How The iPhone 6 Compares To Its Biggest Android Rival, Samsung's Galaxy S5
If
you’re trying to decide between the iPhone 6 and Android, chances
are you’ve at least taken a look at the Samsung's Galaxy S5. Both
phones are among the most popular devices out there today, and for
good reason.
The
iPhone 6 is Apple’s slimmest, yet one of its largest phones to
date. (The iPhone 6 Plus is even more massive, but it'll compete
with Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 4 phablet). For the first time
in two years, Apple upgraded the screen resolution and gave its
smartphone a completely new design.
The
Galaxy S5 is also one of Samsung’s best phones yet. It’s the
first phone to come with a fingerprint sensor, and Samsung has done
an excellent job at cleaning up its TouchWiz user interface while
still offering all of the special features you’d find with the
Galaxy S4.
So,
how do they compare? Here’s a look at some of the key differences
between both phones.
How
They Look And Feel
One
of the first things you’ll notice about the phones’ physical
attributes is the difference in size. Although the iPhone 6 is a lot
larger than the iPhone 5s, it’s not quite as big as the Galaxy S5.
The iPhone 6 features a 4.7-inch screen, while the Galaxy S5 comes
with a 5.1-inch display.
Design
can be subjective, since it depends on the user’s taste in most
situations. That being said, there are some general conclusions to
be made based on how comfortable the phones feel and how easy they
are to use.
Let’s
start with the iPhone 6. Apple’s new smartphone features a unibody
metal design that’s been slimmed down since the last version. It
now has the same curved edges you’d find on the iPad Air, making
the phone seem much more sleek than the last version. The entire
back of the phone has a brushed metal look, while its predecessor
featured glossy plastic strips on the top and bottom of the phone.
It’s
also worth noting both phones have fingerprint sensors embedded in
their home buttons. These can be used to unlock the phone and
authenticate purchases. On the S5, you can use it to verify
purchases through PayPal, and you can use the iPhone 6’s
fingerprint scanner to authenticate iTunes purchases. Soon, you'll
be able to use the iPhone 6 fingerprint sensor to authenticate
payments through Apple Pay, which will let you buy stuff in stores
by tapping the phone against a special reader.
There’s
no doubt about it — the iPhone 6 is a beautiful phone. It’s
super thin at 0.27 inches slim, while the Galaxy S5 measures about
0.31 inches thick.
I
wouldn’t call the Galaxy S5 clunky, but it’s not as thin as
Apple’s newest flagship. The Galaxy S5 is an improvement over the
Galaxy S4, and its hard dimpled back makes it easy to grip. That
being said, the iPhone 6 just feels more premium in terms of build
quality. The S5’s new textured plastic back makes it less
susceptible to fingerprint smudges than its predecessor, but it’s
not the most attractive.
Some
people might prefer the S5’s design (as I said, its subjective
based on the user’s taste). But if you want one of the thinnest
and lightest phones around that feels like a premium product, the
iPhone 6 is your best bet.
Screen
Quality
There’s
also a difference in the screen resolution between phones: the
iPhone 6 has a 1334 x 750 resolution screen packing 326 pixels per
inch, while the Galaxy S5 has a 1920 x 1080 screen with 432 pixels
per inch.
On
paper, the Galaxy S5’s screen should be noticeably better than the
iPhone 6’s. But in real-world testing, there didn’t seem to be
too much of a difference. Both phones rendered images and video
extremely sharply and crisply.
There
are some discrepancies in the way each phone’s screen renders
color, however. When watching the trailer for “Gone Girl” on
both phones, whites looked brighter on the iPhone, while they seemed
to have an ever so slight tint of yellow on the Galaxy S5.
That
being said, colors appear bolder on the Galaxy S5 than the iPhone
since it uses an AMOLED display instead of an LCD. The iPhone’s
colors may be truer to life, but bright colors will pop a little
more vibrantly when you view them on Samsung’s screen. (Note:the
screens on both phones were set to the maximum brightness).
