The iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy SIII Thread

[korme]

So I'm sure by now you guys have seen the commercials. The Galaxy is saying it's better than the iPhone. While I don't doubt it is good, it's hard to imagine anything topping the iPhone at the point.

I'm eligible for an upgrade in one month, so any tech geeks, phone guys, or just plain owners of said items that want to chime in with honest pros & cons would be really appreciated.

[Alan T]

So I'm sure by now you guys have seen the commercials. The Galaxy is saying it's better than the iPhone. While I don't doubt it is good, it's hard to imagine anything topping the iPhone at the point.

I'm eligible for an upgrade in one month, so any tech geeks, phone guys, or just plain owners of said items that want to chime in with honest pros & cons would be really appreciated.

That is kind of like asking people which is better, Coke or Pepsi. Most people by now have become pretty used to their phone and are pretty attached to it. Thus would usually rationalize why theirs is better than someone else's.

I personally chose to stick with the Iphone, simply because we have so many iphones, ipods and ipads between our family members and extended family ( 8 iphones, 3 ipods, 3 ipads) that moving to something else would limit greatly alot of the things we do together.

There are a few websites out there that try to give their unbiased opinions, but usually those are also slanted one way or another. Here is one from C-NET that pretty much lists various features but in my opinion is a little too favorable for the iphone probably than they should be for completely unbiased:

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3 vs. Lumia 920: By the numbers | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-57510802-233/iphone-5-vs-galaxy-s3-vs-lumia-920-by-the-numbers/)

[korme]

That's why I was kind of suggesting advice from techies or anyone that sells phones for a living.

I understand asking a question like this is like starting a thread asking if I should be a republican or democrat

[johnnyshaka]

I just got an S3 a few weeks ago (upgraded from a Curve) and so far I really like it. The iPhone guy in my office is jealous, if that means anything.

I haven't had time to really get down to the nitty gritty with this thing yet nor have I ever had an iPhone, but I'll certainly post what I do and don't like about the S3 as I get more familiar with it.

[DaddyTorgo]

I just got an SIII on Sunday. I honestly don't have a ton of feedback on it yet (obviously), but it looks like you can do some pretty awesome things with this app called Tasker and also with the NFC tags. Tons of space...16gb onboard and accepts up to a 64gb SD card (mini or micro, i don't remember which).

I can put an NFC tag into my car for example, and have it turn on my bluetooth and start playing music as soon as I get in the car. Or put one on my door at home so that when I walk inside and swipe over it it turns on my wifi and adjusts my volume settings (or anything else for that matter).

I can set it up with Tasker so that it silences the phone completely between certain hours (or even when my calendar has me listed as "busy"), except for calls from a predetermined set of contacts. I can set it to wake me up with a song from my music library and then read me the weather out loud every morning at a set time.

I can have Tasker shutoff my phone from checking for email from my Exchange account when I am connected to the wifi network that corresponds to work. Or even go into "extreme power saver" mode at that point so it's not draining battery while I'm at the office.

The possibilities are really endless (any setting/app/action you can think of), and a lot of the "profiles" for these sorts of things have already been setup by others, so it's button-pressing to implement them.

The SIII does feel a little "slippery" in my hand - I need to find a good case for it that doesn't increase its bulk. It's so damn thin!

Battery life seems great - I had it at 100% when I went to the gym at 11:30am and listened to music for an hour there and then used it a decent amount through the afternoon (with no power-saving features on) and it was still only at like 34% when I plugged it in and went to bed at 2am.

[Alf]

It's more a iOS vs Android debate I think. Performance wise, it must be a dead-heat.

[Scoobz0202]

Yea, I'd say as we get further into the phone development and Android catches up (Although, you still need to be careful with fragmentation. Stick to the premium phones.) it's less about the phones and more about how invested you are in an ecosystem. If you are cool with changing it up and having to invest ($ in apps you already have on iOS) in a new system then I'd give the SIII a hard look.

[Marc Vaughan]

So I'm sure by now you guys have seen the commercials. The Galaxy is saying it's better than the iPhone. While I don't doubt it is good, it's hard to imagine anything topping the iPhone at the point.

I'm eligible for an upgrade in one month, so any tech geeks, phone guys, or just plain owners of said items that want to chime in with honest pros & cons would be really appreciated.

