Samsung Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 5? It’s a tough question with vocal advocates and detractors on both sides of the Apple/Android divide. The Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 were the two most successful phones of 2012 and are still the hottest mobiles in the world, but which should you buy? I have now spent several months with both these phones (mostly SIII) and understand what it’s like living with them and using them day to day. I’ve also compared their specs, screens, software, apps and media skills to give you an expert and impartial assessment and help you decide whether the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 is right for you. I have also consulted many good websites to obtain some neutral data to use in this review.
Both smartphones impressed when tested individually and have proved to be commercial hits. Apple shifted 5 million units in the opening weekend and Samsung revealed it sold 20 million S3 devices during its first 100 days on sale.
We take put the devices head-to-head, looking at the design, display, storage/connectivity, battery life, camera, and pricing.
Key Specs
|
|
Apple iPhone 5 |
Samsung Galaxy 3 |
|
Operating system |
iOS 6 |
Android 4.0 |
|
Processor |
Proprietary A6 CPU (1.3GHz Dual Core) |
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (1.4GHz Quad Core) |
|
RAM |
1GB |
2GB |
|
Display |
4-inch IPS LCD; 1,136×640 pixels, 326 ppi |
4.8-inch HD Super |
|
Camera |
8MP Rear and 1.3MP Front Facing Camera |
8MP Rear and 1.3MP Front Facing Camera |
|
Memory |
16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
16GB or 32GB |
|
Exp. memory |
No |
Up to 64GB |
|
Battery |
Capacity TBA (Talk time up to 8 hours on 3G); embedded |
2,100 mAh, removable |
|
NFC |
No |
Yes |
|
Colors |
Black, white |
White, blue, red (AT&T); Also, globally: black, brown, gray |
|
Weight |
112 grams |
133 grams |
|
Thickness |
0.30 inches |
0.34 inches |
Design
Beauty is subjective so not everyone will agree on which is the better looking device. Whichever you prefer, it’s hard to argue against the fact that both devices have been beautifully crafted and look great in white. So down to the details – What are the devices like to handle? The S3 has the larger 4.8in screen compared to iPhone 5′s 4ins. Although the curved back makes the device easy to hold, the sheer size may be too big for some users.
Both are great looking phones!
Apple has struck a good balance between screen size and usability. The 4in size is about optimum for a phone. Although the iPhone 5 is 21g lighter than the S3, it’s not always more comfortable to hold. The razor sharp edges on the Apple device can dig into your hand, particularly when you hold the device to your ear during a phone call.
Although the iPhone 5 is slightly thinner, it is hardly noticeable
Despite having an Aluminum back, the iPhone 5 feels just as fragile as previous iPhones. If you don’t invest in a cover, you’re going to have to treat the device like a baby, as one drop could result in a smashed screen. The S3 feels like it is able to handle rough usage, and although we wouldn’t advise throwing it around, it does feel more durable.
Design Winner: Samsung Galaxy S3
In terms of looks it’s hard to decide – personally I found the S3 comfortable to hold and am confident that it is more durable of the two.
Display
Even though the display on the S3 is 0.8ins larger, both are great for watching HD videos, browsing websites, looking at PDFs, word documents and emails.
It’s hard to fault either display in terms of clarity. Both devices are bright enough to be used indoors and outdoors without any problems. However, put the two handsets side-by-side and you’ll notice the iPhone 5 is miles brighter.
Apple’s Retina Display on the iPhone 5 has a resolution of 1,136 x 640 and has been well documented. You’ll never see individual pixels, unless the content itself if not high enough in quality. Apple has also changed the aspect ratio to 16:9, meaning that videos will now take up the full screen, and there will not be any more black bars.
Although the Super AMOLED screen on the S3 doesn’t have as many pixels per inch as the iPhone 5 (306 vs 326), it’s still a great display. The S3 has a resolution of 1,280 x 720 and renders colours superbly – replicating shades which will make your eyes water. We also like the built in control, so you can change features such as the colour temperature and contrast.
Using the on-screen keyboard on the S3 is easier as the keys are well-spaced and there are options to change the layout style and use applications such as Swype or SwiftKey. With iOS you’re stuck with the default keyboard and its infamous auto-correct feature.
It is clear to see that the iPhone 5 display is more crisp and bright!
Display Winner – Apple iPhone 5
Although I personally like the screen on the S3 more, the iPhone 5 has a 4in display which will be suitable for most users and is brighter.
Processor
Samsung uses its own Exynos 4 Quad chip for the Galaxy S3 which is unsurprisingly quad-core. It’s clocked at 1.4GHz and is based on the ARM Cortex A9 architecture. As expected the iPhone 5 has an A6 processor which Apple says is twice as fast as the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S, including graphics performance. Apple hasn’t revealed any technical specifications for the A6 but based on some benchmarks by techcrunch.com it is rated at 1.3GHz dual core.
The S3 also has 2GB of RAM as compared to the 1GB found on the iPhone 5. This makes the S3 faster when it comes to multi-tasking and playing games.
Processor Winner: Samsung Galaxy S3
Both Processors perform fine, thought I have found the S3 to be a tad faster, especially when multitasking.
Storage and connectivity
Both devices are offered with a choice of 16/32/64GB of internal memory. On the iPhone 5 this cannot be expanded, but Samsung has built in micro SD card support so you can boost the on-board storage on the S3 by a further 64GB. Apple offers 5GB of free iCloud storage out-of-the-box and more storage can be purchased as required. Samsung, meanwhile, has struck a deal with Dropbox and trumps this by offering S3 user 50GB of cloud storage for three years.
In terms of physical connections, Apple has introduced a “Lightning” port, which won’t work with any existing iPad or iPhone cables you may have. With the S3, owners can use any standard micro USB charging cable, again showing the flexibility of the Android device.
The S3 also has NFC whilst the IPhone 5 is lacking this feature. Although NFC is not very useful worldwide, it is still a good feature to have.
Storage / Connectivity Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
An easy one as the S3 comes with removable storage, 50GB of free cloud storage and a standard connection cable.
Battery
Although the Galaxy S3 has a screen which is almost an inch bigger than the iPhone 5, the larger 2,100mAh battery compensates for this and helps the device to last longer.
You’ll get at least 12 hours of usage out of the Galaxy S3, even when the device is synced to multiple email accounts and you use resource hungry features such as video playback and the internet.
In comparison, the bright Retina Display chews through the 1,440mAh battery on the iPhone 5 and we just about managed to get 10 hours in our intensive battery test. Coupled with the fact the battery pack is not replaceable, the advantage is with Samsung here.
The S3 has a removable battery…
Battery Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
With a longer battery life and the option to swap it out for a spare, there was only going to be one winner.
Software
All iPhone 5 users will immediately get the benefit of using iOS 6 out-of-the-box, whereas the S3 ships with Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich, although the Jelly Bean update is being steadily rolled out to users.
Samsung pre-loads its devices with the TouchWiz overlay, and whilst this may be cumbersome for some users, it can be easy replaced by downloading an launcher app. The S3 also has a number of gesture-based features that are not present on the iPhone. Two particularly useful features include Smart Stay, which uses the front facing camera to track your eyes, and automatically dims the display when you look away or put the phone down. Turnover also allows you to mute the ringing tone by turning the device over.
If you’ve ever used an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone you’ll be familiar with the iOS interface and little has changed in terms of the look. Apple touts over 200 new features – but the key features are the inclusion of Apple Maps, Facebook integration, iCloud Tabs and Do Not Disturb mode. With the exception of the last feature, Android has the equivalent, if not enhanced features.
Apple has 720,000 apps in Apple’s ecosystem compared to 775,000 in Google Play. The iOS ecosystem is usually the first port of call for developers when it comes to designing an app. If it’s worth having, the chances are it’s in the App Store already.
Not only does Apple have a better selection of apps, but iOS trumps Android hands down on security. The Apple App Store is locked down, and this will make it appealing to IT admins. Each app is vetted before being made available to the public, and this help keep the store relatively malware free.
Software Winner – Apple iPhone 5
It’s a tough one here as the S3 has the better set of features. However, security is a massive issue for businesses and with iOS being water-tight on security we feel compelled to give this one to the Apple device.
Camera
There is little to separate the devices here as they both have a 8-megapixel snappers on the rear. We found the S3 to be more accurate when it came to colour replication.
The iPhone 5 test image delivered a tad washed out result
The S3 delivered more natural colors
Conversely, we found the Panorama mode on the iPhone 5 to be more accurate – as seen in our gallery. Both have 720p front facing camera’s though the one found on the S3 is slighty better when tested in video calls.
Camera Winner – Draw
The S3 provides better colour replication, but we found the iPhone to be less fiddly when using the panorama feature and the facing camera provides more clarity for video calls.
Final Verdict
Choosing between an iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 is a tough decision and – simply because these are teh best two phones available – there’s no clear overall winner. For those less interested in the tech, the iPhone 5 is much easier to use, easier to hold and is more robust. However, tech fans may well find the Samsung Galaxy S3 easier, thanks to its relative open-ness, micro-SD card slot and lack of restrictions.
For games, the iPhone 5 wins, as it does for its camera, by a whisker. However, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a much better media player, with much greater codec support and more flexibility as to how it can bung video over to a television.
I would personally recommend the Samsung Galaxy S3, simply because it is bigger, faster and better value for money. At the time of writing the S3 retails at approx $450 and the iPhone 5 at $700 (both contract free).
Detailed review of S III can be found here and detailed review of iPhone 5 can be found here!
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