For a few years, Samsung and Apple have been fighting for the top in the smartphone market. The previous Galaxy S3 has got pretty close to matching iPhone 4S sales. Releasing the new Galaxy S4, Samsung was hoping to overwhelm the iPhone 5. Let’s see whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 can outshine the Apple’s flagship smartphone.
Size and Weight
The size of a smartphone really does matter. Some people like a device they can feel bumping their pocket while others prefer a device that they don’t even know is there. In this matter, Samsung Galaxy S4 is 19% wider and 10% taller than the iPhone 5. Of course, a bigger size means a bigger weight. Judging by the numbers, Galaxy S4 with its 130g is significantly heavier than the iPhone 5 with its 112g; that makes a 16% difference. However, more users tend to affirm that the Galaxy S4 feels quite lighter when holding in the hand, probably because of the ratio weight/size.
Design and Build quality
Both devices look pretty close to their predecessors. Galaxy S4 has got a bigger screen, a smaller bezel, is a bit thiner and narrower than the Galaxy S3. Overall, the new Galaxy looks and feels a lot better. However, I still don’t like the back polycarbonate cover that sometimes makes you think that it feels kinda cheap. It’s just not suitable for such a premium device.
The iPhone 5 is a bit taller, thinner and much more lighter than its predecessor iPhone 4S. In aspects of design, I think the new aluminum back cover looks much nicer and at the same time it’s harder to scratch.
Although both devices are premium in terms of specs and internals, the iPhone 5 is clearly a winner when it comes to build quality. Having a fully-aluminum construction, you don’t feel that creaking plastic of the Galaxy S4.
Screen
This year, Apple increased the iPhone’s screen size for the first time. But they didn’t want to go any bigger because they want you to still be able to access all 4 corners of the display. Thus, iPhone 5 has a 4-inch Retina IPS LCD with a resolution of 640×1136 pixels and 326ppi, whilst Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with an incredible resolution of 1080×1920 pixels and 441ppi. Although there is a significant variation between the two screen’s pixels per inch (ppi), your eye can’t really notice any difference. However, GS4’s display shares a higher contrast and a bit more vibrant colors.
Hardware
Samsung made its latest flagship smartphone a monster on the inside. It features a quad-core 1.9Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM, whilst the iPhone 5 has a dual-core 1.3Ghz Apple A6 processor and 1GB of RAM. Given these points, you’d think the Galaxy outdoes the iPhone in terms of productivity – but it’s not. Both devices perform just great and there isn’t any divergence in speed.
Operating System and Camera
As we already know, iPhone 5 runs on iOS 6 and Galaxy S4 on Android 4.2.2. Some people may state that the iOS interface gives you a better user experience with it’s simplicity while the others prefer a more customizable experience like on Android. Another point is that some of the features that are only available on Android can be obtained on iOS ONLY if you jailbreak your phone. And since Apple makes it more difficult to jailbreak every year, this is quite a problem for the iPhone.
Cameras on these two phones along with the HTC One are probably ones of the best cameras out on the market. iPhone 5 has a 8 megapixel camera and the camera app interface is pretty simple and gives the user a great experience making photos. You can focus by tapping, enable the Grid as well as the HDR and there’s also a Panoramic View mode which is pretty accurate and easy to use. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13 megapixel camera and a bunch of new features and possibilities, such as: filters, dual-shot mode, ISO and other settings.
Here’s a comparison between the two rivals cameras:
I’d say iPhone 5 captures more vivid, colorful photos than the Galaxy S4. However, extra 5mgpx on the Galaxy S4 shows it’s effect when zooming in. Both devices take videos at FullHD 1080p resolution, and you can definitely see that the iPhone 5 has a better stabilization whilst it lacks the Galaxy’s nice, hi-quality recording sound.
Battery Life
Recents test have shown that the iPhone 5 lasts an hour more than the Galaxy S4.
Final verdict
Both phones are great! But the today’s winner is the Samsung Galaxy S4, as it won more battles in our review. However, you should consider the iPhone 5 if you’re all into premium build quality and design, ease of use and want a longer battery runtime on a charge.
Let me know which of these two phones you like the most and why in the comment section below.
Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4