In this world there are two different kinds of people: Android people and Apple people. After revealing the latest additions to their sought-after and some would say overhyped phones, Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models have yielded the question: should you buy an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5 and if it even matters.
It’s worth pointing out Apple’s genius strategy of releasing two different sized phones. A 4.7″ inch iPhone 6 base model for those who don’t care for oversized miniature tablet screens and a 5.5″ iPhone 6 Plus for those tired of being bashed by their Samsung phablet owning friends remarking over how small their screen is.
The screen
Lets be honest here, one of the deciding factors these days besides storage and number of apps is the screen.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
The 4.7 inch display on the iPhone 6 has a resolution of 1334×750 sporting a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (PPI). It’s bigger brother the iPhone 6 Plus has a resolution of 1920×1080, bringing it inline with the standard fare of Android phones. The 5.5 inch display on the iPhone 6 Plus means it has a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch (PPI) and to really put everything into comparison, the iPhone 5s has a 4-inch screen.
Samsung Galaxy S5
The iPhone 6 Plus screen can only really be compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5’s screen considering they share similar dimensions and resolutions. The super AMOLED display in the Galaxy S5 means Samsung have the advantage over Apple here, the difference between the screens is night and day.
The winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
The camera
While the S5 has a higher amount of megapixels, anyone with a brain knows more megapixels does not equal a better photo. It just means the resulting file size and resolution is bigger. The lens, processing chip and other adjustments on both iPhone 6 models means the iPhone remains the dominant phone between the two in terms of photo quality.
Don’t get me wrong, the S5 has a great camera, but tests have conclusively shown that Apple leads the charge here for quality, even if the amount of megapixels they have are considerably lower.
The winner: Apple iPhone 6
Battery life
iPhone 6
The battery life in the base model iPhone six featuring the 4.7″ screen has less impressive specs than the Galaxy S5, so this is ruled out of the equation. On this model, battery life is more of less the same as the iPhone 5s.
iPhone 6 Plus
The larger sized iPhone, the iPhone 6 Plus boasts more impressive specs on paper, and while it hasn’t been revealed yet, the battery appears to be around the same capacity size of the Galaxy S5. Time will tell if Apple have the premier battery life out of the two phones here. The iPhone 6 Plus has way better battery life than the base model, given its larger size, more space for a larger battery could be afforded.
Samsung Galaxy S5
The 2,800 mAh size battery in the Samsung Galaxy S5 (200 up from the S4) means this thing with moderate use can get a lot of life before going flat. It’s safe to say that coupled with the versatile battery saving modes on the S5, it wins the race, but not by as much as you would expect. Reviews seem to indicate the S5 is beating every other phone currently on the market in terms of battery life.
The winner: Samsung Galaxy S5 (for now)
The applications and games
Both Android and iOS are on par in regards to applications & games. Sure, iOS sometimes gets apps before Android does, but they’re both the same and it isn’t really even a deciding factor in what phone you choose these days.
The Verdict
It doesn’t really matter what you choose. If you want a phone where the photo quality matters and you’re not a power user, the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus are probably the better choices. The design and build quality of the iPhone 6 models is arguably better, but if looks aren’t everything to you and a better camera doesn’t mean anything, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a good choice because of its ability to swap out batteries, a plethora of connectivity options and expandable storage.
Chances are you’re already either a iPhone user or an Android user because Windows Phone sucks, so you’ll pick based on what you currently have. Although, the addition of third party keyboards in iOS 8 means some people might make a return because of the availability of Swift Key.
