Though novelty cases are excellent accessories for dressing up your device, few of them provide the kind of sturdy protection you can get from the likes of a hardback, wallet or flip case. It’s always difficult to find cases that provide both style and substance – but fortunately for the Samsung Galaxy S3 owners out there, we’ve just received a shipment of novelty cases with a difference! Say hello to our latest acquisition – the Samsung Galaxy S3 silicone rabbit case!
Manufactured from the highest quality silicone, to ensure an even and joint-free finish, the Galaxy S3 rabbit case is smooth and plush, providing an excellent surface for gripping. Its fun rabbit design makes it a superb choice for kids, but any adult can appreciate the splash of unique colour and style that the rabbit case brings to the (normally understated) surface of the Galaxy S3. But as we mentioned, the S3 silicone rabbit case is no mere fashion accessory – though its silicone surface is plush and comfortable in your hand, its durable, rubbery surface provides a hardy layer of protection which is guaranteed to shield your Smartphone from scratches, dents, bumps and chips, easily deflecting the damage that can compromise even the toughest mobile over time. And although durable, the slim-line nature of the silicone rabbit case means that its extremely light, and does not weigh down your device with the unnecessary bulkiness that other cases sometimes cause.A padded gel underlay guarantees that shock damage (such as the sudden impact of a phone drop) will not cause damage to the internal components of your S3. All in all, the rabbit case is a deceptively durable option for sheathing your S3 from harm. And it’s not only protective – the Galaxy S3 silicone rabbit case also provides additional convenience, placing it head and shoulders above its casing competitors. Handy cut-out ports in the frame of the rabbit case ensure that you retain access to all of the external features of your Galaxy S3, such as the headphone jack, charger socket and Bluetooth connectivity ports. (Regrettably, the removable back is not included; you will have to remove the rabbit case to change your battery, SIM card or micro-USB drive.) This means that whether you’re listening to music, streaming content, playing games or charging your S3, you don’t have to remove the rabbit case to preserve functionality; this ensures your Galaxy S3 is protected from damage at all times! Not only that, but the rabbit case is extremely easy to fit, with no assembly required – simply slot your Galaxy S3 into the internal hollow of the case, and it will be held firmly in place by a form-fitting grip, which is where it will remain until you decide to remove it.
If you’re lucky enough to own Samsung’s current flagship Smartphone, and you’re looking for a case cover that provides superior shielding, aesthetic appeal and constant convenience, you owe it to yourself to opt for our superb Samsung Galaxy S3 silicone rabbit case as soon as possible. With a wide selection of colours to choose from, you’ll be completely spoilt for choice! Simply click upon one of the images above to instantly be taken to the product page for your Galaxy S3 case of choice.
And remember, any questions, issues or suggestions regarding our excellent rabbit case can be posed in the comments section below. With your guidance, we aim to polish up Mobile Madhouse until we’re the premier provider of phone cases and accessories in the UK, so don’t hold back – give us your all! Thanks for reading!
View/Leave Comments
The Seoul court reached the conclusion on Friday that Samsung did not infringe upon the designs of the iPhone or iPad, with the judge stating that “these similarities had been documented in previous products”, which constitutes a tactic confirmation of Samsung’s ‘prior art’ defence. The judge went on to note that it would be difficult for consumers to mistake the products, as Apple had claimed, owing to the branded company logos and the significant differences in operating systems, applications, prices and contract services between the two, which also jibes well with Samsung’s defence of consumer intelligence (with a Samsung attorney in the flagship U.S court case protesting that “consumers demand more choice, not less”). Nevertheless, Samsung were fined 25 million Won (approximately £12,000) for infringing upon Apple’s “bounce-back” function in regards to scrolling, and face a ban of ten products, including the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy SII.
Apple, meanwhile, were found guilty of infringing upon two of Samsung’s wireless technology patents, and face a fine of 40 million won (approximately £22,500), as well as an embargo of four of their products – including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4. Fines of this size are peanuts to the two companies, who regularly boast revenue above 10 billion USD per year, but even given the modest size of the market in South Korea, those sales bans are bound to sting a little, even if they don’t eat into the profit margins significantly. However, it’s a bad omen for both companies: the much-touted U.S patent trial reached the point of deliberation on Wednesday, with nine jurors currently discussing the high-stakes patent battle between the two. Apple is demanding a staggering $2.5 billion in damages, along with a ruling that Samsung’s ‘infringing’ products face a permanent ban; Samsung, meanwhile, demands $422 million, claiming that Apple have violated several of its wireless technology-related patents.
