Apple iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4 specs comparison
Today marked the most drastic change in the story of the Apple iPhone - its screen just got bigger! Granted, 3.5" was fine when it took off in 2007, but as smartphones started to increasingly become our "window" to both work and play, the size of that window inevitably grew bigger, and Apple is now syncing in with the times.
While keeping the general feel and appearances of its last two predecessors, the iPhone 4/4S, which were virtually identical, the iPhone 5 also got the usual third year redesign, with fine aluminum plate on the back, instead of an all-glass chassis, making the body much thinner and 22% lighter than the 4S, and that's despite the larger screen.
We also got a brand new, smaller dock connector, which can be outfitted with adapter for those existing accessories, and a smaller nano SIM card. In terms of internals, the new iPhone also got a 2X beefier processor and graphics subsystem, a better camera, plus that all-important multiband LTE radio. Oh, we forget the most important thing - a 5th row of apps has now appeared, and some apps are upgraded to take full advantage of the 4" display. As for the others - they will appear with black bands on the sides.
Have a peak at how the new iPhone stacks up against its 4/4S predecessors in the table below, and tell us whether you consider it an worthy upgrade.
Design | Apple iPhone 5 | Apple iPhone 4S | Apple iPhone 4 |
---|---|---|---|
OS | iOS (6) | iOS (5.1, 5) | iOS (5, 4.x) |
Dimensions | 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm) | 4.54 x 2.31 x 0.37 (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm) | 4.50 x 2.31 x 0.37 (114.3 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm) |
Weight | the average is 4.1 oz (118 g) | 3.95 oz (112 g)the average is 4.1 oz (118 g) | 4.94 oz (140 g)the average is 4.1 oz (118 g) | 4.83 oz (137 g)
Display | |||
---|---|---|---|
Physical size | 4 inches | 3.50 inches | 3.50 inches |
Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels | 640 x 960 pixels | 640 x 960 pixels |
Pixel density | 326 ppi | 330 ppi | 330 ppi |
Battery | |||
---|---|---|---|
Talk time | the average is 9 h (529 min) | 14.00 hoursthe average is 9 h (529 min) | 14.00 hours|
Stand-by time | the average is 20 days (479 h) | 9.4 days (225 hours)the average is 20 days (479 h) | 8.3 days (200 hours)the average is 20 days (479 h) | 12.5 days (300 hours)
Talk time (3G) | the average is 7 h (405 min) | 8.00 hoursthe average is 7 h (405 min) | 8.00 hoursthe average is 7 h (405 min) | 7.00 hours
Stand-by time (3G) | the average is 21 days (514 h) | 12.5 days (300 hours)||
Music playback | 40.00 hours | 40.00 hours | 40.00 hours |
Video playback | 10.00 hours | 10.00 hours | 10.00 hours |
Capacity | 1420 mAh |
Hardware | |||
---|---|---|---|
System chip | Apple A6 | Apple A5 | Apple A4 |
Processor | Dual core | Dual core, 800 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9 | Single core, 1000 MHz |
Graphics processor | Yes | PowerVR SGX 543MP2 | Yes |
System memory | 512 MB RAM / DDR2 (800 MHz) | 512 MB RAM | |
Built-in storage | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
Camera | |||
---|---|---|---|
Camera | 8 megapixels, Immobile | 8 megapixels, Immobile | 5 megapixels, Immobile |
Flash | LED | LED | LED |
Aperture size | F2.4 | F2.4 | |
Focal length (35mm equivalent) | 35mm | ||
Features | Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Video stabilizer, Face detection, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama | Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Video stabilizer, Face detection, Geo tagging | Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital zoom, Geo tagging |
Camcorder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps) | |
Features | Video calling | Video calling | Video calling |
Front-facing camera | Yes | 0.3 megapixels VGA | 0.3 megapixels VGA |
Technology | |||
---|---|---|---|
CDMA | 800, 1700/2100, 1900 MHz | 800, 1900 MHz | |
GSM | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
UMTS | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz |
LTE | 700 MHz Class 13, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz | ||
Data | LTE Cat3 Downlink 100 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS | HSDPA 14.4 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, EV-DO Rev.A | HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE |
Micro SIM | nano SIM | Yes | Yes |
Global Roaming | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Positioning | A-GPS, Glonass | A-GPS, Glonass | A-GPS |
Navigation | Turn-by-turn navigation | Yes | Yes |
Things that are NOT allowed: