If we isolate for screen size, the newly announced Apple iPhone 5S has all the makings of a futureproof flagship device, especially in the chipset part, even against current Android kings of the shelves like the Galaxy S4 and the LG G2.
The iPhone 5S is very thin, despite the premium glass/aluminum build, and keeps it very light, too, even though it has a new fingerprint sensor built right into the sapphire crystal home key. The Galaxy S4 and LG G2 also keeps things on the lighthearted side, and they have much larger display panels, too, so kudos for everyone's engineering chops in this department. Those display panels of the Koreans are Full HD with pixel densities north of 400ppi, though Apple's 326ppi panel still means you can't tell the individual pixels with normal vision.
The crazy part is Apple's new A7 chipset, which is the first 64-bit one in a smartphone, and a harbringer of things to come, though there aren't much apps that take advantage of it. We can't wait for some cross-platform benchmarks, but we have the feeling everyone's silicon might get smoked by the new A7, especially in the graphics department, so no complaints about the SoCs either.
Moreover, Apple's chipset has gotten paired with multiband cellular radio that promises compatibility with the most LTE bands of all handsets out there - we counted a version with 11 bands, whereas the previous king in that aspect, the Xperia Z Ultra, is octaband. This makes the iPhone 5S the first truly global LTE handset.
The other big difference is seemingly the camera resolution, which stays 8 MP in the iPhone 5S, whereas the S4 and G2 sport 13 MP sensors. A camera is as good as the pictures it takes, of course, and resolution is not even in the top 5 of criteria here, so we'll pass judgment when we do a thorough camera comparison between the three. The Galaxy S4 and LG G2 have proven to be the most capable Android snappers so far, before the Xperia Z1 hits retail, so the iPhone 5S will have a steep hill to climb, but its True Tone LED flash might be of help in the low-light comparison.
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DESIGN
Device
Apple iPhone 5S
Samsung Galaxy S4
LG G2
OS
iOS (7)
Android (4.2.2)
Android (4.2.2)
Dimensions
4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm)
5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches (136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm)
5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 inches (138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm)
Weight
3.95 oz (112 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
4.59 oz (130 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
5.04 oz (143 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
Body material
Aluminium
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
Design features
Fingerprint sensor
Back buttons
DISPLAY
Physical size
4.0 inches
5.0 inches
5.2 inches
Resolution
640 x 1136 pixels
1080 x 1920 pixels
1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density
326 ppi
441 ppi
423 ppi
Technology
IPS LCD
Super AMOLED
IPS LCD
Peak brightness
500 cd/m2 (nit)
350 cd/m2 (nit)
450 cd/m2 (nit)
BATTERY
Talk time (3G)
10.00 hours the average is 10 h (582 min)
17.00 hours the average is 10 h (582 min)
Stand-by time (3G)
10.4 days (250 hours) the average is 24 days (564 h)
15.4 days (370 hours) the average is 24 days (564 h)
Stand-by time (4G)
13.3 days (320 hours) the average is 13 days (300 h)
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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