Apple iPhone 5s vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: Which phone should you get?

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

The biggest competition in mobile right now is Apple and Samsung, and the biggest rivalry, iPhone 5s vs. Galaxy S4. Both are enormously popular, but both are incredibly different. Integrated vs. licensed, small screen vs. big screen, design-centric vs. spec-centric, and the list goes on and on. Which one is best is a matter of endless debate, but the more important question is - which one is best for you?

Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the current king of standard-sized Android handsets. And that 5-inches is standard sized now tells you a lot about the state of Android handsets these days! Like the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S4 has been accused of being more tock than tick - an iterative improvement over last year's monstrously successful Galaxy S3. But what an iteration! Better in almost every way that matters, in addition to the larger, sharper screen, it brings improved performance, a 13-megapixel camera, and the latest version of Samsung's Android presentation layer, TouchWiz.

Here's Android Central's Samsung Galaxy S4 review by Alex Dobie:

Galaxy S4: The good

The Galaxy S4 is a speedy all-rounder which manages to deliver great performance and a big, bright screen in an ergonomic package. Widespread availability, tons of features and a fairly recent version of Android work in the S4's favor, as does its impressive 13-megapixel camera.

Galaxy S4: The bad

The TouchWiz UI remains a clumsy construction, and still lacks any kind of overarching design language. The bewildering array of settings and features and poor UX design will confuse some users. The occasional performance hiccups are disappointing to see, and the plastic chassis feels cheap.

Galaxy S4: The bottom line

If you're looking for an Android phone that performs well across the board, ticks every feature box you could possibly imagine and is available on just about every carrier on the planet, the Galaxy S4 is an easy recommendation. But this time around it's clear Samsung has merely stacked incremental updates -- mostly features and internal hardware -- upon its earlier flagship, rather than addressing that device's issues and rethinking what a smartphone should be in 2013. For some folks, that's fine. For others, more exciting products await elsewhere.

iPhone 5s

Apple iPhone 5s

Apple iPhone 5s (Image credit: iMore)

Like the Galaxy S4, the iPhone 5s takes last year's smash hit to an incrementally new level. It has the first 64-bit mobile processor, the Apple A7, the Apple M7 motion coprocessor, a much improved 8-megapixel iSight camera, increased LTE support, and the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor. It has the same 4-inch screen, but it also has the newly redesigned iOS 7.

Here's iMore's iPhone 5s review by your's truly:

iPhone 5s: The good

The iPhone 5s is twice as fast as last year's already fast model. The improvements to the camera, including new 120fps slow motion video, are considerable. Built on top of a physics and particle engine, iOS 7 is not only a welcome redesign for Apple, but for the industry. Likewise, Touch ID works so well you'll immediately want it on everything.

iPhone 5s: The bad

Aside from the processors, camera, and Touch ID, not much has changed, unless you count new space gray and gold colors. It's still a 4-inch screen, which some people might find small, and while iOS 7 is beautiful in many ways, it's unfinished in some, and without the customization available to Android.

iPhone 5s: The bottom line

Apple call's the iPhone 5s their most forward-thinking iPhone ever, and on that they deliver. From iOS 7 to Touch ID to 64-bit, it's next-year's technology in your hand today. It's going to be on most carriers, in most countries in the world, and with the usual, unmatched app, accessory, and media support. Ultimately, it's the best iPhone ever. Again. If that's not what you want, Apple has nothing different to offer you. If it is, get it now.

So which one should you get?

Neither Samsung nor Apple fundamentally changed the game this year. Each simply got better at playing their existing strategies. And that's okay. But it means the decision remains essentially the same.

  • If a bigger screen and the ability to customize is more important to you than running iOS and all the high quality apps and accessories that come with it, or if you simply don't like Apple, go with the Galaxy S4.
  • If access to the iOS App Store, iTunes, and Apple Stores is more important to you than the power and flexibility that comes with Android, or you simply don't like Samsung, go with the iPhone 5s.

That's boiling it down to ridiculously absurd levels, but that's what buying decisions are all about. If you're still not sure, here are full reviews for both phones, and the best forums in the world to ask questions and get answers. Once you've decided, leave a comment below telling me why you went the way you did!

