the need to start updating the phone system version - button "Continue" in the request window that appears with the revision numbers of the installed and available system software.

After reviewing the conditions under which the update is successful, click "Everything is confirmed".

Next, Smart Switch will carry out the necessary manipulations automatically, reporting what is happening in special windows with progress indicators:
After receiving confirmation that the OS update has been successfully completed in the Smart Switch window

Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S3 can be disconnected from the USB port - all system software components are already optimized.

Method 2: ODIN

Using a universal tool for replacing system software and restoring Android in Samsung devices- the most effective method of manipulation. The application allows you to install official firmware two types - service and single-file, and installing the first version of the package is one of the few ways to “revive” a Galaxy S III that is not functional in terms of software.

Before using ONE to overwrite memory partitions of the Samsung GT-I9300, we recommend that you read the instructions for reinstalling the system software using the application in the general case from the material available at the link:

Service package

A special type of system software package used in service centers and intended for installation in Samsung Android devices via ONE was named "multi-file firmware" due to the fact that it includes several system component files. You can download the archive containing the service solution for the model in question using the link:

We transfer S3 to Odin mode. For this:
We launch ONE and connect the phone to the USB port. We make sure that the device is identified in the program in the form of a blue field filled with the number of the COM port through which the connection is made.

We add to the program the components of multi-file firmware from the folder obtained as a result of unpacking the archive downloaded from the link above.

To do this, press the buttons one by one and specify the files in the Explorer window in accordance with the table:

After loading all software components into the program, window ONE should look like this:
If you plan to re-partition the device’s memory, specify the path to the PIT file on the tab "Pit".

It is advisable to carry out re-partitioning only in critical situations and when errors occur during the work of ONE without a PIT file! Initially, you should try to reinstall Android by skipping this step!

Press the button "PIT" on the tab of the same name in ODIN and add the file "mx.pit", present in the catalog with the proposed package.

When using a PIT file during the process of reinstalling Android on a Samsung GT-I9300 in the tab "Options" ODIN must be checked "Re-Partition".

After making sure that all files have been added to the appropriate fields and the parameters are set correctly, click the button "Start" to start transferring files to the device’s memory.

We are waiting for ONE to overwrite areas of the smartphone’s memory. Interrupting the process is unacceptable; all that remains is to watch the progress indicators in the flasher window and, at the same time,

on the S3 screen.

After the display of ongoing processes in ODIN displays "PASS",

The device will reboot and the OS components will be initialized.

The Android installation is complete, and in the end we get it cleared of the remnants of the previous one. operating system device,

which demonstrates the same level of performance as when first turned on after purchase.

Single-file firmware

If you need to simply reinstall Android, update or roll back the version of the official Samsung GT-I9300 OS, a single-file package is usually used. Download latest version official OS for Russia, to install it via ONE, you can follow the link:

Installing such a solution is much easier than a service solution. It is enough to follow the same steps as in the instructions for working with a multi-file package, but instead of points 3 and 4, you need to do it using the button "AP" adding a single file *.tar, contained in the directory obtained as a result of unpacking the archive with single-file firmware.

Method 3: Mobile ODIN

Many users of Android devices are interested in the possibility of reinstalling the OS on the device without using a PC. For Samsung GT-I9300, this action can be carried out using the Mobile ODIN tool - an Android application that allows you to seamlessly install official single-file firmware.

You can get the tool on your device by downloading it from the Google Play Market.

Successful execution of Mobile One functions is only possible if the device is rooted!

The software package used in the example below can be downloaded from the link:

Install Mobile One and place the package that will be installed in internal memory Galaxy S3 or to a memory card installed in the device.

We launch the application and provide Mobile ODIN with root rights.

We download additional MobileOne components, which provide the ability to install packages with system software. You will be prompted to update the first time you run the tool. Confirm the need to download add-ons by tapping the button "Download" and wait for the installation of the modules to complete.

Before installation, the firmware file must be uploaded to Mobile ODIN. Scrolling through the list of options on the main screen of the application, find and click "Open file...". Select the storage where the firmware was copied, then specify the file intended for installation.

