Samsung has finally revealed the Galaxy S III, the highly-anticipated successor to the popular Galaxy S II. The firm has created a massive hype around the phone describing it as the ‘best in class smartphone in the world’. See also: Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X comparison review.
It will take on the entire smartphone market around the globe aiming to come out on top. Arguably its biggest rival is Apple’s successful iPhone 4S which has sold over 35 million units worldwide in the first quarter of this year.
We’ve put this comparison review together to highlight the differences between the two. We haven’t had the Galaxy S3 in our lab for full testing so don’t expect any declarations of which has won in each section. You can also check out the individual reviews of the two smartphone heavy weights.
Galaxy S3: video review
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Dimensions
The two handsets differ greatly in terms of their size and weight. The iPhone is much smaller at 59 x 115 compared to 71 x 137. The Galaxy S III is a considerably larger smartphone.
However, Samsung’s flagship device is both thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S. It measures in at 8.6mm and 133g while the Apple rival is 9.3mm and 140g.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Screen
The main reason the phones vary so much in size is the screen. The Galaxy S3 has a 4.8-inch display while the iPhone 4S has a comparatively tiny 3.5-inch one.
Both screens are high resolution with intense ‘Retina’ quality pixel densities. The iPhone 4S has a resolution of 640 x 960 and a pixel density of 326ppi. The Galaxy S3 has a higher resolution of 720 x 1280 but spread over the larger screen means a slightly lower pixel density of 306.
They are equally impressive with neither allowing the user to distinguish one pixel from the next.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Processor
The processor is an important element to a smartphone. The iPhone 4S has an A5 dual-core chip based on ARM Cortex A9. Samsung uses its own Exynos 4 Quad chip for the Galaxy S3 which is, er, quad-core and clocked at 1.4GHz. It is also based on the ARM Cortex A9 architecture. Visit Samsung confirms Exynos quad-core chip for Galaxy S3
On paper, the Galaxy S3’s is more powerful but this doesn’t necessarily mean the performance is better. Check back for more details when we’ve done a full review of Samsung’s flagship phone.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Storage
Storage is an area where the two rivals are very similar. They both come with three storage options, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. However, the Galaxy S III offers an additional microSD card slot for expansion which the iPhone 4S doesn’t have.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Cameras
On paper the two rear cameras are equally matched for specification. They are both rated at 8Mp with the ability to record video in full HD 1080p quality. The Galaxy S3 does have a higher resolution front facing camera, though at 1.9Mp compared to the iPhone’s VGA quality shooter.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S: Software
This is an area where the two phones are extremely different. Apple’s iPhone 4S runs its own iOS software while Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has Google’s Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and a TouchWiz overlay.
We won’t get into a debate about the vast amounts of differences. Check out our Android advisor and iPhone advisor sections for more information.