Interesting you come down so hard in favour of the iPhone - there's little between it now in terms of features really I'd say ...

Pro Galaxy
Maps that work
you can easily swap around music etc. without using iTunes


Pro iPhone
you don't have to worry as much about what apps are active/conserving battery post
half your music might already be 'hooked' to iTunes

Thats really about it .... in general I've found iOS apps are a bit more polished and stable than on Android but thats changing and improving (from the Android side) constantly.

[korme]

I don't come down hard on either side. Just simply by opening my eyes, I see in life, on FB, Twitter, the majority of people lean towards iPhone

[Logan]

Can you use Swype on an iPhone yet?

[QuikSand]

I don't watch many commercials, but the S3 ad is probably the single most effective one I have seen in years. I've probably seen more funny, cute, memorable, outrageous, and substantive ads in various ways -- but I'm not sure I have ever seen an ad that was as good at memorably and persuasively pitching its specific product as the S3 ads.

[DaddyTorgo]

Interesting you come down so hard in favour of the iPhone - there's little between it now in terms of features really I'd say ...

Pro Galaxy
Maps that work
you can easily swap around music etc. without using iTunes


Pro iPhone
you don't have to worry as much about what apps are active/conserving battery post
half your music might already be 'hooked' to iTunes

Thats really about it .... in general I've found iOS apps are a bit more polished and stable than on Android but thats changing and improving (from the Android side) constantly.

You forgot NFC and more of an ability to fully customize as pros for the SIII Marc.

[RainMaker]

It's more a iOS vs Android debate I think. Performance wise, it must be a dead-heat.

I agree with this for the most part, but I think there are some minor hardware differences. Size though is a pretty big factor and I believe the SIII has the iPhone beat. I'm also a big fan of being able to swap out batteries or just add an extended one to the phone for long trips. I have a Nexus and I keep an extra battery in my wallet. It's come in handy on certain occasions. Cords are also standardized so you won't need to deal with the bullshit of Apple specific ones, any old micro USB will do.

If you have a ton of paid apps through your iPhone or in love with iTunes, you might want to stick with the iPhone. I know for my Mom I got her on that because it was much easier for her to manage everything. She also has an iPad that she can sync everything with.

Outside of that though, I love Android. If you use Google products a lot, they sync seamlessly. Just about all your major apps are on the Android too. Little bit of a learning curve, but it's a great OS.

[RainMaker]

I don't watch many commercials, but the S3 ad is probably the single most effective one I have seen in years. I've probably seen more funny, cute, memorable, outrageous, and substantive ads in various ways -- but I'm not sure I have ever seen an ad that was as good at memorably and persuasively pitching its specific product as the S3 ads.

It's a great ad. The part where he is saving a spot for his parents is well done. Especially since I got both my parents iPhones because they are so easy to use while I've shifted to Android.

[Subby]

As I was reading this thread, Fed Ex delivered my new iPhone. So I'll let you know. :)

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm an iPhone guy (though I'm sort of anti-Apple - sort of because it's not a religious sort of hatred for me), but my roommate just got an SIII. It looks amazing, but I'd worry about something that thin - im not exactly delicate with my stuff, especially something that's with me constantly like a phone. I'll keep you updated as I get more experience with it.

[TroyF]

I don't watch many commercials, but the S3 ad is probably the single most effective one I have seen in years. I've probably seen more funny, cute, memorable, outrageous, and substantive ads in various ways -- but I'm not sure I have ever seen an ad that was as good at memorably and persuasively pitching its specific product as the S3 ads.

Agree with this 100%. I don't have either phone (blackberry from work), but that commercial actually caused me to go on the internet and look at comparisons for curiosity sake. Not many ads can do that to you. One of the most "influential" ads I have ever seen.

edit: my favorite part of the ad is where the guy says "they put the earphone jack on the bottom, boom" laugh every time I see it.

[INDalltheway]

I own and iPhone since the 3g (then 4 and now 5) and keep coming back because the phone does everything I need it to and I am pretty well invested into iTunes in terms of apps, etc. That said the S3 is a really nice phone. I gave it a hard look when my upgrade was due, but went with what I know. I am really interested in the Nokia Lumina that will be coming out soon. That phone looks beautiful.

