iPhone 5 Vs. Galaxy S3: Which is the Better Buy?
This is the match-up every tech enthusiast has been waiting for and with Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 5 yesterday, we can finally see how it stacks up against the mighty Samsung Galaxy S3.
Apple's handset debuted with some impressive specs and some exciting new features. However, the Galaxy S3 seemed to have a head start in many ways, making it more appealing to consumers who do not identify themselves as Apple fans.
Here's is a breakdown of the features and specs of both devices. This should give you a better feel for both the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 and help you decide which one is the better buy.
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Display
The Samsung Galaxy S3 features a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2. It has a 306 ppi pixel density and a resolution of 1280 x 720. The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch Retina LED display with 326 ppi pixel density. It has a resolution of 1136 x 640.
Design
Measurements for the Galaxy S3 are 136.6mm in height, 70.6mm in width, and 8.6mm thickness. The iPhone 5 is 123.8mm in height, 58.5mm wide, and 7.6mm thick. This makes the iPhone easier to hold in one hand and easier to text fast on.
Processor
The international version of the Galaxy S3 runs a 1.4GHz quad-core cortex A9 chip. The iPhone 5 runs Apple's new A6 chip that is either equal to or more powerful than what Samsung is using. Both devices are incredibly fast, but Apple's probably runs a bit smoother. Both devices also feature 1GB RAM.
Camera
Both smartphones have an 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting pictures with 3264 x 2448 pixels and both of them also have autofocus. The iPhone 5's front camera allows users to video chat in 720p HD and the Galaxy S3's does as well.
Software
The Galaxy S3 currently runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and will update to Android 4.1, JellyBean sometime this month. The iPhone 5 runs iOS 6, which brings many exciting updates to Siri and notifications. iOS most likely runs a bit smoother than ICS. The JellyBean build might help the S3's appeal as it brings Google Now, a feature that obeys voice commands and allows owners to check sports scores, find restaurants, and get today's weather. Apple has added many of those same abilities to Siri along with a new feature that allows the system to update the owners Facebook status.
Conclusion
If you're an Apple enthusiast you just will not be happy with the S3 so you might as well purchase the iPhone 5. However, the S3 had many of the specs features on the iPhone 5 first, including 4G LTE. The Galaxy S3 has not been trumped here in any way and both handsets are worth picking up. The iPhone 5 starts at $199 for the 16GB model and the Galaxy S3 is priced as cheap as $99 at retailers such as Amazon. This purchase should solely be based on the preference of the customer since both phones are equal in many ways.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is available on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
