aller, thinner, and a metal back
As expected, the new iPhone is 18 percent thinner (0.30 inch vs. 0.37 inch thick) than the iPhone 4S. Apple says it's the thinnest handset around, but that's a race that changes often. That means it's also 20 percent lighter for a total of 3.95 ounces. The Retina Display expands from 3.5 inches (its size since the original iPhone) to 4 inches. The total resolution remains the same, though, at 326 pixels per inch. The total pixel count is 1,136x640, and we now have a 16:9 aspect ratio.
As expected, the new iPhone is 18 percent thinner (0.30 inch vs. 0.37 inch thick) than the iPhone 4S. Apple says it's the thinnest handset around, but that's a race that changes often. That means it's also 20 percent lighter for a total of 3.95 ounces. The Retina Display expands from 3.5 inches (its size since the original iPhone) to 4 inches. The total resolution remains the same, though, at 326 pixels per inch. The total pixel count is 1,136x640, and we now have a 16:9 aspect ratio.
To the user, that means a fifth row of icons on the home screen. That's pretty nice since it will let you cut down on the number of home screens. You'll also get a full five-day week view in the calendar, the calendar will show more events, and all iWork apps will take advantage of the bigger display. Third-party apps that haven't been updated will continue to work, but you'll see black borders on each side (so they won't be stretched or scaled). Apple also promises that wide-screen movies will look better, with 44 percent more color saturation than on the iPhone 4S.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Touch sensors are now built into the display itself, which makes it 30 percent thinner as a result and less prone to glare.
The iPhone 5 also fixes a design flaw that we first saw in the iPhone 4. Apple replaced the glass back with one that's mostly metal. Too many people (us included) cracked an iPhone 4 or 4Safter dropping it accidentally. We don't think the change negatively affects the iPhone's aesthetics. In fact, many might see it as an improvement. A return to a metal back reminds one of the original iPhone, and the crisp, clean-cut back has a bit of the feel of other Apple devices like the iPad.
All of the design changes result in a new iPhone that's surprisingly light to hold. Think 20 percent lighter isn't a big deal? Pick one of these up and you'll feel the difference: the iPhone 4 may have been dense, but the iPhone 5 is a featherweight.
The screen is big, bright, and crisp, too, not shockingly so, but a subtly improved experience. It's akin to being the extrawide comfy chair of iPhone screens. Stay tuned for more, but this new iPhone has a good hand feel.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
LTE and carriers
Not a shocker either, but the iPhone 5 will support 4G LTE networks. That's in addition to the current support for GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, and HSPA data networks. LTE has a single chip for voice and data, a single radio chip, and a "dynamic antenna" that will switch connections between different networks automatically.
Not a shocker either, but the iPhone 5 will support 4G LTE networks. That's in addition to the current support for GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, and HSPA data networks. LTE has a single chip for voice and data, a single radio chip, and a "dynamic antenna" that will switch connections between different networks automatically.
So which carriers will support an LTE iPhone 5? Well, in the United States that means AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless. So again, T-Mobile loses out. In Canada it's Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Virgin, and Kudo. In Asia the providers will be SoftBank, SmarTone, SingTel, and SK Telecom. For Australia there's Telstra, Optus, and Virgin Mobile, and in Europe it will go to Deutsche Telekom and EE. On carriers without LTE, the iPhone 5 will run on dual-band 3.5G HDPA+.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
A faster chip
The iPhone 5 will offer an A6 chip, which is two times faster than the current A5 chip. Graphics will get faster speeds, as well. Yet, despite the speedier performance, the new chip will be 22 percent smaller than the A5. According to Apple's specs, users will see Web pages load 2.1 times faster, and the Music app with songs will load 1.9 times faster.
The iPhone 5 will offer an A6 chip, which is two times faster than the current A5 chip. Graphics will get faster speeds, as well. Yet, despite the speedier performance, the new chip will be 22 percent smaller than the A5. According to Apple's specs, users will see Web pages load 2.1 times faster, and the Music app with songs will load 1.9 times faster.
