U.S. Cellular is serving up Samsung's Galaxy S III ($199 for 16GB, $249 for 32GB) the way it was truly intended. The Editor's Choice hardware here is the same as you'll find on the Sprint and Verizon models, but U.S. Cellular's S III has been stripped of bloatware, leaving it an even more elegant device. It's the best Galaxy S III yet, and an easy Editor's Choice for the best touchscreen smartphone on U.S. Cellular.
All of the new Galaxy S III models look the same, except for the carrier logo on the back panel. Each is available in dark blue or white (AT&T also has a red option), and they're some of the biggest phones we've ever handled. At 5.4 by 2.8 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and 4.7 ounces, the GS3 is considerably larger than U.S. Cellular's other smartphone options. It's still manageable, but this isn't a phone for people with small hands.
I'm not a fan of the huge phone. But I've given up on panning them because every time I suggest these handsets are too big, I get pummeled by comments from people who adore them. Huge phones are the thing. I accept it.
The all-plastic body feels a little less high-end than the exotic materials of the HTC One series, but the phone is solidly built, and light despite its size. The front of the phone is dominated by the 4.8-inch, 1280-by-720-pixel Super AMOLED HD screen. Yes, it's PenTile, which can sometimes look slightly pixelated. But, no, you probably won't notice. Below the screen, there's a physical Home button, as well as light-up Back and Multitasking buttons that start out invisible, so you have to memorize where they are or change a setting to keep them illuminated. The 8-megapixel camera is on the back panel, which, thanks to its reflective finish (on the blue model), doubles as a pocket mirror.
Independent studies have shown that the Galaxy S III's screen is dimmer than some competitors', and the default Automatic Brightness setting makes the screen too dim. Kill it and pump up the brightness and it's fine, even outdoors.
The S III has a removable 2100mAh battery. Taking off the back cover also reveals the microSD card slot, which supports cards up to 64GB.