With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Apple iPhone 5S just a week apart, we cannot help but compare the latest iterations of these two beloved smartphone series.
So which one is better: the Note 3 or the iPhone 5S? Let us take a look:
Design
Apple has always had a premium feel to its devices, and the iPhone 5S is no different. The iPhone 5S is still made from the same metallic material for the back and still has the glassy feel in front that we know from the previous iPhone 5. In fact, except for the colors, the new iPhone 5 actually looks pretty much the same as the iPhone 5.
Samsung, on the other hand, has always been criticized for its insistence in using plastic. In the Note 3, Samsung looked to make a statement with the faux-leather look of their phone’s rear; and it works. The new design makes the new Note 3 look and feel a bit more premium than other Samsung devices.
Winner: iPhone 5S takes this one. Even if it is pretty much the same as the iPhone 5, it still looks and feels more like a flagship phone than the Note 3.
Display
Apple did nothing to improve the iPhone 5S screen. It is the same 4-inch 1136x640 resolution IPS LCD that you will also find on the iPhone 5.
Samsung, on the other hand, was able to give customers a bigger and better screen while making the phone smaller. The Note 3 has a 5.7 inch 1920x1080 resolution super AMOLED screen, which is bigger than the Note 2’s 5.5 inch display.
Winner: Samsung definitely wins this one.
Camera
The iPhone5 already had a great camera but Apple was still able to improve upon it by applying a 5-element lens that allows it to capture more light. It also added dual-tone LED flash and sped up the burst mode so that it can capture 10 frames per second. Panorama mode also allows you to take pictures that span 28-megapixels.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is no slouch in the camera department either with its 13 MP rear shooter. Its smart stabilization software also allows for more crisp pictures. In addition, it supports 4k video that not a lot of devices have.
Winner: A close one but the iPhone’s new 5-element lens definitely allows it to take better pictures.
Performance
The new iPhone 5S features the first 64bit processor in a smartphone. The new A7 CPU is fast but is still compatible with 32bit apps. In addition, the marriage between hardware and software has always been pretty smooth. That is why even though the equivalent of the processor is a dual-core chipset, the performance does not suffer.
The Note 3, on the other hand, is a beast. Aside from sporting a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset, it is also supported by 3GB of RAM. This allows this powerhouse of a phone to handle anything you can throw at it, from streaming and making VoIP calls, to watching HD movies and playing games with heavy graphics.
Winner: Note 3. While the iPhone 5S’ A7 chip is no slouch, the Note 3 just boasts of too much power under the hood.
Software
iPhone 5S sports the new iOS 7. The new operating system features a new design where the icons have this 3D feel. One of the most notable features of the OS is the control center and new quick settings feature which, incidentally, is pretty similar to Android’s notifications tab.
The most attractive part of the iPhone 5 software is its new security feature that may replace passwords. The Touch ID sensor recognizes users through fingerprint. It is triggered by tap on the home button.
What separates the Note 3 not only from other smartphones but from other phablets as well is the S-Pen. It gives a much different user experience from instant screenshots and hidden menus, to the concept of writing vs. typing. The Note 3 improved upon the S-Pen through the Air Command, which is a wheel of shortcuts that is triggered by hovering and clicking the special stylus over the screen.
In addition to the S-Pen improvements, the new Note 3 allows for more multi-tasking by allowing certain apps (calculator and dialer) to be opened even if you already have two simultaneous apps running.
Winner: Note 3. While the Touch ID sensor is cool, the quick settings are already a staple in Android. The Note 3, on the other hand, has made good use of its big screen realty with more multi-tasking improvements and S-Pen improvements.
Conclusion
While the iPhone 5S provides Apple fans with more than just the incremental improvements that you would expect from a new iPhone, the Note 3 is just a powerhouse of a phone with killer specs. The only downside from the Note 3 is still its size. If you are not into phablets, then the Note 3 is not for you and you may opt for the iPhone 5S, which also has a simpler OS. If you are looking for a powerful phone with lots of functionalities, however, the Note 3 is the better choice.
AUTHOR’S BIO
Leslie Young is a Blogger, web designer and developer for 3years. She usually writes about business communication, telecommunications such as business phones and cloud phones, as well as all the latest gadgets including smartphones and tablets. With her immense experience, she enters the world of internet and starts blogging and pursues her dream to be a web expert. Now, she is participating in many Blog sites as a guest blogger. Follow her on Facebook.
Read other posts by Leslie Young
Read other posts by Leslie Young
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