Now that we've got both phones in the building, we've gone beyond
mere specification comparisons to include benchmark figures, camera
comparisons, battery life and detailed display results to deliver a
final verdict on which is the better phone. Hopefully this will help you
make up your mind on whether to pick up a Galaxy S5, or go for iOS and
pick up and iPhone instead.
SIZE AND WEIGHT
Dimensions: The iPhone 5s looks tiny compared to most smartphones. It weighs
112g and measures
123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm. The Galaxy S5 is considerably larger and heavier, weighing
145g and measuring
73x142x8.1mm.
When held in one hand, you can reach every part of the iPhone's screen,
whereas it can be tricky to reach the top left corner with your right
thumb, or the right corner when held with the left. However, both still
slip comfortably into a pocket - unlike larger phablet phones like
Samsung's
Galaxy Note 3.
The iPhone 5s is considerably smaller and lighter than the Galaxy S5
Materials: Apple has always been top when it comes to smartphone design and the iPhone 5s is no different. The iPhone 5s is made from
anodised aluminium
with diamond cut chamfered edges. It is available in gold, silver and
grey. Its full-metal body feels fantastic and it's one of the best-made
phones that we've ever seen. It's tough, too; even after almost a year
of carrying ours around, our iPhone 5S still looks pristine.
The Galaxy S5 has
dimpled soft-touch plastic on the
back, which gives it more grip. The plain black finish on the front
looks stylish, too, although the silver metal effect trim around the
edges remains. Unfortunately the handset is
still made from plastic,
rather than metal, but is available in more colours: black, white, gold
and blue. To be fair to Samsung, it's done a good job of the plastic
case and the handset feels well-made and doesn't have the creakiness of
cheaper plastic products.
Even so, there's no question that the iPhone feels like a more
premium product; despite costing over £550 and looking very sleek, the
Galaxy S5 lacks the polish and tough materials that would put it on par
with Apple's handset. Hopes that Samsung would address the balanced with
a metal Galaxy S5 haven't quite panned out, with the recently announced
metal Samsung Galaxy Alpha not
quite fitting the bill. While its premium materials look great, the
specs have been toned down from the S5's, with a lower-resolution
1,280x720 screen, lower-resolution 12 megapixel camera and slower octa
core processor (1.8GHz quad + 1.3GHz quad). We'll have to wait until
September to find out if the improved build quality make the Alpha a
real contender, although by then we should also have the iPhone 6.
SCREEN
Screen size: The iPhone 5s has a
4in display, which is beginning to look very small when held side-by-side with big-screen Android devices. The
16:9 aspect ratio
means it's tall but thin, so your thumb can comfortably reach from the
bottom left corner all the way up to the top right. The bezels at either
side are a rather slim 4mm thick, meaning 60.6% of the entire front
surface is comprised of screen.
The Galaxy S5, meanwhile, has a massive
5.1in screen
which makes the iPhone 5s look tiny by comparison. The exterior bezels
are slightly thinner too, at 3mm each side. The aspect ratio is also
16:9, but because of the size difference people with smaller hands may
struggle to reach the very top of the screen with one hand. There's less
room at the top and bottom of the screen for bezels, microphones,
speakers or physical buttons, meaning the screen takes up a greater
percentage of the front than the iPhone.
Both phones use
Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the panel from scratches.
The Galaxy S5 (right) has a much bigger screen and a higher resolution than the iPhone 5s(left)
Resolution: The iPhone 5s has a screen resolution of
1,136x640
- an odd size which is a relic of older iOS devices. That means it is
unable to play Full HD video, or even 720p footage at its native
resolution, but a
377ppi pixel density means it is still impossible to see individual pixels from an average viewing distance.
The Galaxy S5 has a
1,920x1,080 Full HD resolution display, with a pixel density of
432PPI
- despite the larger screen, the pixels are packed in more tightly than
on the iPhone. It can play Full HD video at its native resolution,
without having to downscale the picture in software. In practice, the
larger, wider screen on the Galaxy S5 makes it easier to read websites
optimised for the desktop - text can be smaller than on the iPhone yet
remain legible.
Screen technology: Apple has always used
LCD technology
in its iPhones, which is able to produce significantly brighter images
than competing technologies. We measured the iPhone 5s' peak brightness
at a massive
505cd/m2, which is almost double that of Samsung's current generation
Galaxy S4 - simply put, the iPhone 5s is brighter and produces whiter whites.
