Samsung Galaxy Ace 3

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 is may be one of those 'you-get-what-you-pay-for' budget handsets, but it does come cheap for those who need 4G connectivity but don't need a high-end large-screen smartphone.

Samsung's Galaxy Ace series has always delivered a budget price point for pretty decent hardware, and the latest Ace 3 isn't any different. Sporting a 4-inch display and running on Android 4.2.2, the Samsung handset could be the right fit for those who want LTE connectivity for cheap.

Design

Resembling a smaller version of Samsung's popular Galaxy S4, the Ace 3, like the S4 Mini, comes clad in plastic. Samsung does try to brighten the phone up with a silver band around the edges, but the smartphone doesn't really give you the premium vibe.

This is particularly noticeable on the 4-inch display -- it sports a WVGA (800x480-pixels) resolution, which means text isn't as sharp. The smaller screen also makes video watching somewhat lacklustre, especially when compared to the handset's bigger cousins.

Like all current Samsung Android handsets, there's a physical home button, with touch-sensitive back and menu buttons located beside it. The back cover is removable, and gives you access to the 1,800mAh battery that you can easily swap out should you run out of juice.

Features

The Ace 3 packs plenty of connectivity in its small chassis. It handles 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and support for Wi-Fi Direct. Running on Android 4.2.2, the smartphone comes with one of the newer versions of the mobile OS, though not the newest (Android 4.3).

The OS is skinned with Samsung's TouchWiz UI, and comes loaded with a few of the software features found on the higher-end models. These include Smart Stay (which keeps the display turned on if you're looking at it), a voice assistant called S Voice and Motion UX, which lets you mute the handset by flipping it over when you get a call.

Lastly, don't expect too much from the 5-megapixel camera. There's also a noticeable delay from hitting the shutter button to the phone actually capturing the image. You won't be able to take any fast action shots with this handset.

Performance

Loaded with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, the Ace 3 isn't the fastest kid on the block, and you may occasionally notice some lag when interacting with the handset.

Voice quality was good, and the speaker's audio volume is loud enough that you won't miss out on hearing the Samsung alert tone even if the phone's in your pocket.

Battery performance was pretty average at best -- the 1,800mAh battery lasted us slightly under a day, which means you may want to carry a spare battery with you.

Conclusion

Priced at S$398 without an operator contract (and likely to drop to S$0 with the right telco contract), the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 seems like an attractive buy for those who want a cheap LTE handset. While it's not the fastest smartphone or the sleekest, the Ace 3 can be a great budget device for users who don't need much.

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