iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy s3?

Which phone is better overall?

  • iPhone 5

    Votes: 129 49.0%

  • Samsung Galaxy s3

    Votes: 134 51.0%
  • Total voters
    263
B

BigServer1

Legend
Generally, I think it would be really interesting to see multiple iPhone sizes (in the most up to date model), but I think it would make it much harder with app fragmentation, something that can be annoying on other platforms.

With that said, I'd love a 4.3-4.5" iPhone. The extra room on the screen would be great. The 4" screen is fine, but a bit bigger would definitely be better.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
The blocking apps on JB'ed phones is overblown. It'll still run.

Overall, the Android is more feature packed, hands down.

The iPhone is still better in ease of use. This is subjective, and is solely my opinion.

I've had the 3GS, 4, 4S and now 5. I also have a SGN which I think is the only phone series in Android worth getting. I still prefer using a stock iPhone vs. a stock Nexus and a JB'ed iPhone over a rooted Nexus. I can't deal with lag between finger input and OS response.

Don't get me wrong though, Android 4.2 has closed the gap even more though, it's a worthy OS. I just want the smoothest OS, not the second smoothest. I think the general public feels very similar to that.
 
Q

quest01

Hall of Fame
BigServer1 said:
Generally, I think it would be really interesting to see multiple iPhone sizes (in the most up to date model), but I think it would make it much harder with app fragmentation, something that can be annoying on other platforms.

With that said, I'd love a 4.3-4.5" iPhone. The extra room on the screen would be great. The 4" screen is fine, but a bit bigger would definitely be better.
Click to expand...

I think that's a great idea of having multiple screen sizes. I think the 5s should come with 2 screen size options, the current size of 4 inches and a 4.8 inch model. That's one of the only things I don't like about the iphone 5 is the tiny screen size, its way too small for my taste.
 
Magic of tennis

Magic of tennis

Semi-Pro
quest01 said:
I think that's a great idea of having multiple screen sizes. I think the 5s should come with 2 screen size options, the current size of 4 inches and a 4.8 inch model. That's one of the only things I don't like about the iphone 5 is the tiny screen size, its way too small for my taste.
Click to expand...

I don't understand why people still buy iPhones. Did you see beautiful Galaxy note 2 with large ...... (ahhh finally) ...screen.
iPhone's tiny screen make me so tired to read anything after 10mins of internet surfing. I am so glad to get rid of iPhone for good.
 
JoelDali

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
2 Chinese smartfone GOATs at my work who bought a Note 2 during launch week are returning their's. It's fun for about 3 days.
 
DRII

DRII

G.O.A.T.
souledge said:
The blocking apps on JB'ed phones is overblown. It'll still run.

Overall, the Android is more feature packed, hands down.

The iPhone is still better in ease of use. This is subjective, and is solely my opinion.

I've had the 3GS, 4, 4S and now 5. I also have a SGN which I think is the only phone series in Android worth getting. I still prefer using a stock iPhone vs. a stock Nexus and a JB'ed iPhone over a rooted Nexus. I can't deal with lag between finger input and OS response.

Don't get me wrong though, Android 4.2 has closed the gap even more though, it's a worthy OS. I just want the smoothest OS, not the second smoothest. I think the general public feels very similar to that.
Click to expand...

Uhm, not really...

Android is the most popular platform; and the S3 is the best selling individual phone last quarter.
 
DRII

DRII

G.O.A.T.
movdqa said:
That's why I bought a smartphone and tablet directly from Google. Google is doing a pretty good job at pushing updates for their own products. It's really the carriers that are responsible for updating the OS - not the manufacturers. Except for the Google-branded stuff.
Click to expand...

Google, especially not that they own Motorola, needs to build their own 'G' phones and actually make them hardware competitive with the very best and not just focus on software...
 
T

Tennisguy3000

Semi-Pro
Just got my new iPhone 5 upgrade after my iPhone 3GS contract expired & love it. Got her the new Otter Box Defender case to protect her. I am using the Siri system for most of my emails & texts.... Awesome ;-)

Also got the Tap Talk forum app to make forum navigation easy.. Nice App too.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
> Google, especially not that they own Motorola, needs to
> build their own 'G' phones and actually make them
> hardware competitive with the very best and not just
> focus on software...

Google's strategy on Nexus is clearly aimed at getting marketshare and they're making mid-range and low-end products towards that end.

From an investor's perspectives, that's the right way to go. They're just letting the other companies make the high-end stuff.
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
DRII said:
Uhm, not really...

