This is probably as good a time as any to reiterate that this blog operates in much the same way as a magazine: I do not write, nor will I ever write, any favourable editorial posts in exchange for money or product.

I’m an ethical blogger in that if I’m ever paid by a company to use or endorse a product it will be, first and foremost, because I genuinely love that product.  My involvement with the company would always be clearly stated.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest…here’s my latest post, not because Samsung have paid me (I’m not sure they know I exist) but because I honestly think this is a great product and I can’t wait until my current contract ends and I can rush out and buy one:

I am not a boy, i.e. I’m not obsessed by gadgetry, and the latest, must-own phone doesn’t mean a huge amount to me (I want something I can check my email on, make a phone call from, tweet and snap some pictures with).  But, that said, I have fallen in love with the new beautiful, sleek and light Samsung smartphone.

This is not convenient timing for me as I have finally, just, got all my various things (iPhone, mac, iPad) to talk to each other by way of a cloud, shared iTunes library and more and I don’t know how a Samsung phone would work in that context. It wouldn’t.

I don’t know anything about Samsung really and always had their phones down as pale imitations of iconic iPhones – and maybe they were, or used to be – but now it appears they’ve come of age.  My interest in this product has been heightened since hearing reports that Apple are apparently trying to prevent them launching in certain markets. That sends me a message: The new Samsung phone. Is. That. Good.

To start with – and this is only a small part of the story – the Samsung Galaxy SIII is half the price of the new iPhone 5, but what’s really interesting is that tech-heads (like my lovely cousin in London who still remains cool despite knowing everything about this kind of thing) rave that it’s also twice as good.

In my limited experience so far – the person I was shopping with in Sim Lim bought one and I have had a brief play – the screen is huge without making the device too big, the photo quality and speed at which you can snap, superb, and it’s very thin and very light.  As well as being intuitive and easy to use, (I don’t think I’m alone in assuming that this is rather a prerequisite with smartphones) it runs on the Android operating system which I see as yet another bonus – I used to freelance in Nokia’s marketing department so do know a tiny bit about this. 

Samsung have been very clever about the size of this new product which, yes, does have a slightly larger screen than the iPhone (but the camera and picture viewing function on it more than make up for this ‘pitfall’) but it’s beauty lies in the fact that it’s also about a third of the thickness and weight.

If you are buying one – expect to pay around SGD$640.  Check first whether the price you are quoted includes tax. $640 including tax is the best I have heard these babies go for here. Take your chances in the shark-infested waters of Sim Lim Square with this figure in mind.  Or if you can face the parking and the internal walking – try SunTec which I have been told also offers them at competitive prices.

If you need a cover for your new buy, head (via the lift) up to level 4 of Sim Lim where you will find all manner of choices for around the $10 mark courtesy of ‘Orient’ which is straight in front of you as you get out of the lift; #04-56.