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iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III: Full Head to Head Comparison

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iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III goe head to head in this feature comparison.

I own both the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III and love each phone. In the following iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III comparison I look at design, display, performance and other important factors to help readers pick the best phone.

Some said the iPhone 5 will blow away the Galaxy S III.

A recent Samsung ad slams the iPhone 5 and the phone’s buyers

https://youtu.be/nf5-Prx19ZM

So who’s right?

After spending a weekend comparing the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S III, here’s what I learned.

samsung galaxy s iii and apple iphone 5

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III Display

I love the large 4.8-inch display on the Samsung Galaxy S III. Samsung packs in a 1280×720 resolution, giving it true 720p HD quality with 306ppi. The display is bright, crisp and beautiful. The iPhone 5 uses a 1136×640 resolution display with 326ppi making it more crisp even if users don’t get full HD video. The iPhone 5 display looks better and has a warmer color temperature. It’s brighter at maximum and middle brightness levels while the Galaxy S III shines brighter at lowest settings.

When I put the two phones next to one another, the iPhone 5 looks better, but not by a wide margin. I didn’t really notice a big difference until I laid them side-by-side so display quality isn’t a reason to pick one phone over another.

I like larger screens, but I chose the iPhone 5 mostly for the display quality, not the size.

Winner: iPhone 5

Siri vs. S-Voice

Both phones offer voice control. Siri on the iPhone 5 got a big upgrade in iOS 6 and now lets users launch apps, check sports scores and more. S-Voice could do many of these things from the start, but that doesn’t give it an edge now that Apple shipped iOS 6.

Siri on the iPhone 5

Siri on the iPhone 5: Actual Message was “Hi honey I’ll be home soon”

With my previous iPhone I didn’t use Siri because it usually failed to connect to Apple’s servers. Things work better now, but not enough to make it dependable.

S Voice on Samsung Galaxy S III

S Voice on Samsung Galaxy S III: Actual message was “Hi Honey, I’m Home”

S-Voice doesn’t work as well as Siri but it’s more consistently available.

Winner: Neither

Network Speed

Both phones run on 4G LTE from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. Verizon blankets more of the U.S. with LTE than the competition. However, I’m an AT&T customer and tested the phones on LTE in Gastonia, NC.

Samsung Galaxy S III didn’t download data as fast as the iPhone at peak levels, but it provides more consistent results. The iPhone 5 speed tests varied too wildly to depend on so I’d pick the Galaxy S III.

gs3 speed test

The history shows that the results with the Galaxy S III are also all over the place. I got speeds below 3,500kbps and above 23,000kbps.

gs3 speed test history

On my iPhone 5 see the speed test below which shows 15.81Mbps which translates to 15,810kbps. The upload speed failed in this test.

iphone 5 speed test

Here’s the history of all my iPhone 5 speed tests.

iphone 5 speed test history

Comparing the extremes, the lowest iPhone test came in lower than the lowest Galaxy S III and higher than the highest S III. However, the S III is more consistent.

Both phones run fast on my Wi-Fi network, but iPhone 5 suffers some Wi-Fi connectivity issues for some, including me. See the Apple support posts with 30+ pages of people complaining of similar issues. We posted a fix that works for some, but didn’t work on my phone.

Due to more consistent LTE data speeds and more dependable Wi-Fi connections, the Galaxy S III takes this category.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S III offers better battery life than most Android phones thanks to the 2100mAh battery. Mine easily lasts most of the day if I keep things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off until I need them.

hyperion battery for galasy s iii

The Samsung Galaxy S III battery can be replaced by extended batteries.

I tested both phones in a single day’s time using them extensively with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on most of the time and screen brightness set to about half. The iPhone lasted under 9 hours of heavy use. The Galaxy S III lasted 45 minutes longer. Also I can change the battery on the Samsung Galaxy S III which lets me install an extended battery.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

Operating System Speed

Apple iPhone 5 Running iOS 6

Apple iPhone 5 Running iOS 6

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich runs quickly and smoothly on the S III but iOS 6 runs just as well on the iPhone 5, with a faster processor than previous iPhones. Sometimes Android apps freeze temporarily taking over the interface. That didn’t happen on iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy S III Running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Samsung Galaxy S III Running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

iPhone 5 doesn’t let me customize the keyboard or put widgets on my home screen. Since the Android crashes happen so seldom, the customizable interface wins. Also it’s easier to root an Android phone. Users can’t yet get an iOS 6 jailbreak on iPhone 5.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III Quality and Design

The iPhone clearly looks prettier than the Galaxy S III. It’s a work of art while the S III just looks nice.

samsung galaxy s iii ding

Notice the ding in the corner of my S III

While holding both phones, the Samsung Galaxy S III with the plastic back feels cheaper. I thought it would hold up well, until I dropped mine. Now the corner looks like it melted. A recent drop test showed that the S III screen breaks easier than the iPhone 5.

The black iPhone 5 suffers from a scratched back problem. But my white iPhone 5 doesn’t. The iPhone 5 looks elegant and wins this category.

Galaxy S III vs. iPhone 5 back

Galaxy S III back is made of cheap plastic but iPhone 5 back scratches if you get the black model

Despite the scratches on the back, I’d give the nod to Apple based on the drop test and my experience of dropping my Galaxy S III and past iPhones.

