Smartphone Showdown: Apple iPhone 5s vs. Samsung Galaxy S4

Apple has just released its new smartphone flagship in the market, the iPhone 5s. It has maintained its sleek and sophisticated look, coupled with a much faster processing power (64-bit processor) than its previous version. It promises to have 40x faster CPU and 56x faster GPU than the original iPhone. Add to that the Touch ID - a new fingerprint identity sensor which is a first of its kind among smartphones. It is strategically placed on the Home button where anyone naturally touch the iPhone. The fingerprint identity sensor is made of laser-cut sapphire crystal and surrounding the button is a stainless steel ring, which according to Apple, detects your finger, wakes the sensor, and improves the signal-to-noise ratio.

The Samsung Galaxy S4, on the other hand, is made of polycarbonate chassis, which some people prefer, and is considered to be quite a looker and is very durable. Its 5-inch AMOLED screen delivers 441ppi pixel density behind Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It runs on a Qualcomm Quad Core Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz processor with 2GB RAM. Additional features include NFC (Near Field Communication), IR blaster that can be used as a universal remote to control your TV, and support for Air Gestures and Smart Scroll.

If you are still on the fence on which smartphone to get, let us try to answer the ultimate question - how does iPhone 5s match up against its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S4? Let's all have a much closer look.

Smartphone Showdown: Apple iPhone 5s vs Samsung Galaxy S4

Comparison Chart
Specifications	Apple iPhone 5s	Samsung Galaxy S4
Display Size	4 inches	5 inches
Display	Retina display  Widescreen Multi-Touch display 16:9 aspect ratio  800:1 contrast ratio 500 cd/m2 max brightness Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously	1080p Full HD Super AMOLED  16M Color Depth  Multi-Touch display 16:9 aspect ratio Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass)
Color and Finish	Silver, Space Gray, and Gold	Black Mist and White Frost
Build	Aluminum	Polycarbonate
Resolution	1136 x 640	1920 x 1080
Pixel Density	326 ppi	441 ppi
Dimensions	Height: 4.87 inches (123.8 mm) Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm)  Depth: 0.30 inch (7.6 mm)	Height: 5.38 inches (136.6 mm) Width: 2.75 inches (69.8 mm)  Depth: 0.31 inches (7.9 mm)
Weight	3.95 ounzes (112 g)	4.59 ounzes (130 g)
CPU	Apple A7, 64-bit plus M7 motion coprocessor	Qualcomm Quad Core Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz processor
GPU	PowerVR G6430	Adreno 320
RAM	1GB	2GB
Storage Capacity	16GB, 32GB, 64GB	16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Expandable	No	Yes (MicroSD External Memory Slot of up to 64 GB)
Connections	Wi-Fi: Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz 3G: Yes  4G: Yes  NFC: No  Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi: Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 3G: Yes  4G: Yes  NFC: Yes  Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Operating System	Apple iOS 7	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
SIM	Nano-SIM	Micro-SIM
Front Camera	1.2MP Front camera (1280 x 960)  New backside illumination sensor	2MP Front camera
Rear Camera	8MP with 1.5µ pixels ƒ/2.2 aperture Sapphire crystal lens cover True Tone flash Backside illumination sensor Five-element lens  Hybrid IR filter  Autofocus Tap to focus  Face detection  Panorama  Auto image stabilization  Burst mode  Photo geotagging	13MP Rear camera Power LED Flash (1EA) Auto Focus available
Video	1080p HD video recording (iSight camera) 720p HD video recording (FaceTime camera)  30 fps True Tone flash Slo-mo video Improved video stabilization Take still photo while recording video Face detection 3x zoom Video geotagging Tap to focus	Video Format : MPEG4, H.263, H.264, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark, HEVC Full HD (1080p) Video Playback Recording up to 30fps
Intelligent Assistant	Siri (Use your voice to send messages, set reminders, and more)	S-voice
Touch ID	Fingerprint identity sensor	N/A
Sensors	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer  Proximity sensor  Ambient light sensor  Fingerprint identity sensor	Accelerometer Geomagnetic Gyro RGB light Barometer Proximity Gesture Temperature & Humid Hall sensors
Connectors	Lightning	USB 2.0
Battery	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (charging via USB to computer system or power adapter)	Li-ion 2,600mAh battery
Standby Time	Up to 250hrs	Up to 370hrs (3G) Up to 320hrs (LTE)
Talk Time	Up to 10hrs (3G)	Up to 17hrs (3G)
Internet Time	Up to 8 hours on 3G Up to 10 hours on LTE Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi	Up to 8 Hours Internet Usage Time (3G, LTE) Up to 10 Hours Internet Usage Time (Wi-Fi)
Audio/Video Playback Time	Video Playback: Up to 10 hours Audio Playback: Up to 40 hours	Video Playback: Up to 11 hours Audio Playback: Up to 62 hours

Conclusion

Both smartphones have their own selling points. The Samsung Gallaxy S4 has a built-in infrared blaster that can be used as a universal remote to control your TV. Its NFC chip allows you to communicate with other devices with NFC, meaning you can share or swap contents such as photos by simply tapping both devices together. Another advantage S4 has over the iPhone 5s is that its storage capacity can be expanded using a MicroSD card. Furthermore, its battery is replaceble, which is a major plus to some people. The Gallaxy S4 is a high-end smartphone, but it doesn't really feel like one since it is made of slippery plastic housing, which according to extremetech.com, only gets slippier the more it is used. On the other hand, iPhone 5s not only looks sleek and sophisticated, it is also lighter and smaller compared to the S4, which is much favored by people with smaller hands. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner for security is a sure hit, coupled with improved camera features and M7 motion coprocessor, the iPhone 5s is one powerful smartphone. In paper, Gallaxy S4 has the superior screen display, but iPhone 5s' Retina display is not too far behind.

Overall, it all boils down to user preference. If you are after numerous features, Samsung Gallaxy S4 is the phone for you. But, if you crave familiarity with improved performance and exciting new features, iPhone 5s is the one for you. Plus, it looks a whole lot better than the S4.

Sources:

www.apple.com
www.samsung.com
www.gizmag.com
www.pcauthority.com.au
www.phonearena.com
www.extremetech.com
http://au.ibtimes.com
http://news.yahoo.com