Last week, Samsung provided some details of an upcoming software upgrade for its Galaxy S III smartphone. On Monday, the company told the rest of the story, sharing information on seven additional features that will be part of the Premium Suite software bundle. Although the Galaxy S III is a cutting edge device, the company clearly hasn’t forgotten those who are new to smartphones, as some of the functions simplify the setup and use of a Galaxy S III.
Setup Wizard and Easy Mode are a pair of new features to assist in this respect. This will pop up the Accessibility settings at first boot and help set up five frequently used widgets on the home screen so Galaxy S III owners don’t have to hunt for their most used apps.
Samsung’s camera app will get a feature-boost as well: A new low-light shot function, a Best Face option that takes 5 consecutive pictures and lets you choose the face for each person in the shot, plus improved spoken face detection details for the visually impaired. Also included is support for left or right earphone sound adjustment and a Paper Artist app for creative photo editing.
Here’s a look at the included features:
While I personally prefer the pure, unadulterated Android experiences found in Google Nexus devices, Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and software have grown on me. HTC, LG, Motorola and others have added their own Android skins and software, but part of Samsung’s recent success in the smartphone market can be attributed to the software it keeps adding to handsets.
That’s not to say that Samsung’s peers have failed in this area. HTC Sense is still quite good and Motorola’s Smart Actions software is impressive. But Samsung keeps pushing its software forward beyond what I see from the other companies in this space. It’s making Android its own more than perhaps any other device maker using the platform, save for Amazon.
Samsung says the rollout will vary by region and mobile operator, so here in the U.S., you’re looking to your carrier for the update unless you bought an international version of the Galaxy S III.
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