Android is the most popular platform; and the S3 is the best selling individual phone last quarter.
Click to expand...

Android is the most popular platform worldwide, but over the last few months in the US, they've lost market share while the iPhone has picked up market share. Android is still larger in the US, but it's lost some ground rather than continuing to steamroll.

The iPhone 5 will be the best selling phone in Q4, moreso than the GSIII. The iPhone sold more than 8 million units in Q3 even though the phone was released 9 days before the end of the quarter...It makes sense, as the GSIII isn't as new as it was, and the iP5 is newer.

Finally, the stats show that 80% of smartphone content spending ($$$) happens on iOS. It's just a difference in markets. Some Android users are power users who spend on apps and content and really utilize their Note IIs and GSIIIs. That is a smaller percentage of users though than the casual users who want a cheap phone that they can check email and occasionally browse the web on (again, the spend numbers back that claim up).

Example: The iPhone rarely, if ever goes on sale. On the flip side, you can get an Android phone free when you buy a suit at Joseph A. Bank clothier. It's largely different market segments.
 
DRII

DRII

G.O.A.T.
BigServer1 said:
Android is the most popular platform worldwide, but over the last few months in the US, they've lost market share while the iPhone has picked up market share. Android is still larger in the US, but it's lost some ground rather than continuing to steamroll.

The iPhone 5 will be the best selling phone in Q4, moreso than the GSIII. The iPhone sold more than 8 million units in Q3 even though the phone was released 9 days before the end of the quarter...It makes sense, as the GSIII isn't as new as it was, and the iP5 is newer.

Finally, the stats show that 80% of smartphone content spending ($$$) happens on iOS. It's just a difference in markets. Some Android users are power users who spend on apps and content and really utilize their Note IIs and GSIIIs. That is a smaller percentage of users though than the casual users who want a cheap phone that they can check email and occasionally browse the web on (again, the spend numbers back that claim up).

Example: The iPhone rarely, if ever goes on sale. On the flip side, you can get an Android phone free when you buy a suit at Joseph A. Bank clothier. It's largely different market segments.
Click to expand...


One reason all that spending occurs over iOS is because Iphone users have to pay for many things that are free on Android or built into that operating system.

And I don't buy that the market segments are largely different; its just that Android competes on multiple levels and tiers (with multiple manufacturers) while Apple is pretty much only premium; hence the premium Apple users pay... Same with the PC market. Apple has always demanded a premium and avoided the discount model. They almost went out of business doing so, but now find themselves in an enviable position; won't last forever (just ask Microsoft or IBM)...

However, Samsung certainly competes directly with Apple and are approaching similar profit margins and with a much broader portfolio of products.

But don't get me wrong; I'm glad an American company can and does dominate in a given sector. However, monopolies are not good...
 
Last edited:
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
> And I don't buy that the market segments are largely
> different; its just that Android competes on multiple levels
> and tiers (with multiple manufacturers) while Apple is pretty
> much only premium; hence the premium Apple users pay

Marketers like that demographic though - folks with disposable income. Or at least those that think that they have disposable income. On one of my recent trips to McDonalds, one of the employees there had an iPhone 5 and another had an iPhone 3 model and was looking at upgrading.
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
DRII said:
One reason all that spending occurs over iOS is because Iphone users have to pay for many things that are free on Android or built into that operating system.
Click to expand...

Eh, I don't entirely agree with this. There isn't much that's built into the Android OS that you can pay to get on iOS. In most cases like Widgets, it's just not available on iOS (a downside to Apple, imo). If you're talking about apps, then I see what you're saying, but free Android apps are almost always ad supported. Angry Birds for instance is $0.99 on iOS, but it's ad free. If you want the ad free version on Android, I believe it's $2.99. I bought some apps on Android, but I've bought more on iOS. The quality is so much better that to me it's worth the 99 cents.

DRII said:
And I don't buy that the market segments are largely different; its just that Android competes on multiple levels and tiers (with multiple manufacturers) while Apple is pretty much only premium; hence the premium Apple users pay... Same with the PC market. Apple has always demanded a premium and avoided the discount model. They almost went out of business doing so, but now find themselves in an enviable position; won't last forever (just ask Microsoft or IBM)...

However, Samsung certainly competes directly with Apple and are approaching similar profit margins and with a much broader portfolio of products.

But don't get me wrong; I'm glad an American company can and does dominate in a given sector. However, monopolies are not good...
Click to expand...