Battery life
LTE tends to be a power hog, but the iPhone 5 is set to deliver respectable battery life even if it's not quite the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Of course, the real story may differ, but here's what Apple is promising for now. We're supposed to get 8 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing, 8 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 225 hours of standby time. You can be sure that CNET will put these promises to the test when we get a device in our hands.
LTE tends to be a power hog, but the iPhone 5 is set to deliver respectable battery life even if it's not quite the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Of course, the real story may differ, but here's what Apple is promising for now. We're supposed to get 8 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing, 8 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 225 hours of standby time. You can be sure that CNET will put these promises to the test when we get a device in our hands.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Camera
The main shooter, or the "iSight" camera, stays at 8 megapixels (with the best resolution being 3,264x2,448 pixels) with a feature list that includes backside illumination, a hybrid IR filter, a five-element lens, and a f2.4 aperture. A dynamic light mode is new, and you should be able to launch photography apps up to 2.1 times faster. Another addition is an image signal processor in the A6 chip. That will bring spatial noise reduction and a "smart filter" that produces better low-light performance and captures photos faster. Finally, there's a built-in panorama mode that stitches shots together for one large 28-megapixel photo.
The main shooter, or the "iSight" camera, stays at 8 megapixels (with the best resolution being 3,264x2,448 pixels) with a feature list that includes backside illumination, a hybrid IR filter, a five-element lens, and a f2.4 aperture. A dynamic light mode is new, and you should be able to launch photography apps up to 2.1 times faster. Another addition is an image signal processor in the A6 chip. That will bring spatial noise reduction and a "smart filter" that produces better low-light performance and captures photos faster. Finally, there's a built-in panorama mode that stitches shots together for one large 28-megapixel photo.
The secondary front camera now can shoot 720p HD video and it gets a backside illuminated sensor. And as we heard at the announcement of iOS 6 back in June, FaceTime will work over 3G cellular networks. Some carriers like AT&T have already announced restrictions for that feature, so be sure to check with your provider first.
Video resolution remains at 1080p HD, though image stabilization has been improved and face detection is now available in clips for up to 10 people. And in a nice move, you can take photos while you're shooting video.
Audio
The iPhone 5 gets an additional microphone for a total of three. You'll find one on the bottom, one on the handset's front face, and one on its rear side. What's more, the speaker now has five magnets (so up from two), which is apparently better and it's supposed to use 20 percent less space. The noise-canceling feature should be improved, as well, and there's a new wideband audio feature that promises more-natural-sounding voices. Twenty percent of carriers will support wideband audio, but so far we only know that Orange in the United Kingdom will be among them.
The iPhone 5 gets an additional microphone for a total of three. You'll find one on the bottom, one on the handset's front face, and one on its rear side. What's more, the speaker now has five magnets (so up from two), which is apparently better and it's supposed to use 20 percent less space. The noise-canceling feature should be improved, as well, and there's a new wideband audio feature that promises more-natural-sounding voices. Twenty percent of carriers will support wideband audio, but so far we only know that Orange in the United Kingdom will be among them.
Smaller dock connector, smaller SIM card
On the bottom of the iPhone 5, there's that new and long-anticipated smaller dock connector. Called "Lightning," it has an all-digital, eight-signal design and an "adaptive interface" (we're not quite sure what that means yet). It's 80 percent smaller, and since it's reversible, both ends will be the same (that's kind of nice).
On the bottom of the iPhone 5, there's that new and long-anticipated smaller dock connector. Called "Lightning," it has an all-digital, eight-signal design and an "adaptive interface" (we're not quite sure what that means yet). It's 80 percent smaller, and since it's reversible, both ends will be the same (that's kind of nice).
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
By all means, it's bound to annoy owners of current speaker docks, accessories, and charger/syncing cables since it will render them obsolete. Apple will offer an adapter and adapter cables (of course it will), which range from $19 to $39. We imagine, though, that the adapter may be awkward to use with some current accessories like a bedside alarm clock/music player. For new accessories, Apple says that manufacturers like Bose, JBL, and Bowers are working on new products.