Still undecided?

If you're still not sure what to get, head on over to your local big box or carrier show and ask to try them out. Don't settle for dummy phones, ask to use demo units, and try them out for yourself. If you think you want an iPhone, but aren't sure which model, carrier, color, or capacity, here's a lot more information to help you decide:

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

83 Comments
  • I went from a 4S to a S4 to a 5S. Happy again!
  • I went from little money to less money to no money at all. Broke again!
  • When you consider the price of phones.. the extra couple $100 is worth it to be happy. I went to a 5S from HTC one.. I miss 2 things... 1. The awesome screen (not the size but it just looked nice) 2. the IR blaster(the fact i don't have it anymore bugs me, but to be honest the interface when using the IR blaster was cumbersome.) Im not at all a hater of any phones/brands, but the way apple handles stuff just seems to work better for me. example: WHen i would take a zoe with the HTC one .. it would save like 200 pics to my phone and didnt offer a way to clean it up, and forget importing.. i have so many crap pics and duplicates on my hdd now.. with the iphone.. it is SO EASY to clean up the bad pics when using burst mode. I do kinda miss the awesome mini movies / Zoes on the HTC.. but i do not miss managing the shots. That pretty much sums up android in general.. "pretty awesome if you dont mind micromanaging it"
  • My iphone 5s was 390$
  • Great breakdown Rene. Seems you cannot go wrong with either of these phones, but each have their specific audiences. Can't wait for the next Nexus to be released and see how it stacks up with these two, but specifically the 5s.
  • A friend of mine tuned me to these articleS which I detail how to find below. This article by Rene did not break it down enough. The comments are here mostly hearsay and Isheep or Galaxy heads talking cluelessly. Unless you've used both, you are not aware and some commenters make it obvious they haven't. They're just raising their glass to their phone assuming Google Android machinery /Samsung lag on something though technically and I repeat TECHNICALLY: there is pretty much nothing they lag behind and instead OFFER a whole lot more. These two break down technical aspects and facts, something this article did not by any means. READ : Gizmag Under the Microscope iphone-5-vs-galaxy-s4-comparison by:(Will Shanklin) Will Shanklin covers consumer technology for Gizmag. He's previously written for Android Central, Geek, GottaBeMobile, Android Police, and The Huffington Post. Relevant or not: Will holds a Masters degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a Bachelors from West Virginia University.) READ: Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: And the Winner Is…
    By Mark Spoonauer, LAPTOP Editor in Chief Side by side comparisons on almost every aspect of each phone with plenty of technical jargon to APPEASE THE EDUCATED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE CLASS :). Everything below will just be a bunch of nonsense. Some funny comments anyways. Unless you have used both you're just an Isheep or Galaxy head - and your points are just 'opinion.'
  • "Aside from the processors, camera, and Touch ID, not much has changed,..." - back away from the irony
  • They're both great phones. You can't go wrong with either one. I would love an iPhone similar in size to the GS4 with the ability to customize a bit more than iOS currently allows (I want to choose my own font. I promise not to use comic sans irresponsibly!). The only things I didn't like about the GS4 when I had it were 1) the audio with headphones wasn't as good as an iPhone (that's a biggie to me), 2) not every song I have in iTunes could be played on the GS4 and 3) the amount of carrier crap loaded on to the phone is a disgrace.
  • nice comparison. minor nit; the S4 doesn't have the latest version of Android (it's still on 4.2.2).
  • and that's a problem to consumers....how?
  • What's new in 4.3 that consumers may care about:
    better parental controls
    Bluetooth LE
    Open GL ES 3.0
    DRM API (hello 1080p Netlfix)
    background Wi-FI locations
  • I find thats a problem from a security, bug fixes and features standpoint. Security being the biggest one. With these things being our new wallets in many cases, our information is vital to us, but also a primary target for hackers / viruses, and thieves in general. With Samsung, their game is to allow older phones to fall behind to push you to upgrade and to get the next great thing. Not saying Apple doesn't do that with features, they do. However, I don't want them screwing with my security by holding back updates just for a few extra bux.