Samsung has used
AMOLED screen technology in almost
all of its flagship smartphones, and the Galaxy S5 is no exception. It
has several advantages over LCD technology; individual pixels can be
turned off when displaying absolute black images, so AMOLED screens have
use less power when displaying them. Contrast ratios are significantly
higher than LCD screens too. It has a peak brightness of 339.43cd/m2,
much lower than that of the iPhone 5s, but it has a much higher contrast
ratio of 26,568:1. Black levels are an incredibly low 0.0128cd/m2,
which is practically unbeatable by a conventional LCD display - even one
as good as the iPhones.
The Galaxy S5 arranges its sub pixels in a pentile arrangement,
interleaving green pixels between alternating red and blue pixels,
whereas the iPhone 5s uses three sub-pixels (red, green and blue) for
every pixel. This arguably means the iPhone doesn't need as high a
resolution to make text and images look as sharp as the Galaxy S5, but
in practice we think the Galaxy S5 looks sharper.
In the end, still images look fantastic on both devices. The iPhone
produces brighter images overall, with whiter whites, but the Galaxy S5
can produce deeper blacks that make dark images look superior.
PERFORMANCE
Processor: The iPhone 5s has an
ARM v8-based 1.3GHz dual-core processor. This translates to an excellent score of 416ms in the SunSpider JavaScript test. The Galaxy S5 has a
Snapdragon 801
processor running at 2.5GHz, which translates to speedy benchmark
scores. In the SunSpider JavaScript test, the S5 completed the benchmark
in 408ms. Considering the architectural and software differences
between the two phones, this is a great showing for Android, which has
typically struggled to match Apple in the Sunspider test.
Graphics: The iPhone 5s has a
PowerVR G6430
GPU. It is one of the best performing phones we’ve ever tested, maxing
out both the 3D Mark Ice Storm Standard and Extreme Tests. It scored a
very impressive 14,506 in the Ice Storm Unlimited test. The Galaxy S5
has a faster
Adreno 330 GPU, which scores 18,438 in the
same test. This makes it significantly faster when it comes to games,
even when rendering at a higher internal resolution. It will be able to
play multi-platform games at higher frame rates than the iPhone 5s in
years to come, but right now both are capable of playing anything in
their respective app stores.
Memory: Apple has included just
1GB of RAM
in the iPhone 5s, but despite the low number that’s still more than
adequate due to the way multitasking is handled in iOS. Samsung has
bettered Apple by sticking
2GB of RAM into the Galaxy
S5, as Android benefits from a larger pool of memory. There's no way to
fairly test app loading times cross-platform, but both phones show
little sign of lag and open apps quicker than their respective
predecessors.
Storage: There are three versions of the iPhone 5s –
16GB, 32GB and 64GB. By comparison the Galaxy S5 only comes in
16GB and 32GB versions, with no 64GB version planned at launch. It does at least have a
microSD card slot, which supports
up to 128GB cards, but the new file permissions in
Android 4.4 KitKat
mean you have to use Samsung's My Files app to organise your music,
photos and video on the SD card - third party file managers won't work.
Battery: The combination of the new processor, M7 motion processor and
1,560mAh battery all mean that the iPhone 5S has excellent battery life. At half brightness with Wi-Fi turned off, our iPhone 5S lasted
14h 31m in our video playback test. The Galaxy S5 has a significantly larger
2,800mAh
battery, although it's powering a faster processor and bigger screen so
won't directly translate into a longer lifespan. Even so, it lasted
17 hours 30 minutes in our video rundown test, meaning you can easily go a full day without having to worry about running out of juice.
CAMERA
The iPhone 5s has a
8-megapixel,
back side illuminated (BSI) rear camera sensor, which is paired with a
dual LED flash. It captures 3264 x 2448 resolution stills and records
Full HD video at 30fps, with a
slow motion function. The
1/3in sensor has 1.5µm pixels, which are significantly larger than most smartphone cameras to capture more light information.
From the specs, the S5 (right) has more raw pixels than the iPhone 5s (left), but low light performance remains to be seen
The Galaxy S5 has a
1/2.6in sensor with
1.241µm pixels. Despite having a larger
16-megapixel
sensor, cramming more pixels into a smaller surface area won't
necessarily increase picture quality over the iPhone. The S5's camera
also uses the new
ISOCELL sensor technology, which
reduces the crop factor of the final image and improves dynamic range by
preventing light leaking from one pixel to another. It shoots
4,640x3,480 (16.15-megapixel) stills and records
1080p video at 60fps. It is also able to record
Ultra HD (4K) 3,840x2,160 video at 30fps and shoot video in
high definition.
