Samsung Electronics released the 4G/LTE version of the device. However, the handset includes drastic changes with some of its asset features. Thus, is it still worthy to get the device?

Samsung Galaxy S3 wowed us upon its introduction last May. Just this week, the prime hardware manufacturer rolled out the Everything Everywhere 4G LTE version of the device. There are several differences between the original version of Samsung Galaxy S3 and the new 4G/LTE version. Below are some of the important differences of the two versions.

Operating System

One of the main differences between the original and the 4G version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is its operating system. The original version comes with the Android's Ice Cream Sandwich. However, the latest version of the device is powered by the new Androidv4.1 Jelly Bean.

Performance

The new version of the handset comes with now 2GB of RAM, which is double the memory of the original, and LTE is built in to the quad-core Exynos processor.

Battery Life

One of the significant changes in the device is its battery life as the new version's battery wears off easily. There is no report yet if the 4G capability is the culprit for this. The real problem here is that there is no option to just turn off 4G.

In the settings, under Wireless and Networks, you can switch 4G off, but only by selecting either just WCDMA (3G) or GSM (2G). In Sydney, we found that we could drop back to just WCDMA and continue using the phone as we normally would. But if you live in an area where your phone regularly switches between 2G and 3G, this could be a major consideration in buying the handset.

This suggests to us that 4G is the battery sap, and it should be something that you strongly consider before signing up for a 4G version of this phone. For some people, the phone's 12-hour battery life will be sufficient but it may not be enough for others.

Thus, it is a trade-off between 4G speed and battery life and will likely affect your decision to buy the smartphone. In our opinion, this is a bad trade since you will not be able to fully enjoy the perks of high speed connectivity when you have fast depleting battery.