Samsung Galaxy S III vs. Apple iPhone 5 thickness

Winner: Apple iPhone 5

Camera: Pictures and Video

I really like the Samsung Galaxy S III camera. It takes nice pictures and responds quickly. The burst mode helps me get some good shots of my kid’s soccer games when I forget to bring my DSLR. It will never replace my Nikon D5100, but I never carry a point-and-shoot thanks to the Galaxy S III.

samsung galaxy s3 camera app

Samsung Galaxy S III Camera App

The Samsung Galaxy S III camera app offers more control than the iPhone 5 app. I like the new Panorama mode on the iPhone 5 better than the Galaxy S III’s panorama mode, but both work.

iphone 5 camera

iPhone 5 Camera interface

The two phones offer HDR modes. They don’t work as well as a dedicated camera but can add some nice color to an otherwise tough shot to get, like bright skies mixed with shadows in landscapes.

Below, notice the two close-up shots. The iPhone’s looks less detailed but still looks good.

iphone 5 close up macro

iPhone 5 Macro shot

The Samsung Galaxy S III shot gives more detail and great color.

Samsung Galaxy S III Up Close

Samsung Galaxy S III Up Close

Here’s another comparison of a local homecoming parade.

Samsung Galax S III shot of parade

Samsung Galax S III shot of parade

Compare the colors of the two shots and the exposure. They’re nearly the same.

Apple iPhone 5 parade shot

Apple iPhone 5 parade shot

I prefer the Samsung Galaxy S III thanks to the burst mode and the camera app controls.

When it comes to shooting video, the phones again compare favorably with little difference.

I can’t see a real difference between them. The larger screen of the Samsung Galaxy S III makes shooting video easier so for that reason alone I’d give it a slight nod. It wins by a nose.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

Playing Video on iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III

Galaxy S III vs. iPhone 5 Screen Size

Galaxy S III screen is much bigger than iPhone 5 making it better for viewing videos

I play a lot of video on my Samsung Galaxy S III, from podcasts to movies. I love the larger screen. The iPhone 5 screen looks crisp, but doesn’t offer true HD resolution. Due to the HD resolution and larger display, I prefer the Galaxy S III.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

Apps on iOS and Android

I’ll keep this simple. Apple has more apps, but it no longer leads in the number of quality apps. When the Samsung Galaxy S III updates to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean it may suffer from the fragmentation issue since fewer apps run on the latest version of the OS. We get a similar issue with iOS 6.

letterboxed app on iphone 5

Note that you can barely make out the black bars at the top and bottom of this old app

Not all iOS apps run in full screen yet on the new iPhone 5 with the taller 4-inch screen. Older apps run in letterbox, meaning iOS places a black bar above and below the app in portrait mode or to the left and right in landscape. That’s because older apps fit a 3.5-inch screen and Apple didn’t want to stretch the apps.

Instagram in Google Play Store

I can now get nearly all the apps I want in the Google Play Store

The Google Play Store doesn’t offer as much content in the video, magazine or music areas of the store as iTunes offers. For that reason iOS gets a narrow victory.

Winner: iPhone 5

Maps

The iOS 6 Maps app controversy reminds me of the problem with the iPhone 4 signal that dropped when people held the phone tightly in their hands. My experience isn’t as bad as some report, but there’s a clear problem and even Apple seems to get that since their looking for Android app developers.

In the video below our own Xavier Lanier searches for a hospital in the new Apple Maps and it fails terribly.

I trust Android’s Maps and use it all the time. The app gives me accurate directions and a helpful picture of the destination that appears when I near the spot.

android maps arrival picture

Recently I experienced a strange issue with the Galaxy S III that required me to recalibrate the phone. I’ve never had that with an iPhone, but that’s a minor problem.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S III

Accessories

The iPhone 5 comes with a new set of EarPods that sound great but don’t fit my ears because they’re too big. The pods kept falling out no matter how much I pushed them into my ears. I also don’t like that Apple put the stereo jack on the bottom fo the phone. Samsung ships the Galaxy S III traditional in-ear earbuds. They don’t sound as good as the EarPods, but sound good enough.

bottom connectors

I prefer the Lightning connector on iPhone to micros USB, but more Micro-USB accessories exist

I prefer the new Apple Lightning charging and sync cable because it’s easier to slide into the phone than a micro-USB cable, which the Galaxy S III uses.

iphone 5 lightning cable

Apple new Lightning cable compared to old 30-pin dock connector

Few accessories work with the new Lightning connector, but there’s a ton of micro-USB charging accessories and they’re cheaper which offsets the better connection from Apple.

Because both phones did and will sell millions, they’ll both get plenty of accessories like cases and chargers and car mounts.

Winner: Neither

Conclusion

Some would love to see both of these phones together in one device. I have to say I agree.

Here’s the list of features I wish I could take from both phones:

  • GS III Screen size and resolution with iPhone 5 retina display pixel count
  • Customizable version of Android Jelly Bean with the apps from iPhone 5
  • The Lightning connector with accessories as the micro-USB for the lower price
  • Ability to change batteries like I can with the S III but with the iPhone 5 housing and design elegance
  • NFC built-into Passbook

Samsung and Apple made great phones. Each has its strengths, but a user will win with either phone. I recommend people get the iPhone 5 if …

  • They’re heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem
  • They prefer elegance of design and see their phone as a fashion statement
  • They want a larger collection of apps

However, go with the Samsung Galaxy S III if ..

