Mobile
Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5? Will You Switch?
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was just announced. While feature rich, it has me less than impressed. Most of the new upgrades to the phone are interesting, but not enough to make the switch from the iPhone 5.
The S4 is more of generational upgrade than an entirely new phone. The display of the device is one of the biggest upgrades. It goes from a 4.8″ display on the S3, to a 4.99″ Full HD Super AMOLED screen on the S4. With this, the S4 has a display resolution of 1920×1080. That’s nice for watching movies, but it will definitely use a lot of battery life.
The Samsung’s 2,600 mAh battery is needed to keep the phone running all day due to the new screen. The iPhone’s battery is only 1,400 mAh, but lasts most users all day without needing to recharge.
The camera upgrades on the S4 are fairly insignificant. With a rear camera that has 13 megapixels it may seem like it is a better camera than the one on the iPhone 5. But the best camera is not always about megapixels, but how the sensor processes the image. The photos that the S4 takes might be slightly better, but is it worth upgrading over?
Also the front facing camera of the Galaxy S4 is extremely similar to the iPhone. It is very unlikely that there will be a huge difference in photo quality over under single megapixel’s difference.
The biggest pitch Samsung made with the S4 is a boatload of software improvements and new functionality. While some of these are unique and would be useful, many of them are underwhelming. One that did stick out to me was the “Air Gesture” feature.
“Air Gesture” lets the user swipe between home screens or unlock their phone without having to touch the device. This could be handy if you are wearing gloves or have dirty hands, but using the feature on a regular basis seems unlikely.
Samsung hyped how thin and light they were able to make the new S4. In comparison to the iPhone 5, though, it is still thicker. It’s even slightly heavier! The S4 weighs in at 130 grams; the iPhone 112 grams. The difference is minor, but the thinner and lighter phone is still the iPhone.
Overall the S4 looks like a great phone. But will it really change the minds of current iPhone owners?
[polldaddy poll=6964437]
canuck
03/14/2013 at 10:30 pm
The real question is will I switch from Nexus 4 ?
Don’t know. Didn’t like physical home button. Also yes its Jelly bean now. But will it update like a Nexus Phone ?
nick
03/14/2013 at 10:31 pm
This writer is obviously bias top to bottom the s4 is a superior phone as far as functionality
smashclash7
03/29/2013 at 10:14 pm
I agree it did seem quite biased. He even made the statistics which are obviously better than the iPhone 5’s seem worse.
Jeff
03/30/2013 at 12:02 am
This piece reeked of Apple bias right off the hop….”The S4 is more of a generational upgrade than an entirely new phone”….I would argue that Apple is the absolute king of “generational upgrades”!
EJ
03/14/2013 at 10:48 pm
Why would I switch…it still runs on Android no matter how great the phone is!
Now Im switching to S4
03/15/2013 at 12:32 am
Hey U retard What did U find so fascinating in iOS 6 than this
Anthony mccoy
03/14/2013 at 11:15 pm
You are a completely bias individual why the hell did they even let you post a article on this site is beyond me. APPLE products have some good and bad points as with android if you look at features and spec the galaxy s 4 is indeed the most powerful phone out right now. Apple for one does charge for there brand name they use parts from other companies slap a apple logo on it and charge you up a ass for the product. And don’t get me started about the new connector that was inroducrd to there new line of smart phones apple is a leader but they do need a lot of work . They barley do anything differnt with each new model but add something they should added years ago.
The Garden Master
03/14/2013 at 11:24 pm
Give me a break! The S3 is better than the iPhone 5.
Brandon
03/14/2013 at 11:29 pm
When saying the S4 is heavier than the iPhone 5 you do realize the S4 has an inch larger screen.. if the S4 was lighter than the iPhone 5 Apple would be doing something seriously wrong.
NAND
03/15/2013 at 3:24 am
There are many guys here in conflict over phone. As if they have been given free phone or paid for support.
Charles
03/15/2013 at 12:25 am
LOL! Now it’s Samsung’s turn to feel the heat! What a joke this phone is!! … all the “new features” (some of which are nothing more than part of JB 4.2.2.) do not change the fact that this phone is really nothing more than the S III with lipstick. No thanks, I’ll stay with my iPhone 5 or the new HTC One.
Jason
03/15/2013 at 6:50 am
If that’s the case you should have stayed with the iPhone 3g! Doesn’t change the fact that the iPhone 5 is really nothing more than the iPhone 4 or 4s. No thanks! Sorry you’re post makes no sense when the tables are turned.
Ben
03/15/2013 at 8:05 am
Got the brightness maxed on the s4 huh?
ivan maldonado campos
03/15/2013 at 4:30 pm
samsung is the topest and better technology of the moment ,and looks great…iphone boaring same thing
winstuff
03/16/2013 at 3:56 pm
No price? No battery stats? Nothing to buy? Yep. Sign me up.
mark.e
03/18/2013 at 7:39 am
My wife has the iPhone 4S and I have the Galaxy S2X (two generations below the Galaxy S4). Although my wife likes her iPhone 4S she LOVES my phone. She always complains about bad typing experience on the iPhone and the fact that she cannot easily transfer all our music library and some video tutorials to her phone.
I had all our music library and the tutorials transferred to my Galaxy. Easy as pie. Not so with the iPhone.
Not to mention that many excellent apps that are free for android cost when it’s for the iPhone.
Or the screen size!
I cannot even imagine how much better the Galaxy S4 is compare to the S2X….
Jonathon
04/05/2013 at 3:56 am
A very bias report, Quad core, Vs Dual core, 8MP VS 13MP etc etc… So am I switching from an iPhone 5????? I would not have been stupid enough to buy one in the first place. The question is this, shall I switch from my Nokia Lumia 920??? Yes, simply as I need a bigger screen, otherwise the Lumia 920 is a perfect phone… Who ever wrote this crap, should never have beome a reporter, yes the iPhone is an ok phone…. But no where near the likes of the new Samsung!!!!!
DemetriusPhotography
04/18/2013 at 2:47 pm
Assholes!!! Listen up. Why are you guys talking about mega pixels on a damn phone? If you are a photographer like myself try spending some real money on a camera like my ($5,999)Nikon D4. Just enjoy both damn phones and leave mega pixels to us photographers.
Thomas
04/07/2013 at 2:50 am
I’d take the new galaxy s4 for its dazzling performance but then i’d just take the IPhone for its design and performance :)
DemetriusPhotography
04/18/2013 at 2:40 pm
Assholes!!! Listen up. Why are you guys talking about mega pixels on a damn phone? If you are a photographer like myself try spending some real money on a camera like my ($5,999)Nikon D4. Just enjoy both damn phones and leave mega pixels to us photographers.