I agree about the American company part, and I agree about Samsung. Interestingly, Samsung has adopted Apple's model, and it's made them successful. They don't heavily discount their products until they are nearing the end of their life cycle, and they charge a premium for their phones.

It's interesting to me about the PC market, since Apple is now more than competitively priced against Windows machines. I just bought a 13" MacBook Air, and it was $1,100, which is in the middle of the ultrabook price points, but the MBA is one of the top performers in that category. Crazy to think that just 5-7 years ago, a run of the mill Apple computer was 2X the price of a PC (or even more), and now prices have normalized, even as Apples PC market share has grown.
 
ST_spitzertelescope

ST_spitzertelescope

Semi-Pro
Android has 10 ways of doing the same thing, unlike the iPhone has one way of doing it the best way.

The human body doesn't have 5 different types of hands, it has one good type of hand.

Apple software is a lot more intuitive and more elegant, that's it.
 
DRII

DRII

G.O.A.T.
BigServer1 said:
Eh, I don't entirely agree with this. There isn't much that's built into the Android OS that you can pay to get on iOS. In most cases like Widgets, it's just not available on iOS (a downside to Apple, imo). If you're talking about apps, then I see what you're saying, but free Android apps are almost always ad supported. Angry Birds for instance is $0.99 on iOS, but it's ad free. If you want the ad free version on Android, I believe it's $2.99. I bought some apps on Android, but I've bought more on iOS. The quality is so much better that to me it's worth the 99 cents.



I agree about the American company part, and I agree about Samsung. Interestingly, Samsung has adopted Apple's model, and it's made them successful. They don't heavily discount their products until they are nearing the end of their life cycle, and they charge a premium for their phones.

It's interesting to me about the PC market, since Apple is now more than competitively priced against Windows machines. I just bought a 13" MacBook Air, and it was $1,100, which is in the middle of the ultrabook price points, but the MBA is one of the top performers in that category. Crazy to think that just 5-7 years ago, a run of the mill Apple computer was 2X the price of a PC (or even more), and now prices have normalized, even as Apples PC market share has grown.
Click to expand...

American consumers are willing to pay more and more for electronics, which in many cases means ever extension of credit and eventual credit bubbles...

Just imagine how much the PS4 and Xbox 720 will cost :twisted:
 
B

Blaxican10s

Banned
I hate to eat crow but in the last month I've gone from iPhone 5 owner to HTC One X+ to now the... wait for it.... Galaxy S3. Go ahead, tell me you told me so.
 
B

Blaxican10s

Banned
acura9927 said:
Note 2 next. I like mine very much.
Click to expand...

No, this is as big as I'm going. Not saying that I like the GS3 better than my iPhone either (jury is still out). Its a change and so far I am liking my GS3. I am a MacBook/ iPad user and I am missing the ease with which I could send things back and forth between the three platforms.
 
Feather

Feather

Legend
My friend is coming from US next week. The price of Samsung Galaxy S 3 is less in US compared to that in India. However the phones are all locked to one particular carrier in US. If I buy a phone and unlock it here, will I have any complications? I mean would it screw up the phone? Is it worth buying that way?
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
Google Maps (with turn-by-turn) App now available for iOS.

It's a sweet app. It took a couple months, but this version had everything Apple originally wanted.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
A lady with $16,000 in cash was tasered at our local mall for trying to buy more than two iPhones this past Tuesday. Does this happen with the Galaxy S3 too?
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
DRII said:
Uhm, not really...

Android is the most popular platform; and the S3 is the best selling individual phone last quarter.
Click to expand...

Let's bet on which phone is the best selling phone during the holiday season then. Numbers aren't out yet.

10 forum bucks says iPhone 5 over the Galaxy S III in the US when the numbers come out.
 
mikeler

mikeler

Moderator
souledge said:
Let's bet on which phone is the best selling phone during the holiday season then. Numbers aren't out yet.

10 forum bucks says iPhone 5 over the Galaxy S III in the US when the numbers come out.
Click to expand...

Oh man this is getting serious when forum bucks are changing hands.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
I think that the numbers out so far have the iPhone 5 ahead of the Galaxy 3. The Galaxy 3 is only half the price of an iPhone 5 with a contract.

I think that many Android buyers have moved onto the Note 2.
 
B

Blaxican10s

Banned
movdqa said:
I think that the numbers out so far have the iPhone 5 ahead of the Galaxy 3. The Galaxy 3 is only half the price of an iPhone 5 with a contract.

