Galaxy S3 Vs Blackberry Z10 – Unfair to Compare, But We Have Done It, Just For You!

Confused between an Android or with the latest Blackberry 10 OS which was just announced few days back? Then we will make things simple for you by comparing two of the best Android smartphones as of now till date in terms of popularity and Sales numbers. We know that it will be immature and may not be fair to compare two different platforms, but for a normal consumer who is not much tech savvy will only go with what is there on paper or as per the technical specifications of the device which he / she wishes to buy. So, in the due course of this article we will be comparing both Samsung Galaxy S3 and Blackberry Z10 device which was announced just few days back.

 

Display, Size & Weight:

With 4.2 inches of Blackberry Z10 and 4.8 inched Screen Size of Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S3 takes away the win here as near 4.2 inched devices have lost the charm for the ownership of late since there are smartphones and phablets available in the market which come with the screen size of around 5 inches. Galaxy S3 comes with the Super bright AMOLED Display while Blackberry Z10 comes with the ordinary LCD Display screen with Capacitive touch of course. 

If we have a look at the dimensions of both the devices then Blackberry Z10 comes with the dimensions as 66 x 9 x 130 mm (Width x Thickness x Length) while Samsung Galaxy S3 smart phone comes with 71 x 8.6 x 137 mm (Width x Thickness x Length) dimensions. With more width, lesser thickness, Galaxy S3 again wins in the size war. Size does matter when it comes to thickness and screen size.

When talked about the weight, then Galaxy S3 weighs 133 grams while Blackberry Z10 weighs 137.5 gms which is slightly more than the former one. Here too, Galaxy S3 wins when compared to the Blackberry Z10 smartphone.

Processor:

Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with 1.4GHz of Quad Core in International Variant while US version comes with Qualcomm S4 1.5GHz Dual Core Processor. Blackberry Z10 smartphone comes with Qualcomm S4 Plus Dual Core 1.5GHz processor. So, here it’s almost tie.

RAM & Memory:

More is the RAM, better are the chances that device won’t get hanged while processing applications. While Galaxy S3 comes with 2GB / 1GB of RAM in US / International model, Blackberry Z10 comes with 2GB of RAM across all the variants. And Blackberry fans will be happy for it as it wins the processor race if you are a non US.

More choices, better prospects as everyone is not the same. Some need more space while some can even manage with 16GB of storage. So, here Blackberry Z10 comes with 16GB of memory storage space and Galaxy S3 comes with 16GB / 32GB / 64GB variants. And the best part is that both the devices support External SD Card.

Camera & Battery:

Camera and Battery are two such parameters which are bothered by most of the users. Blackberry Z10 comes with 8MP of Rear Facing camera and 2MP of Front Facing Camera, while Galaxy S3 comes with 8MP of Rear Camera and 1.9 MP of Front Facing Camera. No Doubt, Blackberry over a period of time has substantially learnt on what its devices was missing from Big time. 

Ran Out of battery? This will be term used if you have used any Android phone. Thanks to Blackberry at least in this case as though Blackberry Z10 comes with 1800 mAH of battery mettle, BB executives claim that is enough to topple the battery power of Galaxy S3 which has got 2100 mAH of battery power theoretically.

Last but not the least, we are leaving the Winner for respective fans to decide on to choose from Galaxy S3 or from the Blackberry Z10 as both of them are the Best Devices in their respective platforms. Do let us know your choice in the comments section below as we will be more than happy to hear from you.

~ Android Devices

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Superphone showdown: HTC Droid DNA vs. Samsung Galaxy S3

One of the curious things about the Android vs. iOS argument is that there’s some confusion as to which Android phone is the best, which makes it hard to compare any one piece of hardware against Apple’s latest iPhone. Inside Android circles there are smaller groups of fans that support one manufacturer or another so, when deciding which Android phone is the best you really have to look at the flagship from each manufacturer.

Now, both HTC and Samsung have a handset that could easily be considered the Android flagship. When you compare the Samsung Galaxy S3 to the HTC Droid DNA, which comes out on top?

     Build quality

HTC and Samsung have always had wildly different design ideas. While both manufacturers use a lot of plastic in their phones, Samsung tends to go for high gloss and high shine, while HTC uses matte surfaces and darker colors. On paper, these two phones are very similar. The Droid DNA features a 5-inch screen and weighs in at 138g while the Galaxy S3 features a 4.8-inch screen and weighs in at 133g. Both phones are 2.78 inches across, but the S3 is 4.4mm shorter and 1.3mm thinner than the thickest point of the Droid DNA.