Though we welcome the idea of a smaller connector, we're miffed that Apple couldn't just adopt the semi-industry standard of Micro-USB. That would make things easier for smartphone users across the globe. Yet, even so, the smaller connector may be a smart move for the future. The 30-pin connector has been around since 2003, long before the iPhone even existed: frankly, it's a dust magnet. A smaller connector helps shave extra space to achieve a smaller phone with perhaps a bigger battery. The new connector cable will mainly be used for syncing and charging by most people who own an Apple TV or Bluetooth/AirPlay accessories.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
iOS 6
Inside, the iPhone 5 will debut with iOS 6 already onboard. Highlights include the new Apple Maps app, Passbook, shared photo streams, Siri updates, and the aforementioned FaceTime over 3G. For more on Apple's newest mobile OS update, check out our iOS 6 First Take. iOS 6 will be available for download next Wednesday, September 19.
Inside, the iPhone 5 will debut with iOS 6 already onboard. Highlights include the new Apple Maps app, Passbook, shared photo streams, Siri updates, and the aforementioned FaceTime over 3G. For more on Apple's newest mobile OS update, check out our iOS 6 First Take. iOS 6 will be available for download next Wednesday, September 19.
Release date and pricing
The iPhone 5 will be available in three capacity models, all of which will come in black and white versions. The 16GB is $199, the 32GB $299, and the 64GB $399. On September 21, it will go on sale in nine countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Anyone in that first batch of countries can preorder starting September 14. More countries will follow by the end of this month, and by the end of the year, the iPhone 5 will land at 240 carriers in 100 countries. As a reminder, the U.S. carriers are the Big Three: Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
The iPhone 5 will be available in three capacity models, all of which will come in black and white versions. The 16GB is $199, the 32GB $299, and the 64GB $399. On September 21, it will go on sale in nine countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Anyone in that first batch of countries can preorder starting September 14. More countries will follow by the end of this month, and by the end of the year, the iPhone 5 will land at 240 carriers in 100 countries. As a reminder, the U.S. carriers are the Big Three: Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
Is this the iPhone you've been looking for?
During very brief hands-on time with the iPhone 5, this much is clear: it's the weight you'll remember more than its thinner profile. The iPhone 4S is already a svelte device: most people probably won't spot the difference if they see the new iPhone from the side.
During very brief hands-on time with the iPhone 5, this much is clear: it's the weight you'll remember more than its thinner profile. The iPhone 4S is already a svelte device: most people probably won't spot the difference if they see the new iPhone from the side.
The screen size, also, is more of a subtle improvement. This isn't a jaw-dropping leap from the iPhone 4S: it's a gradual increase, done almost so cleverly that the front face of the iPhone 5 might, with the screen turned off, look very much like the iPhone 4S. The proof will be in the pudding for how app developers and iOS 6 take full advantage of that extra screen real estate, but the bottom line is this: more screen size and more pixels are good things.
The real killer app on this phone -- no surprise -- might be the iPhone's 4G LTE, as well as the promised battery life. If data speeds and battery life can live up to the promises, those alone will make many want to upgrade.
Spec Comparison: Apple’s iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3
Apple announced the iPhone 5 on Wednesday, and that means it's time to compare it against the competition. First up is the Samsung Galaxy S III (S3 hereafter). It's not the newest Android phone on the market, but it's the most popular Android device to date and it's the device that Samsung has positioned most strongly against Apple's iPhone.
Direct and To the Point
Both of these devices are fantastic. Our bias is with Apple's ecosystem and we think the iPhone 5 gets the quality nod, but if you're looking for either of these devices to be declared the winner, go look somewhere else. They're both powerful, have gorgeous displays, have access to lots of apps, and each has some individual advantages over the other...
...but buying either is much more about which ecosystem you prefer—iOS or Android—than it is about the specs. We recommend iOS, but if you prefer Android, you'll most likely enjoy the Galaxy S3.