  • It's funny that Connor Mason is asking how it is important to consumers, and he got a couple of replies, and yet he is MIA. The fact is, both are good phones for sure. I bet S5 will come with all aluminum chasis, cause Samsung wants to shut all the doubters that criticize about their cheap fit and finish.
  • I'm thinking of getting the phone trifecta, the 5c or 5S, Lumia 1520 and the Note 3 or S4, I'm an indecisive person, so I'll just get all 3 major OS's, if the Z10 indeed gets demoted to an entry level device, and costs 250 or less I'll might get it too.
  • "[snip] so I'll just get all 3 major OS's [snip]" Windows phone is sadly outside the "major OS" camp (it’s warming the bench besides BlackBerry OS). But that is a good idea (though a tad pricey and time consuming).
  • i used to be a blackberry user who purchased a nexus4 for the apps.
    But after getting the Z10 i am totally neglecting my nexus, much better os specially with the ability to side load most of android apps.
    Only missing few things like the superior google now and sphere camera.
  • Z30, Note 3, 5S would be my trifecta.
  • Okay, I would choose Z30
  • I have nexus4 and Z10, you will never regret.
    Specially if you are using your phone for business.
    Nexus is mainly entertainment oriented.
  • Rene: Apples and oranges, no? I mean, people have mainly 4 choices in the mobile world: iOS, Android, BB or Windows Mobile. It's the operating system and its ecosystem that ultimately matters to me rather than a particular phone vs. another one. In other words, if I would to choose Galaxy S4 over 5s, I might get a great phone but a totally different OS to content with. And for that reason I choose iOS.
    If the question is now which iPhone to buy and why, withing the iOS ecosystem, than your review of the 5s becomes relevant to me.
  • Sometimes. Not everyone is aware of platforms. For many people, there's no "Android". There's Apple, Samsung, Droid, Nokia. As every phone becomes smart, the phones become more than just platforms.
  • Or to simplify your point, there is iTunes (ecosystem) and everything else.
  • Excellent point...we forget a majority (in lu of Internet stats) that just want pictures and angry birds.
    Even power users would have to admit that a large % of their usage can be done on both... I have a S3 that I picked up last year when my 3GS died. At that time at the end of the summer it was easily the best phone available. Come next year...I really hope there is a over 4.5 inch IPhone 6 to have to decide on.
  • Keep chanting 4.8, 4.8, 4.8, 4.8 :D
  • hell i would put the 5c above the s4
  • Not if you read 12 things Galaxy can do which Iphone Can't by Business Insider. You don't even know what a Galaxy does or how its different. Such an Isheep . On what basis do you say that? NONE. But since you are just blindly loyal, here is some info to help you out of YOUR I'CAVE AND YOUR false insistence your phone is so great for unknown reasons. Oh yea the aluminum and "Apple" logo - that means it is the best. Wake up and smell the coffee dreamer 77. :) These two break down technical aspects and facts, something blind Isheep would never do because someone brainwashed them into thinking their phone 'is the end all be all' lol. READ : Gizmag Under the Microscope iphone-5-vs-galaxy-s4-comparison by:(Will Shanklin) Will Shanklin covers consumer technology for Gizmag. He's previously written for Android Central, Geek, GottaBeMobile, Android Police, and The Huffington Post. READ: Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: And the Winner Is…
    By Mark Spoonauer, LAPTOP Editor in Chief Side by side comparisons on almost every aspect of each phone with plenty of technical jargon to appease anyone who at least tries to get half way educated on things before speaking.
  • Well I will have one of each. My work bought me an S4 and Im waiting for my 5s. Today I carry my iPhone4 as my Samsung 4S stays at home mostly pulled out to function as my Toddler's hotspot for his iPad YouTube consumption when we travel (since its a LTE device). The Samsung 4S's screen size in very nice sitting in the lazy boy but real life usage as a one handed device, it's too large (5'6" male). As a Android developer its frustrating and as consumer I personally do not care for Android. Even my Nexus 7 tablet is a glorified browser as its weight for reading/browser is spot on. But I do not care to expand nor invest its app options.
  • I made the mistake of buying purely on specs before and now I have an orphaned LG LTE with no updates and lousy after sales service . I won't make that mistake again. Even if both the S4 and 5S were the same in quality and specs, the bottom line for me is service. Only with Apple can you walk into the store and generally walk out with a working phone and a good mood.