In our outdoor test shots with high dynamic range (HDR) switched off,
both phones capture detailed images with accurate colours, although
they struggle to capture detail in the overcast sky and images appear
slightly dim or underexposed. Despite the difference in pixels, the
iPhone copes very well with landscape shots, with the drop in detail
only noticeable once you start zooming and cropping into your images.
The pub sign in the bottom corner of the street scene is still legible
at full resolution on the Galaxy S5, whereas it is blurred beyond
recognition on the iPhone. This detail is even noticeable on closer
subjects, like the brickwork on the big building in the foreground.
Switching HDR on makes very little difference on the iPhone in cloudy
and overcast conditions; images barely change when toggling the feature
on and off, with little extra light information captured by the sensor.
Conversely, the Galaxy S5 captures much more dynamic range, creating
more lifelike colours, and capturing detail in the sky and light
reflections in puddles. The Galaxy S5 also has live view HDR, meaning
you can see onscreen what your photos will look like before you press
the shutter; with the iPhone you'll have to take a picture then check
the gallery to judge the HDR effect.
On paper, the Galaxy S5 has a better front-facing camera - it uses a
two megapixel sensor that can record video chat in
1080p at 30fps, compared to the
1.2-megapixel webcam in the iPhone 5s which can only manage
720p FaceTime video at 30fps, although both are really only suitable for video chats so raw resolution isn't a major factor here.
FEATURES
Apple was the first manufacturer to add a fingerprint sensor to a smartphone, fitting a
TouchID sensor
to the iPhone 5s. It can be used to unlock the phone, or confirm
payment when making purchases on the App store, but no other apps
support it yet because Apple hasn't made the API public. The Galaxy S5
has its own
fingerprint sensor, which is built into the
home button. Rather than press and hold, you have to swipe your finger
across the button to authorise PayPal transactions, protect files or
folders and unlock the handset.
Both take less than a second to unlock, and both struggle to register
a print if you have any water on your fingers. You can register more
prints on the iPhone than you can on the S5, which is limited to three,
although for the best results both phones benefit from scanning one
print multiple times for better recognition.
The Galaxy S5 is heavily targeted towards fitness, with
ANT+ support for connecting a heart rate monitor or pedometer, and a
heart rate sensor built into the back of the phone. It is also
water- and dust-resistant.
It is also compatible with Samsung's wearable range, including the
original Galaxy Gear, new Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit smart
band. There are plenty of iPhone apps that do the same job, but all
drain the battery faster than using a fitness band.
The Galaxy S5 comes pre-installed with S Health, Samsung's own health
hub for collating fitness data, exercise sessions, food and weigh-ins
to give users a better idea of their general fitness. Even if you aren't
using one of Samsung's wearables, the S5 can use its internal
accelerometer to count the number of steps taken per day and use that
number to calculate distance travelled or calories burnt, and can also
track sleeping patterns based on when you put the phone down at night
and when you pick it up in the mornings. The iPhone has no native way of
collecting this kind of health information in its current state,
although Apple plans to add a fitness-centric Healthkit app with
iOS 8
- the next version of its mobile operating system which is all but
guaranteed to arrive on the iPhone 5s as a free update later this year.
SMART WATCHES
Although the iPhone can be used with some third-party accessories,
such as the Pebble smartwatch, it's fair to say that the Galaxy S5
currently has the lead. As well as working with Samsung's own
Gear Fit and
Gear 2, the handset will also work with Android Wear devices. So far we've only seen the rather so-so
LG G Watch, but things are starting to heat up with the
imminent Moto 360 launch. For Apple we're going to have to wait until the iWatch before we see something truly designed for the iPhone.
Both phones have roughly similar support from other
wearable tech,
with pretty much every fitness tracker, pedometer and heart rate
monitor working with both phones. There are a few exceptions, but our
reviews tell you which device works with which mobile operating system.
SOFTWARE
One of the biggest differences between the Galaxy S5 and the iPhone
5s isn't physical - it's in the software. The iPhone runs Apple's iOS
operating system, while the Galaxy S5 uses a heavily customised version
of Google's Android.