While both companies face significant loss of face depending on which way the pendulum swings in the US trial, the results could be far worse for North American consumers; if Apple win, Samsung may be forced to pay them significant royalties on every Smartphone they ship, which may result in rising costs (in addition to the distinct possibility that several products – including some of the flagship Galaxy range – are banned). If Samsung wins, Apple may face a similar royalty rate; but far more importantly for the company that prides itself upon ingenuity and originality would be the loss of face incurred through such a ruling. Such a ruling may tarnish their reputation in their coveted North American marketplace, and result in a significant loss of sales from the traditional Apple faithful. And if a similar conclusion to that of the Seoul trial is reached, everyone loses – except the lawyers and expert witnesses, who will pocket a pretty penny for their involvement in what’s fast becoming the technology trial of the century.
For our part, we echo Judge Lucy Koh’s optimism, and hope that both companies manage to reach an understanding in the future. When companies like Samsung and Apple cease focusing on their superb products in lieu of focusing upon litigation, everybody loses – whether that loss is in money or dignity remains to be seen.
Our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases consist of a hard plastic underlay, with a silicone gel mesh back. While the plastic innards provide stability and durability, the soft outer portion provides a sturdy surface for grip, with the fringe benefit of making your new SIII look even more attractive. If you thought you were the envy of your friends when you purchased Samsung’s flagship mobile, you’ll see raw lust in their eyes when they gaze upon your pick of the Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases selection! But it’s not just a fashion accessory – whichever colour mesh case you choose to opt for, you’ll gain a superior degree of protection from the daily wear-and-tear faced by any Smartphone, whether it is scratches, dents, casing chips or even drop damage.
Our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases are convenient and easy to use: simply slot your Galaxy SIII into the interior portion of the mesh case, ensure it’s firmly in place, and you’re good to go. With cut-outs around all of the salient ports and jacks of your Galaxy S 3, the mesh hard case never has to be removed in order to access any of the features of your device, meaning it will possess shielding from harm even when you’re charging or listening to music! You’d probably expect to be facing a pretty hefty price tag for a case with as many features as this, but you’d be mistaken – all of our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases are priced ultra-competitively, and completely at odds with their wide range of features, ensuring that the consumer has no reason not to opt for this superb new range of case covers!
First up, the HTC One X. This device is the perfect high water-mark for testing the game; not only is it one of the strongest Smartphones currently on the market, it also contains the much-touted Tegra 3 chipset. For those who didn’t peruse our review of the game, Dead Trigger was designed with the Tegra 3 in mind: those fortunate enough to own a Tegra 3 device are privy to a special “ultra-high” graphical option which substantially improves the game’s graphics. Predictably, of the three devices we tested, the HTC One X came out on top.
The game ran extremely smoothly, but that was no surprise. What really amazed us was the quality of the effects. The colours were vibrant, the bloom effects were polished and miscellaneous effects such as water droplets, steam coming from pipes, and of course the muzzle flashes from your weapon were incredibly realistic. Loading times between missions were minimal, and movement was predictably smooth. In fact, the only issue we found was unrelated to the game itself: as a by-product of running the game on the coveted “ultra-high” graphical setting, we found that the HTC One X became very warm, and ran out of battery power much more swiftly than otherwise. However, battery power is a notorious issue with the One X, and the warmth of the device appeared to have no adverse effects, and swiftly faded.
Next, we tested Dead Trigger on the Samsung Galaxy S3. Despite being arguably the strongest Smartphone currently on the market (at least in terms of raw specs), the S3 is only comparable to the One X in terms of graphical capacity. Samsung do not outsource chip production to Nvidia, as HTC do; they produce their own graphical chips in-house. The Galaxy S3 runs a quad-core ARM chipset dubbed Exynos 4, which is a competitive SOC but doesn’t yet have the same range of support as the Tegra 3. Consequently, there is no option to opt into the “ultra-high” mode for the Galaxy S3. But as we saw with the overheating and battery consumption of the One X, “ultra-high” essentially constitutes overclocking: ramping up the game’s graphics at the expense of much more power. So is that necessarily a bad thing?
Well… yes, frankly. The highest normal graphical setting is certainly impressive by the standards of a Smartphone, but it fails to match up to the HD next-gen graphics set by ultra-high. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination: the water effects in particular retain their sheen, right down to the droplets which spatter the camera when you walk under a leaking pipe. But when compared side-by-side to the One X version, the lighting is somewhat more muted, movement is slightly more jerky and loading times are noticeably longer. However, this is solely because it lacks the ultra-high setting; Samsung’s chipsets are generally on-par with Nvidia’s in other respects, so it seems obvious that the S3 has the capacity to run as well as its competitor, it just isn’t being allowed to. We’re sure that once Madfinger Games gets around to it, the S3 can expect similar integration to that enjoyed by the One X.