  • Not true. Samsung has dedicated Best Buy stores with Samsung paid employees to help you walk out with a working phone. There are 10 to 1 or more Apple employees doing this in more locations but your blanket statement is not factual. Even the carrier stores will replace your phone if it stops working in warranty.
  • It's true that my story is anecdotal and LG is not Samsung or Apple but I do live in a medium size city and subscribe to a major carrier and I do not have any of the services you described.
  • Two years down the line i have not had a breakdown on s3 a year 2 months the note 2 is good, i sent my pal with a note 1 to a samsung shop here in what guys would call third world in Kenya and he left with his whole motherboard replaced, on a note 1 their service is great everywhere and it was a free service.
  • why not compare the HTC One? Or wait for the next Nexus?
  • This is what I was thinking. The HTC One is far better than the S4 in my honest opinion. The S4 doesn't even hold a candle to the one and it's excellent build quality. If I was to go back to Android there is only one company to consider and that's HTC.
  • I'm going to upgrade my 4S to a 5S as soon as I can get one. I really don't like how Samsung galaxy phones feel, and am not particularily fond of AMOLED screens. That is not to say I don't understand how good Samsung phones are, I know that but just don't like them. That said, and even though I like iOS's ecosystem more than Android's (maybe due to never owning an Adrndoid device myself), I was very tempted by a new Sharp phone anounced this week on CEATEC. It's a shame it's bound for Japan only.
  • Ive used an iphone 4s, samsung s4, and an iphone 5s. Apple hasnt even upgrade thier display to a 1080p screen yet still running on 720 p devices. Apple is all about speed yet samsung has the best of both. Speed and hd display. Isnt It kinda funny that apples customer service treats me badly yet when I called samsung. Ustomer support they showed me kindness.
  • Finally someone who has tried both phones. Friends of mine were just like you -couldn't go back to Iphone after trying SG. I just dislike people who assume that because something is 'popular' it is always the best. In this case, it is just not true. Reading up on both, how they are different, a like and actually using both is they only way these people get it.
  • I had to comment this much because I get baffled at the level of brainwashing some Isheep have. They just assume blindly and with such small mindedness, vigor and complete ignorance about anything else that their phone rules because of the logo. It is just bad for humanity that there are people like this. :)
  • And the answer is...... .....get the HTC One In all seriousness, your sister site Android Central have pretty consistently listed the HTC One as the best Android device currently available, so this seems like a fairer comparison. Plus Sense is more like iOS than the insanity that is touchwiz, so would be a more interesting comparison. Either that or the Moto X, which is perhaps the truest comparison.
  • I use both OS's. That is not the fair choice. If you are going to pick between them both the best Android super phone right now is without even a close choice the Note 3. This beast has it all, sick specs which include quad core processor, plenty of int storage with sd-card support, great camera, large replaceable battery and for the working pro the s-pen which works fantastic and much better than the Note 2. I can go on and on, I bought the 5S in white with 64gb of storage, love it. It isn't the same kind of phone as the Note 3. There isn't a Smartphone made as powerful as the Note 3. This phone has more HP than most home laptops. If you like a big phone the Note 3 is your phone, blows away the SGS4. The S4 has fixed the lag it came with out of the box, The Note 3 is twice as fast as the SGS4. I bought the Note 3 because I still like hacking away on the Android OS, this phone will have more Dev support than any other Android phone today. I am so happy I bought the iPhone 5 and then the 5S. I also really like the Note 3. Best of both worlds. The SGS4 does not even come close to the Note 3. I am lucky enough to enjoy them both.
  • I had the iPhone 5 went to the Galaxy S4 came back toa 64 gig 5s gold. I liked the galaxy but missed one handed operation. The lag on my galaxy never got better. I have all apple environment at home so the iPhone is better for me. Another issue that drove me nuts on the galaxy is if I used while charging it charged real slow on my iPhone that's not an issue. If the next gen iPhone goes for a larger screen I'd be happy if they took the 5s size and just made the whole screen usable. And Rene your reviews are the best.
  • Great review. Good info. Sent from the iMore App
