Ever since Samsung launched the
Galaxy S3 nearly two years ago, the company has been locked in a pitched
battle with Apple for smartphone dominance. Sure, new phones have come
and gone, some that can claim to be the best (the HTC One for example),
but in terms of Android vs. iOS or Samsung vs. Apple it comes down to
two devices,the Galaxy S or the iPhone.
Samsung is currently on the
fourth iteration of its Galaxy S range, while Apple is on its generation
5.1 with the iPhone 5s. There is six months separating these two
devices (the Galaxy launched earlier) and that can be a long time in
tech terms, but how do these two heavyweights of the mobile world stack
up to each other? Let´s find out.
Price
Both of these handsets are flagship
devices so neither is what we would call a bargain, and in fact both
occupy the very top of the market. If you want either a Galaxy S4 or an
iPhone 5s on contract you will have to fork out $199 with any of the
major carriers and then of course the monthly data tariff. Unlocked
though Apple´s market cache makes the iPhone a more expensive option,
with the base 16B model costing $649 and each subsequent jump in storage
costing $100 more. The GS4 is hardly cheap either, but we shopped
around a little and found one for a little as $550, although we have no
doubt that the Samsung will depreciate far quicker than the iPhone.
Carrier Availability
Both devices are readily available on all the major carriers world wide.
Operating System
Part of the reason why Apple and
Samsung are such rivals is because the Korean company builds the Galaxy
on the Android mobile platform, where as Apple uses its own in-house
iOS. Both of these are the market leaders and a fandom has built up
around both that borders on the obsessive for some tech fans. That means
if you are an Android fan you will never own an iPhone, and likewise if
you are an iOS fan you will never own an Android. For the rest of us,
it really comes down to what we want in a mobile OS.
The simple truth is that Android in
its latest 4.4 KitKat guise and Apple´s iOS 7 are both amazing platforms
in their own rights, but that does mean they are similar. Apple
notoriously runs a completely closed system, which basically means you
can do nothing to your device after market unless you want to void the
warranty by Jail-breaking the iPhone. For a great many, the easy to use
and closed system of iOS is a great way to have high end and simple
mobile functionality without having to worry about security issues.
Android on the other hand is completely open, meaning developers and you
can do whatever is deemed fit to do, including hacking the device,
having the control over its files and system, and so on. Android is the
open response to Apple´s restrictive platform, but does come with more
security risks and lower quality control.
While Android has become less
fragmented, the truth is the platform is still a little all over the
place. If you are already on Android then the Galaxy S4 will be a
stunning way to experience the platform at its best, but if you are not
familiar with Android we would probably still recommend the iPhone.
Apple also has the formidable App Store, which simply runs rings around
the improving but sometimes frustrating Google Play Store. The iPhone
now also comes with Apple´s iWorks suite of apps free, meaning
productivity through Numbers, Pages, and Keynote is possible at no extra
cost.
Design
If you are paying hundreds of
dollars for a product you at the very least want it to look good and
feel premium. Both the Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5s deliver the former,
but only one of these devices nails the latter. The S4 looks perfectly
passable in photos or even in hand, it is an imposing handset that looks
slick with its thin bezels and large dimensions. However, Samsung makes
the mistake of building the GS4 out of fairly low grade polycarbonate
plastic, and it really shows when the device is placed against more
premium offerings. We love some plastic phones, like Nokia´s Lumia
range, but the GS4 loses that air of flagship quality thanks to its poor
construction materials. The iPhone 5s on the other hand is a vision in
high end design and ergonomics, boasting an aluminum unibody, the
handset delivers that sense of prestige that we expect at this level. We
could argue that the iPhone design is getting a little tired, but at
this moment it blows the Galaxy S4 out of the water.
Display
The Galaxy S4 has one of the best
screens we have ever seen on a smartphone, and we would probably put it
as the fourth best on the market. The only devices that we think have
better panels are the Galaxy Note 3, the LG G2, and unfortunately for
Samsung the iPhone 5s. The Retina Display on Apple´s device is a
stunning panel that delivers some of the sweetest color reproduction we
have seen, and the clarity and detail is to die for. However, while the
iPhone has the better display, the GS4 has the better screen. Let us
explain it to you.
The Retina Display is a triumph, but
Apple´s stubborn persistence in keeping the iPhone at 4.3-inches kills
it as a true panel for media consumption. Sure you can watch movies and
be blown away, but why would you want a smaller screen if you can get a
bigger one? Luckily Apple answers that by making the iPhone 5s amazing
in other aspects, but the screen size is almost a deal breaker for us,
and we imagine it will be for many others too.
The screen on the Galaxy S4 is a
stunner too, again delivering amazing detail and clarity, although the
warm colors get washed out sometimes. It is also very, very bright, and
at 5-inches it is much better for sitting down and watching a TV show or
Movie.
Performance
This is the one area where it
becomes clear that the iPhone 5s was released six months after the
Galaxy S4. The Samsung handset has a very good Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
1.9GHz quad-core processor, but it is not as good as Apple´s innovative
and blistering A7 64-bit chip. Indeed, the S4´s chipset is even old for
flagship Androids (newer devices are running the Snapdragon 800), but
nevertheless it remains a potent processor, and one that day to day will
run without a hiccup. Gaming and multitasking are easy thanks to the
quick chip, but we know that there is more power available now and
Samsung will up the ante again when the Galaxy S5 is released. The A7
power station in the iPhone 5s is the first 64-bit smartphone chipset
and it is blazingly quick, able to gobble up any kind of intensive task
you throw at it, including delivering arguably the best gaming
performance in the mobile sector. The A7 also wins points for its
innovation, and if you want proof you will see Samsung scramble to put a
similar chip into the Galaxy S5.
Camera
We are so impressed with the camera
quality on both of these handsets that picking an out and out winner is
tough. On one hand you have Samsung upping the Megapixel count with a
13MP lens, and on the other Apple with its less-is- more 8MP lens. Of
course, on paper the Galaxy S4 should have this sewn up, but the truth
is the smaller pixel count means little and both of these snappers are
equal in delivering very good shots that pick up detail and accurate
color. It is also worth noting that both the iPhone 5s and the GS4 have
enough features and quality UI to give standalone point and shoot
cameras a run for their money. However, while both cameras are
fantastic, they are not as good as some of the market leading efforts
from Nokia.
Storage
Samsung is the clear winner here.
The iPhone 5s comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, but none have
expandable storage. You have to pay a very high premium for storage on
an iPhone ($100 for each step) and that 16GB base model is just not
enough. 16GB is also available as the base for the Galaxy S4, while a
32GB is also possible, but the clinching factor is that the Galaxy has
expandable storage up to 64GB.
Battery
Again the Samsung wins because the
Galaxy S4 has a very competent power pack that lives up to the higher
end smartphones on the market. Unfortunately the iPhone 5s is a little
less consistent and drains fast under heavy usage, but does improve when
not being used.
Summary
Both of these handsets are extremely
good and whichever you buy will deliver some of the best smartphone
features currently available. The Galaxy S4 does everything very well,
but sadly we did not get that something special from the device, while
the iPhone 5s delivers that in spades. We are not sure the Galaxy S4 is
even the best Samsung device (we prefer the Note 3), while it is
definitely not the best Android smartphone. The iPhone 5s however is one
of the very best devices on the market, and that´s why if you can
stretch your budget and make do with less screen real estate, you should
go for it.
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