Great thread guys. Came across this last night while researching the GS3 vs Maxx HD question and spent an hour reading all 28 pages. Here's a quick summary of my issues/questions. Please chime in and let me know if I'm misunderstanding anything and what you'd suggest based on my situation.
1) I have the Fascinate (original Galaxy S), and have been pleased although it is now a complete dog and badly in need of replacement. Verizon/Samsung killed this phone early with some bad updates that killed battery life. I'm worried this might happen to me again. Should I be concerned?
I wouldn't be. The few updates for the S3 so far have brought improvements. With as much as this phone has sold, I don't think Samsung will let any major sub-par updates slip through that could impact the reputation of the brand.
2) I travel internationally and the Galaxy S is not supported in most countries in Europe. I'm assuming the US version of the GS3 is the same (not a true global phone). My phone does work fine in China, Mexico, and Canada which is where I travel most. It would be nice to have my phone for the once or twice a year trip to Europe, which has me leaning toward the Maxx HD and it's GSM support. Although I could have my company give me another phone to use for these trips.
Unlike the Fascinate, the Galaxy S3 on Verizon has full GSM radios. At this point, they haven't been enabled in the software, but at launch Verizon promised that they would. In the several leaked builds of Jelly Bean for the Verizon S3 (which is expected in the next month or so), global GSM roaming is there. So yes, once the Jelly Bean update arrives, the S3 will be unlocked and fully capable of GSM.
3) The Maxx HD bothers me with the on-screen buttons. They turn that nice 4.7" screen into a 4.3ish" screen when browsing the web. Advantage GS3, correct?
In my opinion, yes. I like having full use of the complete screen the entire time. This is definitely a matter of personal opinion though. Some people like the on-screen buttons and having a smaller usable screen area.
4) Battery life: I'm a light user (around 400MB a month). Clearly Maxx HD is better here, but the only times I heavily use the phone is on the 16 hour flight to China watching movies. I pack a couple of spare batteries now and could do that as well with the GS3. Two pack of highly rated Anker batteries with wall charger on Amazon for 20 bucks. With 3 batteries on a flight that long I'd probably get more time with the GS3 than I would with a sealed Maxx HD.
My thoughts exactly. I had the first MAXX, and while the battery was phenomenal, if I found myself away from a means of charging for an extended period, I was screwed. With the S3 (which, outside of MAXX/MAXX HD and upcoming Note 2, is one of the best performers on Verizon from a battery standpoint), not only do you get fantastic battery life, but you can also switch out with spare batteries like you said.
5) Memory and RAM: I could put plenty of music and movies on a 64GB card for the GS3. Although 32GB for the Maxx HD is not bad, and it sounds from my reading like 64GB card will work on Maxx HD. For what I do I can't imagine 1GB RAM would cause issues, although that extra gig would seem to make my phone more likely to perform for 2 years.
A 64GB card will work with both the S3 and the MAXX HD. You can also buy a S3 with 32GB of internal memory that matches up with the internal memory of the MAXX HD. There really aren't any issues with the 1GB of RAM in the MAXX HD, but you actually do see a difference in devices running 2GB of RAM. It's not huge, but it's definitely there. And like you said, at the very least it's good for possibly making the device a little more future proof.
6) HDMI out: This is one of the reasons I'm leaning toward the Maxx HD. Makes it real simple to plug in to the hotel TV when travelling. Though I'm guessing I could get a cable for the GS3, just not HDMI, correct?
With a MHL adapter like this one, you can do HDMI out on the S3 (and use a standard HDMI cable). You just have to make sure to get a MHL adapter that's made for the S3 (it uses a different design than is found in previous MHL adapters). The MAXX HD certainly makes it a little easier if you have a micro HDMI cable, but with the adapter it's still easy on the S3.
7) Screen crack issue: Heard some rumors about this issue on the GS3. Is it covered under warranty if it happens in the first year? Anyone have this issue? I don't use a phone without a case, and even with Gorilla Glass I use a screen protector. Both do have Gorilla Glass, correct?
There have been reports of the screen cracking on the S3, but truthfully, with over 20 million devices sold worldwide (probably over 25 million by now), if it was a major issue or potential problem, you'd be reading about it all over the internet. It's something that has happened to a few people, but with any device, there's always going to be something that happens to a few people. I wouldn't let this influence you one way or another.
8) Gyroscope: I've read a lot that this gives the advantage to the GS3 since the Maxx HD lacks one. I'm not even sure I would notice this. Not a gamer. Thoughts?
If you don't play a lot of games, you won't notice it. And even if you do, it's not a huge difference for most games.
9) Price: $75 on Amazon for the upgrade GS3, 16GB. $175 for the Maxx HD, 32GB. With the spare battery purchase and 64GB card purchase I'm still at under $140 for the GS3. The 32GB version of the GS3 is the same $175. Is there any advantage to having more memory on board?
Well, the first obvious advantage is that it maximizes your storage. If you want to carry a ton of media files around, 32GB internal plus a 64GB microSD card gives you more storage. You'd have to decide if 16GB is worth the extra $100 for you. Personally, I think $100 for 16GB more is robbery.
A second thing to consider is the amount of apps you install. Android no longer officially supports moving apps to the SD card (although you can still do this if you root your phone). If you install a lot of large apps (which are normally games, and you said you're not a gamer), you can blow through that 16GB of internal memory pretty quick (especially when there's really closer to 11GB available). But if you don't install a lot of large apps, and find a 64GB microSD card large enough for your needs, then 16GB is the way to go. I have a 16GB S3, and I haven't had any issues. And if I should happen to start running low on internal memory due to large apps, I can always root the phone and move some apps to the SD card.