Review Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R Smartphone
For the original German review, see here.
The Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R is an interesting addition to the Samsung line-up. It attracts prospective buyers with its price of 260 Euros (~$352). Furthermore, it offers a 4-inch TFT touchscreen, Android 4.2.2 and offers NFC as well as LTE (rare for this price class). The LTE module makes download speeds of up to 100 MB/s possible. The heart of the Galaxy Ace 3 is a dual-core SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 with a Qualcomm Adreno 305 and 1 GB RAM. Of course, for this low a price, the buyer has to make a few compromises: the 5 MP camera does not offer stunning resolutions. Even the internal memory is quite limited at 8 GB but thankfully it can be extended using MicroSD cards by up to 64 GB. In this test, we will find out if the price-to-performance ratio makes this phone an irresistible catch or just another smartphone in the crowd.
Case
Samsung uses a synthetic case for the Galaxy Ace 3, which means that the smartphone is quite light. At a mere 120 grams, the 4 inch device is comfortable to hold and this comfort is further accentuated by the rounded corners and edges. The workmanship quality is amazing: the Galaxy Ace 3 refuses to bend even under great force. The smartphone is available in three colors: "Pure White", "Metallic Black" and "Wine Red". The removable back of the phone hides the SIM and MicroSD card slots.
Although the test model is about 10 grams lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505, our Galaxy Ace 3 is not as flat at 10 mm thick. The Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 offers 7.9 mm which comes quite close to the 7.6 mm of the extremely slim Apple iPhone 5s.
Connectivity
Samsung uses the dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 SoC for the Galaxy Ace 3. This system-on-chip runs at a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. The CPU is not extremely powerful but as it is based on the latest Krait architecture, it has sufficient performance for all the standard apps and games. The dual-core SoC is assisted by the integrated Qualcomm Adreno 305 graphics chip as well as 1 GB RAM.
The Galaxy Ace 3 has 8 GB internal memory and the OS and preinstalled apps take quite a lot of this space, leaving the user only 4.9 GB. Thankfully, the MicroSD card slot can support cards up to 64 GB, thus easily increasing the storage of the device.
Software
The Galaxy Ace 3 runs Android 4.2.2. Samsung has tweaked the OS with its TouchWiz UI, thus adding certain functions. These include S Voice, which allows the user to control the phone with their voice. The software of the test model also includes a variety of preinstalled apps like YouTube, Google Maps and Dropbox.
Communication & GPS
The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 can impress with its communication modules: few phones of this price range can lay claim to an NFC and LTE module. The phone also supports the GSM Quad-band and the UMTS Tri-band. With WLAN networks, the phone works with the standards 802.11 b/g/n and also has Bluetooth 4.0 on-board. The NFC module allows the user to use the device as a digital wallet.
The test model offers two services for GPS: A-GPS and GLONASS. We traveled a standard 10 km cycling route and compared the results to the Garmin Edge 500 (navigation device) to see how accurate these services are. As the pictures show, the Samsung device is not off by much, but it is not as precise as it could be. In the forest and narrow regions, the GPS can encounter problems.
The telephone function of this test model works without issues. The Galaxy Ace 3 performed well in our test and we could receive mobile and landline calls in good quality. There were no connection disturbances.
Cameras & Multimedia
The Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 has a great 13 MP camera and is one of the models our test model has to measure up to. Sadly, the Galaxy Ace 3 cannot make the cut: its picture quality is too average. The 5 MP sensor captures photos at up to 2560x1920 pixels. However, these lack exceptional sharpness and in poor lighting, they can come out blurred. Practical extras like HDR are not included.
Accessories & Warranty
Samsung includes a Micro USB cable, a modular power adapter and a short manual in the packaging of the device. Sadly, the manufacturer has no accessories to offer for the Galaxy Ace 3 on its homepage. The Galaxy Ace 3 is guaranteed by Samsung (like any other smartphone) for 24 months.
Input Devices and Interface
The interface of the Galaxy Ace 3 leaves no room for complaint. The keyboard input and multi-touch gestures is quickly executed by the device. This means opening apps or scrolling through the menus is a fluid experience. Once multiple applications are running in the background, the smartphone requires a little more time to process commands. However, this cannot be described as disturbing and the well-dimensioned keyboard keys and their sensible layout allow the user to comfortably type on the device.
Display
The 4-inch TFT screen of the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 has a resolution of 800x480 pixels. Similarly sized models, such as the Sony Xperia M, which offers 854x480 pixels, may be slightly higher in resolution but the difference is hardly noticeable. An HD resolution like in the Huawei Ascend G700 (1280x720 pixels) should not be expected of a 4-inch smartphone.
The 429.9 cd/m² bright display of the Galaxy Ace 3 is above-average in brightness. Furthermore, the illumination is well-distributed (86%). In a direct comparison, only the Huawei Ascend G700 could beat the Samsung device with a score of 542.6 cd/m². The Galaxy Ace 3 is about as bright as the Sony Xperia M (422.4 cd/m²). The Acer Liquid E2 Duo (347.4 cd/m²) and the LG P875 Optimus F5 (317.8 cd/m²) lie far behind. The good brightness of the Samsung device is paired with a black value of 0.49 cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 935:1.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 458 cd/m²
Contrast: 935:1 (Black: 0.49 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.02 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87
ΔE Greyscale 8.63 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
Gamma: 2.77
CalMAN 5 software allows us to measure the color accuracy, saturation and gray levels of the display. The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 displays red colors a little too pale, which leads to a really high DeltaE value of 7.02 (deviation from the ideal value of the RGB color spectrum). The gray levels are a bigger problem (DeltaE 8.63). However, users will not notice this with their naked eye and subjectively, the screen looks quite good.