If you are rolling back the system version, you must first clear the device’s memory partitions. To do this, check the checkboxes "Wipe data and cache", and "Wipe Dalvik cache".

In the case of an update, data cleaning may not be necessary, but performing the procedure is recommended, as it allows you to remove “software junk” from the system, and also prevents the appearance of many errors during the installation of Android and its further operation!
Click "Flash" and confirm the application requests that appear.

Mobile Odin carries out further manipulations without user intervention. The latter can only observe:

After the welcome screen appears, we perform the initial configuration of the OS parameters.

Everything is ready for using Samsung GT-I9300 Galaxy S III running reinstalled official Android.

Method 4: Custom firmware

The above methods for installing official versions of Android in Samsung S3 allow you to bring the device into factory condition and solve a lot of problems that arise for various reasons while using a smartphone. If the purpose of firmware for a device is to completely transform the software part, introduce new functions into the device and turn the phone into a truly modern device, at least in terms of the OS version, you should pay attention to the possibility of installing one of the custom firmwares.

Since the level of popularity of the model in question is extremely high, a a large number of various unofficial system software solutions based on Android versions KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat. The most popular modified shells for S3 are discussed below, and their installation can be divided into two stages - equipping the smartphone with a modified recovery, and then directly installing the unofficial Android.

Installation, launch, configuration of TWRP

In order for it to be possible to install a modified unofficial OS on the model in question, the device must be equipped with a special recovery environment - custom recovery. Several solutions are available for the device in question, including its updated version Philz Touch, but the most functional and convenient product today is considered to be the one that should be installed to obtain results, as in the examples below.

For all Samsung flagship solutions, the TeamWin team has officially developed and released recovery packages, which are installed using several methods. Two of them have already been described in articles on our website.

To transfer TWRP to the device’s memory, you can use the ODIN program or the MobileOdin Android application. The process is similar to installing single-file firmware.

The TWRP package used for installation can be downloaded from the link below or at.

The official method of installing TWRP using the Android application is the most preferred solution, described in the material at the link below. In addition to the process of installing the environment, the article describes the main methods for installing firmware using the tool:

Image *.img, as a result of which, as a result of writing to the appropriate memory section via Official TWRP App, S3 will be equipped with a custom recovery environment, is downloaded from the official website of the developer. And you can also use the link:

Launching TWRP after the environment has been brought into the device using one of the methods described above is carried out by pressing keys on the switched off device "Volume+", "Home" And "Inclusion".

You need to hold the buttons until the boot recovery logo appears on the device screen.
After booting into the modified recovery environment, you can select the Russian interface language, and then slide the switch "Allow changes" to the right.

At this point, the recovery setup is complete, TWRP is ready for use.

In an effort to get the latest versions of Android on the Samsung GT-I9300, many device owners ignore the possibility of using one of the most beautiful and functional shells for the device in question - MIUI. Meanwhile, this particular product is considered one of the best solutions, despite the fact that it is based on Android 4.4, which is losing its relevance.

MIUI packages intended for installation in the model in question are also available on the websites of well-known development teams miui.su and xiaomi.eu.

Instructions for installing the official single-file firmware on the Samsung Galaxy S3 (GT-I930x).

Drivers and programs

Attention!

To install the official stock firmware on the Galaxy S3 and return the phone status (“Settings” > “About device” > “Properties” > “Device status”) to “Official” after switching from custom firmware and thereby returning the ability to receive updates over the air, just follow the instructions provided.

Installation instructions

Unpack the downloaded archive into a folder with Odin PC for convenience. The file in the ".tar" or ".tar.md5" format must be left, but the "SS_DL.dll" can be deleted.

Reset your device.
To do this, go to the settings tab " Accounts " to the section " Archive and reset", select the item " Reset device" and press the button " Delete everything" The phone will reboot.

Run Odin PC as administrator.

Put your device into download mode ( Download Mode).
To do this, you need to simultaneously hold down the Volume Down key, the Home button and the Power button. Then wait until the phone reboots and agree to the warning by pressing the Volume Up key.

