iPhone 5s vs Galaxy S4: What to buy

iPhone 5s vs Galaxy S4: What to buy

During the launch event for the iphone 5s, Apple CEO, Apple CEO Tim Cook told the crowd that “we don’t pack in feature after feature.” That was obviously a dig at Samsung, whose Galaxy S4 will be competing head to head starting Sept. 20. Not sure which smartphone to buy? You will make up your mind by the end of this article.

The iPhone 5s is all about enhancing an already great phone, from a faster A7 processor and beefed-up camera to a new fingerprint sensor. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4 pushes the envelope with a cornucopia of features and some impressive specs of its own. Here’s how the two flagship smartphones stack up in multiple categories.

Why do Apple releases generate so much hype?

Design

Apple knows how to make more beautiful and solidly built smartphones than Samsung, and that doesn’t change with the iPhone 5s. Now available in three color options: space gray, gold and silver, the 5s is just as light (3.9 ounces) and thin (.3 inches) as before while packing a lot more power. The gold version looks classy without being ostentatious. The edges still look great and have a premium vibe.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 is an uninspired plastic slab. Yes, it’s light for having a larger 5-inch display, but the S4 doesn’t have a top-tier look or feel like the iPhone 5s. What we do like about the S4 is that the back is removable, allowing you to access the memory card slot and replace the battery. Samsung mixes a physical home button with capacitive keys beneath the screen, which works but doesn't feel unified. 

iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5 had a better design, and now you get more color options with the 5s.

There’s something that feels dated about the iPhone 5s’ 4-inch screen. At 1136 x 640 pixels, Apple’s device has a much lower resolution than the S4’s 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The S4 also has a full inch on the iPhone at 5 versus 4 inches. That’s a lot more room for watching videos, surfing the Web and playing games.

On the plus side for iPhone fans, assuming Apple choose the same panel for the 5s, it should be brighter than the S4. Just like the iPhone 5, we expect this screen to be much easier to read outdoors.

Apple also leads when it comes to design, with its sharp features; stainless steel rims. Apple has a new addition; finger print detection security feature.

Galaxy S4’s bigger and sharper screen in the Samsung outweighs the iPhone 5’s brighter LCD.

Cameras

The iPhone has always had one of the best smartphone cameras, and Apple is hoping to keep that primacy. While the 5s still bears an 8-megapixel camera, Apple’s new f/2.2 aperture sensor is 15 percent larger than the previous one, it can therefore capture wider frames, and a redesigned flash can blend its two LED lights to preserve a scene’s natural color balance. Apple has paired the hardware with a series of software features, adding things like a 28-megapixel panorama creator and a “burst mode” that captures a series of pictures and picks the best one. Apple may not be emphasizing camera quality quite as heavily as competitors. Samsung Galaxy S4 has 13-megapixel camera.