The iPhone 5 has been out for a couple of weeks now, and reviews have been stacking up hard and fast, as have comparisons between the iPhone 5 and other top smartphones of the moment; most notably the Galaxy S III, this is the iPhone 5’s ‘biggest’ competitor, and in this article we’re going to take a look at both the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S III and compare the two of them, and see which one deserves the title of best smartphone on the market. So, let’s get started…
Let’s start with this video review, it’s around 13 minutes long and gives you lots of good close up shots of both devices next to each other, so you can get a really good chance to compare the two devices.
Hopefully the video has given you a very good idea of what each device is capable of, and more importantly, which one you prefer. If it hasn’t, then fear not, as we’re about to go into more depth in comparing the two devices!
Design & Build Comparison
The iPhone 5 design has changed slightly since the iPhone 4S; it’s bigger and slimmer than its predecessor, and it has some other changes in design – like the change in materials. The iPhone 5 is a much more ‘mobile’ size than the Galaxy S3. You can see a huge difference in size by looking at the comparison shot above.
So, how does the iPhone stack up against the Galaxy? The iPhone 5 measures 123.8 x 58.5 x 7.6mm and weighs in at 112 grams, compared to the Galaxy S3 which measures at 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm and weighs in at 133 grams. So, the iPhone 5 is smaller, slimmer and lighter than the S3, which will appeal to most people. Unless you’re looking for a device more like a mobile tablet, then the Samsung Galaxy is probably more up your street.
There have been a number of scratch and drop tests performed already to see which device fairs better, and the winner is the iPhone 5; surprisingly enough! The iPhone 5 is a uni-body design which is made entirely of aluminium and metal materials, whereas the Galaxy is made from cheaper plastics which tend to break and damage much more easily than the iPhone 5 does. Even the screen is said to be of better resistance on the iPhone 5, despite the Galaxy having ‘gorilla glass’ which it claims is almost unbreakable!
Taking all of that into account, the iPhone 5 is our winner for this round. I think that the Galaxy S3 design is only going to attract a few people – those who are looking more for a mobile tablet rather than a smartphone.
Design and Build Winner: iPhone 5
Screen Comparison
The iPhone 5 screen is the first iPhone screen to be increased in size. It’s now a 4” 16:9 screen compared to the 3.5” screen we had on the previous iPhone models, this has probably been increased to stay in league with the S3’s huge 4.8” display.
The S3 has a pixel density of 306 PPI (pixels per inch), and a resolution of 720 x 1280 – making it a HD resolution, while the iPhone 5 has a pixel density of 326 PPI and runs a resolution of 640 x 1136, so the resolution is slightly less than what it is on the Samsung, but the pixels per inch is far greater.
The iPhone 5 display is brighter than the S3, is capable of delivering sharper images and it has better colour saturation, so this little battle breaks down to if you prefer size, or if you prefer quality. If you just simply want a huge screen, then the S3 is for you, but if you care more about quality of your display, then the iPhone 5 is the clear winner here.
Screen Winner: iPhone 5
Camera / Photo Quality Comparison
We only have some minor updates to the iSight Camera in the iPhone 5; and those take place in the software and the camera lens; the lens cover is now made of sapphire crystal instead of glass; this should provide better durability and greater scratch resistance. The iOS 6 software also brings us a panorama mode for the iPhone 5 camera shots, allowing you to capture huge panoramic images just by moving your iPhone 5 across the view you want to capture.
The front facing camera on the iPhone 5 has actually been improved somewhat; and it needed it! The iPhone 5 FaceTime camera is now 720p quality, making it HD instead of VGA! This means the front facing camera is now capable of recording HD quality images!
Both the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3 have an 8MP camera, and can record full 1080p HD video. Although the Galaxy S3 claims a better specification camera than the iPhone 5, all of the photographs I have seen which compare shots taken on the Galaxy S3 and then the same shot taken on the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 photos are the clear winners.
You can see a sample photograph above which was taken on the Galaxy S3, and then the same shot taken on the iPhone 5. The difference is remarkable; even with all of the efforts the S3 goes through to take a number of shots in an effort to capture the best quality photograph, it’s just not enough – the iPhone 5 captures far superior photographs.
Camera / Photo Quality Winner: iPhone 5
Power and Battery Life Comparison
This year with the iPhone 5 Apple released the A6 processor; boasting speeds twice as fast as the A5 in the iPhone 4S and yet being 20% smaller than the A5 processor was. The A6 processor is apparently 1.3GHz, compared to the 1.4Ghz quad core processor which we see inside the Galaxy S3.
Despite the S3 having a more powerful specification on paper, the iPhone 5 has been out-performing the S3 in benchmarks being tested around the world. In almost all cases, the iPhone 5 is out-performing the S3 in terms of speed, battery life and general performance.
It just goes to show that it’s not all about the hard numbers. Apple has made the most powerful smartphone on the market, despite their hardware clocking lower numbers on paper. Quality over quantity!
Power and Battery Life Winner: iPhone 5
The Conclusion
Both the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 are remarkable devices, which come packed with some serious processing power and amazing features. But, the iPhone 5 wins it – although it does have faults of its own, it is most definitely the better of the two devices in terms of build quality, durability, processing power and performance. For me, the only thing the S3 has over the iPhone 5 is the screen-size, and I prefer the size of the iPhone 5 screen. To me, the S3 is more like a mini-tablet rather than a smartphone.
That means that the iPhone 5 wins the overall competition!
Do you agree or disagree? Do you prefer the iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S3? What do you like and dislike about both devices? Take a moment to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
Author Bio:Nathan loves all Apple products, especially the iPhone 5. He runs a service to Unlock iPhone 5 quickly and easily from his website Unlock iPhone Worldwide.
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