That was fast: just a few days after the Galaxy S III reached buyers' eager hands, Samsung has posted the phone's source code. Its dutiful clinging to Google's Android guidelines opens the floodgates to custom ROMs as well as a better sense of what makes Samsung's Android 4.0 variant tick. As you'd anticipate, the code is only valid for the international GT-i9300 version. North American models, for the time being, are left out. Still, the source is useful for most anyone that wants to tinker with what should be the most ubiquitous Google-powered phone of the year, so get to downloading if that sounds like you.
Whoa, there. We're still weeks faraway from an officer massive stage unveiling, however it's like Samsung's next Galaxy phone is already out there. Vietnamese web site Tinhte, that has past type on these quite things, possesses its hands on the GT-I9300 -- purportedly the Galaxy S III if Samsung decides to follow its own naming convention. in keeping with the specifications leaked, Tinhte reckons the phone homes a four.6-inch show at 720 x 1184 resolution (roughly 320 DPI, finding out Android's XHDPI classification -- thanks Rawat), whereas a quad-core one.4 GHz processor works on keeping the Ice Cream Sandwich OS running smoothly. alternative hardware mentions embody 1GB of RAM, 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage and microSD capability. in a very side-by-side comparison with the Galaxy Nexus, it's just like the phone's show is incrementally larger, though we're unable to inform the precise size, nor whether or not we'll be treated to Super AMOLED and or some Pentile substitute.
According to Tinhte, the 2,050mAh battery can arrive with NFC capabilities baked in, just like the Galaxy Nexus before it. there is an iffy plastic rim surrounding to the full device that has apparently been added to not ruin the surprise of how the device appearance prior to its official launch. whereas we have seen some similar hardware leaks already, this video makes a really robust case for it being the important deal. Take a glance for yourself right when the break, alongside an image of the rear.
Update: it's our supply link has disappeared and also the video has currently gone personal. Fortunately, we tend to grabbed our own copy of the video and you'll be able to realize it below.
Update 2: we tend to reached out to Samsung for a comment, and here's the not-so-surprising response:
หลังจากเดือนที่แล้วที่มีแต่ข่าวลือของซัมซุง ตอนนี้ซัมซุงได้ประกาศอย่างเป็นทางการ ไปทั่วโลก ว่าจะได้พบกับโทรศัพท์มือถือ Galaxy รุ่นต่อไปในลอนดอน ในวันที่ 3 พฤษภาคมซึ่งมีคำเชิญนี้ได้รับเป็นครั้งแรกโดยTweakers.netเว็บไซต์ดัตช์ ดังนั้นจึงมีการคาดหมายกันในทันทีว่าจะเป็นการเปิดตัวของสิ่งที่เราคาดหวังว่าจะมา เป็นGalaxy SIII ในขณะที่เราจะเก็บข้อมูลของเหตุการณ์ ที่เป็นของซัมซุงเพื่อเราเองจะได้ไม่พลาดข้อมูลอื่น ๆ รวมคือวันที่ / เวลา(2:00 ET) และมีการโพสกระแสบน Facebook Galaxy SเดิมและGS2อยู่แล้วหลายครั้งกว่าตั้งแต่แรกเปิดตัวเมื่อสองปีที่ผ่านมาและได้นำแพ็ค Android สำหรับเวลานี้ สิ่งที่ซัมซุงจะทำเพื่อไว้บนตัวของมันเองในเวลานี้หรือไม่?(คำตอบ : ไม่มี 3 D และมันอาจเป็นเพียงเล็กน้อยสายเกินไปสำหรับการแสดงผลต่อเนื่องอีกเหมือนแยกเป็นลูกเล่น) มีเพียง 17 วันที่เหลืออยู่จนกว่าเราจะได้พบการเปิดตัวAfter months of rumors Samsung has officially announced the globe can meet future Galaxy phone in London on might third with this invite, 1st received by Dutch website Tweakers.net. whereas most speculation can immediately focus around one thing we're expecting to arrive because the Galaxy S III, the BlackBerry World-spoiling invite we have a tendency to received is conspicuously devoid of details like name or specifications. whereas we'll keep the address of the Samsung Unpacked event to ourselves, the sole different info included is that the date / time (2PM ET) and therefore the address for a live stream on Facebook. {the original|the 1st|the initial} Galaxy S and GS2 are already million unit sellers over and over over since first launching 2 years ago and have led the Android pack for many of now, thus what's going to Samsung do to prime itself this time? (Answer: not 3D, and it's in all probability a trifle too late for one more Continuum-like gimmicky split show.) There are simply seventeen days left till we discover out obviously.Tweakers.net, @SamsungMobile (Twitter)
So you paid attention to pundits and bought that Galaxy S II outright in the hopes that future software updates would arrive on your device first. And then reality came crashing in. It seems SIM-free isn't the manner Samsung wants shoppers to be, as carrier-agnostic handsets in the UK are going to be the last to receive Ice Cream Sandwich. The move, though frustrating for several, isn't as arbitrary and unfair as it would possibly initially seem to be. speaking to CNET UK, an organization rep confirmed that this upgrade delay has everything to try to to with cross-carrier testing, compatibility and approval, owing to the "variety of networks" unlocked GS II's will access. Once it will get an unanimous greenlight, however, expect to visualize the ultimate leg of that TouchWizzed Android 4.0 roll out start.