All that said, you'll find our thoughts on several aspects of these devices below the spec chart.
Note: Images are close to scale as we could get them.
Model |
iPhone 5
|
Galaxy S3
|
OS | iOS 6 |
Android 4.0 (I.C.S.)
|
Updatable OS? |
√
|
√
|
User storage (GB) |
16/32/64
|
16/32/64 (Coming)
|
Subsidized Price (US$) |
199/299/399
|
199/249/?
|
Carrier(s) |
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Regionals
|
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Regionals
|
Network |
GSM, CDMA, 4G LTE
|
GSM, HSDPA, 4G LTE
|
CPU type |
A6 (most likely dual core or two dual core)
|
Cortex A9 quad core
|
CPU speed (GHz) |
1.2 GHz (Apple hasn’t specified)
|
1.4GHz
|
RAM (MB) |
1024
|
1024
|
Display type |
Retina Display - IPS LCD
|
Super AMOLED
|
Display res. (pix) |
1136 x 640
|
1280 x 720
|
Pixel Density |
326
|
306
|
Display (diag, in) |
4
|
4.8
|
MircoSD slot |
x
|
√ (up to 64GB External Storage)
|
Rear camera (MP) |
8, 1080p video
|
8, 1020p video
|
HDR Mode |
√
|
x
|
Rear Camera Aperture |
f/2.4
|
f/2.63
|
1st photo, shot-shot (s) |
√
| |
Video image stab. |
√
| |
Front camera (MP) |
1.2 720p video
| 1.9, 720p video |
Camera flash |
Dual LED
| LED |
Audio out |
3.5mm jack
| 3.5mm jack |
Speakerphone |
√
| √ |
On-screen video |
Supports up to 1080p
| Supports up to 1080p |
Wireless video |
AirPlay (720p or 1080p)
| x |
Video Out | HDMI via Adapter | |
USB port |
x
| microUSB v2.0 |
Wi-Fi | 8.2.11 a/b/g/n | 8.2.11 a/b/g/n |
Wi-Fi Hotspot | Carrier Dependent | Carrier Dependent |
Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Compass | √ | √ |
Gyroscope | 3-axis | √ |
Accelerometer | √ | √ |
Barometer | x | √ |
Sensors | proximity, ambient light | proximity, ambient light |
NFC | x | √ |
Size (in) | 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.3 | 5.26 x 2.78 x 0.34 |
Weight (oz) | 3.95 | 4.69 |
Battery (mAh) | Unknown | 2100 |
Talk time (min) | 480 (3G) | 700 (3G) |
Standby time (hr) | 225 | 790 |
Available colors | Black & Slate, White & Silver | Sapphire Black, Marble White, Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Pebble Blue, Titanium Grey |
Announced | Sep 12, 2012 | May 1, 2012 |
OS
This is the biggee, so let's start here. iOS 6 versus Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (I.C.S.). We're pretty meh about I.C.S., especially when compared to iOS 6. With I.C.S., which was released in 2011, Google was very much in catch-up mode. Throw on Samsung's TouchWiz custom interface on top of that, and...well...meh.
TouchWiz is Samsung's proprietary interface that sits on top of the company's Android devices as well as its own Bada OS devices. It includes new functionality like S-Voice (Samsung's voice control technology), S Beam (an NFC-based feature), Smart stay, and other features.
But man, oh man, is it ugly! It looks like what would happen if Android and Windows XP met, fell in love, and had an ugly, ugly baby. If you like TouchWiz, more power to you. This is clearly a subjective thing, but it just looks butt-ugly, hamfisted, cluttered, and busy to us.
TouchWiz Example
Credit: Hardware.info
Credit: Hardware.info
We should also note that TouchWiz was where Samsung added in features like the overscroll bounce the company was recently convicted for copying from Apple. Samsung will very likely have to pull out those infringing features—or design around them—in order to keep Apple from getting an injunction against them in the U.S. If so, the S3 will be just a tiny bit more clumsy to use than an iPhone.