In this state, connect the smartphone to the computer. In Odin the message “ COM».

Click on the “ AP» and select the TAR firmware archive.

Items " Auto Reboot" And " F.Reset Time" must be activated, A " Re-Partition"if active - must be disabled.

Click on the “ Start" The firmware installation process will begin.

At the end of the operation, if everything was successful, the message “All threads completed. (succeed 1 / failed 0)". The phone must be restarted manually by holding down the power button until the screen turns off. It may take up to 5 minutes for your device to boot up initially.
ATTENTION!
If the device does not boot for a long time or the data has not been reset, it must be performed from recovery.
To do this, you need to simultaneously hold down the Volume Up key, the Home button and the Power button. After downloading, select " Wipe data/Factory reset", and then - " Reboot system now" If after these steps the device also freezes when loading, you need to reflash it again.

Every year samsung traditionally holds one or more events called Samsung Unpacked, at which key new products in the segment are announced for the company mobile phones. Usually, for a couple of months before these events, the public is systematically warmed up with “random” leaks and non-random teasers. However, this year, before the presentation of the Galaxy S III, the Koreans managed to create a real stir for the first time: for almost six months the Internet was filled with the most incredible rumors about the new device, and the pique vests of the gadget world discussed the yet unannounced new product with such enthusiasm, as if Samsung was going to present new iPhone. A significant role in this was played by the fact that last year's flagship - Galaxy S II - was so good that everyone wanted to look at its successor.

However, the more long-awaited the device, the greater the disappointment after its announcement. Like the iPhone 4S, the Galaxy S III was immediately dubbed a “disappointment”: they say, its design is not the same, the body materials are not the same, and the camera is not the same... Let's together try to separate the wheat from the chaff and objectively understand the advantages and disadvantages of the new flagship of Samsung's line of Android smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy SIII in person: Galaxy Nexus on marketing steroids
New benchmark: comparison of cameras in Apple iPhone 4S, HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III smartphones

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S III

Ranges: GPRS/GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 850/900/1900/2100.
Form factor: keyboardless monoblock.
Operating system: Google Android 4.0.4 with TouchWiz UX interface.
Display: 4.8 inches, Super AMOLED HD, 1280x720 pixels (pixel density 306 ppi), 16 million colors, touchscreen (capacitive matrix).
Camera: 8 MP, autofocus, geotagging, video recording (1920x1080/30p), LED backlight.
CPU: Samsung Exynos 4212, four ARM Cortex A9 cores, clock frequency 1.4 GHz; integrated Mali 400MP video accelerator.
RAM: 1 GB.
Flash memory: 16, 32 or 64 GB + microSDHC cards.
Multimedia capabilities: MP3 player, FM receiver, video player (supports MPEG-4, Divx, Xvid, H.264), video editor, integration with YouTube, Find Music service (analogous to Track ID in Sony phones Ericsson).
Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n with support for Wi-Fi Direct and mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC.
Specific absorption rate of electromagnetic energy (SAR): 0.21 W/kg.
Battery: lithium-ion, replaceable, capacity 2100 mAh (7.8 Wh).
Interface connector: microUSB, 3.5 mm headphone output.
GPS: yes, A-GPS support, Google Maps support.
Dimensions and weight: 137x71x9 mm, 133 grams.

Video review of Samsung Galaxy S III

Appearance and design features

I'll be honest: in promotional photographs appearance I didn't like the Galaxy S III too much. Some vague rounded shapes, glossy plastic... in general, three times ugh. However, the phone looks much better in person than in photographs and renders: its shape almost completely follows the Galaxy Nexus (including a slight bend protective glass on the front panel), and the plastic has a very good quality. In the gray-blue version of the device, under the top transparent layer there is a “striped” texture that imitates scratched metal. The white phone is made of the most ordinary white plastic without any visual effects. In general, I understand the desire of a certain part of buyers to have an “iron phone”, but given the rather large Galaxy sizes S III, we can confidently say that the use of metal would significantly increase the weight of the device. By the way, about the sizes. If the Galaxy S III had been introduced a couple of years ago, it would have been considered obscenely large. However, the average smartphone screen size is growing every year, so today a 4.8-inch display seems completely normal and less objectionable than a 3.5-inch one. Thanks to the minimal thickness of the frame around the screen, the dimensions of the smartphone can be called “reasonable” - unlike the Galaxy Note, the SGS III easily fits into a jeans pocket.

The controls on the Galaxy S III are exactly the same as those on the Galaxy S II. Below the screen there is a mechanical Home key, as well as touch-sensitive “Menu” and “Back” buttons (their disadvantages include a very dim backlight). The volume rocker is located on the left side, and the lock button on the right.

There are no surprises under the hood: a battery with a pleasant capacity of 2100 mAh, a slot for a SIM card and a slot for a memory card. It is worth noting that if in SGS II hot-swapping memory cards was impossible, then in SGS III this drawback was eliminated.

Screen

The screen in the Galaxy S III is made using Super AMOLED technology and has a diagonal of 4.8 inches with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Subpixels are arranged according to the PenTile scheme, but with such a pixel density (306 ppi), the main drawback of such screens is poor rendering small fonts- invisible. Unfortunately, all other disadvantages of SAMOLED screens exist. I will list them briefly:

increased minimum brightness;
high contrast and “screaming”, too saturated colors;
dependence of color rendering on screen brightness and white balance;
thin parallel lines and dark spots visible on light gray and dark gray backgrounds;
relatively coarse gradients.

None of these flaws are critical, since they are only visible if you look closely. However, I should note that the main competitor of the Galaxy S III, HTC One X has a higher quality screen. If you're interested in learning more about the features of AMOLED screens, I recommend reading my Galaxy S II review.

Sound

I hasten to report that the quality of the headphone output of the Galaxy S III has surpassed its predecessor. If you use high-quality headphones (preferably reinforced ones), you can and should enjoy listening to music on this device, although it still does not live up to the iPhone 4S. As for the call speaker, in my opinion, nothing has changed: it is still not too loud and is still very easily muffled by the fabric when the phone is in a jeans pocket. Use a vibration alert, it helps not to miss calls.

Software and interface

Samsung Galaxy S III runs under operating system Android systems 4.0.4, on top of which the proprietary TouchWiz UX shell is installed. Unlike TouchWiz 4, used in SGS II and SGN, the interface here is closer to the “native” Android 4 shell. There is no permanent dock with icons for the most frequently used applications in SGS III, which, in my opinion, is a minus. But the preservation of many of the “tricks” of ICS (in particular, the interface for switching between applications and dividing the main menu into applications and widgets) can be called a plus. At the same time, Samsung has added a lot of its own useful widgets and additions to the phone, for example, all sorts of buttons and switches in the drop-down status panel in TouchWiz UX are much more convenient than in bare ICS. The SGS III's music player and FM receiver with broadcast recording capabilities continue to be one of the most convenient on the market. The built-in browser deserves a separate discussion. According to the old, but not at all good “Samsung” tradition, it is equipped with its own screen brightness adjustment, which is also hidden in the second-level menu (!). Calling such a solution ergonomic simply boggles the mind. As a result, during testing I installed Dolphin on my smartphone and used it only.

Many applications that debuted on SGS III have migrated to SGS III. Galaxy Note, in particular, S Planner And S Memo. The phone also has its own analogue of Siri from iOS 5: in the English interface it is called S Voice, in Russian - “Voice conversation” (obviously to distinguish it from conversations using sign language). But if Siri understands my “mixture of English with Nizhny Novgorod” without any problems, then S Voice has a problem with this, so our conversations were most reminiscent of a conversation between a mute and a deaf person. Perhaps if Samsung still gave preference to sign language, it would have turned out better.

The phone has an interesting feature called Pop Up Play. It allows you to play a video file in a separate small window and place it anywhere on the screen. It looks great and causes admiration at first, but in practice, again, it is not entirely clear in what situations this feature can be really useful.

Pay attention to the Pop Up Play widget

It is worth mentioning such an interesting function as SmartStay. When activated, the Galaxy S III begins to follow the user's gaze using the front camera and, if the user is looking somewhere in the wrong direction, turns off the screen backlight. In my sample phone, this function worked through a stump, but in any case it can be called an innovation of dubious usefulness. Another proprietary feature of the Galaxy S III is called S Beam. This is a technology that allows you to quickly share files between compatible phones. Files are transferred via Wi-Fi Direct, but the initial pairing of phones occurs via NFC. Of course, phones from other manufacturers do not support S Beam. By the way, taking this opportunity, I would like to ask Samsung Question: gentlemen, when will you add Russian/Ukrainian T9 when dialing a number? In general, it should be a shame, after all, it’s 2012.

Performance, autonomy, heating

As befits a top-end smartphone of 2012, the Galaxy S III is equipped with a 4-core processor. Samsung abandoned the use of Tegra 3 (and did the right thing, in my opinion) and chose its own Exynos 4212 chipset, built on ARM Cortex-A9 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz and a Mali 400MP graphics accelerator. The device's RAM capacity is 1 GB.

I think it goes without saying that the Galaxy S III absolutely flies and delivers excellent performance both in benchmarks and in real life. Even scrolling text in the very problematic official Twitter client does not slow down at all. Apparently, there are still benefits from four egg cores. At the same time, unlike the Galaxy S II, the device hardly heats up. If SGS II individual games (in particular, the popular Robo Defense) were simply red-hot, then the third “galaxy” remains a little warm. The back cover only gets noticeably warm when the battery is charging. Finally, I must say that new flagship differs from the previous one by a noticeably increased time battery life. Who is to blame for this - a more capacious battery, a new processor or Android 4.0 - I don’t care, but the result is pleasant. Galaxy S III confidently survives until the evening, and if it is not tormented with special frenzy, then you can count on two days of work.

Camera

SGS III is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED backlight and video recording in Full HD resolution. The diagonal of the matrix is 1/3.2 inches, the matrix is made using BSI (back illuminated) technology. The lens aperture is f/2.6. The main innovations compared to the SGS II were the burst shooting mode (3.5 fps, maximum 20 frames per burst) and the HDR mode. In addition to photos, the Samsung Galaxy S III can also shoot video with continuous autofocus. The maximum resolution is 1920x1080 pixels with a refresh rate of 30 fps and stereo sound (the AAC codec with a bitrate of 134 Kbps is used for the audio track). The camera interface in the SGS III remains virtually unchanged from the SGS II. However, you can judge this for yourself based on the following screenshots:

Examples of photos and videos

Samsung Galaxy S III

Bottom line

Personally, I have no doubt that the Galaxy S III is destined to become a bestseller. Already, pre-orders for the device worldwide have exceeded 9 million units, so it will most likely not only repeat the success of the Galaxy S II, but even surpass it. And this, in my opinion, will be completely fair, because the Galaxy S III is exceptionally good. It offers the user the best that is on the market: the best performance, best camera, excellent screen and good battery life. The TouchWiz shell in its current incarnation has almost completely gotten rid of childhood illnesses (except for the absence of the Russian T9 when dialing a number), so you can safely use the device out of the box. The only disadvantages of the Galaxy S III include the body, which does not quite correspond to the status of a flagship and the estimated price of $900 for the 16-gigabyte version. In general, in my opinion, the main competitors of the Galaxy S III will be its own “stable neighbors” - the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Note already mentioned above. Both have weaker hardware, but at the same time offer comparable equipment, and their cost is this moment much lower than the cost of SGS III, and will continue to decline. 5 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S III:

large screen with HD resolution;
high-quality camera (possibly the best among 8-megapixel camera phones);
excellent performance;
long battery life;
memory card slot (not found in many competing models).

2 reasons not to buy Samsung Galaxy S III:

the design of the case does not correspond to the status of the device;
lack of Russian T9 when dialing a number.