Strange i run a moto g and power wise it's about the same as a samsung S3 and never have lag or stuff. What version of android are you running mine runs on 4.3 maybe more choppy at older firmware?
Nah, raw power isn't really the issue here, I guess.
I used to play the game on a S3 and had the same problems phoenix is having. Something makes the game to slow down during songs. On rare occasions it doesn't slow down, which obviously is even worse for your timing.
At first I thought the game was supposed to run like this, but as soon as I tried it on my Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) it was like a whole new world. It's like playing a game on 15 fps for 2 months and suddenly playing the same game on 60 fps.
At least in terms of smoothness while the notes are rushing over the screen.
So I guess you have to get used to it and accept the fact that you will FC songs only on rare lucky occasions, or get a new phone/tablet if possible. :/
I'm on Galaxy S3 and it has been running fine. My phone freezes and chokes sometimes, but that has been happening in all other apps and even with no apps on.
I used to think it was fine too, until I played it like it was supposed to be. And I guess phoenix is having this issue because he switched from smooth to not smooth at all.