Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. Galaxy Nexus: If You Can Afford it, Go With The Galaxy S3

The Galaxy S3 smartphone may be eventually banned in the United States, but that won't have much of an impact on the rumored Galaxy S3 Mini smartphone. (Photo : REUTERS/Lee Jae Won)

Samsung has got a comfortable position in the smartphone market at the moment. With best-selling Android smartphones, the company has managed to give Apple a run for their money over the course of 2012. If you are planning on buying a Samsung Android smartphone, the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S3 smartphone must be at the top of your list: here's how they stack up against each other.

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To begin with, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is available on major carriers AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The Galaxy Nexus is sold through Verizon and Sprint, and AT&T and T-Mobile users will have to buy an unlocked Galaxy Nexus directly from Google if they wish to use their respective networks.

The Galaxy Nexus is the cheaper of the two, starting at around $99 with a two-year contract through Verizon or Sprint. An unlocked version will run you $349, however. The Galaxy S3 is essentially $199 across all carriers with a two-year contract.

Size-and-weight-wise, the two handsets are almost the same, and even sport a similar design. Both come with 1280X720 Super AMOLED displays, although the Galaxy S3's screen size is 4.8 inches, compared with 4.65 inches for the Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus does have around 315 pixels per square inch (ppi), slightly more than the Galaxy S3's 306 ppi. The difference, however, will be negligible.

Both are Android smartphones, but keep in mind that the Galaxy Nexus is a Google device and will receive updates faster. Galaxy S3 users will have to wait until September to upgrade from Ice Cream Sandwich. The faster updates only apply to consumers who bought an unlocked Galaxy Nexus smartphone, since they get it straight from Google, and not to those who still have to wait for their carriers to distribute them.

Both phones' cameras can capture video at 1080p, but the Galaxy S3 will take better pictures with its eight-megapixel camera versus the Galaxy Nexus' five-megapixel camera. The Galaxy S3's front-facing camera is also more powerful, at 1.9-megapixels instead of the 1.3 megapixels the Galaxy Nexus has.

According to TechCrunch, the Galaxy Nexus will offer eight hours to talk time, two more than the Galaxy S3. This comes despite the fact that the Galaxy S3 comes with a bigger battery.

Both handsets are similar, but the Galaxy S3 is a more powerful phone, and a great buy. If you can afford the extra $100, I would suggest the Galaxy S3. It will have a longer life cycle, and a far bigger support community than you can find on the Galaxy Nexus. But don't completely count out the Galaxy Nexus. If you're on a budget, the Galaxy Nexus can still deliver a great smartphone experience.