Galaxy S5 Vs. iPhone 5s: Spec and Feature Comparison
Samsung launched the long anticipated Galaxy S5 yesterday at its "Unpacked" event in Barcelona.
The device will replace the Galaxy S4 as the company's flagship and will directly compete with Apple's iPhone 5s until the iPhone 6 is released later this year. The new Galaxy features impressive specs, a larger display, and a new take on its exterior design, but is it enough for Samsung to bounce back to smartphone prominence? Here is a spec and feature comparison of the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5s.
Display
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The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display. Samsung chose to go with an even larger display this time around as Apple played it completely safe by giving the 5s the same screen size as the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5s features a 4-inch display with 1136 x 640 resolution at 326 ppi. It's still a strong display for the iPhone, but fails in terms of innovation. The Galaxy S5 screen is sure to impress and Apple will have to step it up a bit if they want to catch up to Samsung in this department.
Design
The Galaxy S5 comes with a new "glam" exterior design that gives it a perforated back plate that shines in different lighting. At first glance it doesn't seem like much of a change and the phone will have to be released to tell if it's a significant improvement. For this reason, Apple takes the cake by default for the design as it maintains the same classy design as seen on past iPhones. Very little change is necessary when dealing with the company's flagship device.
Speed
The iPhone 5s features Apple's A7 chip with 64-bit architecture making it an extremely unique device as it is the first smartphone to be 64 bits. Apple's devices normally run smoother than Galaxy S handsets since the company manages to marry the software with the hardware better. The Galaxy S5 comes with either a Snapdragon 801 chip or 2.1GHz Exynos octa-core processor. Although the hardware seems impressive, Samsung processors normally sound better than they actually run. The problem lies within the software integration which could be fixed with updates. But, by the time they roll out, users are ready for the next-gen model.
Camera
Samsung is really going for the jugular this time around with the camera on the Galaxy S5 that packs the fastest auto-focus and selective focus that allows users to choose what they want to be blurred and clear in a photo. The iPhone 5s packs an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, tap to focus, true tone flash for the right colors and auto image stabilization. The presentations for both cameras seemed to be the same at each company's event. They are probably both good options for those who enjoy taking pictures, but Samsung might be slightly ahead with some of the innovative new features.
Extras
Both the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S5 cater to those in the fitness world. The iPhone 5s comes with the M7 motion coprocessor and the Galaxy S5 comes equipped with S Health and its very own heart rate monitor. Both sets of components are used to measure health and fitness and help the owner progress in an exercise routine and lifestyle. Its tough to say who has the advantage here without using both smartphones.
Conclusion
The Galaxy S5 seemed to take a lot of its cues from Apple this time around instead of implementing new features and drastically improving on the design. The iPhone 5s is also not much of a step up from its predecessor and it seems that both companies are running out of ideas to innovate in a way that keeps the market interesting. Consumers wouldn't go wrong purchasing either one of these devices and judging from the GS5 unveiling, the iPhone 5s will be able to hold its own against Samsung's latest.