In some alternate universe, the One S would be HTC's flagship phone. There's the new, forged-for-space body, a uniform 7.8mm thickness and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display -- normally enough to qualify for the top slot. However, HTC decided to make this its (upper) middleweight contender, putting the quad-core One X right above it -- and launching it at the same time. We've got the HSPA+ global edition, but aside from the radio differences, this is the same hardware you can expect to see from T-Mobile a little further down the line, and it's powered by the same processor that will run inside the US version of the One X. Can the dual-core Snapdragon Krait possibly hold its own against Tegra 3? If you're in the market for a new Android device, why would you go for what is possibly HTC's second best? Perhaps -- dare we say -- it's not all about the cores and display size. Read on to see what the One series' mid-tier option has to offer.
The One S has an aluminum shell, but there's a difference between this and its unibody predecessors: this one's been treated to micro-arc oxidation. Throwing 10,000 volts at that body, what we're left with is a finish more akin to ceramic and stone than the usual matte metallic seen in HTC's past offerings. The company's gone on record saying that it toughens up the surface of the phone. While it certainly feels tougher, don't expect it to behave as flawlessly as Gorilla Glass -- we did notice some light scratches on the matte surface, though we at least didn't uncover any metal. Both the top and bottom segments are coated in a soft-finish plastic which doesn't disguise wear-and-tear as well.
The top part lifts off to show access to the micro-SIM, but that's all you can get to. Like the HTC Radarthere's no access to the battery or microSD storage, but it's probably this hardware lock-down that's helped HTC slim this dual-core phone down to this 0.3-inch profile and it fitted our hand great. If the One X borders on the bulky, the 4.3-inch screen here feels just right. We've come a long way.
The One S also packs HTC's new imaging tech: a dedicated ImageChip combined with a f/2.0 lens. The primary 8-megapixel camera gets a red trim on the black micro-arc oxidized version, while it's blue on the grey anodized variant. The module doesn't protrude as much as on One X, but we'd still have preferred a recessed lens. When we rest the phone down, you're resting it on the camera -- we can hear and feel the lens land on the surface. Aside from this flash of color on the camera, it's a relatively understated phone, with smaller Beats Audio branding at the base of the device, while the loudspeaker and ear piece grills are actually minute holes made into the body. Hidden behind the ear piece is a subtle notification light that glows from behind those holes to illustrate when the phones charging, charged and if there's some email or social networking nugget waiting for you.
A front-facing camera lies to the right of this, with the Super AMOLED screen dominating the rest of the front. While HTC's interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich has given its new models with three capacitive buttons (no on-screen substitutes), it's replicated the original Android 4.0 phone by including a multitask button -- there's no menu or search buttons here. Protected by that plasma-bathed coating, you'll find Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core processor, ticking away at 1.5GHz, while 1GB of memory accompanies 12GB of available storage. A recent HTC-Dropbox deal means you'll also net an extra 25GB of storage for two years once you log in to the cloud storage service -- and yes, it's in addition to your existing cap.
Display
Which do you want first: the good news or the bad news? Well, the good bit is that HTC has married a 540 x 960 qHD resolution with Super AMOLED. The bad news is that it's missing a "Plus" at the end of that moniker. Yes, we're dealing with a PenTile screen, and while there are still plenty willing to overlook that graininess, after seeing it side-by-side against the high-definition beauty on the One X, we're going to rule in favor of the latter. While Super AMOLED wins with the blacker blacks, whites are just a bit too off. Comparing the resolution on the two One series devices, differences in sharpness will only be apparent in native apps and on the web -- unless games and video content are ready for 720p, there's no difference in graphical polish, aside from those color palette issues.
