- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- LG Nexus 4
- Sony Xperia S
- HTC One X
- Motorola RAZR XT910
- Apple iPhone 4S
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- 4G
- 4.8"
- Dual core 1.5 GHz
Released June, 2012
by GSM Arena (Oct, 2012)The HTC One S is also worth a look if 4.8" is too big for you and you prefer AMOLED over LCD.
Rated 88% by by The Verge (Sep, 2012)In other areas, a new treatment has been utilized on the display which Apple claims produces brighter colors as well as deeper blacks while reducing display thickness.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Samsung Galaxy S III compared to the Apple iPhone 5
GHz1.5
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean 4G
by GSM Arena (May, 2012)Sunlight legibility is splendid too - the HD Super AMOLED isn't the brightest around, but its reflectivity is so low that even when outside in the brightest day, you'll still be able to make out what's on the screen quite clearly.
1.3 GHz
iOS 6 4G
Rated 87% by by c|net (Sep, 2012)The iPhone 5's 3.95-ounce weight is the lightest an iPhone's ever been.
screen size
4.8"
4"
Galaxy S III by GSM Arena (Oct, 2012)The pretty large, sharp display with great colors makes reading a joy.
iPhone 5 by G.-Clough--Garrett (Nov, 2012)The 4" screen was a great move by Apple, its not too big like the Note, but its not too small, like some say the iPhone 4 was.
screen resolution
Galaxy S III by GSM Arena (Oct, 2012)The first chart shows better sharpness over the S II - it's especially noticeable in the small numbers below the color patches.
iPhone 5 by Dwight (Apr, 2013)1080p resolution is going to be the minimum in the future (comparable to retina display) as will a quad-core processor and everyone else is offering more powerful battery life.
memory
| 0 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
processor
Galaxy S III by c|net (Jun, 2012)From the outside in, it has a large, vibrant HD display; Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich; a sharp 8-megapixel camera; 4G LTE support; a zippy dual-core processor; and tons of internal memory and 2GB RAM.
iPhone 5 by G.-Clough--Garrett (Nov, 2012)I thought Apple would go all in with a quad-core, but they stuck with a Dual Core Processor, and I understand why.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 8 MP | 8 MP |
Galaxy S III by c|net (Jun, 2012)After all, the outdated assumption that the more megapixels you have the better simply isn't true (and here's why).
iPhone 5 by SirStinky--Sirstinky (Dec, 2012)The 8-megapixel iSight camera is probably one of the best cameras out there now in terms of all-around performance.
Performance Real world tests of Samsung Galaxy S III vs Apple iPhone 5
cpu speed
Galaxy S III by GSM Arena (May, 2012)Samsung seems to have done quite well here as the speed increase goes further than the 16% or so CPU frequency advantage that the Galaxy S III has over its predecessor.
iPhone 5 by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)It’s slimmer, lighter and better looking than before, and yet it packs in a larger screen and faster processor.
talk time
700 min
480 min
Galaxy S III by GSM Arena (Oct, 2012)The 3G talk time ended up the same as with the ICS-running Galaxy S III and is one of the best performers we have seen.
iPhone 5 by GSM Arena (Sep, 2012)Underneath the back panel lies a non-user-accessible 1440 mAh Li-Ion battery which, Apple says, should last for up to 8 hours of calls or 225 h of stand-by.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Apple iPhone 5
| Supports Adobe Flash | Yes | vs | No (iOS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; Many games and videos on the Internet require Adobe Flash | |||
| Has expandable storage | microSD, microSDHC | vs | None |
| Use storage cards to increase your phone's capacity for apps and data | |||
| Has a removable battery | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Old batteries can be replaced inexpensively | |||
| Screen uses OLED technology | Yes | vs | No |
| About half of phones are OLED; OLED screens are typically higher contrast and use less power | |||
| Uses standard video out connectors | Yes (USB) | vs | No (Lightning) |
| Somewhat common; Standardized connectors are cheap, compatible and easy to find | |||
| Supports NFC | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Enables payment by phone and other wireless communications | |||
| Supports FM radio | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Listen to music and news from local radio stations | |||
