Samsung Galaxy S5 vs iPhone 5S: A comparison
New Delhi: Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Apple iPhone 5S are two of the biggest high-end smartphones of 2014. These smartphones have probably got everything that a user would want from a premium product.
Samsung has packed its new flagship, the Galaxy S5, with all sorts of next-gen technology. At 5.1-inches diagonally, the GS5 is only slightly larger and slightly more impressive in terms of hardware than its predecessor, the Galaxy S4. Though the S5 doesn't show too much advancement in terms of hardware tech, it still has a quad-core processor, clocking in at 2.5GHZ, the same 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM as the Galaxy S4. On the bright side, the phone now has a 2800mAh battery and the camera is now 16 megapixels, and, like the Note 3, the S5 includes USB 3.0 support.
On the other hand, the iPhone 5S has the same looks as the iPhone 5, but has some improvements under the hood. The iPhone 5S is still one of the best looking smartphones out there. The device is powered by a 1.3GHz Apple A7 dual-core processor, has a 4-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 1136 x 640 and 326 ppi, 1GB of RAM, and either 16, 32, or 64 of internal storage choices. The iPhone 5S comes with metal-rimmed home button, which no longer has the familiar-looking square icon in it. This is Apple's brand-new fingerprint reader, Touch ID. With Touch ID, rather than having to tap in a PIN to unlock your phone, you can simply hold your finger over the sensor.
Here's a detailed comparison between Team Android vs Team iPhone:
Size
The S5 measures 142 by 72.5 by 8.1mm, and weighs 145g. On the other hand, the iPhone 5S measures 124x59x7.6mm, and weighs 112g.
The iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5 have 4 in and 5.1 in screens, respectively, and it is clear that iPhone 5S is more compact and pocketable smartphone. The Apple device is also 23 per cent lighter than the GS5.
Build quality
The iPhone 5S has pretty much the same construction as the iPhone 5, a rather delicate and all-too scratchable aluminium body with aluminosilicate glass front, and glass inset top-and-bottom cheeks behind.
And the S5, just like the S4, is conspicuously plastic. There's no fake metal finish on the back, but just silvery plastic sides, and a texture of little dimples to give it a bit of extra grip. Samsung calls the looks "modern and refreshing", and it comes in four shades – blue, gold, white and black.
Display
The GS5 offers more screen real estate and more pixels. It gives you 62 per cent more real estate and 185 per cent more pixels than the iPhone. Samsung also says the screen automatically adjust elements like colour gamut, white tone and contrast.
The iPhone 5S comes with 4in display, in a 10:9 aspect ration. It gives you a resolution of 640 x 1136 pixels, which makes for a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone's Retina Display, while much lower-res, still looks pretty damn sharp. However, in comparison to larger full-HD displays, the screen looks a bit cramped.
Fingerprint sensor/scanner
Both these smartphones come with fingerprint sensors.
The big difference between these sensors is that on iPhone 5S you can unlock your phone by resting your finger on the home button for a moment, on the GS5, you have to swipe your finger from the bottom of the screen down to the home button.
For GS5, Samsung has partnered with PayPal. You can use your print to authorize payments associated with the popular service. The iPhone's fingerprint payment options are limited, for the time being, to the iTunes and App Stores.
Heart rate monitor
The GS5 has a heart rate monitor that sits below its rear camera and works by firing a red light through your finger. From there it can capture your pulse so it knows how fast your heart is beating. This information is then shared with Samsung's S Health app. Once captured your heart rate is added to a graph so you can plot your heart rate over time and these can then be viewed back in hours, days, or months.
On the other hand, iPhone doesn't come with a heath app of its own, you have to use third-party apps to access and record the information. There's a dedicated app called Instant Heart Rate. It allows you to log your heart rate, tell the app what you were doing at the time (resting, exercise, standing, etc), and see trends over time.
Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S5 arrives with a 16MP rear-facing camera, with features such as super-fast auto focus meaning you can take a photo in 0.3 seconds, according to Samsung. A selective focus mode allows you to choose from three different focal points after you've taken a photo – near, far and pan. It's also capable of shooting video at 4K resolution, whereas the iPhone 5S can only manage HD 1080p video recording.