Ah, but this whole thing is not so simple. Sometime Soon™, Samsung will be releasing a Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3. That's Google's marketing name for Android 4.1, and we think it looks great. With Jelly Bean, Google has gotten Android to the point where it's shifted from a game of catchup to a game of one-upmanship
One of Google's problems with Android is that most Android devices can't be readily or easily upgraded, but Samsung has committed to releasing Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3. That's good news for Android fans who own this device, but—and this is important—Jelly Bean is superior to TouchWiz when it comes to user interface, and some users will be faced with a choice when they have the option of upgrading to Jelly Bean.
In the meanwhile, iOS 6 is a strong update for Apple's mobile platform. It builds on the strengths of past versions of iOS, and makes significant improvements to Notifications (not coincidentally, we think notifications are one area where Google's Android has and maintains the lead), Reminders, and other iOS features.
iOS is the bellwether for the rest of the mobile industry, and for good reason. The interface is clean, well-designed, attractive, and it makes sense. While some see Apple's walled garden as a prison, others see it as a system that just works. That's why surveys and other research consistently find that iPhone owners use more data, download more apps, pay for more of the apps they do download, and even do browsing.
iOS works, it works well, and is our clear choice, even though we absolutely recognize that Android 4.x (which still ships on the Galaxy S3) is a big improvement for Android, and Jelly Bean is better still.
Apps
At this point both Apple's App Store and Google Play have more than 400,000 smartphone apps. That's plenty, and to spare, for the total number to no longer matter. Apple has a few thousand more, and will probably continue to maintain that lead for the foreseeable future even though Android has more market share.
But, really, who cares? Both platforms have a ton of apps—far more than you could download and try in your lifetime.
One factor we think important is the paid versus ad-supported balance of the two platforms. Free and free, ad-supported apps dominate both, but Android owners won't pay for apps, and thus there's far more paid, advertising-free apps available on the App Store.
If you like ad-supported apps, we'll again say more power to you. Clearly that's the case for Android owners as a whole, but it's also true for many iPhone owners. At TMO, we'd rather pay for our apps and not have ads getting in the way. We feel strongly about this, and we think that the proliferation of high-quality apps whose developers are proud enough of their work to charge you for it directly on the App Store offers an overall superior app experience.
Then there's the walled garden approach to Apple's curated App Store compared to Google's come-one, come-all approach for Google Play.
Google's open policy of app development means that you can get just about anything on Google Play. At the same time, this also means there are viruses, trojans, and plain poor quality apps scattered throughout the Android ecosystem. They get removed when caught, but they often don't get caught until after they get downloaded and used.
With Apple's curated approach, you have to put up with apps getting rejected for little or no reason, and no porn—but come on, Safari can get you all the porn you want on your smartphone. If you just have to have porn on your smartphone...
In any event, Apple's curated approach means that the apps you shop for work, are virus free, and are free of malware.
We think that tradeoff is just fine. If you don't, choose the Galaxy S3.
Display
The iPhone 5's new display is gorgeous, or so TMO's Dave Hamilton said after the hands-on session at Apple's iPhone 5 media event. At 1136 x 640 and 326 pixels per inch (PPI), it's a stunning display, probably the best-looking display on the market.
But hey, the 1280 x 720 display on the Galaxy S3 is amazing, too! Its Super AMOLED screen produces blacker blacks, and all that screen real estate is just awesome. At 306 PPI, few people will be able to tell that it has a lower pixel density than Apple's Retina Display.
It's just do darned big, though. Some like the size. Indeed, some thing that the Galaxy Note II's even-larger 5.5-inch display (with the same resolution as its "smaller" S3 cousin) is just perfect and obviously superior to Apple's paltry 4-inch iPhone 5.
Really, this is utterly subjective. If you want an enormous screen, you'll love the Galaxy S3. If you want a large screen that fits more comfortably in your hand, pocket, or purse, the iPhone 5 will be the better fit.
