AfterDawn: Tech news

A deeper look into the Samsung Galaxy S III's new software

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 May 2012 7:07 User comments (4)

A deeper look into the Samsung Galaxy S III's new software Over the past few days we have discussed at length the new hardware in the Samsung Galaxy S III, which was, to be completely honest, not revolutionary.
The device has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a powerful 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor and an 8MP camera, all of which are high-end but not leaps and bounds better than previous generation devices.

However, what should differentiate the phone from others in the market is its software, which Samsung has customized and tweaked to the point where it does not feel too much like the stock "vanilla" Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich you may be accustomed to.

The phone will have an emphasis on "natural interaction," says the company. First off, a feature called "Smart Stay" uses the front-facing camera to monitor your eyes and keep a "bright display for continued viewing pleasure." Even if you have your phone set to go to sleep with inactivity, Smart Stay will keep it on if you are staring at the screen, reading, or otherwise. When your eyes are no longer staring at the screen, the display dims to save battery life, as well.



Secondly, the device will include "S Voice," a voice recognition system designed to work similarly to Apple's Siri. As an example, the company says you can simply say "snooze" to snooze your alarm in the mornings and many other uses include adjusting the volume, taking a picture, open your calendar and ask for the weather.

"S Beam" is another new feature included with the phone. The software is an enhanced version of Android Beam, which allows large files to be transferred between Android 4.0 devices. Samsung says a 1GB file can be transferred in as little as 3 minutes.

Finally, "Pop Up Play" will give owners a chance to watch a video on the screen while also continuing to use other apps. As an example, Samsung says the feature should be great for those who get a video attachment in their email and want to watch while replying.

Overall, these new features sound like excellent additions to Android and matched with a powerful phone it looks like Samsung has another major hit on their hands.

Previous Next  

4 user comments

15.5.2012 19:32

I would find it creepy to have my phone starting at me.

25.5.2012 20:36

Originally posted by bigfamei:
I would find it creepy to have my phone starting at me.
Big software is watching... and to think I was thinking about getting this phone. Guess I'll have to wait and see first.

35.5.2012 21:51

Well my main question would be to knowing how much power this new feature will actually use. If you are using the camera and analysing the user you are bound tto be using a few CPU cycles. If they do it correctly it might actually work

46.5.2012 19:00

Originally posted by louispq:
Well my main question would be to knowing how much power this new feature will actually use. If you are using the camera and analysing the user you are bound tto be using a few CPU cycles. If they do it correctly it might actually work

Just been wondering the same thing... Enhancing battery life by having the camera always on, and having the phone run the algorithm which performs the analysys permanently? Doubtful.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments
How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller (11 Feb 2023 1:04)
Google shut down its streaming game service Stadia late last month and this means that some people have Stadia controllers lying around that seem to be of no use. That is fortunately not the ....
2 user comments
Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account (26 Jan 2023 2:14)
Sharing a Netflix account with a person in a different location is possible and indeed very common, although the company doesn't necessarily enjoy this behavior from their customers. However, ....

News archive