iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 vs iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4 – Comparison

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Now that Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL has finally unveiled the iPhone 6, consumers are faced with a tricky decision whether to opt for one of the two iPhone models, or its main competitor the Samsung Galaxy series. So how do with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stack up against their Galaxy Note rivals? Here is a rundown of all the key information about the rival handsets.

Apple iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Series – How Do They Compare?

Appearance

Apple has always scored extremely heavily in this department; it is the excellent build quality of Apple products that has afforded them such cachet in consumer electronics. Both versions of the Apple iPhone 6 continue this trend, with their anodized aluminium bodies already obtaining a positive response from both Apple fans and critics. Although Samsung has made improvements to the design and appearance of the Galaxy Note 4 after the Galaxy S5 received something of a lukewarm response, it must be said that the Apple devices have a more premium feel.

Display

Samsung makes a great deal of the Super AMOLED screen fitted in Galaxy devices, and its recent advertising campaigns have focused on this element of its handsets. This is a logical approach for Samsung given that it has attained a big reputation as one of the world’s most successful and high-quality producers of televisions.

Thus, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Samsung seems to have a slight lead in this department. Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices are fitted with 5.5-inch and 4.7-inch LCD displays respectively, while the Galaxy Note 4 comes with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED, and the Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch version. So the Galaxy devices have the larger screen sizes, and additionally they also provide a better resolution. Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus has a full-HD display (1920x1080p), but this is beaten by the QHD resolution (2560x1440p) of the Galaxy Note 4. The Galaxy S5 is also a full HD device, while the smaller iPhone 6 offers a resolution of 1,334 x 750.

Although Apple claims that the iPhone display delivers higher contrast, it is reasonable to conclude that Samsung has achieved an advantage in this department.

Processor

Comparing the hardware capabilities of the new iPhone 6 devices and the existing Samsung handsets is rather difficult, as Apple is yet to provide specific details of processor, RAM and battery life for either of the iPhone 6 models. What can be said for certain is that both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be driven by a new A8 processor. This should be extremely powerful, and Apple claims that it will make both of the iPhone 6 devices considerably more fluent than the previous iterations of the series.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 runs off a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core Krait 400, with 2GB RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU, while the Galaxy Note 4 is fitted with a quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450. This makes both of the Galaxy series extremely nifty and powerful devices, but it is certain that the iPhone 6 will offer a similar level of performance.

iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 vs iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4 - Comparison

Camera

When Samsung released the Galaxy S5 it made a lot of capital out of the quality of camera included in the device. Therefore one would expect Samsung devices to have pretty strong cameras, and that is certainly the case with both the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4. The camera in the Galaxy Note 4 is a 16-megapixel snapper, capable of producing images containing 3,456 x 4,608 pixels, and the device also features Optical Image Stabilization, autofocus and LED flash. The Galaxy S5 camera is identical in most respects, but also handles 5,312 x 2,988 pixels.

Both of the iPhone 6 cameras appear inferior in pure spec terms. That Apple devices are fitted with an 8-megapixel lens, which can deal with images consisting of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels, with autofocus and dual-LED (dual tone) flash also included. Both the iPhone 6 devices also offer superior Optical Image Stabilization, and have been noted for their excellent video capturing technology. Although camera quality cannot be based on megapixel rating alone, it does seem Samsung has a slight edge here too.

Operating System

The fact that Apple produces both hardware and software gives the iPhone series a serious advantage in this department. It has long since been noted that the iPhone provides a fluent user experience which is unequalled elsewhere. The new iOS 8 operating system, complete with new features and enhancements, will doubtless continue this trend.

Storage

The iPhone 6 will offer more storage capacity in its largest devices, with Apple offering consumers a 128 GB version of both iPhone 6 models. Samsung enables the Galaxy series to be boosted to 128 GB via micro-SD, but Apple’s offerings are perhaps a little more flexible in this regard.

Battery Life

It is difficult to assess the battery life of the iPhone 6 devices at this point in time, as Apple has yet to release full details. However, the company claims that both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will marginally outperform their Samsung Galaxy rivals in battery life. The proof will be in the pudding in this department, as previously Samsung has been praised for the quality of the Galaxy series’ battery life.

Price

The contract version of the iPhone 6 Plus will be a little pricier than its Samsung alternative at $299 per month, while both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy devices will retail at $199 per month.

Conclusion

Both the Galaxy series and the Apple iPhone 6 devices offer a high-quality mobile experience. The super AMOLED screen is a big selling point of the Galaxy devices, while the iPhone 6 will unquestionably deliver the sort of slick experience associated with Apple products. Choosing a device will depend upon what attributes you particularly value.

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