Online Since 1999 Site Secure
iPhone 5 v Samsung Galaxy SIII - Part 2 Of The Face-off !

In the first part of our article pitting the iPhone 5 against the Samsung Galaxy SIII we compared the design and dimensions of the two smartphones, looked at which had the best screen and which was the most powerful.

Now in the second part its time to compare all the other aspects of two of the best smartphones currently on the market.

Cameras !

Apple iPhone 5 ( 8-megapixel, 1.2 mega-pixel front-facing) v Samsung Galaxy SIII (8-megapixel, 1.9-megapixel front-facing)

Both the Galaxy SIII and the iPhone 5 have rear-facing 8 mega-pixel cameras which are capable of recording 1080p HD videos. There is very little between the two cameras on paper and it all comes down to which software you prefer.

Apple have now introduced some features that Android has had for a while, such as Panoramic shooting and the capability to take photos at the same time as filming HD video which makes this a very close call.

 

Both front-facing cameras are capable of recording 720p HD video, although the Galaxy SIII's snapper comes in with a slightly higher mega-pixel rating. However, there is very little between the two and for video calling they'll both perform equally well.

Galaxy SIII v iPhone 5 Camera

Conclusion

3G hasn't had the chance to test and compare the iPhone 5 and Galaxy SIII's cameras at this time, so we'll have to declare this category a draw !

Operating Software

Apple iPhone 5 (iOS 6) v Samsung Galaxy SIII (Android Ice Cream Sandwich)

Apple's iPhone 5 runs on the very latest version of Apple's iOS (iOS 6)  which includes a whole new version of Apple Maps, improvements to Siri , better web-browsing, deeper Facebook integration and the option to send automated text responses when you can't answer a call.

Currently the Samsung Galaxy SIII still runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich and  won't be upgraded to the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean) until next month. This is pretty disappointing especially when you consider a whole host of older smartphones run on Google's latest Android platform.

 

iOS v Android

Conclusion

In our mind we'd have to give this category to Apple because the iPhone 5 runs on the very latest version of Apple's operating system. However, some people prefer Android over iOS and we suggest people stick to their favourites or checkout both devices in a shop before they commit to buying either device.

Battery Life

Apple iPhone 5 (Standby 225 hours, Talktime 8 hours) v Samsung Galaxy SIII (Standby 780 hours, Talktime 11.4 hours)

Battery life is one of the only categories which is easily decided with the Samsung Galaxy SIII having  much better battery life than Apple's iPhone 5. The standby time is over 3 times as good, while talk-time is significantly higher on Samsung's device.

The only saving grace for Apple's device is that the iPhone is smaller and lighter than the Galaxy SIII as a consequence of it's smaller battery. Although it should be noted that if your iPhone's battery breaks you need to send the whole device to Apple for repair.

Storage

Apple iPhone 5 (16GB , 32GB or 64GB) v Samsung Galaxy SIII (16GB, 32GB or 64GB with microSD support)

Both the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII come in a choice of 16, 32 and 64GB of on-board memory with the prices being very similar for each smartphone. What wins this category for Samsung's device is that it supports microSD cards which increases the capacity of each model by up to 64GB.

NFC Support

NFC Logo

Apple iPhone 5 ( No NFC Support) v Samsung Galaxy SIII (NFC Supported)

NFC has become a big part of the mobile world in the last year because it enables you to pay for items in store with your smartphone. Additionally, in the last couple of month it's started being used in other ways,  such as to configure your mobile . For example, when entering the office your smartphone can automatically be set to silent mode.


We're puzzled why Apple have chosen to leave out NFC support on the iPhone 5 , while Samsung have included support for the technology on its Galaxy SIII. We thought this might be important enough to some people to warrant a category of its own in our comparison and it goes without saying that Samsung's smartphone wins this category !

The Final Verdict - Which is the winner the iPhone 5 or the Galaxy SIII !

The first consideration to make before deciding which smartphone to buy is whether you want a huge 4.8 inch smartphone, or a smaller more compact device. Those wanting the former should choose the Galaxy SIII, while those favouring the latter should go for the iPhone 5.

The second major factor is whether you prefer the Android platform (Galaxy SIII) or Apple's iOS platform. We recommend people choose based on their favourite or go and checkout each device in-store before buying.

Other than that, both devices have similar power, stunning displays, identical on-board storage, equivalent cameras, both support 4G LTE and are priced the same.  However, if your the type of person who bemoans battery life then you might want to avoid Apple's iPhone 5.

However, in 3G's mind we really think that the build-quality of Apple's iPhone 5 and its smaller size make it the winner , although we couldn't argue with anyone who prefers Samsung's Galaxy SIII as it just comes down to personal preference.

Trophy

3G's Winner : The iPhone 5 !

Newsletter

Be the first to hear about the latest devices and get news of breaking deals before anyone else.