iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S III

By Chris Jager, Allie Coyne on Sep 13, 2012 8:53 AM
Filed under Mobility

New kid on the block versus flagship favourite.

After months of speculation, Apple this morning announced the launch of its hotly-awaited iPhone 5.

The end result is more or less in line with expectations, with highlights including a larger 4in "retina" display, an A6 CPU that purportedly runs twice as fast as its predecessor, a redesigned 'Lightning' dock and 4G support compatible with local LTE networks.

It's also Apple’s thinnest and lightest smartphone yet, measuring 7mm at its thickest point and weighing 112 grams.

But how does it fare against Samsung's flagship offering? The two have been battling it out in the courts for months over who copied who, but there's no denying Samsung's Galaxy S III proved a popular offering.

It received nine million pre-orders in less than a month after its launch, which helped it to overtake Apple as the biggest smartphone maker in the first quarter of this year.

Below are the specifications lists for each. Which do you think comes out on top?

Apple iPhone 5:

Network	GSM model A1428: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)* CDMA model A1429: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)* GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)
Size & Weight	123x58x7mm 112g
Display	Retina display 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front Support for displaying multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Operating System	iOS 6
Camera	8-megapixel iSight camera Panorama Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio FaceTime HD camera with 1.2MP photos and HD video (720p) up to 30 frames per second Autofocus Tap to focus video or still images Face detection in video or still images LED flash Improved video stabilisation Photo and video geotagging
Power/Battery	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G Standby time: Up to 225 hours Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G; up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 10 hours Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Audio	Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV User-configurable maximum volume limit
Price	A$799 RRP (16GB) A$899 RRP (32GB) A$999 RRP (64GB)
Colour	Black & slate White & silver
System requirements	Apple ID (required for some features) Internet access Syncing with iTunes on a Mac or PC requires: Mac: OS X v10.6.8 or later PC: Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later iTunes 10.7 or later
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Sensor	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
Included accessories	iPhone 5 Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic Lightning to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation

Samsung Galaxy S III:

Network	2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz 3G (HSPA＋ 21Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz 4G
Display	4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED (1280x720) display
OS	Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Camera	Main(Rear): 8 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag, BIS Sub (Front): 1.9 Mega pixel camera, HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BIS
Video	Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)
Audio	Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X
Additional Features	S Beam, Buddy photo share, Share shot, AllShare Play, AllShare Cast, Smart stay, Social tag, Group tag, Face zoom, Face slide show, Direct call, Smart alert, Tap to top, Camera quick access, Pop up play, S Voice, Burst shot & Best photo, Recording snapshot, HDR
Google Mobile Services	Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads
Connectivity	WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40 GPS/GLONASS NFC Bluetooth® 4.0(LE)
Sensor	Accelerometer, RGB light, Digital compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer
Memory	16/ 32GB User memory microSD slot (up to 64GB)
Dimension	136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm 133g
Battery	2,100 mAh