In its first few years, Android had significantly fewer apps than
iOS, but now virtually every major brand or developer makes their apps
simultaneously for both platforms. There are few, if any platform
exclusives any more, and Android has never been easier to use, so if you
aren't familiar with either operating system, software is no longer a
reason to choose one phone over the other.
There are too many differences between the two operating systems to
go into here - for a more detailed breakdown of the features and issues
with each one, read our
iOS and
Android reviews.
4G and Wi-Fi
Both the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5s support
all major 2G, 3G and 4G LTE frequency bands, although the S5 supports the faster
LTE Category 4 and LTE-Advanced
modes while the iPhone 5s makes do with LTE Category 3. When it first
launched the iPhone 5S unable to use O2's 4G network, but this was a
certification issue and not a hardware problem - it is now compatible
with every 4G network here in the UK, and we expect the S5 to be the
same when it arrives.
The iPhone 5s only supports
802.11n Wi-Fi, whereas the Galaxy S5 supports the faster
802.11ac
version. Admittedly, this is going to make little difference in
day-to-day use. To really reap the benefits of 802.11ac, you need both a
very fast internet connection and an 801.11ac wireless router. Even
with both, unless you're regularly downloading large files, you'll not
really notice the difference between the wireless standards on both
phones.
They both support
Bluetooth 4.0 and
GPS geo-location, but the Galaxy S5 has both
NFC and an
Infra-red blaster for controlling TVs or other home cinema equipment.
Samsung has moved from standard micro USB to a
micro USB3 port on the Galaxy S5, but Apple uses its own proprietary
Lightning connector,
which connects to USB2. Faster USB is great if you're copying a lot of
music, video and pictures to your phone. Both phones use the newer,
smaller nano SIM standard, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 5.
VERDICT
The iPhone is a design classic, that has been honed and improved over
the years that the iPhone 5s is difficult to criticise if you've only
ever used iOS devices. However, anyone coming from an Android device
will notice how small it is, even though it admittedly eclipses just
about every Android device out there in terms of construction and
materials - the Galaxy S5 included. The camera is beginning to show it's
age and the Retina screen resolution, once Apple's crowning
achievement, has fallen behind Android's 1080p screens.
The Galaxy S5 is incredibly quick, has better battery life, a bigger
screen and better camera than the iPhone 5s. It's better connected, too,
plus has the added benefit of wearable compatibility with the Gear
smartwatch range. Until Apple releases the
iWatch Samsung has the lead when it comes to companion accessories.
As for which is best, it still boils down to which operating system
you prefer. If you've invested heavily in one OS, buying apps from the
store and using specific apps you can't get on other platforms, it will
be difficult to switch. Although the iPhone 5s is expected to be
replaced by the
iPhone 6
later this year, right now it's the best iOS smartphone available, so
is still a worthy purchase. However, if you want the latest and
greatest, it's undoubtedly the Samsung.
SPECS
Manufacturer |
Apple |
Samsung |
Model |
iPhone 5S |
Galaxy S5 |
HARDWARE |
Processor |
Dual-core 1.3GHz Apple A7 |
Quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 |
RAM |
1GB |
2GB |
Screen size |
4in |
5.1in |
Screen resolution |
1,136x640 |
1,920x1,080 |
Screen type |
IPS |
AMOLED |
Front camera |
1.2 megapixels |
2-megapixel |
Rear camera |
8 megapixels |
16-megapixel |
Flash |
Dual-LED |
LED |
GPS |
Yes |
Yes |
Compass |
Yes |
Yes |
Storage |
16/32/64GB |
16GB |
Memory card slot (supplied) |
N/A |
MicroSD |
Wi-Fi |
802.11n |
802.11ac |
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 4.0 |
Bluetooth 4.0 |
NFC |
No |
Yes |
Wireless data |
4G |
4G |
Size |
123.8x58.6x7.6mm |
142x72.5x8.1 mm |
Weight |
112g |
145g |
FEATURES |
Operating system |
iOS 7.1 |
Android 4.4 (KitKat) |
Battery size |
1,560mAh |
2,800mAh |
BUYING INFORMATION |
Price SIM-free (inc VAT) |
£549 |
£560 |
Details |
www.apple.com |
www.samsung.co.uk |
Part code |
Apple iPhone 5S |
SM-G900F |