Ultimtely, the Galaxy S3 is a flat slab of plastic and glass, while the back of the DNA curves to feel more comfortable in the hand. The DNA also features a soft touch coating on the back, making the it feel much more stable in your hand.

HTC takes the point here for build quality, but there is something to be said for the hit to usability that Droid DNA takes if you have smaller hands.

     Under the hood

Depending on which Samsung Galaxy S3 you are using, the Droid DNA offers a spec boost in one direction or another. The GSM variant of the S3 features a quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos processor with 1GB of RAM, while the LTE variant uses a dual-core Snapdragon with 2GB of RAM. The Droid DNA only comes in Verizon LTE form, and features a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro and 2GB of RAM.

Samsung’s GPU, a Mali 400, does a pretty good job of standing up to the DNA’s Adreno 320. If the Droid DNA and the GS3 had similar screen resolutions the Adreno 320 would overpower the Mali 400, as was demonstrated when comparing the Galaxy S3 and the LG Optimus G. Since the Adreno 320 has to work a lot harder to drive the 1080p screen on the Droid DNA, the Galaxy S3 actually outperforms the HTC phone in graphics benchmarks.

The Galaxy S3 comes in 16, 32, and 64GB sizes, with an external storage slot capable of holding another 64GB. The Droid DNA advertises having 16GB on board, but the user only has access to 11 of those gigabytes. Since there’s no removable storage, you’re stuck relying on either the cloud or something like a Kingston Wi-Drive for holding extra music and movies.

HTC clearly has a more powerful phone on paper, but if your smartphone is where you play video games or listen to music the Samsung Galaxy S3 is likely the more functional phone in real world cases.

     Display

Both phones use Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 to protect the screens, but the displays underneath couldn’t be more different. Samsung uses a Super AMOLED display with a 1280×720 resolution at 306ppi. The Droid DNA uses a Super LCD 3 display with a 1920×1080 resolution at 440 ppi. Typically Samsung AMOLED displays are capable of outperforming LCD displays outdoors, but the Droid DNA handles itself well even in direct sunlight. The Droid DNA is also a big winner when trying to use the phone in a completely dark room, while even on the dimmest setting the Galaxy S3 can be irritatingly bright.

While both of these smartphones feature color rich displays that function well both indoors and outdoors, the screen on the Droid DNA is undeniably superior when holding the phones up close. Text is sharper, images clearer, but video playback is almost identical.

HTC chose a great display for the Droid DNA, and is the clear winner in this category.

      Camera

It has been a little while since we have seen anything from Samsung or HTC that didn’t ship with a great rear camera. Both phones have 8MP cameras that record video 1080p at 30fps, and both phones have flash. HTC’s ImageSense offers a backlit sensor that takes great shots in low light, but Samsung’s camera does a better job with HDR shots and offers way more in the way of photo features.

HTC has recently made some huge improvements to their front-facing camera, which is now a 2.1MP camera instead of the 1.9MP on the Galaxy S3. The camera on the front of the Droid DNA is also capable of grabbing a wider field, which makes things like video chats a much more enjoyable experience.

Overall, HTC and Samsung offer very similar experiences, but the Droid DNA’s front-facing camera puts it out in front. 

     And the winner is…

While it may seem like the HTC Droid DNA won in a landslide, it’s important to point out that this is just a handful of small victories added up. The Droid DNA and the Galaxy S3 are both great phones in their own respects, and the Galaxy S3 is available everywhere while the DNA is stuck on Verizon Wireless.

If you are looking at a new phone on Verizon, or a good excuse to switch to Big Red, the HTC Droid DNA is easily the best phone on their network right now.

~  Russell Holly

 

 

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Those sexy Samsungs: Why iPhones are no longer cool in China

After a long delay, China finally approved the domestic launch of the iPhone 5. Apple shareholders would expect this to be a major event, but signs are it won’t be.

According to technology research house Gartner, Apple’s share of the mainland Chinese smartphone market slumped to below 7% in the third quarter of this year. That was a big drop, down from 12% in the second quarter.

Things used to be so different. Less than two years ago, wealthy Chinese consumers loved Apple. But they are a fickle bunch, always looking for the latest cool brand to add to their collection. That used to be the sweet spot the iPhone inhabited. Now, Samsung sits there. And at the lower end, consumers are too price conscious for iPhones.

As a young woman posted on microblogging website Sina Weibo: “I wish I could have an iPhone 5 for my birthday, but my parents saved for months just to get me an iPod.”

