Google Nexus 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S III

Introduction:

For as long as we can remember, Samsung has proven itself as being the premier smartphone maker out of Korea, as Sammy’s renowned Galaxy smartphone handsets have seemingly been greeted with open arms by people worldwide. Sitting in the shadows, it wasn’t until recently that LG finally emerged from out of the depths with the impressive LG Optimus G, but without pausing for a moment, they’ve undoubtedly came out of nowhere with the one-two punch offering of the Google Nexus 4. With the mighty name behind its product, will LG’s Nexus branded smartphone pull ahead of the Samsung’s current pride and joy in the Galaxy S III?

Design:

Looking at the two, we can wholeheartedly agree that neither comes off as mighty stylish in design, but the Galaxy S III has a more natural feel in the hand thanks to its curvier feel. In contrast, the Nexus 4 definitely feels like the more premium device between the two, primarily due to the glass surfaces covering the front and rear of its casing. However, the glass surfaces tend to be more susceptible to smudging, and at the same time, it causes the handset to feel super slippery. Finally, build quality seems to be on par with one another, but again, the glass casing of the Nexus 4 exudes a sturdier finish over the plastic body of the Galaxy S III.


Even though the Galaxy S III utilizes a combination of capacitive buttons and a single homescreen, it doesn’t pose any issue with accidental presses. On the other hand, the Nexus 4 has its Android buttons incorporated with its interface – so it doesn’t have any impact.

Interestingly enough, the two have their dedicated power buttons and volume controls positioned in the same areas. At the same time, they’re distinctive enough to feel out and offer tactile responses when pressed. As for some of the other commonalities that they share around their trims, they include the following: 3.5mm headset jacks, noise-cancellation microphones, standard mics, and microUSB ports for charging/data/video-out connectivity. For video-out functionality, the Galaxy S III uses a non-standard MHL port, while the Nexus 4 opts for Slimport socket.

When it comes to snapping photos, they feature 8-megapixel auto-focus rear cameras with LED flashes, which can shoot video in 1080p. Meanwhile, when it comes to front-facing cameras, the Nexus 4 is packing a 1.3-megapixel snapper – while the Galaxy S III is sporting a slightly higher 1.9-megapixel one.

Easily regarded as the more flexible device between the two, the Galaxy S III is the one to feature a removable battery and microSD card slot for storage expandability, which aren’t offered by its rival in the Nexus 4.

Display:

Always a difficult thing to gauge, especially when it can vary between individuals, these two handsets feature displays that are undoubtedly quality in every aspect. Yes, we’ll agree that the 4.8-inch 720 x 1280 HD Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S III has the initial wow factor with its overly saturated color tones and deep black reproduction. However, it doesn’t match the color accuracy and better outdoor visibility seen with the Nexus 4’s 4.7-inch WXGA 768 x 1280 True HD IPS Plus display. And even though the Nexus 4’s display uses the RGB pixel arrangement, as oppose to PenTile on the Galaxy S III, it doesn’t necessarily prove to be a significant improvement, seeing that both are still highly detailed in practical usage. In the end, it’s all about what’s preferable to you – whether it’s the flashy and vibrant colors put out by the Galaxy S III’s display, or the more realistic tones and better outdoor visibility of the Nexus 4 screen.

Interface and Functionality:

Needless to say, when you’re attached with the Nexus moniker, there’s a lot going for you – more so when it’s expected to provide a vanilla Android experience. Well folks, that’s exactly what we find on the Nexus 4, as its new flavor of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2 to be exact, brings forth some exciting new features that move the platform along on its merrily route. With the most up-to-date version on board with the Nexus 4, it offers exclusive features such as native widget support in the lock screen, updated actionable items in the notification panel, Daydreams, and a new Photo Sphere camera shooting mode.


As much as the Nexus 4 benefits from all the updated features, the Galaxy S III with its TouchWiz Nature UX experience running on top of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean still has some specific features it calls its own – these consist of S Voice, S Beam, Pop Up Play, Share Shot, and Buddy Photo Share. In the end, it’s hard to deny the set of features that Samsung has put forth on the Galaxy S III, but again, we all know that the Nexus 4 is going to be treated to updates significantly faster.


Looking at the core organizer apps on both devices, they’re naturally boasting all the usual set of functionality we’d expect to find, so we don’t find one to be particularly more superior than the other. Furthermore, we can say the same thing about their email applications – though, it’s worth noting that Nexus 4 and its newer flavor of Jelly Bean offers quick archiving with the Gmail app by swiping left/right. Beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot separating the two experiences.