Camera
HTC's been pushing its new camera chops ever since Barcelona and we finally got a chance to try it out. And it works. Really well. This, along with the One X, is possibly the best Android cameraphone we've seen yet. Specification-wise, it's an eight-megapixel autofocus camera capable of 1080p video capture, with an LED flash and a tempting f/2.0 lens. In use, it's responsive, can capture video and stills concurrently and add several playful filters you might actually use. There's all the stable camera options to tweak inside the menus, including white balance, ISO and exposure, but if you're simply looking for an easy point-and-shoot, you'll never see them. The UI is an understated simple setup, with a big camera button matched by a similarly-sized video icon, while effects are located in a glass orb in the top right corner and a preview of the last still or video is in the lower right corner. Settings for flash, scenes, and the aforementioned technical options are all on the right side. Thanks to the f/2.0 lens, even shots in low-light turn out well, burst photography was especially impressive.
Video capture at 1080p is generally well-focused with a good balance of color and light adjustment. The takeaway here is that the One series have superb cameras; hardware and software both ensure good-quality images were taken quickly and easily.
Performance and battery life
HTC One S
HTC One X
Galaxy Note
Quadrant
5,053
4,906
3,998
Linpack (single-thread)
103.88
48.54
64.3
Linpack (multi-thread)
222.22
150.54
95.66
NenaMark2 (fps)
61.0
47.6
32.8
NenaMark1 (fps)
60.8
59.5
56.6
Vellamo
2,452
1,617
901
SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower numbers are better)
1,742.5
1,772.5
2,902
HTC's introduced us to a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 (MSM8260A) paired with 1GB of memory. The One S never shirked from what we asked of it. Attempting to make the browser stutter proved fruitless and tiling a complete non-issue. Provided your 3G or WiFi connection can keep up, you'll sail through the internet. Loading times on meatier apps was short, and it generally coped well with the likes of Shadowgun and GTA 3, although the audio didn't match the video on the venerable console title.
According to these benchmarks, the dual-core One S manages to trump its quad-core contemporary. Admittedly, tests like these can't be directly compared side-by-side, since the One X has a larger screen with much higher resolution, and takes advantage of a quad-core chip. Irrespective of this, the phone smoked its dual-core competition, leaving the likes of the Exynos-powered Galaxy Note choking on its exhaust.
The One S comes with a very middling 1,650mAh battery but performance betrayed those numbers. We hit just over eight and a half hours of constant video playback during our typical rundown test -- 2.5 hours more than its sibling, the HTC One X. This was at 50 percent brightness, with WiFi on (but not connected), and email and email and Twitter set to fetch updates at regular intervals. This pegs it at around the same lifespan as the iPhone 4S when it comes to video playback, although it doesn't quite match the bigger-screened Galaxy Note. Then again, it doesn't have the same 2,200mAh battery store to draw on. In more standard use, the phone lasted through our daily grind, including emails, web browsing sessions every two hours or so, some Spotify playback and a handful of voice calls and text messages. Charging the One S was still a daily ritual.
Call reception was good, with the extra mic located at the top performing noise-cancellation duties. Data speeds were as expected on both O2's HSPA+ and Three's HSPA service. On HSPA+, we reached speeds of around 2.5Mbps down and just under 1.5Mbps up, while HSPA circled around 1Mbps up and 1Mbps down -- all pretty similar to results on our other handsets. On the other side of the pond, AT&T's HSPA+ nabbed us average speeds of around 4.5Mbps down and 1.1Mbps up. This global version features quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSPA+ 42Mbps (2100 / 900 / 850MHz) support -- an AWS-capable model is coming to T-Mobile in the US.
HTC's latest skin catches up with its corresponding Android version, at least number-wise. Sense 4 aims to cut the excess while offering up an experience that remains familiar to HTC fans in the past. A very difficult trick to pull off, but it's a definitive move forward. While it isn't stock, it certainly holds on to more Android riffs. Several widgets are also now available in both HTC and stock flavors.
Sporting a thinner and lighter design, the One S doesn't deserve to be hidden in the shadow of its pricier brother.
Something worth noting is the new Sense keyboard. We've been testing both the One S and the One X and found key spacing was a bit tighter than on HTC's polycarbonate number. Fortunately, it's held on to some of its better keyboard ideas -- you'll still be able to slide between numbers, accented letters and more obscure punctuation by holding down a letter and sliding across.
Sporting a thinner and lighter design, the One S doesn't deserve to be hidden in the shadow of its pricier brother. With the latest dual-core Snapdragon S4 and noticeable improvements to HTC's Sense UI, as well as Android 4.0 and a potent camera, this phone is likely to play a large part of the manufacturer's renewed efforts after a shaky 2011. With a tactile finish and enough power to go toe-to-toe with HTC's quad-core entrant, it comes down to whether you're willing to trade a technically weaker screen for a noticeable price difference and better battery life. It's a decision we'd prefer not to make.