  • It`s nice review Rene... But the IPhone came out with copycat to Android, I have my Motorola Atrix it came with Touch ID ( fingerprint scanner), the HTC One came a year ago it has the toast card.... I am not putting the IPhone down, no. But, Apple and all other copying each others, lets admit it. So seems Apple try to catch up with Android in here.
  • So i upgraded my 4S to a Galaxy S4 last week. On the other hand changed up my Android Tablet for an Ipad. I'm happy with this setup, best of both worlds.
  • I just need that iPhone with a larger screen, not taller. Doesn't do anything for me. The 4 form is not my fave and I just cannot wait to upgrade hopefully to the 6 to address this big (or tiny I should say) issue. Can't wait to rid of this heavy n slow 4. Hurry up Sept 2014!! ;-)
  • Your car and brain might be slow and heavy but not the Galaxy. Being an Isheep doesn't qualify you to ignore the specs. Check out this article: GizMag Under the Microscope article Iphone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 "If you look at the numbers, this looks like a blowout for the Galaxy S4. Its processor has more cores (four to the iPhone’s two), and is clocked higher (1.9 GHz to the iPhone’s 1.3 GHz). The GS4 also doubles the iPhone's RAM (2 GB to 1 GB) and scores much higher in benchmarks (3,224 to the iPhone 5’s 1,664 in Geekbench). When you’re using both phones, though, the performance difference doesn’t feel that big. In fact, I can’t say that anything on the iPhone 5 feels a whole lot slower than it does on the GS4. That isn't a knock on the GS4's performance: it's outstanding. It's more a testament to Apple's hardware and software integration. It makes the iPhone zippier than you'd expect it to be." But don’t mistake this for the old days, when Android phones looked better on paper, but still lagged behind the buttery-smooth iOS in real world use. Android has caught up in the last year (more on that in a minute), and you’ll see it first-hand when using the Galaxy S4. It’s ridiculously fast and as smooth as you'd want it to be. "Of course there’s also that octa core Exynos version of the GS4 (sold in some parts of the world). I only tested the quad core Qualcomm version sold in the US, but it’s a safe bet that those eight cores won’t give you anything to worry about either. The bottom line: despite the GS4’s overwhelming technical advantage, the iPhone 5 holds its own in most casual day-to-day use. Though the GS4 still has the edge, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything to complain about with either phone’s performance." "Right now, iOS’ identity is as the reliable, you-know-what-to-expect platform. If you’ve ever used any iPhone, everything will be familiar. Just about everything you do is simple and obvious. It “just works” like it always has. The inconsistent Apple Maps is one big exception, but you can easily fix that by downloading Google Maps from the App Store. That doesn’t mean that Android doesn’t also “just work.” For all of the platform’s improvements over the last few years, I think the most important was “Project Butter.” Introduced last year with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, it got rid of the choppy, laggy UI that old Android phones were known for. When combined with blazing-fast quad core (or octa core) processors, Android phones are now on the cutting edge of mobile performance: not just on paper, but, finally, also in actual experience." "Apple Maps, the marquee feature of iOS 6, has been an embarrassment for Apple. Passbook (a one-stop shop for gift cards, boarding passes, and other similar items) hasn’t really caught on. iCloud and Photostream syncing can be handy if you use multiple Apple devices, but they can also be slow and inconsistent. iMessage and FaceTime make it simple to keep in touch with Apple device-owning friends and family, but their functionality can be duplicated by third-party apps on Android. The iPhone gets apps from the App Store; the GS4 gets them from Google Play
    At this point, both iOS’ App Store and Android’s Google Play are chock full of great apps for just about anything you could imagine."
  • Or an Isheep who has never used a Galaxy-- praying for the day Iphone comes up "big" not realizing the Iphone is not the "best..." in any other way at all. I personally know 3 people who refused to switch back to Iphone because what you said is not true at all. Thanks for talking out of your (won't mention here anyways). "The iPhone 5 is about 14 percent lighter than the Galaxy S4. Make no mistake, though: both phones are certified featherweights. In fact, the GS4 beats the iPhone in relative weight. When you look at each phone’s surface-area-to-weight ratio, the Galaxy S4 is actually 11 percent lighter. The iPhone 5 is the lightest high-end smartphone you can buy right now. The Galaxy S4 is the lightest big high-end smartphone you can buy right now." From Gizmag, Under the Microscope Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5 You need to work out at the gym my friend...if you think Galaxy is heavy lol. I know women who use it with no problems and they are petite, the tallest being 5'4 and they are all slim. It was because of my friends by the way who did not go back to Iphone that I chose Samsung. I hope one day you get to try out a real Galaxy.
