We thought it might be fun to see just how competitive high-end Android devices have become by pitting one of the best, the Samsung Galaxy S, against Apple's perennial favourite.
We thought we'd launch out of the blocks with the hardest criteria to judge, that of screen quality. Apple's iPhone 4 boasts a hugely impressive 3.5-inch screen dubbed the Retina Display, which features a groundbreaking 326ppi (pixels per inch), making what you see on the screen as near to true life as you're going to get.
The Galaxy S may not be able to rival the iPhone for pixel density but it can certainly hold its own, with a sharp 4-inch Super-AMOLED screen capable of the deepest blacks and the most vivid colours .
Drive Train
Internally both of these devices are cutting edge. Samsung's Galaxy S is driven by a powerful 1GHz Hummingbird chipset which includes a PowerVR GPU as well as 512MB RAM, allowing the device to run multiple apps without any discernible lag. The iPhone is similarly spec'd, with a 1GHz Apple A4 CPU and 512MB RAM taking care of the donkey work, allowing the iPhone's slick UI and apps to run unhindered.
With similar hardware it's tough to separate the two devices, though they both use what they're given very differently.
Optics
Samsung Galaxy S 5-megapixel camera is capable of producing impressive shots and the support for 720P video capture only adds to the Galaxy's charm. As charming as the Galaxy S is, it can't measure up against the iPhone's 5-megapixel snapper though, which features LED flash, autofocus and also captures 720P movies. While both devices offer cameras that are similar on paper, the iPhone's faster shutter speed and slicker user interface shine through, giving Apple's baby its first win of the contest.
Operating System
Apple's iOS has been the benchmark that other operating systems measure themselves by for some time and it's so easy to see why. With sharp, good-looking graphics and intuitive controls, iOS is everything you want from a mobile OS. It allows you to get things done with minimum of fuss, supports tons of apps and doesn't scrimp on the eye-candy.
The Samsung Galaxy S runs version 2.2 (Froyo) of Google's Android OS and it's a masterpiece of complexity distilled into something amazingly usable. Android affords you all the usability of Apple's masterful iOS but with the added bonus of being based on open source ideals, meaning that you are able to examine and change the very core tenets of the operating system to your own specification, if you're so inclined
Future Proofing
Apple has the future covered. The iPhone 4 receives updates from the boffins at Cupertino fairly regularly, patching flaws and adding features, and you can expect to receive the newest version of iOS as and when it rolls off the production line.
Samsung's Galaxy S runs a custom UI over the top of Google's Android platform and although this augment's the user experience for the better it somewhat hinders the device receiving updates. The device shipped with version 2.1 of Android, that was recently upgraded to version 2.2 and users can expect to receive version 2.3 but the job of tailoring the custom TouchWiz UI means that it won't be as brisk as the iPhone 4, or indeed some of its purer competitors.
Samsung's contender has really taken it to Apple, but the iPhone 4 just snagged it with its Retina Display – something the Galaxy S simply cannot compete with.
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