The newest cellphone from Samsung, the Galaxy S5, is sure to blow some people away with its new, impressive features. Its biggest rival is unquestionably the Apple iPhone 5S, which despite its mirroring title, could not be any more different in cellphone philosophy.
If you’re looking for an upgrade, the Samsung Galaxy S5, which will be available at major carriers like T-Mobile starting April 11, is perhaps the most complete phone out there, although there are sure to be some Apple purists that would disagree with that statement.
Comparing Physical Appearance
As far as physical features, the dimensions of the iPhone 5S, which was released last September, are much more compact. The screen of the Galaxy 5S is 1.1 inches larger than the iPhone – at 5.1 inches, versus the more compact 4-inch iPhone screen that’s easier to hold in one hand and in your pocket.
The Galaxy S5 has a plastic, soft-touch finish while the iPhone 5S has aluminum, more premium looking body. The Samsung product is also a bit heavier, so if having a smaller phone is a feature that trumps everything else, the iPhone is your best bet between the two.
The S5 has a much better resolution, a FHD Super AMOLED, which is a 1080p display, versus the iPhone’s 640. Then again, on a small screen, the differences in pixels might not be that noticeable.
Battery Life
One of the strong selling features of the Galaxy 5S is that it’s better for media than the iPhone is.
Some of the features that the Galaxy S5 has that the iPhone 5S lacks are: the Galaxy S5 has a 79 percent larger battery than the iPhone 5S. The Galaxy S5 also has double the amount of RAM at 2 GB.
Storage
The Galaxy S5 has a better storage capacity with the addition of a microSD. However, without the microSD, the iPhone’s 64 GB option trumps the Galaxy S5.
Internet Capabilities
Unlike the iPhone 5S, the Galaxy 5S has USB support. If using the Internet is important, the S5 has faster Wi-Fi than the iPhone 5S, although some of that might depend on where you are using the phone.
Cameras
As for the cameras, the Galaxy S5 takes the cake. It has a 16-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera versus the iPhone’s 8- and 1.2-megapixels, respectively.
Additional Features
A Galaxy 5S feature that is quite unparalleled in any measure is its heart rate monitor on the back of the phone and its dust and water protective cover. A comparable feature between the two is fingerprint scanners for security.
The Winner
For the most part, the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S are quite different from each other, and a lot of that has to do with the operating systems.The Galaxy S5 wins the prize for better overall phone simply due to its ever-inventive features.
About the author -
Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer who enjoys writing about gadgets, apps and the latest tech news. Follow her on Twitter.