The iPhone 5S 8MP camera offers an improvement over the one on the iPhone 5. The smartphone has an 8Mp rear-facing camera that offers a 'True Tone' flash and backside illumination (BSI) sensor. It shoots video at 1080p. Around the front is the iPhone 5S' 1.2Mp camera which is limited to 720p video.
At the same time, Apple has increased the sensor's pixel size, which means that more light gets into images. Another good feature of iPhone 5S camera is the ability to record slow-motion video.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 32-bit processor, which is far ahead of the Apple's A7 chip. Moreover, the Galaxy S5 has 2GB of RAM, as compared to 1GB in the iPhone 5S.
One the inside, the iPhone 5S has a new System on a Chip (SoC), the Apple A7. As Apple announced, this is the first 64-bit consumer-based smartphone SoC. 64-bit chips can address more memory than 32-bit chips. Moreover, the Apple can use a newer ARM architecture. The ARMv8 core now has double the number of general-purpose registers, compared to the ARMv7 used in the A6, with 31 64-bit wide registers. With a new architecture, Apple can use more optimisations to improve the speed of its applications and OS; as developers move to 64-bit, too, we should see these improvements everywhere.
Operating system
The iPhone 5S comes with iOS 7 mobile operating system, offering a new, texture-free interface design. iOS 7 debuted a number of new features, including Control Center, giving iOS users quick access to frequently used settings from anywhere. With iOS 7 the process to control things such as Wi-Fi, orientation lock, music, brightness, airplane mode, and Do Not Disturb has been streamlined into a convenient panel. In addition, you'll find the ability to access AirDrop settings, AirPlay, a flashlight toggle, as well as a shortcut to the clock, calculator, and camera apps.
The default settings for Control Center gives you access to it by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This means you can bring up the control panel so long as your screen is on.
In addition, Apple also has the strong App Store store on its side giving you access to millions of apps.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 runs Google's Android 4.4.2 Kitkat operating system, which is Google's most mature and easy-to-use mobile OS, albeit overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. The UI of the S5 is pretty simple and easy to use, giving you access to purchase music and other media from multiple places. Given a choice, the iOS is good for those new to smartphones, worried about security, or keen to have the latest apps and games first. However, Android is pretty good for those looking to download a vast variety of music, movies and apps.
Storage options
The Galaxy S5 comes in either 16- or 32GB capacities. A microSD card supporting up to 64GB is almost a given nowadays. The iPhone 5S is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities but doesn't have a microSD card slot for expansion.
Connectivity
The GS5 comes with 11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, an infrared transmitter, and the latest 4G technology. Samsung has fitted the Galaxy S5 with Cat 4 LTE supporting eight bands and a download booster which uses your Wi-Fi connection to give you a theoretical max download speed of 400Mbps.
The iPhone 5S offers 802.11n WiFi and full 4G coverage.
Battery
The 1,560mAh battery in the iPhone 5S offers an improvement over its predecessor, you're still likely to get only 10 hours of talk time. The Galaxy S5 comes with a 2,800mAh battery which according to Samsung, offer around 21 hours of constant talk time. In addition, the S5 comes with a unique power saving feature, which means when the battery drains to 10 percent, it can last another 24 hours on standby.
Other features
The Galaxy S5 is water and dust resistant, with a rating of IP67.
If you fancy turning your phone into a TV remote control, then the GS5 has that capability.
Like the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S5 also has the ability to record video in slow motion, at 120 frames per second.
Samsung has also given the GS5 4K video recording capabilities.
Conclusion
The S5 comes out to be a clear winner out here as it is fast, well built, and fully featured. Clearly, it is for those who want high-end technology in a compact slab. It has got a larger and better screen, better keyboard, a good ecosystem, and the tried and the trust of Samsung's famous Galaxy series.