How
The Cameras Stack Up
Both
the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 have top-notch cameras, but there are
some areas where one may succeed over the other. In my
comparison,
I noticed that the iPhone was able to capture better photos in low
light. But when it came to general image quality in good lighting,
both phones were able to capture clear and colorful images.
Here
are some test shots I took with both phones. (Note:both cameras were
set to Auto and photos were taken at the same place at the same
time.)
This
is a photo taken of Business Insider's Melia Robinson with the
iPhone 6. The corner we're standing in is actually very dark, but
you wouldn't be able to tell based on this photo. siness
Insider/ Lisa Eadicicco
And
here's that same photo taken with the Galaxy S5. It's a bit dimmer
and grainier than the photo taken with the Galaxy S5.Business
Insider/ Lisa Eadicicco Battery Life
Regardless
of whether you opt for the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S5, you should be able
to get through a full day of work without a problem. Battery life
also varies depending on how you use your phone, how many
notifications you get, which apps you use, and a bunch of other
variables.
I
got a solid eight to nine hours of battery life out of the Galaxy S5
after moderate to heavy usage. Business Insider’s Steve Kovach
reported about the same results in
his review.
The iPhone 6 lasted for about the same amount of time for me, but
Business Insider’s Dave Smith says he usually gets about 10 hours
out of his iPhone 6. So it’s really about how you use it and how
your settings are configured.
The
bottom line is that battery life doesn’t seem to be too different
between the two.
Samsung
does have two key advantages over the iPhone when it comes to
battery life. The Galaxy S5 has a removeable battery, so you can
swap it out with a fresh one if you're running low on juice. It also
has a special "Ultra Power Saving Mode" that makes the
screen black and white and only lets you use a handful of basic
apps. This mode lets you squeeze a few extra hours out of your
battery if you're in a jam.
Apps
App
selection is one of the most important things to consider when
buying a smartphone. Luckily, both Google's Play Store for Android
apps and Apple's App Store each have over 1 million to choose from.
However,
Android apps tend to be a little less polished than iOS apps.
Developers seem to pay more attention to iOS, giving apps for iPhone
the best features and design elements and first. In many cases, it
feels like developers still see Android as an afterthought.
New
apps and games tend to launch on iPhone first. If you like using the
latest and greatest developers have to offer, you should stick with
iPhone. You could be waiting months for the coolest hit app to hit
the Galaxy S5.
The
user interface is probably the biggest difference between the two
phones. It all comes down to your personal preference — do you
like Android or iOS?
Android
allows for much more customization, and Samsung has done a great job
of making its software a little less clunky and more palatable for
users with the Galaxy S5. But it’s still a little too cluttered
for my taste.
With
Android, you can add widgets to your home screen, making each home
screen look entirely different from the next. iOS is much more basic
— you unlock the screen and you’re immediately presented with
your apps and folders. Some might call this boring (and I completely
understand why), but the iPhone’s interface is simple and slick
enough for anyone to be able to pick it up and use it.
Samsung’s
user interface is a little more complicated, and has a lot more
moving parts than iOS. That being said, you get a little more
functionality out of Samsung’s software. You can open more than
one app at a time and you also get access to more shortcuts by
swiping down from the top of the screen than you do with the iPhone.
Conclusion
If
you’re in the market for a new phone, the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5
are excellent choices. Both phones are more than suited to take care
of your everyday needs, but there are certain areas where one may
succeed over the other.
If
design really matters to you, go for the iPhone 6. It’s the most
attractive smartphone out there (although the HTC
One comes close),
and it’s extremely thin and light. The aluminum design makes it
feel like a really premium product. The iPhone 6 also takes better
photos in low light conditions, which may be important depending on
how often you use your camera for indoor photography.
The
Galaxy S5 is better suited for hardcore multitaskers, and it also
includes a heart rate monitor for those who need to closely monitor
their health. It also has a larger screen, which is important to
consider. If you use your phone for reading or watching TV shows
often, you may benefit from the bigger display. If not, the iPhone
6’s sleeker design may be easier to squeeze in your pocket or use
with one hand.
By Lisa
Eadicicco | Business Insider
No comments:
Post a Comment