| Significantly longer standby time | 47,400 min | vs | 13,500 min |
| More than 3.5x longer standby time | |||
| Significantly more battery capacity | 2,100 mA·h | vs | 1,440 mA·h |
| Around 50% more battery capacity | |||
| Bigger screen | 4.8" | vs | 4" |
| Around 20% bigger screen | |||
| Much better theoretical download speed | 84 Mb/s (HSPA+) | vs | 20 Mb/s |
| More than 4x better theoretical download speed; enjoy lightning fast downloads on modern networks | |||
| Longer talk time | 700 min | vs | 480 min |
| Around 50% longer talk time; go days without charging | |||
| Faster processor | 1.5 GHz | vs | 1.3 GHz |
| Around 20% faster processor; run computation-intensive applications, such as photo editing, faster | |||
| Higher resolution screen | 1280 x 720 | vs | 1136 x 640 |
| Around 30% higher resolution screen | |||
Advantages compared to the Samsung Galaxy S III
| Significantly smaller | 59 x 124 x 8 mm | vs | 137 x 71 x 9 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 30% smaller | |||
| Lighter | 112 g | vs | 133 g |
| Around 20% lighter | |||
| Sharper screen | 325 ppi | vs | 305 ppi |
| Around 10% sharper PPI; enjoy photo-realistic, crisp images | |||
| Thinner | 8 mm | vs | 9 mm |
| More than 10% thinner | |||
| Marginally newer | Sep, 2012 | vs | Jun, 2012 |
| Release date 3 months later | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Samsung Galaxy S III | Apple iPhone 5 | ||
 |  
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
| |
 |  Rated by 11 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by electronicnut (Mar, 2013) Rated 100% by by electronicnut (Mar, 2013) Rated 20% by by ebusemih (Jul, 2012)  | Rated by 302 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by G.-Lee (Oct, 2012) Rated 80% by by Ayoub (Nov, 2012) Rated 80% by by Sage-Wysocki (Mar, 2013) | |
apps
Apple iPhone 5 64 GB | Rated 87% by by c|net (Sep, 2012)Of course, you'll need new apps to take advantage of the longer screen, and at the time I tested the iPhone 5, those weren't available because iOS 6 hadn't formally launched.
Apple iPhone 5 64 GB | Rated 87% by by c|net (Sep, 2012)App-makers will be scrambling to make their apps take advantage of the extra screen space, and my guess is it won't take long at all for most to be iPhone 5 (and iPod Touch) ready.
battery
Apple iPhone 5 64 GB | Rated 100% by by Sávio-Ladeira (Feb, 2013)I had an iPhone 4 16gb and decided to upgrade because my home button was failing and the battery was starting to die.
music
Apple iPhone 5 64 GB | Rated 100% by by uberammergau (Feb, 2013)For music lovers, I recommend getting the bigger memory models as the 16GB one easily get filled up.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | LG Nexus 4 Rated the best by consumers |
 | 2 | Sony Xperia S 5-way tie: Supports FM radio |
 | 3 | HTC One X 3-way tie: Blazingly fast |
 | 5 | Apple iPhone 4S Much newer operating system |
 | 7 | Samsung Galaxy S4 Lots of battery capacity |
 | 8 | Alcatel OneTouch 997D Transmits music over FM radio |
Popular Questions
September 12, 2012
How does the iPhone 5 compare with its competitors?
If you were to buy a smart phone today which one of the following would you buy? iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S III vs. Nokia Lumia 920 vs. Droid RAZR HD
Beginner I
55
Answers October 26, 2012
What will I lose in system integration by going to an Galaxy S III?
As a mac user, I like the simplicity of the iOS integration (Mail/iTunes/Contacts), how much would I lose by going to an S III (over an iPhone 5)? Is it worth the performance boost? Which has may...
Beginner I
8
Answers August 30, 2012
Did Apple Just Boost Samsung Sales?
Want to hear peoples thoughts. Apple gets a contentious decision <http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/08/24/a-verdict-reached-jury-apple-v-samsung-case/> and is awarded a million bucks, despite ....
Beginner I
4
Answers Samsung Galaxy S III
Apple iPhone 5
Chris-Brockhurst 
Beginner I
As an actual iPhone user before I switched to the Galaxy S3 I have to disagree with the previous posts. I cannot wait for my iPhone 5 to arrive (theres a 4-6 week wait right now) so I can sell my... View Chris-Brockhurst's recommendation
- 0 comments
- October 26, 2012
- Reply to: What will I lose in system integration by going to an Galaxy S III?
theastromechdroid 
Expert I
I would recommend the iPhone 5 over the Samsung Galaxy SIII for various reasons. 1. The iPhone 5 is more durable. It is made of glass and aluminum unlike the Samsung Galaxy SIII which is of on... View theastromechdroid's recommendation
- 0 comments
- October 14, 2012
- