Skip to main content

Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5: Spec Comparison

comparison-iphone-s4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Galaxy S4 has been announced by Samsung, and with it comes a slimmer and lighter design alongside powerful hardware including an impressive eight-core processor. Samsung is certainly basking in the glory of its highly anticipated launch, and is already probably doing a victory dance against Apple, but the question remains to see just how the Galaxy S4 stacks up to Apple’s own heavyweight, the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S4 is certainly the newest player on the block, and the iPhone 5 is already beginning to seem a tad dusty with six months under its belt, but let’s let the numbers do the talking for this one.

(Be sure to check out our other GS4 spec comparisons including the Galaxy S4 vs. Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 vs HTC One. We’ve also got a full Galaxy S4 hands on with videos and pics galore. Finally, if you want a full rundown of features and information, check out our GS4: Everything You Need To Know.)

 

Galaxy S4

galaxys4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

iPhone 5

iphone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Price
TBA $200
Availability

TBA

AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Cricket
OS Android 4.2.2 Touchwiz UX/US iSO 6.1.2
Processor Exynos 5 (Eight-core) Dual-core A6X
RAM 2GB 1GB
Display 5-inch Super AMOLED 4.0-inch Retina Display
Resolution 1920×1080 pixels 1136×640 pixels
Dimensions (WxDxH) 5.38″ x 2.78″ x 0.34″ 4.87″ x 2.3″ x 0.3″
Weight 4.60 oz 3.95 oz
4G LTE Yes Yes
NFC Yes No
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n  802.11 b/g/n 
Rear-facing camera 13 megapixels 8 megapixels
Front-facing camera 2 megapixels 1.2 megapixels
Video capabilities 1080p recording 1080p recording
Internal storage 16/32/64GB 16/32/64GB
SD card slot Yes (up to 64GB) No
Max. battery life 2600 mAh 1440 mAh

The bottom line: Let’s face it, unless you’re a really big fan of iOS, or you hate big screens, the iPhone 5 and its hardware just doesn’t hold a candle to the hardware pumped into the new Samsung Galaxy S4. With an eight-core processor, bigger battery, and bigger screen, you almost feel like the Samsung Galaxy S4 is cheating in comparison to the mere 4-inch screen and dual-core processor in the iPhone 5. While Apple may, at the very least, catch up with a quad-core processor come July or August with its iPhone 5S, it’s still not going to cut it for the Apple handheld. While a bit heavier than the iPhone 5 and with a inch more of real estate, the Galaxy S4 just wins in every category, hands down.

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Sherman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joshua Sherman is a contributor for Digital Trends who writes about all things mobile from Apple to Zynga. Josh pulls his…
How to schedule a text message on your iPhone
Close-up photo of the Messages app on an iPhone.

Do you often send text messages to a friend or family member across the pond? Or do you want to message someone when you know they’re off work and are able to get to you in a reasonable manner? Maybe you want to send a message every day at the same time, to let your significant other know you’re on the way home and to ask if they need you to pick up anything.

If you said yes to any of these scenarios (or other ones you have in your head), you may be looking for a way to schedule text messages on your iPhone. After all, this is a feature that Android users have, and it can often prove incredibly convenient.

Read more
iPhone SE deals: Refurbished 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhones
apple iphone se 2020 news new black camera and touch id 04152020

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the planet, and whatever its current model happens to be almost always ranks among the best phones. This makes the iPhone an expensive purchase, which is where the iPhone SE comes in. Apple launched the iPhone SE in order to make an iPhone affordable to more people. The SE utilizes technology that’s a generation or two old and will often take the form factor of a previous iPhone model. Right now the it's a great phone to turn to for even more savings. There are some iPhone SE deals to take a look at out there, and while it’s difficult to find newer iPhone SE models, you can shop refurbished knowing the big retailers are likely backing the purchase with warranties and solid return windows. So whether you’re looking for some great iPhone deals or phone deals in general, below you’ll find the best iPhone SE deals to shop right now.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen deals

The second generation of the iPhone SE was initially launched in 2020, but it still manages to keep up with the needs of many phone users today. It utilizes the body of the Apple iPhone 8, which means it will have a home button and fingerprint ID instead of the Face ID technology in current iPhone models. That’s not much to give up, however, as the second generation iPhone SE still has a great display, a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video, and wireless charging capability.

Read more
Best refurbished iPhone deals: Get an iPhone 14 for $513
An iPhone 13 in white color option.

The Apple iPhone is one of the best phones on the market, and because of it they don’t often come cheap. There are some great iPhone deals out there, but it’s rare to find significant discounts on newer models without having to commit to a longterm contract with a carrier, and it’s even less frequent you come across one of the best iPhones with a major price drop. This is where shopping refurbished can come in handy. Refurbished iPhones — for the most part — will come backed with a functionality guarantee or extended return window, making refurbished iPhones as safe of a purchase as shopping new. There are a lot of refurbished iPhone models seeing great price drops right now, which is why we’ve done the heavy lifting of rounding up all of the best refurbished iPhone deals. You’ll find them below, as well as some information on which refurbished iPhone might be best for you.
iPhone XR -- from $136

A refurbished model but one that's unlocked and comes with a full one-year warranty, the Apple iPhone XR is still pretty stylish for its age. It has a large 6.1-inch LCD screen with 1,792 x 828 resolution with Liquid Retina technology ensuring it looks super sharp. Powered by the A12 Bionic chip, it's starting to show its age but still has potential. There's also a 12MP back camera that can shoot 4K videos while the front-facing camera is 7MP and ideal for selfie-taking.

Read more