As for the S3 ad, I find it funny. Like Troy, my favorite part of the ad is the headphone jack on the bottom part. I will say though that calling out the owners of the phone that has the market share doesn't seem like a great idea. Calling iPhone owners sheep and making them look stupid isn't that great of an idea in terms of trying to get those type of people to switch to your phone. Calling out the company is one thing (Mac vs. PC back in the day) but the very people you are trying to convince to switch seems a little dumb.

[Logan]

I own and iPhone since the 3g (then 4 and now 5) and keep coming back because the phone does everything I need it to and I am pretty well invested into iTunes in terms of apps, etc. That said the S3 is a really nice phone. I gave it a hard look when my upgrade was due, but went with what I know. I am really interested in the Nokia Lumina that will be coming out soon. That phone looks beautiful.

As for the S3 ad, I find it funny. Like Troy, my favorite part of the ad is the headphone jack on the bottom part. I will say though that calling out the owners of the phone that has the market share doesn't seem like a great idea. Calling iPhone owners sheep and making them look stupid isn't that great of an idea in terms of trying to get those type of people to switch to your phone. Calling out the company is one thing (Mac vs. PC back in the day) but the very people you are trying to convince to switch seems a little dumb.

I'm guessing the only way you can grab a "sheep" is by shocking them in a way like this. Would any of those people respond if you went on praising the S3's processing speed?

[Passacaglia]

The ad's probably trying to focus more on new adopters, rather than getting people to switch.

[johnnyshaka]

As for the S3 ad, I find it funny. Like Troy, my favorite part of the ad is the headphone jack on the bottom part. I will say though that calling out the owners of the phone that has the market share doesn't seem like a great idea. Calling iPhone owners sheep and making them look stupid isn't that great of an idea in terms of trying to get those type of people to switch to your phone. Calling out the company is one thing (Mac vs. PC back in the day) but the very people you are trying to convince to switch seems a little dumb.

I'm not sure why the Mac vs. PC ads are any different than what Samsung did?

[RainMaker]

I'm an iPhone guy (though I'm sort of anti-Apple - sort of because it's not a religious sort of hatred for me), but my roommate just got an SIII. It looks amazing, but I'd worry about something that thin - im not exactly delicate with my stuff, especially something that's with me constantly like a phone. I'll keep you updated as I get more experience with it.

The one nice thing about the thin phones is that they become normal size with a case on them. And with what the cost of a replacement phone is nowadays (not to mention the hassle), it's a must to have a case on a phone.

I have no problems with Apple, they still make great products. Love having the competition too and still think they make the best tablet on the market. But I do laugh at the new iPhone ads that talk about the shape of earbuds. Those type of buds have been out for over a decade now and you can even buy uber-cheap versions for under $10.

[QuikSand]

Calling iPhone owners sheep and making them look stupid isn't that great of an idea in terms of trying to get those type of people to switch to your phone.

And I say that using the bumbling, obviously un-hipster *parents* as the vehicle for making this point is pure brilliance.

[spleen1015]

By calling the iPhone folks sheep with their ads, they're not trying to get iPhone users to switch. They are trying to tell the people who don't have a modern cell phone that you're a sheep for getting an iPhone.

[gstelmack]

One advantage Apple has right now is the iPod. I'd love to be able to get a non-Tablet Android or Windows device that doesn't have a phone and relies on WiFi for its data. I could easily see my next "phone" being a regular old phone and getting something like an iPod just to drop the $30/month data charges my wife and I each pay. There are times where having the data plan is very nice, but I'm not sure it's worth the $60/month it costs for the two of us to have that.

[stevew]

They make galaxy android players, Greg.

[gstelmack]

They make galaxy android players, Greg.

I did not know that. Hmmm...

[stevew]

And I say that using the bumbling, obviously un-hipster *parents* as the vehicle for making this point is pure brilliance.

I agree 100% that it's one of the best ads that I can remember, ever.

I would have bought an Iphone 5, but apple refuses to build a large phone. I am used to my S3 now, but when my daughter shows me a video on my Iphone 4, it's amazing what a downgrade it is in screen real estate. The 5 is obviously bigger, but not that much.

[Marc Vaughan]

You forgot NFC and more of an ability to fully customize as pros for the SIII Marc.

I left both out as I was aiming for 'mainstream' advantages tbh ...