While there are a growing number of middle-class Chinese, they are nowhere near as rich as middle-class Westerners. There’s no word yet on what the iPhone 5 will retail for in China but consider that the retail price for an iPhone 4S started at around $780 at today’s exchange rates. Meanwhile, Chinese internet firms including Baidu, Alibaba Group and Shanda have all launched smartphones this year costing under 1,000 yuan (US$160)

Apple now ranks sixth in China’s smartphone league, down from third place in the second quarter, according to Gartner. Samsung has been first for the last six months. Chinese manufacturer Lenovo, which sells cheaper products than Apple, is second. Sandy Shen, a Shanghai-based Gartner analyst, told Quartz she forecasts Lenovo will take the first spot by the end of 2013.

Apple may have lost market share because the iPhone 5 launch was delayed in China. But Shen thinks waiting consumers are actually few.

Apple’s real problems are market saturation, consumers not believing the iPhone 5 is much better than the 4S and high-end consumers being more attracted to what they perceive as Samsung’s superior hardware, Shen says.

The majority of people who should have an iPhone have already got one. And in terms of improvement between the 4S and the 5, its not so big. So people have been kind of disappointed. They are either happy enough with the iPhone 4 or the 4S, or looking for another brand.

On the shift to Samsung, Shen adds:

I’ve been observing high-end consumers who have been using iPhone for the last two to three years now looking to switch to Samsung products. These people are not price sensitive. They are always looking for the latest flagship product to add to their technology collection. They have a laptop, an iPad, an iPhone, and now they are going for the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Galaxy Note.

Samsung probably has better hardware, Shen continues.

In terms of design and hardware specs,  the Samsung products are seen more sexy than iPhones. The Galaxy Note screen is bigger, for example. The S3 has a better display.

Research firm IHS has said the same thing about the S3′s superior display, though Apple enthusiasts dispute this.

Paul French, Mintel’s chief China market strategist, has a different take on why iPhones are becoming less popular with China’s brand-conscious wealthy. He says it has less to do with technical features, which he believes a lot of Chinese consumers do not show interest in, and more to do with being fickle.

Apple just isn’t really that cool anymore. Teenagers aren’t too interested in it. When I see people in Apple stores here, they tend to be late 20s and early 30s.

He adds:

Most Chinese people won’t be that interested in getting the new iPhone 5 because it has better this or that. I don’t think most Chinese people use their iPhones for the apps or the technology. Before, it was all just ‘look, I got an iPhone’, which people then just used for phoning and texting. I ask people what apps they have, and often they don’t have any.

What’s really popular across Asia right now, including in China, are the big phone-small tablet hybrids. Like the Galaxy Note but cheaper versions too. Teenagers especially are mad about these.

That is a source of hope for Apple’s iPad mini, then. But there are also small, cheap tablets on the Chinese market. A $99 dollar Chinese clone of the iPad mini, called the Goopad Mini, surfaced in China late last month, just days after Apple announced its latest innovation.

In China, as in most emerging markets, being neither cool nor cheap is a big problem. There isn’t much of a middle class or a middle ground.

Apple’s business in the country is still huge, representing 15% of its sales. In its last full year results,
Apple reported it made a whopping $23.8 billion in China, a 79% increase from the $13.3 billion earned in 2011. But those impressive results masked the slowing quarterly trend that Gartner’s data has also picked up. Apple made $5.7 billion in China in its fourth quarter, the three months to September 29, which was a 28% drop from the $7.9 billion it made in the second quarter.

And while crowds of Chinese shoppers besieged Apple’s flagship Beijing store on the day the iPhone 4S was launched there—with some rioting and throwing eggs because the store opening was delayed—these may not have been eager consumers. Instead, they might have been what the Chinese media call “scalpers.” These are speculators who buy potentially scarce goods in bulk in the hope of reselling them at a premium later on.

French argues:

That’ll be because maybe about four years ago some people made good money buying up all the iPhones on day one and selling them for more than the retail price. In China, where everyone wants to make a fast buck, these ideas get around.

The question remains whether they’ll find buyers this time..

~ Naomi Rovnick

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Apple: The accuser becomes the accused

Takeaway: On the heels of the Apple/Samsung lawsuit, Apple drops IOS 6 on the public. Just like IOS 5, there are plenty of features stolen directly from Android, alleges Jack Wallen.

Much to my chagrin, my wife has an iPhone. Yesterday she upgraded the OS to 6 and the upgrade brought a few shocks, but no surprises, to my eyes. It seemed every time my wife would shout, “Oh cool!”, it would turn out yet another feature on IOS 6 was another bit of clever thievery on the part of Apple.

