iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S III

After months of anticipation, the Apple iPhone 5 has been released and the world-leader in smartphone sales' newest offering doesn't disappoint. Apple, however, is encountering some serious competition from Samsung with their Galaxy S III model smartphone. Comparing the two flagship devices is like comparing apples-to-oranges as they are two of the best smartphones on the market. The two devices have many similarities and both are on the cutting edge of smartphone technology. That's not to say that there aren't some stark differences. A comparison of the two products suggests that neither device disappoints.

Display

Both phones have dynamic displays. The iPhone 5's 1136 x 640 resolution, Retina display is now up to four inches which is larger than any other previous iPhone. The Galaxy S III's has a humungous HD Super AMOLED 4.8-inch display with a slightly better 1280 x 720 resolution.

Appearance

Like previous iPhones, the iPhone 5 offers a solid design made of aluminum and glass. It measures 4.31 inches high, 2.31 inches wide, .3 inches thick, and weighs around 4 ounces. The Galaxy S III chassis is made from polycarbonate plastic. It measures at 5.38 inches high, 2.78 inches wide, .34 inches thick and weighs 4.7 ounces. The iPhone is smaller and easier to use with one hand, but neither phone is too large or heavy to be cumbersome. While hearing that the Galaxy SIII is plastic might seem a little disappointing, the phone still feels solid and durable in the hand, but we'll chalk this point to Apple.

Speed

The iPhone 5's new 1GHz dual-core Apple A6 processor is a revelation to mobile computing making it one of, if not the fastest, smartphone ever created. It comes with 1 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S III is right there with it, however, with its 1.4 GHz quad-core and an incredible 2 GB of RAM depending on the model. Both phones are powerful, fast, and ready to handle just about anything. The iPhone feels marginally faster, but neither phone is lacking in this department.

Storage

The iPhone 5 comes equipped with 16, 32, or 64 GB of onboard storage depending on which version of the phone you purchase. The Galaxy S III comes with either 16 or 32 GB of onboard memory, but offers a microSD slot that allows the Galaxy S III up to 64 GB of memory.

Cameras

Both devices have an 8-megapixel rear camera that captures 1080 HD video and do fairly well in low light in comparison to previous models. Each has a front facing camera which is used primarily for video chat. The iPod's front camera is 1.2 megapixels, while the Galaxy S III offers 1.8-megapixel capture.

Operating System

The iPhone runs the latest Apple operating system, iOS 6. Like previous Apple operating systems, iOS 6 features integration with iTunes. The Galaxy S III currently runs the latest version of Android OS version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a promised upgrade to version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) on the horizon.

Applications

For many users, apps are the name of the game, and both of these phones have access to plenty of them. The iPhone 5 is supported by the Apple App Store while the Galaxy S III is supported by Google Play.

Price

iPhone 5's pricing is the same whether you have AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon. With a two-year contract you'll pay $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for the 32GB version, or $399 for the 64GB version. The Galaxy S III's price varies by carrier. For Sprint and Verizon, with a new contract, the Galaxy S III costs $199 for the 16GB version and $249 for the 32GB version. AT&T charges $199 for the 16GB version, with a new contract. T-Mobile offers the same phone for $99 and also has the 32GB version for $149 for new users.

Other Notable Features

The iPhone 5s new "Lighting" connector is smaller than previous Apple connectors so if you have Apple accessories that you've purchased for your older Apple products, you'll need to buy an adaptor in order to connect the iPhone 5 to those devices. The Galaxy S III offers near-field communication (NFC). This allows users to share certain files by tapping the phones together. Users can also use NFC to pay for transactions at any stores that support Google Wallet.

If you're looking for a state of the art smartphone, both the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III are great options, but for the first time in years, the iPhone isn't hands-down the best phone on the market. It all comes down to a matter of user-preference.

It really comes down to the operating system - Android vs iOS6. Both are extremely capable, and both phones are very capable for business use. If you like one OS over the other, you'll likely want to stick with it - the iPhone 5 is the best iOS device yet, and the SIII is one of the best Android experiences.