I think that many Android buyers have moved onto the Note 2.
Click to expand...

The GS3 has sold over 30 million units to date, doubtful that the iPhone 5 has hit that yet.
 
D

Dags

Hall of Fame
BigServer1 said:
Google Maps (with turn-by-turn) App now available for iOS.

It's a sweet app. It took a couple months, but this version had everything Apple originally wanted.
Click to expand...

I've been using it heavily all day, and am very pleased with the result. Having it back highlights the biggest weakness of Apple Maps: Google knows where things are! Nice to have Street View back, and turn-by-turn is a potential bonus.

I say potential, as it's not perfect. It clearly states it's in beta, and it shows a little. The first note is that it's not localised. This is immediately apparent with the American voice: not a big issue, though she sounds a little odd with some of the pronunciations. Less helpful was my first direction: 'Head West'. This really isn't that useful in the UK, unless it's a sunny day. Which it rarely is. It hasn't quite worked out how to navigate roundabouts, which means having to look at the screen rather than use the audio alone. And at one point it wanted me to make a U-turn, and the icon showed the arrow going from right to left when it would always be left to right. There were a couple of junctions that confused it, but overall it wasn't bad, and as I say is just a bonus.

I'm certainly happier with my phone today than I was yesterday!
 
A

adventure

Banned
BigServer1 said:
Generally, I think it would be really interesting to see multiple iPhone sizes (in the most up to date model), but I think it would make it much harder with app fragmentation, something that can be annoying on other platforms.

With that said, I'd love a 4.3-4.5" iPhone. The extra room on the screen would be great. The 4" screen is fine, but a bit bigger would definitely be better.
Click to expand...

I really think it is time for apple to have an iphone with a 4.5 or even 4.8" screen. It could be achieved rather easily by eliminating the giant home button or at least slimming it down while making the phone only slightly longer.

Obviously we're at least 7 months away from a revision, but that's my hope anyway.

I am going to check out the S3 and Iphone 5 over the weekend and hopefully make a choice one way or the other.

All I can say is, avoid radio shack if you are buying a new phone. Unbelievably sad place to shop.
 
S

Sid_Vicious

G.O.A.T.
So, I have the opportunity to get an SIII this week, but I don't know if I want it. I played around with the SIII today and I don't know if I want to switch from the Iphone 4S to the S3. The S3 is huge, ugly, and feels so cheap and light in the hand that I am no longer into it.
 
Q

quest01

Hall of Fame
I went from the iPhone 4 to the gs3 and it was an easy transition. I didn't find the gs3 big at all, its just that the iPhone 4/4s were just so much smaller then everything else. I would have probably switched to the note 2 if it was within the exchange time frame. Yeah the screen is a lot bigger than the iPhone but its not really big in the hand.
 
S

Sid_Vicious

G.O.A.T.
quest01 said:
I went from the iPhone 4 to the gs3 and it was an easy transition. I didn't find the gs3 big at all, its just that the iPhone 4/4s were just so much smaller then everything else. I would have probably switched to the note 2 if it was within the exchange time frame. Yeah the screen is a lot bigger than the iPhone but its not really big in the hand.
Click to expand...

To each his own. I really don't like these monstrosities that are trending in the smartphone industry. I just don't care for the bigger screen. What am I going to do with that huge screen? Watch movies? Even with that jumbo sized screen, I would never even consider watching a movie or an HD tennis match on a 4.8-5.5 inch screen. I have my laptop for that.

Also,the S3 supposedly has a vastly superior processor to the iphone 5, yet it fails in defeating the iPhone 5 in terms of web surfing speeds. That is a huge disappointment and shows that advertised specs are becoming irrelevant when it comes to actual performance.
 
Last edited:
JoelDali

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Agreed. I watch video on the 5 just fine. Not sure an S3 would make it more pleasurable unless it came attached with Megan Fox's mouth on it.
 
B

Blaxican10s

Banned
Sid_Vicious said:
To each his own. I really don't like these monstrosities that are trending in the smartphone industry. I just don't care for the bigger screen. What am I going to do with that huge screen? Watch movies? Even with that jumbo sized screen, I would never even consider watching a movie or an HD tennis match on a 4.8-5.5 inch screen. I have my laptop for that.

Also,the S3 supposedly has a vastly superior processor to the iphone 5, yet it fails in defeating the iPhone 5 in terms of web surfing speeds. That is a huge disappointment and shows that advertised specs are becoming irrelevant when it comes to actual performance.
Click to expand...

Having been a long time iPhone guy and now being an S3 owner I'll say that the S3 absolutely beats the iPhone when it comes to web surfing. The disproportionate length of the iPhone 5 makes it hard to scroll around and view web content. The iPhone still can't view some videos. The iphone's camera is the winner when it comes to picture quality. The iPhone's battery life is also much better than the GS3s.

Aside from those differences, most other things are a push. If you are a MacBook or iPad user than having an iphone is just easier to integrate with. I really enjoy having a back button with navigate with that you don't get with an iPhone and I also enjoy the ability use widgets and customize my home screens to make the phone more suitable to me which is something that you really can't do on iOS.

Bottom line: use what works best for you. There is no "better" phone.
 
S

Sid_Vicious

G.O.A.T.
Blaxican10s said:
Having been a long time iPhone guy and now being an S3 owner I'll say that the S3 absolutely beats the iPhone when it comes to web surfing. The disproportionate length of the iPhone 5 makes it hard to scroll around and view web content. The iPhone still can't view some videos. The iphone's camera is the winner when it comes to picture quality. The iPhone's battery life is also much better than the GS3s.

Aside from those differences, most other things are a push. If you are a MacBook or iPad user than having an iphone is just easier to integrate with. I really enjoy having a back button with navigate with that you don't get with an iPhone and I also enjoy the ability use widgets and customize my home screens to make the phone more suitable to me which is something that you really can't do on iOS.

Bottom line: use what works best for you. There is no "better" phone.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, man. Very informative.

I have been using an Iphone 4 for the past 2 years so I am reluctant to switch to a completely different operating system. I am not the kind of guy who drools over every smartphone that comes out. For my purposes, the iphone 4 has always been a solid phone. Since 2010, I have not been interested in getting another phone. Now that my contract is expiring, I am starting to look around for new phones and I feel ambivalent about using something different. I am thinking about keeping my current phone.
 
B

Blaxican10s

Banned
Sid_Vicious said:
Thanks for the info, man. Very informative.

I have been using an Iphone 4 for the past 2 years so I am reluctant to switch to a completely different operating system. I am not the kind of guy who drools over every smartphone that comes out. For my purposes, the iphone 4 has always been a solid phone. Since 2010, I have not been interested in getting another phone. Now that my contract is expiring, I am starting to look around for new phones and I feel ambivalent about using something different. I am thinking about keeping my current phone.
Click to expand...

If you've had an iPhone and liked it, then I would recommend sticking with it. Honestly, sometimes it easier to stick what you know has worked in the past rather than try something new for the sake of trying something new.
 
S

Sid_Vicious

G.O.A.T.
Blaxican10s said:
If you've had an iPhone and liked it, then I would recommend sticking with it. Honestly, sometimes it easier to stick what you know has worked in the past rather than try something new for the sake of trying something new.
Click to expand...

Since you switched from an Iphone to the S3, I have a few questions. :)

How is the music player? I really love the Ipod integrated into the phone. I heard there are some good apps on the android app store that are pretty good.

How would you rate the quality? When I held the phone, it felt really delicate and light, but the phone was connected to this alarm-cable in the store so I couldn't hold it properly and maneuver it around.

I heard that there is bloatware on the phone? How big of an issue is this?

How would you compare the screens on the iphone retina display and the S3? Which has a crisper picture? I know that the S3 has an HD screen unlike the iphone, but that does not always equal a better display. Like the Nexus 7, which has an HD screen, yet the color saturation and brightness is far inferior to that of the Ipad 2-3 and the kindle.
And does the Android app store have Racquet tune? (An app that measures string tension? :D
 
Last edited:
G

guitarplayer

Guest
Sid_Vicious said:
To each his own. I really don't like these monstrosities that are trending in the smartphone industry. I just don't care for the bigger screen. What am I going to do with that huge screen? Watch movies? Even with that jumbo sized screen, I would never even consider watching a movie or an HD tennis match on a 4.8-5.5 inch screen. I have my laptop for that.

Also,the S3 supposedly has a vastly superior processor to the iphone 5, yet it fails in defeating the iPhone 5 in terms of web surfing speeds. That is a huge disappointment and shows that advertised specs are becoming irrelevant when it comes to actual performance.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to stay with your little girly phone. Hey, put some sparkles on it too! It will fit in your purse..er..murse.
 
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