iPhone 5 versus Samsung Galaxy S3: Which Phone is a Standout
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In a consumer’s market which is flooded with new release of high-tech gadgets every so often, it is quite difficult to keep up with the latest. If you are on the lookout for a new smartphone to buy, for example, the good news is that you can always rely on online reviews and comparisons from tech websites. These reviews will give you detailed information on how one brand or unit compares with another.
When it comes to smartphones, it’s basically a matter of choosing which brand you are loyal to. If you’re not a Blackberry, Apple or Samsung user, then you can always opt for ones which will give you the best value for your money. Considering which smartphone will best suit your lifestyle is also something that you should take into account. Here, we will have a review of two of the latest smartphone models which are very popular in the market: Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S3.
Points of Comparison between the iPhone 5 & Galaxy S3
You are bound to stumble upon numerous reviews which really should not compare Apple and Samsung’s smartphones because they run in different operating systems. One is an Android phone while the other one runs on Apple’s mobile operating software – but their similarities and differences are just too stark to resist. Even if all of your other gadgets are from Apple, it does pay to at least consider switching to Samsung’s Galaxy S3 because of the following points of comparison:
Design
From an overall perspective, perfection in design seems to be the mantra for the iPhone while Samsung offers users full freedom when it comes to tweaking their mobile phones. When you compare the appearance of the handset, the iPhone 5 is lighter, thinner and more compact. The colors are more vivid and the materials used on the handset are more impressive. Meanwhile, the edge that S3 has over the iPhone is its bigger screen which has a higher resolution.
Please note that Samsung’s Galaxy S4 edition is set to be released in the first quarter of 2013, but let’s stick with the S3 for review purposes for now.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Display:image Credit Paul Jacobson
Display.
When you compare both the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 with their predecessors, both are bigger but this is where the similarities end. With the Galaxy S3, you have a Super AMOLED display which is made from Gorilla Glass 2, while Apple’s smartphone has an IPS TFT display made from Gorilla glass. Samsung reigns over the iPhone in terms of screen size, which also affects its usability.
Battery life.
No matter how great the features of your phone are, it will all be for naught if it runs out of juice in less than a day. If you’re using all the features of your phone, the iPhone has the slight edge in terms of endurance, lasting for about 51 hours as compared to the 50 hours of Samsung – so it’s a pretty close fight between the two in this category.
Cameras.
Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has an 8-megapixel camera at the back which can record video in full HD. The iPhone 5 also has an 8-megapixel camera but its front-facing camera is only 1.2-megapixel as compared to the 1.9-megapixel that Samsung has.
Also,Read How to get the best out of your iPhone5 Camera: Tips for Amazing Pictures and Videos
Taking Screen shots with Your Samsung Galaxy S III: Have Fun Capturing Screenshots and Sharing them
Quality of calls and text messages.
When you’re comparing smartphones, a lot of people might forget that its primary purpose is actually to make calls and send text messages. Even if you have the most feature-packed Android phone, it will still not be at par with even the most basic mobile phone which has great call quality. For the quality of calls, the iPhone 5 does have a triple microphone setup so you can make quite crisp calls. The Galaxy S3 only has two mics, but the quality of calls is still great. This aspect is where you will see the edge of S3 because of its other excellent call features like native video calls. The equivalent of this in the iPhone is FaceTime, but the reach of video calling in Samsung is much greater.
Web browsing.
When it comes to web browsing, it’s again a pretty close fight between the two. The iPhone has Mobile Safari while Samsung modified the Android Browser. Google Chrome users can opt for this browser instead when using the Galaxy S3 and this offers faster browsing and a clean user interface. Perhaps the biggest edge that Apple has over Samsung in this category is that all iPhone 5 units have LTE connectivity but only some Galaxy S3 units have it.
Maps and navigation.
Apple decided to launch its own in-house mapping service but there are still a few kinks here and there that need to be straightened out. The Galaxy S3 uses Google Maps as its default so Samsung is a winner in this category because the search giant’s mapping system has been around for ages.
In some categories, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the clear winner while in others, it’s iPhone 5. At the end of the day, it is entirely up to your personal preferences to decide which unit is a standout. A smartphone is something that you will have in your pocket almost on a daily basis, so its features should be ultra familiar to you. It all boils down to which software you’re already familiar with, which handset feels better in the palm of your hands, and which unit has a price that best suits your budget.