Finally, we tested Dead Trigger on a Motorola Xoom tablet. To be honest, we weren’t expecting much from the tablet, as the game was designed with Smartphones in mind, but we were pleasantly surprised. It suffers a definite loss in quality; the colours are significantly grainier, loading times were longer, and – crucially – there’s a time lag between touching the screen and seeing it transfer to an on-screen result, which means you’ll often find yourself missing targets through shooting too late. On the other hand, the larger screen made things a lot easier to see, and the controls were easier to use, courtesy of the broader buttons. And in some respects, the muted colour palette actually added to the attraction – Dead Trigger, after all, has faced a lot of criticism for its overly-colourful design, with many One X users reporting headaches after prolonged use. Overall, though, the tablet experience was significantly different enough from the One X and S3 to almost qualify as a new game entirely! We definitely had a few Resident Evil 4 flashbacks while playing it.
In summary, we’d recommend that you stick with a Smartphone, though – the majority of users aren’t going to be impressed by easier controls, if the trade-off is noticeable lag. Both the One X and the S3 versions are fun to play, and if the coveted ultra-high setting makes its debut on the S3 before too much longer, they’d be virtually identical anyway!
For example, the company was busy developing three separate designs for the Galaxy S3 at any one point, to throw sleuths off the trail. That doesn’t mean there were two dummy designs and a real one, with only the real one facing upgrades – all three designs faced the same periodic updates, ensuring that even the engineers working on them couldn’t differentiate the truth from the lies! These prototypes were locked in secure cases even when carried to an adjacent developer’s room, guaranteeing that passers-by couldn’t get a glimpse of the device. And such transportation was a necessity, because reproducing images of the S3 prototypes were strictly forbidden. Engineers couldn’t snap a photograph or even take a sketch of the components, and were instead forced to describe the nuances of the design out loud when requesting items from Samsung’s procurement department, to avoid even the grainiest photograph or the roughest sketch from leaking into the public domain.
And of course, that’s not mentioning the usual security measures established in a situation like this – a team of elite engineers and developers who are the only ones permitted to view the device; a separate working area from the rest of the development staff; sophisticated security technology like retinal scanners, fingerprint identifiers, etc to avoid drop-ins… as staff have acknowledged, the security measures were often incredibly tedious, and were described by one engineer as “tiring and frustrating”. They were forced to lie to even close family members in order to ensure that no “loose lips sink ships” scenarios came to the fore. One engineer denied his involvement with the Galaxy S3 to his precocious young son, who had (correctly) guessed that his prior work on the Galaxy S and S2 would lead to a similar position on the S3’s design committee. Others had to repudiate allegations from curious wives and parents, bound to a non-disclosure agreement that was valid until the 3rd of May (the eve of Samsung’s gala event in London, at which the S3 was introduced to the public).
Ultimately, all of their preparation paid off: despite a few grainy photographs managing to leak online, the disparity between the three “prototypes” reduced their veracity, and nobody managed to view the complete design prior to its grand unveiling. The engineers deserve a lot of credit for their efforts; not only on the development of the device, but the incredible lengths they went to in order to keep it under wraps. The lack of publicity meant that the introduction of the S3 was that much more special – and could certainly account for a portion of their record-breaking 9 million pre-orders!
She can hardly be blamed; nowadays, Apple seems to communicate mainly via lawsuits and summonses instead of marketing communiqués. Their closed-source software policy appears to have spread to their public service department, which has remained clammed up about their legal tussles with companies ranging from Samsung, to HTC, to chief rival Google. And their publicity is suffering accordingly – many Android stalwarts are up in arms about their tactics, accusing them of bullying rivals and attempting to monopolize the Smartphone industry via legal harangues, instead of the quality of their products. Even many of Apple’s fans are beginning to turn against them: type in “Apple lawsuit videolog” into YouTube and you can peruse a selection of rants from disgruntled ex-customers, many of whom turned to Android devices to spite Apple, rather than any legitimate desire to own a One S or Galaxy S2. Apple’s traditional strategy of high emotional engagement with their established audience, at the expense of non-users (thus building a brand sourced on perceived elitism, allowing its users to feel elevated against ‘outsiders’), is beginning to work against it; they are alienating potential customers with their high-handed tactics.