  • They want a bigger screen
  • Watch a lot of video
  • Take a lot of pictures or videos
  • They like to tinker and hack their phone
  • They use their phone for navigation a lot

I’d pick the Samsung Galaxy S III, but I’m glad I own both of the best smart phones money can buy today would miss whichever phone someone forced me to give up.

77 Comments

77 Comments

  1. Stan Smith

    09/26/2012 at 12:28 pm

    Good comparison

  2. Nicholas Barlow

    09/26/2012 at 2:06 pm

    A very nice, even handed review of both phones. You have done what very few could Kevin.

  3. Monk

    09/26/2012 at 3:16 pm


    Really nice review!

  4. wajd

    09/26/2012 at 5:01 pm

    very good review, i love how you maintain neutrality. personally i love android phones more but not reluctant to admit that the iphone remains a great phone no matter how boring it is. you have forgot to mention that the samsung galaxy s3 will be getting a jellybean update soon which will allow the usage of a way better service than siri called Google Now which actually is helpful. and that with the jelly bean updates comes a more buttery (speedy and less buggy) UI. and you forgot to mention the fact that you can exchange files with other phones on an android phone(something that you cannot easily do on an iphone) as well including the many usages of NFC like how you can buy NFC chips that you can use to activate and deactivate several features on your phone.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPpVCa88T6g&feature=BFa&list=PLF674D0B507072522) and the fact that Google Play doesn’t necessarily have to be your only app store, you can use several others as well downloading apps from the internet directly. also, with the jellybean update, you get to be able to use voice typing offline which hasn’t been available before and the best text prediction keyboard that understands context. and btw, google voice services are way better than siri’s and s-voice and have a better recognition for accents.

  5. Tammy

    09/26/2012 at 9:17 pm

    I enjoyed your review. Yes it is nice how you broke it down in different categories/features. This really assisted on choosing which phone I will purchase. Thank you!

  6. willem

    09/26/2012 at 10:25 pm

    Good review. Still think you are a bit partial to the iphone. Haven’t had one app from the market not install on the s3. Also none of the apps have black bands at the top or the bottom, so app wise the android os handles upgrades a bit better. The s3 should have won the adaptor one as well, because out of the box there is more accessories available and at lower cost.

    • Michael

      10/23/2012 at 3:10 am

      That’s why your not making this comparison an Kevin is.

  7. Eli

    09/27/2012 at 9:48 am

    Unless I missed it, you didn’t compare the voice quality of the phones.
    Which one do you prefer to use as a telephone?

  8. George

    09/27/2012 at 10:43 am

    Fairly obvious the S3 is a better phone, heck my galaxy nexus is a better phone than ip5.

  9. Keneo

    09/27/2012 at 12:58 pm

    I have some problems with your critique…
    Two months ago I sold my iPhone 4s and got a Samsung GS3.

    Photos: You compare photos saying that the Samsung looks more detailed. But the two pictures you took are from different angles.
    In my experience a slight difference in angle, distance, shaking is all it takes to dramatically change the quality, especially in close up shots.
    The only fair way to compare photography is to clasp the phones together and simultaneously take photos.

    Video playing: Try this: download a movie app like Flixter or Cineplex and play a few sci-fi movie trailers side by side. I have done this with my GS3 vs an iPhone “4” with both set to full brightness. The GS3 loses a lot of the videos details in darkness. Its not even a matter of sharpness. You just cannot even see parts of the video because its too dark. I noticed this before I did the side-by side, and then I pulled out the iPhone 4 to confirm. As for the inability to play HD video. This is a mere technicality. HD is all about clarity and detail. You can see just as much detail on the iPhone as a GS3. And when the video requires a large color spectrum, you can see much more on the iPhone. This is the main reason I am trading in my GS3. If you offered me a full TV size Retina display vs a full HD TV display, I would take the retina any day. Sorry but unless this category is about screen size, it should be awarding the win to iPhone.

    Operating system speed: this was the sub title you gave to the OS comparison. But every Benchmark comparison I’ve seen shows the iPhone 5 is faster than the GS3. I realize that your comparison was related to OS features, but then maybe you should change the title as it is currently misleading.

    Siri vs S-Voice: Tie? seriously? S-voice is not even in the same league as Siri, especially when it comes to comprehension. Just because you have had connectivity issues doesn’t mean its a Siri deficiency. This can easily be blamed on your carrier. I am on the Rogers Network in Canada. I would say I only have trouble connecting 1 to 3 times in 20. And when I am on functioning, WiFi I practically never have problems. This win should easily go to iPhone.

    • Jedin

      10/03/2012 at 10:03 am

      aaaaaand fanboy biased opinion time.

    • b. rich

      10/13/2012 at 9:30 am

      Try watching a video and sending a text message or email or playing spades on the same screen at the same time. Not to mention beats by dre… and the prosessor is way faster and overclockable on the gs3 oh and don’t forget about swype

      • Henshin

        01/14/2013 at 4:37 pm

        “Try watching a video and sending a text message or email or playing spades on the same screen at the same time.”

        Seriously? That sounds like a bad case of ADHD. I wouldn’t even try watching an MKV and read email both at the same time on my desktop PC, because I wouldn’t be able to process two streams of information all at once. (I’m stupid like that.) OTOH… Perhaps that explains the bad English we’ve been seeing on the internet these days. Not only do children skip English class… Now they’re trying to text broken English to friends, WHILST watching a YouTube clip… AND playing a card game. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I guess that’s what kids see as progress in this century.