The customisation is often seen as a disadvantage by many users because it:

(1) Allows them to mess up their devices
(2) Confuses them as to how they 'should' set things up

The NFC while 'cool' isn't something my wife (or other casual users) might really use tbh .. don't get me wrong, I love the concept ... but its not something which is inherantly obvious and easy for a casual user.

[Marc Vaughan]

They make galaxy android players, Greg.

Thats something I think Google need to push a lot MORE .... I think they underestimate how important the surround infrastructure is to the success overall with iOS, a lot of people use iOS because they have so much stuff on iTunes in order to persuade people to android you need to fully break that connection.

(I'm still amazed that there isn't an Android client which can read up an iTunes database personally - have considered looking at writing one myself but I just don't have the spare time)

[Glengoyne]

I've got an iPhone, and I've played a little bit with a number of people's Androids. I get that the technophiles "should" lean toward the Adroid, but I simply love the simplicity of my iPhone. I have loathed the complexity in the Android models I've sampled...none of them the S3 admittedly. I'm not afraid of complexity in general. I'll debate UNIX or database configuration or tweak regular expressions with no loss in interest for hours at a go, but for my phone I want it to accomplish a few simple tasks and have the bonus that it integrates with my iTunes library that I wasn't all that invested in just two years back.

On the S3 commercial. I love it, eventhough I'm fully aware that I'm one of those sheep that it is making fun of.

[Marc Vaughan]

I think it IS easy enough for android to break the iTunes/iOS hold but they need to be proactive about it and few big Android players have really concentrated on this so far.

The only one who has is Amazon and they've had HUGE success in breaking the iPad tablet monopoly (consider iPad now has 52% of the market and KindleFire 26% thats as more than all other Android tablets combined) ....

The reason they've done this is simple - a lot of people use amazon and they've integrated their store into amazons website using their existing login and IMPORTANTLY giving users free added value through the video streaming of Prime.

(but this is drifting a little off the threads topic now so I'll leave it here ;) )

[Ryan S]

So I'm sure by now you guys have seen the commercials. The Galaxy is saying it's better than the iPhone. While I don't doubt it is good, it's hard to imagine anything topping the iPhone at the point.

I'm eligible for an upgrade in one month, so any tech geeks, phone guys, or just plain owners of said items that want to chime in with honest pros & cons would be really appreciated.

I would advise you to take a look at a Galaxy S3, and look at some video reviews to get an idea of what the phone can do before you make your decision. If you have not used Android before, play around with the interface and see if you like it.

[DaddyTorgo]

I haz iPad and Galaxy SIII. Cross-platform consumer FTW.

I must say - it's nice on the SIII that I don't have to re-buy a bunch of car chargers or wall chargers or anything like that. Something to be said for being standard and non-douchebaggity.

[FBPro]

I used to work for a wireless company and have had experience with both platforms. I've had 6 or 7 android phones(none in the last 3 months) and one iPhone. Based on battery life and software glitches(freezing, etc) I choose iPhone hands down. Just another opinion.

[RainMaker]

My biggest gripe with Android is that once your carrier sells you the phone, they don't give a shit about updates to it anymore. It's pretty shitty how far some of the older phones are on updates these days. I think there are still phones less than 2 years old running Gingerbread. I wish Google would be tougher on the carriers to push through updates faster.

[Marc Vaughan]

My biggest gripe with Android is that once your carrier sells you the phone, they don't give a shit about updates to it anymore. It's pretty shitty how far some of the older phones are on updates these days. I think there are still phones less than 2 years old running Gingerbread. I wish Google would be tougher on the carriers to push through updates faster.

In the US this is DEFINITELY true, however in the UK (and I believe most of Europe) updates seem to roll out very quickly in general.

(I do wonder if to some extent this is either (1) lack of competition in the US or (2) using Europe/UK as the test market to validate updates first?)

[stevew]

I know some people are concerned with cost, but being on contract worth anything less than the upper tier phone offered by your carrier is dumb. There's all these junk android handsets out there and the consumers fall for them.

[stevew]

Very frustrated Jelly Bean for the Verizon S3 is still not out. Seems like it's been right around the corner for months. Google needs to get everyone in the same page.

[stevew]

Korme is really into Podcasts, and I think that the iPhone does them way better than android. BeyondPod is okay, but the ITunes charts provide much better context as to what is gaining popularity/worth checking out.