It’s that time of the year again when Apple releases its newest products for the world to see. This year, the Cupertino company took a different route by announcing not one, but two new iPhone models in an attempt to appeal to the masses and take a bigger share of the market from its competitors.
By Zy Gonzales
It’s that time of the year again when Apple releases its newest products for the world to see. This year, the Cupertino company took a different route by announcing not one, but two new iPhone models in an attempt to appeal to the masses and take a bigger share of the market from its competitors.
But even though the company has in a way humbled itself by making a more affordable iPhone this year, its dedication to provide a high-end device to its loyal customers is still its top priority. And this is most evident with the release of the iPhone 5S.
At present, the company’s previous flagship handset – the iPhone 5 is under siege by an army of phones from different brands running on different platforms. Its biggest competitor will probably be the top dog in Samsung’s armada of smartphones – the Galaxy S4.
So how does the new iPhone stack up with the new premium iPhone model? Here’s a quick comparison of two phones.
BUILD QUALITY
In terms of build quality, the iPhone and the Galaxy is still plagued by the same issues as their predecessors. The Galaxy S4 being made from plastic still feels a bit cheap compared to the iPhone, which now offers a third colour option – gold.
When it comes to design, it’s basically a matter of preference as the two phones are designed differently from each other. The Galaxy S4 might be made from cheap-looking glossy plastic but it certainly has more curves than the edgy design of the iPhone.
The iPhone being made from a mixture of glass and aluminium definitely feels heavier and denser to the hand, which also gives the device a more premium and more expensive feel even though the two devices are priced similarly.
| iPhone 5S | Galaxy S4 | |
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 112 g (3.95 oz) | 130 g (4.59 oz) |
DISPLAY
The iPhone 5S sports the same 4.0-inch display as the previous generation iPhones. The display resolution and the pixel density have not changed as well and remained at 640 x 1136 pixels and 326 pixels per inch respectively.
On the other hand, Samsung has upped its game in terms of display. Not only does the S4 sport a bigger display than the Galaxy S III, but its resolution, pixel density and protection have also been improved considerably.
| iPhone 5S | Galaxy S4 | |
| Type | LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 640 x 1136 pixels, 4.0 inches (~326 ppi pixel density) | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
CAMERA
Camera-wise, the Galaxy S4 still offers the better camera, that is, if we’re talking about the size of the image sensor. The new iPhone still has the same 8MP sensor at the back while Samsung’s flagship phone now bears a 13MP snapper in its arsenal.
Moreover, Samsung has put a lot of extra features to the S4 in contrast to that of Apple. The Galaxy has more tricks up its sleeve in terms of camera apps and image processing capability. Apple on the other hand has increased the pixel size of the 8MP sensor on the iPhone giving it better sensitivity especially in low-light conditions.
So in terms of the size of sensor and extra camera options, the Galaxy S4 wins hands down. But when it comes to quality of pictures taken, it’s quite hard to say for sure, which of the two snaps better photos.
| iPhone 5S | Galaxy S4 | |
| Primary Camera | 8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (True Tone) flash | 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, LED flash |
| Camera Features | 1.5 µm pixel size, simultaneous HD video and image recording, touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama, HDR | Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization, HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps, video stabilization | 1080p@30fps, dual-video rec. |
| Secondary Camera | 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps, face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular | 2 MP,1080p@30fps, dual video call |
| GPS | A-GPS support and GLONASS | A-GPS support and GLONASS |
| Card slot | Not Supported | MicroSD, up to 64 GB |
USABILITY and USER INTERFACE
The two phones, as we all know, run on different platforms, so this one’s mainly a battle between their operating systems rather than the phone themselves.
Although Android and iOS have a somewhat similar look and functionality, it’s mainly a matter of preference on which phone has a better UI. But if I really had to choose, the iPhone would probably be the best choice when it comes to stability and simplicity. Android on the other hand is best in handling notifications and giving more options in customisability.
Both phones are also supported by an app store that houses tons of apps and receives support from thousands of developers. But in terms of flexibility, the Android-powered S4 gives consumers with more freedom. iOS on the other hand may not offer the same flexibility as Android, but it is older and more stable and there are still a lot of developers who want to build apps on iOS first before porting them to Android.
CONNECTIVITY
Last but not the least; we compare the two phones in terms of the connectivity options they offer. Both the iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S4 support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but Samsung takes the cake by also offering NFC (Near Field Communication) and Infrared port.
The S4 also has a bigger battery rated at 2600mAh while the iPhone only manages to carry a 1440mAh one. Also, the iPhone comes equipped with a Lightning connector instead of a standard USB 3.0 feature phone. Moreover, the new iPhone has that sweet little feature that uses your fingerprint to provide access to the device.
| iPhone 5S | Galaxy S4 | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 with A2DP | v4.0 with A2DP, EDR, LE |
| NFC | Not Supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not Supported | Supported |
| USB/Lightning | Lightning connector | microUSB v2.0 (MHL 2), USB On-the-go, USB Host |
| Battery Rating | Non-removable Li-Po 1440 mAh battery | Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery |
So there you have it everyone. Did we miss anything? If so, you can leave your comments, suggestions or questions using the comment box below.
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