  • Okay, stop automatically assuming that someone who likes Apple products are iSheep. They're entitled to their own opinions just as much as you are. And I could say you're just as brainwashed. You haven't really given any reasoning behind your opinions, besides the "fact" that iSheeps are ignorant and "blindly loyal". Obviously that reasoning is slightly flawed. You also have no idea whether these people have or have not tried both phones and whether their opinions are based on actual experience. So get off your freaking soapbox and stop calling people iSheep just because they say they like the iPhone over the S4. It's extremely obnoxious. And for the record, I've owned and used both phones and think they both have their positives and negatives.
  • Rene, you could have compared the 5s with LG's G2, since that is more recent and in some ways better than GS4. But I take your point that the comparison would be similar.
  • The thing is. Once you try a Samsung phone you never go back... to a Samsung phone. Once you try an iPhone, you always go back to the iPhone.
  • I went back! Sent from the iMore App
  • Not true. I went from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and I'm perfectly happy with my Samsung phone. It's easy to use, has some great features, and has been extremely reliable. I prefer the larger screen of the Galaxy phones, as well as the options for customization that Android offers over iOS. My next phone will be the Galaxy Note 3. For me there's no going back to boring, limited iPhone.
  • The main reasons I swiched from iphone 5 to galaxy s4 are
    Better screen. Miles ahead
    Better camera
    Better video
    BEtter audio
    Better Internet experience
    Better battery life
    Cheap ext 64gb memory But most of all
    I can drag n drop any kind of file in existence and my galaxy will open and play it as on my pc Google play is by far the easiest and most sophisticated store ever Even if all these existed on iphone I would still never go back because of itunes. Its the worst piece of software ever. That being said, I'm a proud owner of 3 ipods and 27 imac. Ipod is the best thing apple ever made. Without it apple would not exist as of 2004
  • EXACTLY all the reasons and more I will stay a Galaxy fan for life. I-PAD fine but I would be in hell using Iphone again. The user experience is just the best on this phone. As a friend also put it, Iphoners don't ''enjoy' 'their phones like Galaxy people do. So true.
  • IPOD fine too I meant.
  • Apple all the way peeps. As the saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor. Away. ;)) fab phone the daddy 5s. Sent from the iMore App
  • Got a 4, 4S and my next will be a 5S :)
  • Wait for the iPhone 6.
  • Great job at copying and pasting from other articles.. Sent from the iMore App
  • Can Talk and Surf simultaneously on Samsung S4, not on iPhone 5s, on Verizon network (US only). This turns out is more important than anything else for me. I usually use wired/wireless headphones and switch and surf (e.g., confirm dinner reservations) while talking on the phone.
  • great review, i read droid-life and imore, probably most equally written review when comparing iOS and Android, well done :)
  • I have the 4s for work and my personal phone is the S3. I guess most chicks will like the iphone because of their small hands. My wife likes my iphone and the reason is because she can hold it with one hand. Then again the iphone is not made for men but for chicks & bitches.
  • LOL. This article made me laugh so hard. It's not just customization that android phones excel in. I can control my entire house with my S4...REMOTELY, from across the country. I can pay at stores by waving my phone in front of a scanner (okay, only a few. But more are going to be added). I can beam a file to another android, or a song that I downloaded off the Internet, from my phone. Open source allows android phones to turn into supercomputers. You can literally, do anything that a computer can do, some things even more than some computers can do. I can turn it into an iPhone with iOS 7, with a bigger screen. However, That being said... As a PHONE, I love my 5s. It is much faster and smoother. For simple browsing, texting, calling, and a Few apps, the iPhone dominates android if it's speed and simplicity you seek. The keyboard is much better also, and screen resolution is beautiful. My conclusion:
    you cannot compare these 2 phones. The 5s is a better all around device for simple things that most people need. But it is still, just a smartPHONE. The S4 is a pocket sized supercomputer that can do whatever you want it to, and then much, much more. Do you want to conform to a cell phone, and it's very limited app store and customization/capabilities? Or do you want a supercomputer tablet that fits in your pocket, that also has the ability to make phone calls? I choose both, but most people would benefit more from an iPhone.
  • how about Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition vs iPhone 5s? Seems like that would, according to your article, be a better version against iPhone.
  • I'm getting Nexus 5, this time around.
  • all this talk about copying copying. are the jeans your wearing not a copy of another jeans. i don't see many people driving around in cars with a square steering wheel and 10 wheels. hmm are cars not copied. Thats business and also its part of life like a child copies his/her parents! have you never used a photocopier? have you never used a scanner? have you never used copy and paste on your keyboard?
  • Here's another review regarding this topic -
    Pls read it here ~
    http://pinoytechinfinity.com/apple-iphone-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-s4/
  • The 5S. Because it's the best. Period.
  • I love my S4 it's by far the best Android I've ever used. Excellent battery life and packing a spare comes in handy for travel and late nights working in the field. The screen size is perfect for me, sliding keyboard is perfect for one handed operation, it handles everything I throw at it day in day out. Its really an excellent telephone too. It's almost perfect! Buuuuut but there are things that drive me nuts. I.E. I need to protect my phone with a password pin or pattern, I also need to make phone calls while driving. SVoice is horrible, Dragon Is much better. But for the life of me, the S4 and Android for that matter do not allow outbound calls when the phone is locked. Sure there are hacks , apps , plugins and workarounds but the S4 should just work out of the box with voice dialling . This should just work. Being an email guy living and breathing in email all day GMail is my app of choice, samsung email app is ugly trash and don't even tell me about 3rd party email apps they're all ugly trash.
    With Gmail it's easier to miss out on important emails the way it cluster bunches everything and no choice for viewing messages in threaded. Also composing in GMail is a pain lately my cursor is jumping to the bottom of the message at random so imagine typing a long email and your cursor is cursed. Nightmare. Putting my ipad side by side with my s4 most of the day, my ipad always gets my email first. Seconds not minutes but push email with an exchange account on iPad / iOS is practically instant. So what I really care about at the end of the day is security , calling and emailing. Touch ID will make the phone easy to secure and unlock, Siri is excellent with voice commands but I just wish Apple would come out already with a 5" model. Then I just might line up.
  • As these pocket computers (yup no longer just phones) get more and more powerful, and able to do more things, it makes a lot of sense to have larger screens. If gazing at an Excel worksheet on a 12" desktop monitor isn't acceptable today, size is all the more important for an ever growing number of mobile apps which we usually view while on the move. Our eyes spend more time on our smartphones today than they did in the old Nokia vs Ericsson days. I hope the next iPhones will have larger screens like the androids.
  • I have had every iPhone since the 4. I can honestly say that the quality of the phone is great, but useless with such a horrible OS. The ios7 is freaking horrible. I have had nothing but trouble with my iPhone, and I even upgraded to the 5s, as supposedly it was made for this OS so it wouldn't be so glitchy. I am trading it tomorrow for the S4 or the note 3. I have been reading on many forums that the ios7 is causing a lot of loyal apple fans to move on!
  • Thanks Rene! This for me has some of the best buying advices I've seen on phone reviews (re: iPhone vs. Samsung)
    keewl =') btw, what about Nexus 5? I haven't read much about comparisons with the Nexus.
  • Hello Lorgen. Which phone you want to compare to Nexus 5? Iphone or Samsung? Maybe instead of waiting you would like to see the difference yourself. There are plenty of webs that compare phones for you :) I recommend to you http://comperio.co/en/ Btw, if we compare iphone 5s to Google Nexus 4, guess who is the winner? Nexus. I think that's the next phone I will get
