Apple Inc. unveiled the latest in its flagship line of smartphones at a major press event at its Cupertino headquarters in Calif. on Tuesday. The iPhone 5S is the new high-end option from the company that's supposed to help Apple compete with all of the other devices on the smartphone market. However, this begs the question, how does it stack up against its long time rival Samsung's flagship smartphone the Galaxy S4?
Well the most noticeably difference between the two devices has to be the display size. The emerging trend in smartphones is to display larger screens for people and bridge the gab between smartphone and tablets. However, Apple chose not to buy into that trend and is offering the iPhone 5S with its original 4-inch screen. The I phone sports the smaller screen size with a 1,136-by-640 pixel display. Meanwhile its competitor has had success in recent months with its larger 5-inch display with a 1,920-by-1,080 pixel screen. The Galaxy S4 also delivers a much denser 441 pixels per inch over the iPhone 5S' 326 pixels per inch, according to PCMag.
Along with its new hardware, the iPhone 5S also marks Apple's release of the new iOS 7 from beta testing. Whie iOS 7 is largely a redesign for look, it also plays catch-up with Android by offering features like the Control Panel and improvements to the drop-down Notifications Center. These are feature, which have had an Android equivalent for quite some time. While iOS 7 hasn't been released to the public yet, it's possible that it will only be a slight improvement to match the Galaxy S4's interface.
Typically Apple isn't one for packing its smartphones with features and gimmicks and merely updates the already time-tested model that's made it so successful. However, with the iPhone 5S comes the flashy new Touch ID fingerprint scanner that the company claims makes the iPhone the most secure smartphone on the market. Meanwhile, Samsung isn't at all shy about packing the phone full of features. Eye-scrolling lets the phone recognize when it is being looked at and can scroll a page you're reading based on where you are and Air Gestures allows you to control several features of the phone with a simple wave of the hand. While these features are nice, they make for a smaller battery life than the new iPhone 5S. In other words, if you're a fan of gimmicky features and the efficiency that comes with them, the S4 might be perfect for you.
When it comes to camera, the S4 has the iPhone 5S beat in almost every way. That isn't to say that the iPhone 5S has a bad camera, in fact, many at DiscoveryNews even prefer the pictures the iPhone takes to the Galaxy. However, when it comes to camera features, Apple simply can't compete. The S4 offers a dual camera mode, an Eraser mode, Drama Shot mode for shot sequencing and Animated GIF photo mode.
In essence, the two phones are Apples and oranges, the iPhone 5S is for the user that simply wants a solid smartphone that will do everything that's familiar and necessary. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 is for the more savvy smartphone user who knows how to utilize the bevy of features that come with the Android os.
Apple's iPhone hits shelves on Sept. 20 when people can start to do a proper comparison between the two smartphone rivals. In the meantime, tell us what you think. Comment and share with your pick for top smartphone dog in the comments section below.