By contrast, the iPhone is smaller, but much easier to operate with one hand and is lighter to carry. Thus, if all you want is simplicity and want to stick with Apple branding then the iPhone 5S is a also a good choice.
Samsung has packed its new flagship, the Galaxy S5, with all sorts of next-gen technology. At 5.1-inches diagonally, the GS5 is only slightly larger and slightly more impressive in terms of hardware than its predecessor, the Galaxy S4. Though the S5 doesn't show too much advancement in terms of hardware tech, it still has a quad-core processor, clocking in at 2.5GHZ, the same 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM as the Galaxy S4. On the bright side, the phone now has a 2800mAh battery and the camera is now 16 megapixels, and, like the Note 3, the S5 includes USB 3.0 support.
On the other hand, the iPhone 5S has the same looks as the iPhone 5, but has some improvements under the hood. The iPhone 5S is still one of the best looking smartphones out there. The device is powered by a 1.3GHz Apple A7 dual-core processor, has a 4-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 1136 x 640 and 326 ppi, 1GB of RAM, and either 16, 32, or 64 of internal storage choices. The iPhone 5S comes with metal-rimmed home button, which no longer has the familiar-looking square icon in it. This is Apple's brand-new fingerprint reader, Touch ID. With Touch ID, rather than having to tap in a PIN to unlock your phone, you can simply hold your finger over the sensor.
Here's a detailed comparison between Team Android vs Team iPhone:
Size
The S5 measures 142 by 72.5 by 8.1mm, and weighs 145g. On the other hand, the iPhone 5S measures 124x59x7.6mm, and weighs 112g.
The iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5 have 4 in and 5.1 in screens, respectively, and it is clear that iPhone 5S is more compact and pocketable smartphone. The Apple device is also 23 per cent lighter than the GS5.
Build quality
The iPhone 5S has pretty much the same construction as the iPhone 5, a rather delicate and all-too scratchable aluminium body with aluminosilicate glass front, and glass inset top-and-bottom cheeks behind.
And the S5, just like the S4, is conspicuously plastic. There's no fake metal finish on the back, but just silvery plastic sides, and a texture of little dimples to give it a bit of extra grip. Samsung calls the looks "modern and refreshing", and it comes in four shades – blue, gold, white and black.
Display
The GS5 offers more screen real estate and more pixels. It gives you 62 per cent more real estate and 185 per cent more pixels than the iPhone. Samsung also says the screen automatically adjust elements like colour gamut, white tone and contrast.
The iPhone 5S comes with 4in display, in a 10:9 aspect ration. It gives you a resolution of 640 x 1136 pixels, which makes for a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone's Retina Display, while much lower-res, still looks pretty damn sharp. However, in comparison to larger full-HD displays, the screen looks a bit cramped.
Fingerprint sensor/scanner
Both these smartphones come with fingerprint sensors.
The big difference between these sensors is that on iPhone 5S you can unlock your phone by resting your finger on the home button for a moment, on the GS5, you have to swipe your finger from the bottom of the screen down to the home button.
For GS5, Samsung has partnered with PayPal. You can use your print to authorize payments associated with the popular service. The iPhone's fingerprint payment options are limited, for the time being, to the iTunes and App Stores.
Heart rate monitor
The GS5 has a heart rate monitor that sits below its rear camera and works by firing a red light through your finger. From there it can capture your pulse so it knows how fast your heart is beating. This information is then shared with Samsung's S Health app. Once captured your heart rate is added to a graph so you can plot your heart rate over time and these can then be viewed back in hours, days, or months.
On the other hand, iPhone doesn't come with a heath app of its own, you have to use third-party apps to access and record the information. There's a dedicated app called Instant Heart Rate. It allows you to log your heart rate, tell the app what you were doing at the time (resting, exercise, standing, etc), and see trends over time.
Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S5 arrives with a 16MP rear-facing camera, with features such as super-fast auto focus meaning you can take a photo in 0.3 seconds, according to Samsung. A selective focus mode allows you to choose from three different focal points after you've taken a photo – near, far and pan. It's also capable of shooting video at 4K resolution, whereas the iPhone 5S can only manage HD 1080p video recording.
