iPhone 5C Vs. Android Mid Range Smartphones
After comparing the recently announced high end smartphone from Apple, the iPhone 5S with Samsung’s Galaxy S4 flagship, we will now compare the other newly announced iPhone, the cheaper iPhone 5C with some Android smartphones. For this article, we’ve decided to compare the iPhone 5S with mini versions of other manufacturers’ flagship smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, the HTC One mini and the Motorola Droid Mini.
The iPhone 5C represents a first time for the Cupertino based company, as it is the first time the company unveiled two new iPhone models and the first time it unveils a cheaper iPhone model, meant to compete with other entry level Android smartphones.
As we mentioned in the first paragraph, we will compare the iPHone 5C with three ‘mini’ Android smartphones (the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, the HTC One mini and the Motorola Droid Mini). Of course we could have compared the iPhone 5S with many other mid range Android smartphones, but we decided to pick the aforementioned smartphones as they represent the top mid range smartphones of 2013.
We should also note that the Sony Xperia Z1 mini is speculated to be released very soon; the Xperia Z1 mini is an Android smartphone that is rumored to actually have the same specs and features as the high end model (the Sony Xperia Z1) so that’s a smartphone we are really interested in. However, since the Sony Xperia Z1 mini is not official, it will not be included in this article. We also did not include other mid range Android flagship devices that were released last year.
Regarding size, the iPhone 5C and the Android smartphones are similarly sized, the difference between them being skin deep. However, when it comes to display size, the iPhone 5C is the only one that comes with a 4 inch display, the Android mid range smartphones all being equipped with a 4.3 inch display.
All the smartphones have the same connectivity options and similar storage options, with the iPhone 5C being available in two versions (a 16 GB model and a 32 GB model); only the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini comes with just 8 GB of internal storage, but it can be upgraded via a micro SD card. The other Android smartphones all come in a 16 GB model, with no micro SD card option.
A smartphone camera’s quality is a bit tricky to judge just from specs alone; the iPhone 5C and the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini both feature an 8 MP camera sensor; the HTC One mini has a 4 MP camera sensor and the Droid mini has a 10 MP camera sensor. However, to make an accurate comparison we will need sample pictures taken with each smartphone’s camera.
Unlike the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C does not have a 64 bit processor (or a fingerprint sensor); the iPhone 5C is powered by the same A6 System on Chip that you can find in the iPhone 5. The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and the HTC One mini are both powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 System on Chip. The Motorola Droid mini is powered by the X8 Mobile Computing System. They all use dual core CPUs and the performance is not wildly different.
You will have to keep in mind the fact the the iPhone 5C is very similar to the iPhone 5 in regard to specs and features, as the Cupertino based company itself admitted when it announced that the iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 5 in the Apple lineup. This means that besides the high end iPhone 5S and the cheaper iPhone 5C, you can also buy the iPhone 4S (for free on contract), but no iPhone 5.
Of course, a specs list is not an end all be all comparison as there are other factors that contribute to having a great experience on a smartphone. Once the iPhone 5C will be released next week, we will have a more in depth analysis and comparisons between the iPhone 5C and the above mentioned Android smartphones.
Also, keep in mind that even though all these mid range smartphones have the same price tag with a contract, the iPhone 5C makes a jump towards the high budget market when it comes to full price. The iPhone 5C’s unlocked price begins at $549.99 for the 16 GB model and that is way more than the other smartphones’ full price.
Android smartphone prices are inversely proportional with the smartphone’s age – the older the smartphone, the lower the price. This holds true for all Android based smartphones, regardless of the segment they are part of (high end, mid range or low budget). This of course means that an Android smartphone will always be a better option than an iPhone model when it comes to off contract prices.
Considering all of the above, what would you choose between the iPhone 5C and the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, the HTC One mini and the Motorola Droid mini? Would you make a decision based on specs, or based on the smartphone’s price?