        I’m lucky I don’t have to blindly chase after the most current features available on a mobile phone. I’m still using my beat up Philips stupid-phone. It’s so much tinier than iPhone 4 and pretty much only good for making calls, not even for texting. That’s why I might be interested in getting a phone that is of similar size. That Galaxy may be huge for your Facebook reading and Angry Bird, but I’d stay away from it, only because to me a phone needs to be unobtrusive inside the pocket.

        Samsung just went too far to please all you young children with 3 heads and love cheap thrills.

    • Frank Boltzmann

      01/16/2013 at 7:34 pm

      And he failed to compare music playing, I’ve been using my mobile phone as a music player since Nokia’s N83 or something and the iPhone 5 not only has stereo headphones but it also comes with the same software as an iPod which is the leading MP3 player. Every good DJ has a MacBook for some reason, Apple wins at music software.

      He also failed to compare accessories in terms of what you can get for an iPhone, since the market out there has a lot of cool gadgets, cases, utilities and screen protectors for the iPhone and not as many things for the Samsung.

  10. SUNFLOWER

    09/27/2012 at 2:17 pm

    THANKS YOU’VE HELP ME MAKE UP MY MIND!

  11. Shelley

    09/28/2012 at 10:35 pm

    I’m finally giving up my old BB and trying to decide between these two models. For me am torn between the gorgeous materials/handfeel of the iphone and the battery/expandable memory flexibility of the SIII. What about speaker quality, has anyone noticed an appreciable difference there?

    • Keneo

      09/29/2012 at 12:58 pm

      I have read that the new speakers on the iPhone 5 are louder than in previous models. Personally, I have found that the iPhone 4S was already loud enough. Of course I have heard only good things about the new “earpods” with great range and surprisingly good base.

      My Galaxy S3 has adequate volume, but the speaker is located directly on the back face of the phone which tends to get muffled if you place it down on a table while listening

  12. chris

    09/29/2012 at 2:52 pm

    Enjoyed your review…but you didn’t compare the main reason people would buy either one, making calls. Which was better for calls and texting.

    • derrick

      10/21/2012 at 5:32 pm

      That’s NOT remotely the MAIN reason people buy phones. You’re stuck in 1998.

    • ikinga

      11/14/2012 at 12:53 am

      Haha, I make about 2-3 phone calls a week. :) It is not about calling anymore.

  13. Jared

    10/01/2012 at 10:05 am

    This review really kinda didn’t fit my needs. I believe the Iphone 5 is much better and I’m gonnna buy it anyways. Also i H8 your guts

    • Keneo

      10/01/2012 at 10:32 am

      lol,
      There are a lot of issues (more than the ones I listed above) with this review.
      But saying one smartphone is better than another is no longer useful (was it ever?).

      It depends on what your needs are.
      iPhone is good for
      -hand comfort,
      -superior screen quality,
      -ease of use,
      -unmatched eco-system with apps and media
      -unmatched beauty of design
      -fluidity of User experience

      The S3 is good for
      -Larger size screen
      -granular customizeability
      -NFC – although its hard to find much use for it yet.

      The S3 it probably better for people who are tech savy and like to tinker with their phone. iPhone was created to minimize options in order to avoid frustrating users. Its intended to be “ready to go.” Though I am tech savy I will be getting rid of my S3 because I just cannot get over the hand comfort issue. I find the S3 way too big to use comfortably in my hand for any length of time.

    • Bugsfan1

      10/04/2012 at 11:15 pm

      Hey Jared. Your Mom’s calling you. She said it’s time to get off the computer because it’s after your bedtime. You really shouldn’t be allowed on here anyway. Hate your guts??? That’s something kids said a long time ago. Why don’t you grow up. Then get back on Mom & Dad’s computer.

      • Marcus 407

        10/06/2012 at 8:26 am

        I agree with bugsfan…… Jared grow up!!
        Loved the review…… Good job

  14. costy

    10/04/2012 at 5:07 am

    i have the first samsung galaxy s. was a great phone. i loved samsung, but now i hate them because they didn’t give me any updates. they said that the phone is too old. first nexus has the same specs like i9000 and it got the ics update. how it’s posibile? they wany to force us to buy a new phone. this is marketing. apple updated with ios 6 even iphone 3gs. i just ordered the iphone 5. good bye samsung

    • Bugsfan1

      10/05/2012 at 12:02 am

      Hmmmmmm. Well the Samsung S-3 is getting Jelly Bean this year. So I guess they heard you among other people complain about it.

  15. Anjaleena Robert

    10/04/2012 at 9:19 pm

    guys admit it Iphone 4s is better than samsung’s any other phone . I mean no other phone has a5 chip . the app store is a marvel . siri is the most accurate voice assistant till now . ios 5 has over two hundred new features . ios 6 is coming out soon which is said to have 300 new features . the highest in any other phone . Height: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm) Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm) Weight: 4.9 ounces (140 grams) NOTHING.
    Check Your Apple iPhone 4 32GB Black current value here https://www.movaluate.com/apple/iphone-4-32gb-att-black

    • Bugsfan1

      10/05/2012 at 12:12 am

      Sorry. I can’t admit to something like that. So you LOVE the I-phone. Nothing wrong with that. But some of us love OTHER phones. I love my Samsung. It’s NOT what ONE person thinks is better. IT’S A MATTER OF OPINION. AND WHAT’S THE SAYING???