The bright display of the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 works without issues outdoors. Due to the reflective display, strong lighting can limit the viewing angles but at max brightness the screen should be legible. Usually shifting the phone a little is enough to be able to clearly read it.
In portrait and landscape mode, the viewing angles are exceptional. Even at high angles above 45 degrees, the display does not show any changes in the colors or brightness.
Performance
The ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 SoC allows the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 to offer a high performance. This is shown by the synthetic benchmarks, in which the test model performs exceptionally. The test model is far ahead of the competition in 3DMark 2013, GFXBench and Epic Citadel and at times its lead is higher than 50%. Only in the Linpack processing tasks is the test model a little slower.
| 3DMark - 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| Linpack Android / IOS - Multi Thread (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
The good performance of the Galaxy Ace 3 translates to a good browsing experience as confirmed by the results of the browser benchmarks, in which the Acer Liquid E2 Duo and the Huawei Ascend G700 performed just as well as our test model. However, the Sony Xperia M takes the #1 spot.
| Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
| Octane V1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid E2 v370 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| LG P875 Optimus F5 | |
| Sony Xperia M | |
The write and read performance are not as good as with the competitors. Due to the poor performance (the lowest point was a mere 2.99 MB/s in a sequential write test), the Galaxy Ace 3 places last.
Games
The Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC and integrated Qualcomm Adreno 305 graphics chip can run all the latest Android games fluidly. These include the games like Cut the Rope or Angry Birds Star Wars, as well as more demanding games like Shadowgun: Dead Zone or Iron Man 3.
Emissions
Temperature
If you want to make a call after a long gaming session with the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, do not fear, the phone does not overheat. In fact, the smartphone can reach a max of 38 °C while running and while idle the emissions can reach up to 30.9 °C. The Acer Liquid E2 Duo (38.9 °C) and the LG P875 Optimus F5 (39.6 °C) remain similarly cool. The Sony Xperia M can heat up noticeably: up to 43.4 °C.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The back of the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 accommodates a single speaker which lacks middles and bass and thus produces a very tinny sound. Thankfully, even at max volume, the sound output is not distorted and we can confidently assert that the test model offers a good sound output. Samsung does not include any headphones for the Galaxy Ace 3.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
While idle (max 1.1 W) and at load (max 2.2 W) the Samsung device is the most conservative phone in our comparison test. The Acer Liquid E2 Duo and the Sony Xperia M (each up to 2.8 W) can achieve similar values whereas the LG P875 Optimus F5 is power-hungry with its 4.1 W max consumption.
The power consumption of the Galaxy Ace 3 might look great so far, but this perfect image is marred by the power consumption while off (0.3 W) and in standby (0.4 W). Both of these sap away unnecessarily at the battery and thus prevent us from giving a high score in this category. While off, the multimeter usually measures 0 W consumption in smartphones and in standby it often reads 0.1 W.
| Off / Standby |   0.3 / 0.4 Watt |
| Idle |  0.6 / 0.9 / 1.1 Watt |
| Load |
1.8 / 2.2 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Life
The max battery life (minimum display brightness, all power-saving measures turned on, all wireless modules turned off except for WLAN) of our test model is quite good: 23 hours and 20 minutes. The Acer Liquid E2 Duo (exactly 16 hours) and Sony Xperia M (15 hours and 36 minutes) take #2 and #3 spots.
However, this gap disappears when the hardware is pushed to maximum load. The minimum runtime (max brightness, all wireless modules on) of our Samsung test model measures 3 hours and 26 minutes which places it in the same region as the Acer Liquid E2 Duo. The Huawei Ascend G700 can last a bit longer with its 4 hours and 28 minutes runtime.
In the practical WLAN test (brightness set to 150 cd/m², all power-saving measures turned on, web pages loaded every 40 seconds) the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 runs 9 hours and 12 minutes (slightly below-average). All the comparison models last longer: The LG P875 Optimus F5 can last exactly 10 hours and the Huawei Ascend G700 can run up to 12 hours and 49 minutes.
Verdict
The 4-inch Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R is relatively cheap and has no Achilles' heel. Its dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 SoC allows the Android smartphone to turn out decent performance with which it can run all the latest Apps and games fluidly. The nice interface and high-quality workmanship and build quality are further plus points alongside the above-average bright display. The extensive communication modules are also quite good as they encompass standards like GSM and UMTS and furthermore offer Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and LTE. Its 6.8 Wh battery lasts quite long.
Samsung has cut a few too many corners in some areas. The 5 MP camera should be able to take better pictures and the TFT screen would have benefited from a bigger screen. The hidden power consumption is a clear con on our list. While off or in standby, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 unnecessarily saps the battery, thus reducing the possible runtime.