Now, the only reason this is even remotely important (at least to me) is that it comes after the ridiculous IP lawsuit Apple won over Samsung. Prior to that, Apple was doing its usual ‘Oh, that’s a cool feature Android has, let’s steal it, put it in our platform, and pretend we invented it.’ I’ve been used to that ever since various desktops started stealing from Linux long ago. But this time there was something else involved — hypocrisy.

Apple sues the bankroll off of Samsung for patent design issues (does anyone actually have any details on just what design issues?) and then turns around and releases a new OS that clearly “borrows” from Android. Apples to Apples? Shouldn’t this be a case of the pot calling the kettle black?

There were so many pundits pontificating on why Apple brought this insane law suit to court. I myself stated it was a cash grab in hopes of stopping the Samsung Galaxy S3 from getting into the hands of too many people before the iPhone 5 arrived. But now, I wonder if it was little more than a diversionary tactic so people might not notice (or even bother to bring up) the fact that Apple did just what they claimed Samsung was doing.

Let’s see:

• You can now create auto responses to phone calls in the form of texts (been in Android for a long time now)
• All Facebook contacts show up in Contacts (been in Android since day one)
• Bluetooth sharing (again, been in Android since day one)
• Document syncing (Sync your Android docs with Google docs)
• Offline Reading (tons of Android apps have already had this)

This list doesn’t even include the list of IOS 5 features that were “borrowed” from Android. And in a show of unprecedented shenanigans, Apple even stole the design for their clock design from the Swiss National Railway!

Ultimately, what gets me about this whole mess is that Apple seems to always have a Get Out Of Jail Free card hidden in their back pocket. It seems the darling dear of the tech world can do what they want, when they want, and get away with it, knowing full-well there will be no consequences.

It’s very clear that Apple wants to be the only big man on campus. Fundamentally there is nothing wrong with that — we all do in our respective fields. But to win a lawsuit to the tune of over two billion dollars and then turn around and pull off the same thing you just sued a company for is beyond the realm of audacity (and I’m not talking the amazing, open source audio recording tool)!

Every maker of Android devices needs to stand up to the bully. Actually, it’s time Google came up to bat and knocked Apple out of the park. Make Apple aware they can’t bully everyone on the playground just because they are Apple. Slap them with an iLawsuit that will finally make the public aware that the accuser is now the accused. Sure, the public at large won’t care. But those with a finger in this tasty pie (aka Android developers and designers) would certainly feel validated and vindicated.

Apple should be ashamed of themselves for wasting taxpayers’ money on a lawsuit that could just as easily be aimed at themselves. I realize that nothing will probably come of this, mostly because the public is far too awash in a sea of delight that is the iPhone 5 to realize said delight is brought to them by a completely different platform. But maybe, just maybe this will come back to haunt Apple when Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and Google have had enough and drop the gauntlet to Cupertino. Should that happen, the court system and the court of public opinion might have a surprise for Apple up their sleeves.

~ Jack Wallen

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Samsung unveils quad-core chip for Galaxy 'S3'

Samsung has introduced a new 1.4GHz 'Exynos 4 Quad' processor for its smartphone and tablet devices that is based on the ARM Cortex A9 chip.


While Samsung did not say specifically which devices would be the first to use it when it announced the chip on Thursday, it did say it would feature on the "next Galaxy" device, widely expected to be the Samsung Galaxy 'S3'.

"The application processor is a crucial element in providing our customers with PC-like experience on mobile devices. Samsung's next Galaxy device... will be officially announced soon," Hankil Yoon, senior vice president of product strategy on Samsung's Mobile Communications team, said in a statement.


The chip uses a 32nm manufacturing process that provides "double the processing power" of the previous generation 45nm 'Exynos 4 Dual' and uses 20 percent less power, meaning that it should provide a longer battery life.


"Since all the cores must share a single battery, the power management and efficiency in the limited battery capacity are indispensable for mobile computing devices," Taehoon Kim, vice president of System LSI marketing in the Device Solutions unit at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. "Given the diverse functionalities consumers are demanding from their mobile devices today, the Exynos 4 Quad meets those high-performance needs while keeping power consumption very low." 

Samsung said the chip's multicore processor makes it particularly well suited for taking on demanding applications such as 3D games and video editing.


The processor can also handle full 1080p video capture and playback and has been designed to be able to drive a WXGA 1366 by 768-pixel display.


The company said the new chip is "pin-to-pin" compatible with the previous Exynos 4 Dual, reducing the time needed for manufacturers to start using the chip without needing to re-engineer devices.


~ Ben Woods 

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