  • I decided to go with the iPhone 5s, the iPhone screams....QUALITY. The S4 felt VERY cheap..IMHO. Both devices have pros and cons, the 5s just had more pros for the way I use a smartphone.
  • If you are obsessed with your physical appearance, get an iPhone 5s. You'll love how "premium" you feel other people think your phone is, and how "classy" you look carrying a piece of metal with an apple symbol on it.
    If you are obsessed with multitasking and features, get a Galaxy S4. You'll love how you can spend all day quickly jumping between open apps and losing track of real life. Both of these phones are for people with bad obsessions. Really, nobody else should be paying so much for a phone.
  • “It would the best OS I have ever seen" is iOS by Apple Inc. its just perfect development , totally user friendly , also so useful for business perspective. and i have to say Simply The Best.
    also my compliment for iPhone5s its was superb and Really smart phone on Planet. i just love Apple for simplicity in mobile-pc world convert better performance and feeling too comfort.
  • The app store, iTunes, etc. are why apple will always rule. I recently got a windows surface, now while it is a fine tablet it lacks the app store - windows apps STINK, iTunes, etc. All my music is on iTunes, I don't want xbox or whatever music on another device. My movies are on iTunes, I don't want xbox movies. And on and on. (Windows apps though are probably the biggest problem, they are so horrible compared to apple ones. Even the same apps just work better on an Apple device, windows ones are childish and unrefined.) This is why apple will always rule my world. If I had an iPad I could do more than what I can with my windows tablet. And apple products are just fantastic. Everything is so easy, intuitive, they just get it. Windows not so much. Once again it came down to price. A surface was cheap compared to an iPad. I also bought a new PC laptop because my true love the Mac is too expensive for what you get. My next laptop though will finally be a mac I have just had enough, it's apple all the way. Same with phones. I love my iPhone and will never try anything else.
  • Its funny how people talk highly about the 5s yet apple is still loosing its market share to samsung till they resort to underhanded tricks like suing for a corner on the phone...iphone is popular in America i guess because its built there, i hava a note 2 and it keeps up quite well with my pals 5s so im wondering why people are throwing around these words "double the speed"??? The android app store for the short while its been there has a better growth rate than apple store and its been in the market longer, samsungs hardware improvements are coming in great bounds and i wonder how long apple will boast of their display, 64bit processor, a new camera sensor improved will be coming with the S5 and note 4. The amoled is so young in its developmental stage and so is android. The difference between froyo and jellybean is vast so once kitkat is fine tuned ios 6 is over run because ios7 is terrible it almost looks android like and is not that good slow and battery draining. When i am multitasking iphone doesnt keep up sooooo hate now yet a baby in the smart phone line is right up there with you... people still believe that muscle cars are still superior to japanese turbo engines even NA cars hehehe 3L V6 turbo vs a 5L supercharged V12...we have our opinions but even investing in shares you cant go wrong with samsung right now especially with a more educates population that knows how specs work, faster vs multitasker is barely fair hehehehe
  • If you have an apple TV, Macbook or iMac, iPad, iPhone at home, the ecosystem is that beautiful. Easy to handle, iTunes music/movies full integrated. And i don't like these big screen smartphones today, so i like the 5S more.
  • i am a phone addicted geek. iphone 3 gs over moto razr then because rogers never upgraded my plan a galaxy s3 and back to apple. got an iphone 5 last march then bought the nexus 5 and now i am back to an iphone 5s. for me i just love apple and thats why i am happy with it. just works fine with my imac and so on. the only thing i would do is an ipad mini retina and a blackberry q10. only because of messaging
  • Come on we all know iphone 5s' are better .... Hate all u. Like just telling the truth!!!!!!!
  • I try 4S and 5S but after hese I also try Note3 and I make a lil experiment. Check it and you`ll see the real difference betveen thore 3 phones
    Here`s the link : http://lnkgo.com/1Vyw/55077
  • Waste of buying such a costly with dam old things Better to buy samsung!!!!!!!!
  • Picture says everything https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1432065977099251&set=a.143058415...