With screens this good, you can't make a bad choice no matter which you prefer.
NFC
Near-field communications is a newer technology just beginning to make its way onto smartphones. Samsung supports it in the Galaxy S3, whereas Apple does not in the iPhone 5.
With NFC, devices can interact with other nearby devices. NFC-equipped smartphones can also be used for mobile payments where you can pay for stuff by waving your phone at a receiving device by the cash register.
Samsung, for instance, has introduced S Beam. Put your Galaxy S3 back to back with another Galaxy S3 and you can transfer files. Sounds awesome, but we can only imagine how seldom it ever gets used.
For one thing, until Samsung releases more S Beam-equipped devices, you can only do this with another Galaxy S3 device. For another, how often do you really need to share files between smartphones?
To play devil's advocate, maybe the ability to easily do so is all that's been holding us back, and now that Samsung has shown us the way, we'll all eventually be smartphone file sharing sons of guns.
Mobile payments, on the other hand, will be awesome when the world settles on a platform. The world hasn't yet, however, and that makes the NFC feature in the S3 something that's likely to see little use for most users.
The irony is that one reason the world hasn't settled on an NFC mobile payment solution is likely because Apple hasn't implemented it yet.
Still, if NFC matters to you, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the only winner.
Voice
S Voice is Samsung's attempt to match Apple's Siri. It fails to do so—we couldn't find a single review that give S Voice high marks, let alone higher marks than Siri—but it does offer more voice controls for the phone than it would otherwise have.
Siri is the hands-down winner, and we expect the gap to widen over time, not shrink.
Horsepower
We don't know a lot about the A6 processor in the iPhone 5, but Apple claims it's twice as fast as the still-speedy A5. The Cortex A9 processor in the Galaxy S3 also gets great marks. We don't think the processor is a differentiator at this point in the smartphone race.
Some will differ with that opinion. They will be wrong.
Size Matters
Size mattes. Seriously. The problem is that it matters differently for different people. As we noted above, some people love the massive 4.8-inch display of the Galaxy S3, while others don't want to carry around a phone that big.
We like the way the iPhone 5 fits in our hands. Apple pays a lot of attention—more so than any other tech company on the planet—to these things, and in our opinion the iPhone 5 hits the sweet spot. It's thin, it's light, it's wide enough to use while still fitting comfortable in our hands, and the added screen real estate will be noticeable to iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S users.
This is one of those completely subjective things, and you'll just have to decide which you prefer.
Quality
We will own up to being biased. We believe Apple makes a higher quality product than the rest of the computing, smartphone, and tablet market. We found complaints about the S3 "feeling cheap" in your hand on Google, but try and find someone who says the same thing about an iPhone.
Part of it is the lack of plastic on the iPhone. It's all metal and glass. Part of it is the lack of a removable battery on the iPhone (a deal-killer for some folks). The iPhone feels solid because it issolid.
Still, the Galaxy S3 isn't a piece of junk. Hardly. Samsung has a very good device with the S3, but we give the nod to Apple.
Conclusion
As we noted at the top of this comparison, we prefer the iPhone 5. Both devices have great specs, both have some advantages over the other, and both have different approaches that will appeal to different people differently.
Most people reading this will likely already have their own minds made up before ever clicking through to our comparison. They're here not to make up their minds, but rather to see if our opinions match theirs so that they can then judge us as either idiots or fair minded reviewers with great insight (even though this isn't a review, but a spec comparison).
If, however, you are one of the few who is really looking for buying advice based on specs, we encourage you to think differently. Pick between Apple's iPhone 5 or Samsung's Galaxy S3 based not on specs, but rather on ecosystem and approach.
The Android ecosystem is more open, not centrally organized or controlled, and it doesn't try to lock you into a system owned and controlled by one company.
Apple's iOS ecosystem is much more integrated, curated, and refined. The company's products work well in a way that no other company can boast because Apple controls the hardware, the software, and the ecosystem itself. That combines to offer what we think is the best experience.