      “OPINIONS ARE LIKE BUTT-HOLES. EVERYONE HAS ONE”

      Lighten up a little. The I-phone is a great phone. But there are a FEW others out there that are great also. It’s up to the person buying it. BOTTOM LINE!!!!!

    • rzozaya1969

      10/31/2012 at 4:00 pm

      I think that’s a subjective review. So, iPhone doesn’t have snapdragon or Ti or something. It doesn’t mean a thing unless you take it how the whole phone works with it. The original review I think it’s pretty good and I think it’s not biased. 140 grams is heavier than several androids, and lighter than some, it does not mean one is better.

      200 or 330 features? What are that? can you measure them? Most of them are what Android has, and some are newer. I mean, it’s just like saying that android has this many features and ios has this many more? Unless you compare what you can do with those features and what they mean to you, those are just numbers, and arguments for salespeople. I think that both systems have some very cool features that the other lack, and it’s the option that they provide to the customer that made both systems very good. In some things iOS is better and in some other Android is better. I liked and agree on most of the cons that the original poster said. Retina display is just simply awesome. SGS3 has a pentile setting which I think is definitely not as good, but it could be pretty good if you prefer a larger screen.

  16. Bugsfan1

    10/04/2012 at 11:52 pm

    It’s according to what a person likes. I 1st want to thank Kevin Purcell for writing such an UN-biased article on both of these GREAT phones. He owns both of them so he is the person I would listen to if buying a phone. It definitely wouldn’t be the little fans of all phones out there. One thinking there’s is better than the other. It’s really childish.

    I have owned the I-phone. I loved my I-phone when I was younger. It was fun to play around with & call clarity was nice. But now I was just wanting something different. I have been researching phones & last week I went to upgrade. I looked at all of the phones I had researched. I ended up purchasing the Galaxy S-3.

    Nothing against Apple. I own an I-Pad so I love Apple products. But I was impressed with the Galaxy on paper & also at the Verizon store. One of the managers waited on me & we spent over an hr. just talking phones. She had the new I-phone. She let me play around with it. Then she told me her son had just up-graded also. He got the Galaxy. She said he loved it.

    But the TWO things that were the selling points for me was the fact I knew the I-phone did NOT have an extra memory card slot on board & I never liked the fact about the battery not being removable. But the thing that sold really sold it was the fact that a manger could have sold me a more expensive phone in the I-phone; but she told me that after using her son’s Galaxy for awhile, that she wished she would have bought it instead of her I-phone

    Then she told me to look around at some of the workers & notice what phone they had. The majority had the Samsung. And I can say without a doubt that I’m definitely pleased with my new cell phone. It’s amazingly fast. I love taking photos with it when I don’t have my Canon with me. And I love the size of the screen, the brightness is great, S-voice actually works for me. And the call quality is awesome. For you people that want a good phone; remember this. It’s not about the benchmark mark settings all the time. I’ve seen those be wrong. It’s ALL about what YOU want in a phone. Nothing more. Nothing less.

    Thanks again for such a great article; Mr. Purcell. Hope to read more articles from you.

  17. Marcio Atouguia

    10/05/2012 at 1:37 pm

    This guy doesn’t know what he is on about. He titles os speed but grants the win to the os that crashes. Pictures and video and then gives the win to the bigger screen (having a bigger screen don’t make a better picture). Samsung don’t sell a bigger batteries for the gs3 so having access to the batterie is pointless.

    These were just some of the mistakes I spotted without even reading the review properly.

    It would be better for you to title it ill look at the iPhone 5 but I prefer the gs3.

    Load of bull crap

    • Rsopnco1

      10/15/2012 at 6:32 pm

      The fact that you ca replace the btry is good. A btry is a capacitor and over time they will have a memory set in which is bad or will get to a point the charge will not last or the btry will not charge. New btry can be bought online for cheap.

  18. Jamie S

    10/05/2012 at 7:45 pm

    I never leave comments and I liked your direct, FAIR review. Thanks for the info, Very helpful!

  19. safetystephen

    10/06/2012 at 12:01 am

    Thanks a lot for this review. Earlier this month, my worn and aged blackberry went through the spin cycle after six years of yeoman service. Much research led me to consider the iPhone 5 and the S III as the two most adequate candidates for an affordable, capable replacement. Your description of the talents, charm and character of these phones, along with what type of folks they might best suit, leads me towards the S III. Thanks again!!!

  20. Louis Frankel

    10/06/2012 at 4:34 am

    Great article, but I still don’t know what to choose! I need that combo phone that you described at the end!

  21. Keneo

    10/06/2012 at 8:28 am

    It is very strange to me that people keep saying how FAIR and unbiased this article is.
    I have read it a few times and cant get over how many important mistakes there are.

    DISPLAY:
    You MUST personally do a side by side comparison person to judge this. Do not accept accept the authors word for it. I find that he is way off. Samsung screen is bigger. But trust me, when you watch some movie trailers side by side with the iPhone 4, 4s,or 5. you will see that the iphone screen is far better. HD or no HD.