Likewise, the messaging experience is pretty good with these two real estate heavy smartphones, seeing that they have spacious layouts and peppy responses to keep us moving at a consistent rate. However, we have to mention that the Samsung keyboard on the Galaxy S III offers more access to punctuations from the main layout by performing long presses on specific buttons. Additionally, it’s worth pointing out that they both feature Swype-like gestures as an alternative way of inputting text.




Processor and Memory:

Testing out the US version of the Galaxy S III, which is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus chipset with the Adreno 225 GPU and 2GB of RAM, we find its real world performance to be on the same level as the Nexus 4. Sure, LG’s offering is outfitted with the newer quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU with the Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM, but there’s not a significant visual improvement found with its performance – as both the two execute all functions with the same finesse. Furthermore, with tasks that are more processor heavy, like 3D gaming, again we don’t see a vast difference in the performance of the two.

	Quadrant Standard	AnTuTu	NenaMark 2
Google Nexus 4	4757	10188	58,6
Samsung Galaxy S III US	4520	6111	59,4

 
Already showing its advantage, the Galaxy S III benefits from a microSD slot, which supplements its internal capacity of 16GB. Meanwhile, the Nexus 4 is available in two options, 8GB or 16GB, which isn’t expandable in any way whatsoever.

Internet and Connectivity:

Yet again, Sammy’s beauty is showing off its worth, as the US variants of the Galaxy S III feature LTE connectivity for faster data speeds – whereas the Nexus 4 is unlocked out of the box and equipped with HSPA+ speeds instead. Overlooking the fact that the Galaxy S III technically pulls faster data speeds, the web browsing experience is no different between the two, since they feature fluid navigational controls and speedy rendering on the go.



As we’ve mentioned already, the US versions of the Galaxy S III adhere to pretty much all network capacities – meaning, in addition to LTE support, there are versions that work specifically for GSM and CDMA networks. Oppositely, the Nexus 4 is compatible to run off GSM networks only, with no word yet on CDMA versions. Moreover, since they’re flagship devices and all, both all blessed with all the usual connectivity features we’d expect to find – such as aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot functionality, and NFC.

Camera:

Flaunting the same sized 8-megapixel cameras, it’s a close call as to which delivers the better looking photos. Ultimately though, we have to give it to the Samsung Galaxy S III – though, it’s by just a little bit. Out of everything, it produces the likable combination of having the sharper details and slightly saturated color reproductions. In low lighting situations as well, it has the less noisier production between the two, though it’s still noisy by comparison to some of the greats out there. Well, we’re not saying that the Google Nexus 4’s results are terrible, but it’s a smidgen below the quality put out by Samsung’s beast.




Indeed, it’s a close race between their still shot quality, but there’s no comparison with video. Without question, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the preferred device, since its results are filled with luscious details that put the soft and dull tones seen with the Google Nexus 4 to shame. At the same time, there’s more noticeable evidence of artifacting with LG’s offering, but at least its audio recording quality is clearer. As a whole, though, the Galaxy S III is the absolute winner between the two.

Google Nexus 4 Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S III Sample Video:



Multimedia:

We can’t say that one has the more appealing music player than the other, since they’re rather conventional with their presentations. And seeing that the Google Play Music app is accessible by the two, there’s no big advantage choosing one over the other. Additionally, there isn’t one that captivates us with their audio quality, as the Galaxy S III produces tones that have a hint of irritating sharpness – while the Nexus 4 has a bit of muteness with it.



Watching videos though, we can firmly say that the two are fit for the occasions, seeing they don’t strain whatsoever with their playbacks. On top of that, their large screens make them ideal as well. Still, the cool Pop Up Play feature of the Galaxy S III proves its worth, which is something that the Nexus 4 doesn’t offer out of the box.

Call Quality:

The call quality of both smartphones is excellent, taking into account that voices on both ends of the line are clear and audible. However, there’s a hint of sharpness heard with the Galaxy S III’s earpiece – while the Nexus 4 exhibits some crackling through the speakerphone.

Battery:

Sticking with good old 3G EV-DO connectivity with the Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy S III and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ connection with the Nexus 4, they both manage to produce at least a solid one-day of normal usage with their respective batteries. Obviously, LTE connectivity with the Galaxy S III will drain its battery faster.

Conclusion:

This is a tough cookie folks, since there’s plenty to like about these premier smartphones. For LG though, they can sleep at night knowing they have a venerable competitor that can share the same spotlight as Sammy’s beloved Galaxy S III. However, even though LG’s offering is the newer device between the two, while also sporting the most up-to-date version of Android, Samsung’s baby still manages to be quite a handful. More so when it’s a consistent rival that continues to be a relevant device to this day. If you’re all about balance, the Samsung Galaxy S III appears to deliver a more well rounded performance. On the flip side though, if being treated to the latest updates is your kind of thing, there’s no kidding you’ll get just that with the Nexus 4.

Google Nexus 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S III: