iPhone 5 Versus Samsung Galaxy S3

Smartphone arguments have never been as incendiary as they are today, have they? Of course, the fact that there is no love lost between two of the biggest smartphone manufacturers has not served to douse the flames one bit, not to mention the passionate arguments from fanboys of both camps.

It may seem ridiculous to compare a phone that is already out in the market with one that is yet in the rumor stages, but it has been said often enough: the Samsung Galaxy S3 was created to compete with the upcoming iPhone 5 – if that is even the name that Apple goes for. To make things juicier, reports of the Foxconn chief saying that the iPhone 5 will put the S3 to shame have been making the rounds.

The question that remains to be answered for many people is whether to go ahead, grab a Samsung Galaxy S3, and satisfy their desire for a shiny new gadget pronto, or to endure the agonizing months-long wait till the perhaps shinier new iPhone 5 is released.

So what should you do if you are facing this first world problem dilemma? Here’s a concise comparison of the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 to help you decide.

Design

It is pretty safe to say that Apple has the winning card in this respect. As beautiful as Samsung’s products have become, they still don’t have Jony Ive. (Never mind the joke that he actually works for Samsung as well, with the latter’s designs looking so hauntingly familiar!)

That being said, we have to be honest and say that the S3, albeit plastic, looks pretty good. It also has the Gorilla Glass 2 cover, which is perfect for users who are rather heavy handed on their gadgets.

Rumor has it, though, that the iPhone 5 will be sleeker than ever and that it will have the unibody look that Mac users have come to adore.

Display

Is bigger always better? The S3 does have a huge 4.8-inch screen, and for some, that hits the sweet spot. For people with tiny hands, that can be a problem, so the rumoured 3.999-inch display of the iPhone 5 might work better. Let’s just say 4-inch display since I like rounding up.

Apple also seems to be going for a whole new resolution at 640 x 1136. This translates to being able to watch 16:9 videos in full screen at the native aspect ratio. Sweet!

Price

Price tags vary depending on the country and carrier, naturally, but the S3 is available from $199.99 to $249.99 on contract (16GB and 32 GB, respectively). No pricing scheme has been announced for the iPhone 5 – heck, we don’t even know when it will be out for sure! – but if the prices of 4S are anything to go by, we can expect a price range of $199.99 to $399.99. Samsung wins this point!

Availability

This one’s a no brainer right at the moment as you can only get your hands on the S3! However, if 9to5Mac is correct, the iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order on the 12th of September!

[Image via CNET]