The iPhone 5S 8MP camera offers an improvement over the one on the iPhone 5. The smartphone has an 8Mp rear-facing camera that offers a 'True Tone' flash and backside illumination (BSI) sensor. It shoots video at 1080p. Around the front is the iPhone 5S' 1.2Mp camera which is limited to 720p video.
At the same time, Apple has increased the sensor's pixel size, which means that more light gets into images. Another good feature of iPhone 5S camera is the ability to record slow-motion video.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 32-bit processor, which is far ahead of the Apple's A7 chip. Moreover, the Galaxy S5 has 2GB of RAM, as compared to 1GB in the iPhone 5S.
One the inside, the iPhone 5S has a new System on a Chip (SoC), the Apple A7. As Apple announced, this is the first 64-bit consumer-based smartphone SoC. 64-bit chips can address more memory than 32-bit chips. Moreover, the Apple can use a newer ARM architecture. The ARMv8 core now has double the number of general-purpose registers, compared to the ARMv7 used in the A6, with 31 64-bit wide registers. With a new architecture, Apple can use more optimisations to improve the speed of its applications and OS; as developers move to 64-bit, too, we should see these improvements everywhere.
Operating system
The iPhone 5S comes with iOS 7 mobile operating system, offering a new, texture-free interface design. iOS 7 debuted a number of new features, including Control Center, giving iOS users quick access to frequently used settings from anywhere. With iOS 7 the process to control things such as Wi-Fi, orientation lock, music, brightness, airplane mode, and Do Not Disturb has been streamlined into a convenient panel. In addition, you'll find the ability to access AirDrop settings, AirPlay, a flashlight toggle, as well as a shortcut to the clock, calculator, and camera apps.
The default settings for Control Center gives you access to it by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This means you can bring up the control panel so long as your screen is on.
In addition, Apple also has the strong App Store store on its side giving you access to millions of apps.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 runs Google's Android 4.4.2 Kitkat operating system, which is Google's most mature and easy-to-use mobile OS, albeit overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. The UI of the S5 is pretty simple and easy to use, giving you access to purchase music and other media from multiple places. Given a choice, the iOS is good for those new to smartphones, worried about security, or keen to have the latest apps and games first. However, Android is pretty good for those looking to download a vast variety of music, movies and apps.
Storage options
The Galaxy S5 comes in either 16- or 32GB capacities. A microSD card supporting up to 64GB is almost a given nowadays. The iPhone 5S is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities but doesn't have a microSD card slot for expansion.
Connectivity
The GS5 comes with 11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, an infrared transmitter, and the latest 4G technology. Samsung has fitted the Galaxy S5 with Cat 4 LTE supporting eight bands and a download booster which uses your Wi-Fi connection to give you a theoretical max download speed of 400Mbps.
The iPhone 5S offers 802.11n WiFi and full 4G coverage.
Battery
The 1,560mAh battery in the iPhone 5S offers an improvement over its predecessor, you're still likely to get only 10 hours of talk time. The Galaxy S5 comes with a 2,800mAh battery which according to Samsung, offer around 21 hours of constant talk time. In addition, the S5 comes with a unique power saving feature, which means when the battery drains to 10 percent, it can last another 24 hours on standby.
Other features
The Galaxy S5 is water and dust resistant, with a rating of IP67.
If you fancy turning your phone into a TV remote control, then the GS5 has that capability.
Like the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S5 also has the ability to record video in slow motion, at 120 frames per second.
Samsung has also given the GS5 4K video recording capabilities.
Conclusion
The S5 comes out to be a clear winner out here as it is fast, well built, and fully featured. Clearly, it is for those who want high-end technology in a compact slab. It has got a larger and better screen, better keyboard, a good ecosystem, and the tried and the trust of Samsung's famous Galaxy series.
By contrast, the iPhone is smaller, but much easier to operate with one hand and is lighter to carry. Thus, if all you want is simplicity and want to stick with Apple branding then the iPhone 5S is a also a good choice.