Ask TN: Should I still get an iPhone 4S, or should I just get the Samsung Galaxy S3? 
The other day, a friend told me that her Blackberry Torch was about to die, and that she needed a replacement right away. The two smartphones that are top of mind for her are the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S3. Which one should she get?
The answer’s pretty obvious, right? But instead of giving her just my opinion, I outsourced the question to the TN editorial team, and so here’s expert advice from the Technoodling crew:
Allan David Reyes, News Editor
In choosing between the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S3, answer this basic question – which one are you more comfortable using, Android or iOS? I’m sure, by now, you’ve tried one or the other. If not, try out both first and come back to me when you’ve got an answer already, ’cause that’s what you’re basically buying here – hardware aside, it’s the OS now that counts.
OS really not an issue? How about accessories? If you love accessorizing your phone, I’d go for the iPhone. It is, without question, the king of accessories. You’ve got a plethora to choose from for the iPhone. Not so much with the Galaxy S3.
But if it’s flexibility you want, go with the Galaxy S3. Adjusting to Android, more so the Galaxy s3 with all its bells and whistles (and gestures), may take a bit of getting used to, but it’s nothing a little bonding time can’t fix. And I’m sure you’ll fall head over heels its gorgeous 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display.
I just don’t feel it’s worth Php33K. If you can wait a few months, I’m sure its price will go down. Php25-28K is a reasonable price range in my opinion. Either wait, or look for someone selling it at that price.
Art Ilano, Features Editor
If you’re a BlackBerry groupie, it may be difficult for you to jump ship. Fortunately, there are a couple of new, low-priced BlackBerry units that are available, as we’ve recently reported. Hey, hold on for as long as you can in order to keep your life simple.
But if you absolutely, positively feel like moving on, then I’d say go Android. Why? One word: keyboard. I’m not talking hard keys here, because let’s face it, hard keyboards are so yesterday (for now). We’re talking swipe-type keyboards that can make you type almost as fast as on a regular keyboard. In fact, there are a number of onscreen keyboard options that can make typing less stressful for you, swipe or not.
Therefore, I’m going with the Galaxy S III on this one. That, or the HTC One X. The nice thing about Android is that if you are on a budget, there’s bound to be some model out there that will fit yours.
Vic Icasas, Reviews Editor
As a former BlackBerry Torch user, a former Samsung Galaxy S2 user, and now a current Samsung Galaxy S3 user, I think my position is pretty clear!
After only a few days with the S3, I have to say: this phone is freakishly powerful, with speed to spare. And say, what? 50GB of free Dropbox space as a thank you from Samsung?! Yeahhh, baby.
To be fair to the iPhone, there are a gazillion great apps out there for iOS. But a lot of the good ones are available for Android as well. And once you’ve used a screen like the one on the S3 (or even the older S2), even a Retina Display doesn’t quite make up for the joy of having abundant real estate. Apple seriously needs to look into the possibility of larger screens for the next iPhone – the 4S looks positively tiny nowadays. The Samsung is huge, and gorgeous, and fast, and it’s here now.
Howard Paw, Managing Editor
iPhone 4S! The simplicity of the user interface along with the number and quality of applications available for the iOS platform makes it my de facto choice. Data cloud syncing using Apple’s iCloud is also easy and seamless which is a huge plus especially for users who don’t want to fiddle with the more complicated offerings from other company.
Jason de Villa, Editor in Chief
If I were in your shoes I’d go to Greenhills and have that BB Torch repaired so you can eke out a few more months of use out of it and then get the iPhone 5 (or the new iPhone, which is what I suspect it will be called) when it comes out in September. But if you need a phone right now, then by all means get the Galaxy S3. I know for a fact that you’re not locked into the Apple ecosystem, so you’d be better served by its new quad-core chip and larger, higher-resolution screen. And, as Vic has found out, the curves make it look much more feminine compared to its predecessor, the S2, and the current iPhone design.
