Review: Samsung Galaxy S III for Verizon
Screen
The GS3 sports a 4.8-inch, 1280 x 720-pixel HD display. It uses Samsung's Super AMOLED technology and a PenTile pixel design. The GS3 is the first smartphone to get a PenTile display right. Every other PenTile display I've used really bugged me. The GS3's doesn't. What does that mean? You're going to love the display. You're really going to love the display. It is incredibly bright, works perfectly outdoors, and is razor sharp. Pictures, web sites, video content, you name it... it looks fantastic on the GS3's vibrant and impressive screen.
Signal
The GS3 performed very well on Verizon's EVDO and LTE networks. In the 3G-only area I live in, the GS3 had a rock-solid connection to the network and never dropped nor missed calls. Data speeds via 3G were average, but I have to say that 3G is really starting to feel slow compared to 4G. We're truly spoiled by 4G networks. The GS3's performance on Verizon's LTE was nothing short of breathtaking. Network speeds bordered on the ridiculous when I roamed in 4G land with the GS3.
Sound
Phone calls connected via Verizon's network were the best of the GS3 bunch. Voices in the earpiece sounded as if the person were speaking to me in person, such was the quality and clarity of the calls. The earpiece speaker was not quite as loud as I would have liked it to be, but it was good enough for most uses. Calls routed to the speakerphone were also excellent in terms of quality, and I found them to be loud enough to suit pretty much any environment in which you might need to conduct a speakerphone call. The ringers and alerts — or, sounds of nature, as Samsung is keen to remind you — were loud and clear, but I wish the vibrate alert were a smidge stronger.
Battery
As with its AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA brothers, the Verizon variant of the GS3 showed very good battery life. It includes a massive 2100mAh battery that powers the device through a full day's use with no problem, though it won't last much beyond a single day when under 4G LTE coverage. I had the Wi-Fi radio on, as well as GPS, and used both for checking email, taking/sending pictures, reading through my RSS, checking social networks, and many other tasks. Most users of the GS3 in markets where 4G LTE is available will need to charge every night. Users who live in 3G-only markets may be able to squeeze some extra battery life out of the GS3.
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Samsung Galaxy S III (Verizon)
