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.


Andoid = Lag
iOS = Force close
hahahaha