All of which might be acceptable if there was any basis for these lawsuits, but many of the concepts Apple claims they have patented are absurdly broad. They claim, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S3 has breached the patent for Apple’s Siri software because it contains a voice input system. They claim similar things about the S3’s unlocking mechanism, because you have to slide your finger across the screen ala the iPhone. It’s hard to empathize with Apple on this; it wouldn’t really have made a difference if the S3 was unlocked via touchscreen tap, or a dedicated button – how does the S3 possessing a slide unlock damage Apple’s potential sales? Is it truly possible to patent the concept of voice activation input, particularly on a system developed completely separately from Siri? Were patents ever really intended to be “gamed” like this, used as weapons for the purpose of defeating competitors, rather than protecting original intellectual copyright? But their legal tussles with Samsung could just be the beginning of a slippery slope; similar lawsuits with HTC and Google risk making Apple a target for exclusion by all of their competitors. There may be a pre-existing flimsy alliance between Google and many Smartphone manufacturers (courtesy of its Android OS, which they utilize), but can you imagine the damage they could do to Apple if they put aside their differences and formed a full-on alliance to crush the technological giant that is fast becoming their common foe?
Currently, this is all hypothetical – Apple have yet to alienate their market to that extent, and they still possess substantial advantages over their competitors, such as a more unified operating system and a stronger, more cohesively marketed brand than Android. But the longer they persist in doggedly suing competitors rather than creating the groundbreaking products that made their name, the more and more distrust they will engender. It’s not hard to see a bruised and demoralized Apple overtaken by Android in the year 2014 or 2015. So here’s hoping that Mr Cook can rein in his legal lapdogs and focus on his R&D division before it’s too late!
The Acro S (pictured above) has some fairly impressive specifications, when stacked up against its foes in the Smartphone market. Though it couldn’t hope to rival top-end Smartphones like the S3, it still boasts a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 12 Megapixel camera, 16GB of onboard storage (with a card slot that can add up to another 32GB in a pinch), and a number of fringe features like image/video stabilization, smile detection, and active noise cancellation for smoother conversations.
But while you’d need a case or cover to protect a different Smartphone of correspondingly powerful specifications, the Acro S has an almost preternatural fortitude. With a 4.3 inch screen made of scratch-resistant, shatterproof glass, and a casing designed to be water and dirt repelling, Sony claims that the Acro S can survive being submerged in water for up to thirty minutes without suffering any ill effects – making it the perfect Smartphone to enjoy on the beach, in the bath, or even scuba-diving! (Imagine the quality of pictures you could take underwater with this bad boy!)
The Xperia Go (above), meanwhile, is even tougher. While its specifications are considerably more modest (with half the onboard available storage, a 1 GHz dual-core processor, a mere 5 Megapixel camera and more stripped down, utilitarian fringe features, in addition to a smaller screen and lower pixel density), Sony place its toughness at a staggering IP67 certification. Compare this to the hardy Xperia Acro S, which has a mere IP55, and you’ll come to the (correct) conclusion that the Xperia Go is virtually the toughest mobile on the market today - discounting all the low-end, feature phone bricks out there, of course.
Given Sony’s recent bad luck with legal battles, weak sales, and money trouble, it’s nice to see them getting back on their feet in a way as unique and interesting as this. They’re carving out a new niche in the market: one defined not by the power of the phone’s software, or by an ultra-impressive range of specifications, but by the raw, bloody-minded strength of its hardware! We here at Mobile Madhouse can respect the dogged determination of the Sony giant – don’t be surprised if, a few months down the line, we debut a range of Xperia Go and Xperia Acro S peripherals!
Anticipation for the S3 has been high for quite some time. Its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S2, was the high water-mark for Samsung’s burgeoning Smartphone expansion in 2011 – the device which afforded them record highs in their ongoing struggle against Apple, the market-dominating behemoth responsible for the ubiquitous iPhone.
For the first time, Samsung showed market growth exceeding that of Apple: more than 80% comparative to Apple’s roughly 50% gain. So the follow-up to the S2 was regarded as something of a Holy Grail for those disgruntled with Apple’s comparative supremacy; the device finally capable of knocking the iPhone from its coveted pedestal.
But the excitement reached fever-pitch on May 3rd, when Samsung unveiled the device and its many possibilities at an ultra-glitzy launch event at Earl’s Court in London. A mobile which, up until that point, had been regarded as some mythical ideal was painstakingly demonstrated in full – and, somehow, failed to disappoint.
Features such as the touted eye-tracking (preventing the phone from switching off while you observe the screen), the smart voice control (allowing greater utility when busy with other tasks) and expansive Cloud-based storage (courtesy of a partnership with digital storage company Dropbox.com) whipped up Samsung loyalists into a veritable frenzy of anticipation.
