If you’re an Apple fan then look away right now for you may not like this article.
Samsung Galaxy S5 made a star debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, boasting features that may well eat Apple iPhone 5s’ lunch.
Samsung packed a lot of punch with the launch of its new “superphone”. It launched two new products with the phone: Gear Fit, a fitness band that can work as a pedometer, heart rate tracker and sleep monitor; and the second generation of the Samsung smartwatch.
Now the fifth generation of both phones are competing with each other like Murray and Federer. We compare features of the two phone pharaohs:
1. Screen
Size does matter when you start the screen debate. Samsung Galaxy S5’s 5.1-inch full HD display belittles the iPhone 5S’s 4-inch size.
While Galaxy S5’s screen is 0.1 inch bigger than the Galaxy S4, the iPhone 5s’ screen is the same as the iPhone 5.
However, rumour has it that Apple will play catch-up and kit the iPhone 6 with bigger screens.
Score: Samsung 1 Apple 0
2. Fingerprint scanner
The juiciest bit of the iPhone 5s was its fingerprint sensor but Apple did feel a little exposed after news reports of the 5s being unlocked using nipples started doing rounds.
The USP of Samsung Galaxy S5 too is its fingerprint sensor. It’s outdone Apple’s fingerprint sensor by offering Biometric security where a finger swipe will enable a “private mode”, a way of storing sensitive information accessible only by using the scanner.
Samsung has also partnered with PayPal to allow buyers to authenticate PayPal payments using the fingerprint sensor.
Score: Samsung 2 Apple 0
3. Colour
The new Samsung phone comes in black, white, blue and gold but the leather backs frankly make it the new models look like used leather car seats. Basically, it’s #tacky.
It hasn’t quite matched up to Apple’s chic gold, grey silver and black iPhone 5s.
Score: Samsung 2 Apple 1
4. Operating System
Samsung has pipped iPhone 5s’ operating system with Android 4.4 (KitKat), the latest version of the operating system. The new version has made the phone faster than its predecessors.
Apple’s iO7, on the other hand, sent gazillion updates about new updates. In fact, yesterday it was revealed that a serious bug affects every Apple device.
Score: Samsung 3 Apple 1
5. Storage
While Apple does offer three storage options i.e 16GB/32GB/64GB, Samsung provides only two i.e 16GB and 32GB with the option of boosting the amount of storage available with a microSD card slot.
So Apple wins this round.
Score: Samsung 3 Apple 2
6. Camera
Galaxy S5’s camera is its trump card in this battleground. The 16-megapixel camera has a contrast-detect autofocus, which Samsung claims is the fastest autofocus in any smartphone.
Apple’s iPhone 5s camera? A mere 8-megapixels.
Score: Samsung 4 Apple 2
7. Connectivity
Both phones come with LTE functionality for 4G, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi. However, the Galaxy S5 supports fifth generation WiFi 802.11ac. The iPhone 5s is still using 802.11a/b/g/n bands.
Too technical? This just means that Samsung is better connected than Apple.
Score: Samsung 5 Apple 2
8. Battery
The Samsung S5 comes fitted with a 2800mAH battery while the iPhone 5s comes with a 1,570mAh battery.
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 has bettered its battery compared to its predecessor. It comes with a black-and-white mode where the phone will can be used just for phone calls and text messages. This is expected to boost battery life for up to 24 hours.
Apple makes no such promise.
Score: Samsung 6 Apple 2
If you compare sales from last year, then Samsung is definitely the market leader. The South Korean firm has around 31% of the global mobile market while Apple has garnered a 15% share. While Samsung’s sales grew 42.9% last year, Apple’s sales were up just 15.9%.
The big question here is can Apple beat Samsung with the iPhone 6? It’s a tall order because Apple’s cool quotient is fizzling out. But where Apple can really redeem itself is price. If it comes at a more competitive price than Samsung phones then Apple may be able to lure its lost customers.
Will you Apple aficionados now consider switching to Samsung? Leave your comments below…
Now read:
The top 5 wearable technology gadgets in 2014
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