    SIRI vs S-VOICE
    The author gives no points to Siri because he cant connect. Just because he personally has bad luck with connectivity is no reason to cast aside the awesome power of Siri. I never have issues connecting with Siri and use it all the time. “Set a timer for 20 min.” “text tammy ‘I’ll be back Monday.” “Where the hell are my socks?”. ok the last one it failed on :)

    NETWORK SPEED
    Its impossible to compare network speeds. This morning nephew told me that he got 40Mb/sec downloading on his new iPhone. But the internet and cellular networks cannot be judged by anecdotal evidence. I have seen tests showing iphone’s LTE is faster than The S3. But I just laugh at that because there are so many variables. only large scale tests with thousands of users can be trusted. the sample size has to be huge.

    BATTERY LIFE
    Again, you cannot draw conclusions from such a small sample as this. It is a disservice to readers to even try to compare for them. If you look around as I have, there are “tests” that show the iPhone has better battery life as well. But I trust them no more than I trust this test. Personally,I find my S3 drains faster than my iphone did. I attribute it to having to pump up the screen brightness trying in vain to compensate for the washed out display. But the point is that your battery life will vary greatly depending on your settings, not just your usage.

    OPERATING SYSTEM SPEED?
    Well thats the title which is misleading. If its speed you want, geek bench tests all point to the iphone 5 over the GS3. The author means to describe his preference for one interface over another. I have to hand this one to the GS3 for being more customizeable than iphone. you can tweak it much more. But as soon as the jailbreak comes out for the Iphone, its a non issue.

    QUALITY AND DESIGN
    Clearly this is also iPhones domain.

    PICTURE QUALITY
    see my post above for why he screwed up the testing on this. basically, he took a picture of the flowers from slightly different angles and distance. It makes a real difference. try some low light photos. iPhone will impress. Burst mode is a nice thing to have though on the GS3. Apple needs that in their next iOS update.

    MAPS
    Hahaha. well apple obviously fails here. But that should be all forgoten within a year after 300 million iOS users have sent in their corrections.

    This post is way longer than I planned.
    gotta go.
    bye

  22. Daniel

    10/15/2012 at 7:47 pm

    Great review! Loved how neutral you were out there, it’s hard to find someone nowadays who’s not an apple fanboy or hater. I never had an iPhone before, but since my recently acquired macbook can sync my stuff with it I`m considering trying one. Anyways, great job!

  23. John Parker

    10/15/2012 at 11:47 pm

    1. Grandma has never used a Smartphone. Which one would be easier for her learn/use for talking, messaging, web, & sending photos?

    2. I’ve always been on Sprint with unlimited data – but the service has degraded so badly I’m switching to AT&T or Verizion. Can you give me an idea how much data is consumed with 1-hour driving with GPS? 1-hour TV show?

    Thank you!

    • Shaurya

      02/06/2013 at 10:34 pm

      1. Your Grandma will probably like iPhone as it is very simple and focused, but Galaxy S3 is really customizable, but I hugely suggest iPhone for it is ver simple and focused,and it is really fast, and just a really minor faster then S3

  24. What

    10/16/2012 at 12:14 am

    I’ve been heavily reading reviews over these two phones as I intend to get one soon. This is the best review I’ve read. It brings real-world testing and provides evidence to support conclusions.

  25. David

    10/18/2012 at 10:20 am

    Given how people are using their phones these days, it might be worth noting also that the iPhone STILL cannot be used to talk and use the internet at the same time unless the internet connection is through wifi. In other words, through 4G, iphone still cannot multitask in this way. Ref:
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4300065?start=0&tstart=0

    • Keneo

      10/18/2012 at 9:43 pm

      It is not true that you cannot talk on the iPhone and use internet at the same time. There is only one US network that has this problem (I believe it is Verizon, but not sure) but I am not sure. All other carriers allow you to surf and talk at the same time. I JUST tried it now on The Rogers network in Canada. I was surfing and talking at the same time. no problem.

      • David

        10/19/2012 at 9:08 am

        It is verizon, which is the largest carrier in the US – so it bears mentioning. There are a lot of people in the US who use Verizon and this issue with not being able to multitask in this way is a fact which is rarely mentioned.

        I am not honking for either phone as you are for the iPhone. Just putting the info out there. I also own both phones.

        • derrick

          10/21/2012 at 5:36 pm

          that’s a network issue. it applies to all phones on that network. NOT just the “iphone STILL” as you put it.

  26. Tracie

    10/22/2012 at 6:27 pm

    i have the galaxy s and its time for an upgrade. i am leaning to the s3, however, most friends have iphone and i can’t stand seeing empty bubbles instead of the words within their imessage group text chains!!!! i’m told this won’t resolve with s3 or any other android in general. i hate to choose iphone just so i can see group text chains! is there an android app that can remedy this issue between operating systems? will someone write one already?! ugh!

  27. Bulder

    10/23/2012 at 10:38 am

    What’s’app

  28. Natruly Stylish

    10/25/2012 at 6:17 am

    So glad I came across this comparison!! I think instead of buying my 4th iphone, I’ll get a new ipod touch & get the Galaxy S III so I can [somewhat] have the best of both worlds.

  29. Nalkkiinsaaja

    11/03/2012 at 3:34 pm

    “I like larger screens, but I chose the iPhone 5 mostly for the display quality, not the size.”
    “Due to the HD resolution and larger display, I prefer the Galaxy S III.”

  30. Nalkkiinsaaja

    11/03/2012 at 3:36 pm

    “I like larger screens, but I chose the iPhone 5 mostly for the display quality, not the size.”
    “Due to the HD resolution and larger display, I prefer the Galaxy S III.”
    A very professional comparison as the author doesn’t even know their opinion.

