iPhone 5S Vs. Galaxy S4 – Specs And Features
Apple just announced the long rumored new iPhone models, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C and also the seventh iteration of iOS. Before its official unveiling, the iPhone 5S was hyped by a continuous stream of rumors and now that it was unveiled you may be wondering how the iPhone 5S would do against other flagship smarthpones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The Samsung galaxy S4, the current flagship smartphone from Samsung, used to compete against Apple’s iPhone 5. Not anymore as the Galaxy S4′s new contender is the iPhone 5S and it is a different beast than the iPhone 5, what with the fingerprint sensor, the new 64 but System on Chip and the redesigned iOS 7.
Besides the high end iPhone 5S, Apple also unveiled the low budget iPhone 5C that will replace the iPhone 5. Both the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S will be available for preorder today and will be available to buy from stores a week later, on September 20th.
The cheaper iPhone 5C has a bright future, especially in the US market, thanks to its low price and high specs. Even though it is plastic (a decision that Apple had to make in order to keep production costs low), the iPhone 5C comes in a rainbow of colors: white, green, blue, pink, and yellow and we are sure customers love these color variants that Apple decided to offer. The iPhone 5S will too launch in different color variants: a gold (or champagne) model that was speculated well before the official announcement, a space gray model and the silver color version that was inherited from the iPhone 5. However, the iPhone 5S won’t come in black.
So, is the iPhone 5s worth your money? And is it better than the Samsung Galaxy S4? In this article we will try to compare the iPhone 5s with the Samsung Galaxy S4′s specs and features so that you will be able to draw your own (informed) conclusions.
Body
Even though Apple decided to cur production costs for the low budget iPhone 5C by using plastic, the iPhone 5s is the company’s new flagship smartphone and no corners were cut as it will feature the same premium look and aluminum body as previous iPhone models. Those of you who are not bothered by plastic can now purchase an iPhone for cheap, but Apple’s loyal customers will probably opt for the aluminum iPhone 5S. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a plastic body, which does not give it a premium look so this round goes to the iPhone 5S thanks to its aluminum body.
Size
One easiest difference to see between the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is size. The iPhone 5S has a width of 2.31 inch, easy to hold and use with a single hand. The Samsung Galaxy S4 on the other hand, almost crosses into phablet territory with a width of 2.75 inches, being visibly larger than the iPhone 5S. When it comes to weight, the iPhone 5s is again lighter weighing only 3.95 oz, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 weighs 4.59 oz. If you like your smartphone smaller, the iPhone 5S is the one for you.
Display
This is a category where Samsung Galaxy S4 wins by far with its 5 inch display capable of a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and fantastic pixels per inch density. The iPhone 5S has a smaller display, of only 4 inches, capable of a resolution of 1,136 x 640 pixels. We mentioned Samsung Galaxy S4′s pixels per inch density; it is 441, way over the iPhpone 5S’ pixels per inch density of 326. Of course, there is a price to pay for the Galaxy S4′s larger display and that is the smartphone’s size. But if you are the kind of person that likes the crisper display available, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the one to buy.
Storage
Apple will release the iPhone 5S with the usual storage models: there will be a 16 GB model, a 32 GB model and a 64 GB model. The Samsung Galaxy S4 on the other hand, sticks with a 32 GB model, with the option increase its storage to 64 GB with a micro SD card.
CPU
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is powered by a 1.9 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU. The recently announced iPhone 5S prides itself as being the first smartphone in the world to be powered by a 64 bit processor, thanks to Apple’s A7 System on Chip. Apple also included a brand new chip in the iPhone 5S, the M7 motion coprocessor, which is also a first among smartphones. The M7 motion coprocessor will gather motion data from the iPhone 5S’ compass, accelerometer and its gyroscope; this data will help a new generation of fitness and health apps. The first app that will take advantage of the iPhone 5S’ M7 motion coprocessor is going to be the Nike+ Move app.
Fingerprint Sensor
The iPhone 5S includes the long rumored fingerprint sensor, an addition that could probably represents the best way to protect the smartphone user’s privacy. If its implementation will be as flawless as Apple promised during the iPhone 5S’ unveiling, the fingerprint sensor will mean the end of passwords and a very simple and easy way to identify the smartphone’s owner. Besides unlocking your iPhone 5S, the fingerprint sensor will also be used to make online purchases. This feature is exclusive to the iPhone 5S; there is nothing in the Samsung Galaxy S4 like this.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is equipped with a 13 MP camera sensor that also features (besides the higher resolution from the iPhone 5S’ camera) many apps improving the camera’s functionality. The iPhone 5S, has a smaller resolution camera sensor (only 8 MP, just like the iPhone 5) but packs more features and improvements.
While the iPhone 5S’ camera sensor may not have a high resolution, it does feature a larger f/2.2 maximum aperture and the image sensor is also larger by 15 percent; this means a much improved picture quality in when taking pictures in a low light environment. The iPhone 5S’ also includes auto image stabilization (a very important feature for a high end smartphone) and a faster (two times faster than the iPhone 5′s) auto focus feature.
Besides all of the above, the iPhone 5S also includes dual LED flashes (one warm, one cold) that auto adjust color and intensity for over 1000 combinations; the Samsung Galaxy S4 only includes one flash. As if all these features were not enough, Apple also included in the iPhone 5S dynamic tone mapping (locally adjusts portions of the scene). When it comes to videos, the iPhone 5S can take videos at 720p and 120 frames per second or Full High Definition videos at 30 frames per second. All the photo processing is possible thanks to the new 64 bit A7 System on Chip.
Operating System
The iPhone 5S will be powered by iOS 7, which was also announced at the September 10 special event. The latest iteration of iOS will be released on September 18th, two days before the iPhone 5S. iOS 7 is one of the biggest updates in Apple’s mobile operating system’s history. It features a new design and a completely revamped interface. Even though the iPhone 5S won’t be a big departure from the iPhone 5, iOS 7 will definitely offer a new experience.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 on the other hand, is running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, even though Google already released Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. However, Samsung’s flagship smartphone will receive the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update sometime next month.
To be able to compare the two mobile operating systems, we should wait until the iOS 7 is released and see how it will be received by iPhone users: will it surprise them or confuse them will all its changes? Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is already out and we can say that it is not a very big update from the previous version, Android 4.2.2.
Even though there are still things that remain to be cleared (which will happen on September 20th), the iPhone 5S seems to be a very important player in the high end smartphone market. If you want to buy the newest high end smartphone from Apple, the iPhone 5S will be available at the following prices: $199 for the 16 GB model, $299 for the 32 GB model and $399 for the 64 GB model, of course with a contract.