Now that the phone has finally been released, all of Samsung’s market goals have been confirmed: the S3 has had the most successful launch out of any Samsung product to date. In fact, not only has it marked Samsung’s most successful launch to date, but also the most successful launch for any Android phone, boasting more than nine million pre-orders – a heady figure, considering the comparatively lacklustre performance of the iPhone 4S (just over 4 million).
With that said, there was a fairly large issue on launch – despite promising the definitive capacity to meet every pre-order issued, an issue with the manufacturing process of the “pebble blue” coloured devices means that they have been delayed. They will now hit the market more than two weeks late; even the casual Smartphone user can see how this would alienate a significant proportion of Samsung’s user-base, especially in the light of their prior guarantee.
g~~60_35__82946.JPG "The Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S3")
For the time being, then, the Galaxy S3 is the Smartphone of the moment, a title it richly deserves due to its power, utility, and clever marketing. But the year is only half over; and with Apple’s annual WWDC just around the corner, the iPhone 5 (or “The New iPhone”, as the case may be) is almost certain to make its own debut before the end of the year. Samsung enthusiasts may be hoping that their chosen developer pulverises Apple effortlessly… but if we know anything about their company, it’s that the iPhone giant unlikely to go down without a fight!
Making its debut in early April, the HTC One X carved out a place in a Smartphone marketplace dominated by Apple’s iPhone, by emphasizing raw power over Apple’s trademark usability. That doesn’t mean it lacks utility, though; as one of the premier slate phones on the market, the One X is incredibly intuitive to use. Utilizing Android 4.0.3 (the Ice Cream Sandwich OS) as a baseline, it overlays HTC’s proprietary HTC Sense GUI for increased attractiveness (and better market branding in relation to similar HTC devices), guaranteeing a unique browsing experience for the user. In addition, it boasts a range of fringe features for the enthusiast, including geo-tagging, simultaneous HD picture-taking and video recording, and both face and smile detection, allowing you to perform feats like locking your phone unless you are present in person.
But how does it stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S3 in terms of specifications? Let’s find out:
With that said, it comes down to a matter of choice. The two devices are so similar in most other respects that it’s difficult to make a definitive choice between them. Brand loyalists on either side will have an easy time of it – but for the rest of us, there’s precious little to differentiate the S3 and the HTC One X. And as more software updates are released for the two devices, the gap between the two is likely to shorten even more, in addition to greater equalization in pricing.
So, ultimately, it comes down to your own personal allegiance – are you a Samsung or a HTC kind of person?
Released in October, the iPhone 4S swiftly became renowned as Apple’s most inventive and versatile Smartphone yet. Its prime directive is fluidity: the user interface is designed to be as intuitive and functional as possible. It’s a smart way of doing things; by ensuring that different hand motions such as swiping, tapping and pinching the screen become inextricably linked with the concept of iPhone interaction, Apple have, in essence, created a brand based on the users own synergistic experience with the device – a brand which has been expanded by identical touchscreen interaction with the iPad. In terms of raw specifications, the 4S utilizes the iOS 5.1.1, Apple’s most recent variant on their proprietary operating system. It’s capable of acting as an internet hotspot, diversifying its internet connection over WiFi, Bluetooth and USB and permitting access to Apple’s famed app store while on-the-move.
Its most unique and talked-about feature is probably Siri, however. An automated voice control system, Siri is unique among such software in that it permits near-total control over every aspect of the device, from weather reports to appointments. This means it’s much easier for somebody busy with a different task – such as exercising in the gym, or driving a car – to check things on their phone without compromising their own safety. It recognises three languages on launch – English, French and German – with plans for more languages to be added as the system matures. Because the 4S is a slate-style touchscreen (eschewing excessive buttons in favour of a streamlined design), its keyboard is virtual, meaning greater functionality for inputting in a range of different languages across the board – ensuring a broad market saturation.
Apple, then, are clever marketers - that much is obvious to anybody who has paid a modicum of attention to their advertising campaigns. But for a raw comparison of the respective specifications of the iPhone 4S and the Samsung S3, you need only check out the table below.
But when you get right down to it, that’s not what this fight is about. Apple has never claimed to put out the strongest products on the marketplace: their claim to fame has always been sleek functionality combined with relentless, saturation marketing. For Samsung to stand a chance of beating out Apple in the long run, they’re going to need to spend a lot of money building up an aesthetic brand as recognisable as the classy, minimalistic sheik of the iPhone. The Samsung S3 may well be the Smartphone that drives the iPhone 4S off its precarious position as most-touted Smartphone, but will its follow-up be able to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone 5, or will it stand to become just another flash-in-the-pan contender for Apple’s crown?
Only time will tell.
1000.jpg "Samsung Galaxy S3 Black S-Line")
1000.jpg "Samsung Galaxy S3 Pink Flip")