  31. dave haight

    11/04/2012 at 2:22 pm

    the iphone is a phone, right? not sure about the galaxy s III. phone is not mentioned in the name. I have one thing that needs to be aired. How is the volume on either phone?
    volume level is low on the iphone 4s, I have to use a bluetooth device. and please don’t tell me to adjust the level…. Tried a friend’s LG phone from generations ago and the volume level was what i needed.
    I will have to audition the galaxy. I can’t take the words of a written review. I must listen to the sound level of the words coming through the phone’s speaker.

  32. Justin

    11/05/2012 at 7:06 pm

    Awesome review, this is one of the best out at the moment. In most other reviews I the author would lean heavily on one side. Esp the Apple cow boys lolz

  33. laura

    11/12/2012 at 9:49 am

    First, thank you. Next, I’m more confused than ever. Love them both. I have an iphone. Can’t stop thinking about the samsung. Friends own one and love it. Then again they have never had an iphone. Can I afford both?

  34. Kathleen

    11/12/2012 at 10:51 am

    Great review… I’m one of those Apple lovin’ people and yet I bought an S III based on hands-on experience. The larger screen and what felt to me more intuitive (read: easier for a person without prior iPhone experience) interface sold me on it. I’ve had a steep learning curve in texting on a touchscreen (as I had a “stupid phone” before, with a physical keyboard) but in three days time have progressed (and downloaded a Perfect Keyboard app that helped immensely – splitting the keyboard in landscape mode is a great way to cope with the larger screen area and makes my texting much easier.).
    The folks at work are about 80/20 iPhone/Android phones and 90% AT&T. I chose Verizon (past bad experiences with AT&T/Cingular) and although I only get 2 bars in the office, it’s the first time I’ve been able to take a call on my mobile phone while at my desk.
    So I would heartily recommend the Galaxy IIIS as it seems to me to be a perfect choice for the size of screen and ease of use factor. That said, it’s always a good idea to test-drive before choosing.

  35. ikinga

    11/14/2012 at 12:58 am

    I still own an iPhone 4 as for me having the latest it is not as important. THe iPhone 4 it is still an awesome phone. By the way, here in Europe they sell the iPhone 5 for about €1000 ($1200) for the 16Gb model, or you can get it with an expensive contract or just wait delivery from Apple Store (one month at least). Many people goes with the Samsung because they had enough of waiting.
    Anyway, if you own a MacBook and have everything set up in iTunes, have paid apps already etc, switching from Apple does not make sense, unless the phone would be really bad. In our case it is just expensive.
    I wonder how many americans would pay that much for an phone…
    Also, I think the Galaxy is just too big, it does not fit in my hands. iPhone 5 it is at the limit, if I would have to change phone now I would go for the iPhone 4S.

  36. tamburini

    11/17/2012 at 7:41 am

    Kev left out the part where gs3 has expandable memory. I find xpndble memory very useful. Texting on gs3 is quite frustrating as you get mistyped letters Every word..

  37. Tom Rom

    11/22/2012 at 10:39 pm

    If you want to walk around with a god damn tablet get the Samsung Galaxy! If you want a phone get the iPhone!

  38. Mauri

    11/26/2012 at 6:51 pm

    Nice review. Thanks for sharing. Would add that iPhone does not allow a graphic “and” non graphic file attachments for email. Also, if u use exchange either hosted or through an exchange admin, the iPhone is not as efficient as BB or Android as sync folders is a laborious tasks for iPhone specifically if u have two or more exchange “and” imap accounts. Android continues to suffer with OS fragmentation, stacks and inconsistent apps vs playstore reviews. BB10 maybe be coming out the woodwork to surprise iOS and Android Q1 ’13.

  39. Jesus

    11/28/2012 at 10:32 am

    I currently have both phones. I have been struggling deciding which phone I should keep. Thank you for the comparison, it is very helpful and I think I will keep the Galaxy S III versus the iphone5. I have been an apple lover forever but I have to admit Galaxy S III has kept me more interested and engaged to finding out better things we can do in our smart phones.

  40. Seank

    12/01/2012 at 11:54 am

    Good job. This is the first review that actually made making a decision easier instead of more confusing.

  41. cannibal

    12/08/2012 at 1:35 pm

    What ive always hated about the iphone is its efficency with computers. I for one, HATEEE itunes. With the s3 i dont need some annoying program to put a movie on my phone i just drag and drop to get rid of something i dont want and put in what i do. Its like a flashdrive. Another problem that is annoying with the iphone is space, my brother is currently dealing with 3 gigs of “other” data as it says on itunes. His phone is filled and he cant seem to figure out what that “other” data is. And buying for diskspace isnt an option for the iphone so hes outta luck there. Messaging while txting is great but I wish itd work with netflix

    • Ian Dack

      12/13/2012 at 8:48 am

      You hate the iPhone’s efficiency? Odd choice of words.

    • bqliank

      12/19/2012 at 5:44 pm

      well, 3gigs others data is your brother iphone has use a space for storage, or data on apps… cause its your brother smartphone, how does he feel he has use an smartphone smartest than him self??

  42. OldOwnerOfGalaxyS Series

    12/21/2012 at 8:37 am

    I find this review suspecting only because of the fact that the review starts with Samsung Galaxy S3 commercial, its also leading and unprofessional. Tests could be done in moving car when galaxy s3 has better net over some area. Or simply because it has different operator. Such tests are bull and you should try the devices yourself and form your own opinion over reviews that are commercially led..

