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iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy 3, the ultimate in Android vs iOS

One of Android’s top seller versus Apple latest iOS smartphone goes one-on-one — the iPhone 5 vs. the Galaxy S3. But OS aside, we looked at both devices and pit their hardware features against each other.

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has been launched in the Philippines since May this year and Apple’s iPhone 5 is yet to be released. Samsung’s got a head-start but Apple has the advantage of time to polish its contender.

Display. The Galaxy S3 comes in a large 4.8-inch Super HD AMOLED display while the iPhone 5 only has a 4-inch Retina Display. Both screens have pixel density that’s above 300ppi so there’s no noticeable difference in resolution. Samsung gets the score for a bigger screen, a move that Apple is following by increasing the display size of the iPhone. Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 0.

Network. The iPhone 5 can run on selected LTE networks and so is the Galaxy S3 (in some regions). The international version of both phones also supports HSPA+. It’s an easy tie for the two phones. Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 1.

Camera. Both the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 sport an 8-megapixel rear camera that records full HD 1080p videos at 30fps. It’s a tie again for both. We made numerous tests on the Galaxy S3 in our previous review here and so far, the sample photos/videos we took using the iPhone 5 is as impressive. We say it’s a tie.Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 1.

Storage. Internal storage is normally at the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB range for the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3. However, you can extend the storage of the Galaxy S3 with an additional 64GB microSD card (to a total of 128GB). This gives the S3 an edge. Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 0.

Battery. Battery is a huge consideration with any smartphone. The Galaxy S3 has a removable 2100mAh battery while the iPhone 5 has a non-removable 1440mAh battery. The S3 wins by a mile, not because it has a higher capacity but because it’s user-removable. Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 0.

Build Quality. Samsung takes a bit of criticism for using plastic materials in the Galaxy S3’s body. Apple has been doing impressive work with the build quality and materials for the iPhone 5 with a combination of aluminum and glass parts in a thinner body. The iPhone 5 wins this round. Galaxy S3: 0, iPhone 5: 1.

OS. The choice between iOS and Android is a matter of personal choice. The strength of iOS integration and refine-ness is contrasted by Android’s flexibility and customizability. Both platforms have their merits so it’s a tie. Galaxy S3: 1, iPhone 5: 1.

Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 specs:
4.8-inch Super HD AMOLED screen @ 1280×720 pixels (306ppi)
1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4 Quad processor
Mali-400MP GPU
1GB RAM
16GB, 32GB, 64GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
HSPA+ up to 21Mbps, LTE 100Mbps
Bluetooth 4.0
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with WiFi Bonding
8MP rear camera with LED flash
1080p @ 30fps video recording
1.9MP front-facing camera
720p HD video recording
NFC
GPS w/ aGPS support
2,100mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.0 ICS with TouchWiz UX

Apple iPhone 5 specs:
4-inch display @ 1136×640 pixel, 326 ppi
Apple A6 chip @ 1.2GHz dual-core
16GB, 32GB, 64GB
HSPA+, LTE up to 100Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Assisted GPS and GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.0
8MP rear camera, LED flash
1080p video recording
1.2MP front-facing camera @ 720p
1440mAh battery
iOS 6

There are other several minor features we no longer highlighted in the match-up above — like NFC and FM Radio tuner.

We wanted to include the suggested retail price as another criteria but since the iPhone 5 is not yet officially released in the country, we can’t really compare them yet. However, based on previous year’s pricing, both smartphones might be within the same price range.

In our tally above, the Galaxy S3 got 6 points while the iPhone 5 got 4 points. The Galaxy S3 wins by several notches against the iPhone 5. Again, it’s still a matter of personal taste and for this case the lines are drawn not by the hardware but mostly by the operating system.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

141 Responses

  1. Avatar for Susan Micheal Susan Micheal says:

    Great Post

  2. Avatar for aa` aa` says:

    i still go with android, it always go over iOS excep stability. :) consider that android is still fresh, so there are stil a lot of things to be polished. but obviously, flexibility and customization android go over.

  3. Avatar for dave dave says:

    Well first off I would take any android phone over any apple product.
    Why?
    it’s a open market. Open source.
    More options & you can enjoy & learn to program if you like.
    Apple will not allow anything in there market they don’t approve first. In a way this is good but mainly bad.
    android has more free apps then apple.

    Yes apple has a better screen Better cpu but lacks in usage for us advanced people.
    Itunes will never be allowed on any of my pc’s nomatter how much you offer me. too many past security risks. Also apple can shut your phone down anytime they wish. Also they could uninstall your apps on you if they find them to be illegal etc.

    with android you don’t have those issues. & there is many syncing apps for android. Even for us we use linux which has many compatible apps.
    top apps for android for me would be airdroid, call control, unsure which nav app I like best yet. random rings (private), winamp & many many more.
    Oh ya did I forget to mention these are all free? Don’t forget lookout for when you misplace your cell.

    • Avatar for Jeremy Jeremy says:

      I dont really think you are an advanced user. Lol. Apple dont really lack usage. You just need to JAILBREAK it! That is, if you know how. I loved Android but arranging and customizing widgets gets old and boring. I even went to the point that i flash ROM after ROM on my S3. It gets boring i tell you. When it comes to iOS, it’s pretty boring to begin with so it never really gets old. S3 which has 4 cores stil lags. I dont know why the hell but the home screen keeps on reloading after doing something (browsing web) after a while and pressing home. Its annoying. And it never happens with my iPhone4 whoch is a single core phone. LOL. It all boils down to OS optimization. Android has a long way to go when it comes to OS optimization. My nexus 7 is as fluid as Android gets but still behind my iPad’s buttery fluidity. You don’t really get to use those widgets day to day. And all the Apps are free. Apple or Android. You just know how things work. And Appstore is better than Playstore by tenfold. At least for now. Especially the tablet market.

  4. Avatar for KurtTrevor KurtTrevor says:

    Apple fanboys. Grow up. I love my S3.

    • Avatar for Edu Edu says:

      @KurtTrevor
      You should grow up. Now listen up.

      I love fanboys. I really do. I can see nothing wrong with someone liking something too much. Sure, the crazier fanboys may be deluded but who are they hurting? 

      That’s why I will always back the fanboys in any argument with the troll or troll like flamebaiters. I don’t care if the trolls are right because they’re joyless gits who seem to enjoy ruining other people’s fun. 

      Look at it this way, there are many popular artists who I don’t like but I don’t go and stand outside their concerts and make fun of their fans. If they’re having fun and not hurting anyone then I say good for them. Similarly there are some Apple fans who are deluded or who lack a sense of proportion but why should that matter? I don’t go to Blackberry fansites and take the piss out of them because of the plastic keyboards and falling sales. I don’t try to make Nokia fans feel bad for their preferred brand’s lack of recent success. I don’t tease and poke Samsung fans when the jury ruled  them to pay  over a billion dollar for blatant copying and willfully infringing on Apple’s design and IP. Why would I? 

      I don’t consider you/them as  big Android fan/s but rather that you/they spend so much time flaming Apple. That’s a negative sort of fanboyism. It’s small minded and unpleasant. 

      I love Apple products. If you or anyone else loves products by any other company, cool. It’s all about being happy, when you get down to it.

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