  43. Woo Hoo

    12/21/2012 at 3:46 pm

    Great review. Going with i5. Siii is an honorable runner up.

  44. Leo Pegoli

    01/01/2013 at 2:47 am

    Nice review really helped
    Leo Pegoli

  45. HJ

    01/09/2013 at 1:09 am

    I cant believe you went with the s3 on network speed and the Camera. The iphone 5 is way faster than the galaxy s3, it smokes it on the internet and when downloading anything. The Camera, way better on the iphone 5, there is no comparison between the two. I dont know how you can say you cant really tell the difference, I dont know how you cant the iphone is way nicer and displays more detail and color richness than the s3.

  46. Glenn

    01/09/2013 at 10:29 pm

    Dumbest review ever, u have a category called operating system SPEED, but the s3 wins because of the customizability??? Wtf?? Obviously this review is biased. Iphone runs so much smoother.

    • Glenn

      01/09/2013 at 10:42 pm

      And how does the s3 win for making videos just because the phone is easier to make videos with since its bigger? I phone makes clearer videos. You gave unnecessary “bumps” to the s3 just to make ir win. Without those bumps and lame excuses for the s3 to win, iphone wouldve dominated all categories, unless you made a category called “who has the bigger screen”

  47. Giancarlo

    01/16/2013 at 7:23 am

    Very very nice comparison! I got a Galaxy S lll and it’s the best phone in my opinion, but, I think you forgot to compare both phones’ speakers, their loudness without losing that crystal clear sound.

  48. i5 vs. S3

    01/21/2013 at 1:10 am

    A true comparison with facts.

  49. 8palms

    01/25/2013 at 1:26 pm

    I still cant decide!!!!!!!!!

  50. albert

    02/14/2013 at 11:51 am

    its a matter of your choice what prefernce you like. but honestly iphone is just dependent on apps.lets face the fact.

  51. Sturgie

    02/20/2013 at 8:44 am

    OK so I have both phones as well. In my own personal opionion it is a simple case of preference. I also work on both windows and mac machines doing design again a matter of preference. The easiest way i can compare things is cadiliac vs BMW they are both cars they both have almost the same fetures the difference is status for a BMW owner seems greater than hat of a cadi owner. The Iphone is the BMW and the Galaxy is the Cadi. both have flaws and both have there own place in peoples life styles.

  52. Joe Me

    03/09/2013 at 2:13 pm

    Having both phones, I can say this is the worst comparison ever. S-Voice and Siri a tie? Really? Are you out of your mind? S-Voice is horrible, and Siri doesn’t have any hiccups for me. Also, camera wise, they are about the same. As for OS speed, are you on crack? iOS runs circles around Android, because it’s custom built for the hardware. As for maps, iOS now has both options: Google Maps and Apple Maps. So, clearly the iPhone cannot lose here.

    It really boils down to this: If you like bigger screens, go with the Galaxy SIII. If you prefer the flexibility of Android and/or dislike iOS, go with the Galaxy SIII.

    Then again, if you prefer Android, there’s really no point in comparing both phones, now is there? So I assume a reader who is into this kind of review doesn’t have OS preferences.

    In a nutshell, this is how it goes: If screen size is what matters to you, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy S3. Other than that, and assuming you have no favorites OS wise, the iPhone 5 is a much better phone.

  53. Robert

    03/14/2013 at 7:58 pm

    Samsung is getting ready to lower Android use & will be using a new Unix based OS they’ve developed called Tizen. Samsung won’t drop Android in the near future ( and they echo that sentiment,. but long term they hope Tizen will allow them to become the new Asian ‘Android’.. Tizen will be on some Samsung soon & possibly the Galaxy S4 in 2014. Tizen adoption will be slow ( but so was Androids adoption only 5 years ago ).. So yeah – It’ll take Tizen some time to grow,. but many big Asian companies are supporting Tizen .. and if anyone thinks Samsung wants to keep answering to Android you’re wrong. Samung’s Galaxy is really the phone that made Android IMHO. Now Samsung has figured out they don’t need Google’s unix based OS called Android because they can use their own unix based OS called Tizen. It’s funny how this works. First people who love the Galaxy scoff at the idea that Samsung took any ideas from Apple ( even though the Galaxy came out two years later ) and Samsung couldn’t have done with without Google ! Now Samsung who USED Google is ready to screw Google in the same way – Only Google will not be able to sue Samsung in 5 or 6 years – even though Tizen is very very similar to Android – because well Tizen is unix based and open source. Google thought they’d be nice guys and make Android community friendly and open source – Instead they have likely served as short term “Tools” of Samsung whom of which now Samsung understands they don’t need Google. Samsung will at first use Tizen to appeal to the Asian market.. and likely faze out Android use in another 5 or so years when they have a viable growth in their own App store.. and still Americans wonder why they have no jobs ! haha.. Korean don’t love you Americans – but they will gladly take your money. Samsung is Korean. Ever have dog ? They have a special breed of dog they eat in Korea..

  54. arnyc

    03/18/2013 at 10:49 am

    I don’t think this review is objective…

  55. Kiaccie

    04/23/2014 at 11:33 pm

    Loves this review. just a comment on the drop test -> for some strange reason my iphone glass completely shattered, half the glass is now broken. Is that normal because I didnt drop it from waist level from a table. Just wondering why my glass broke like that. Thanks.

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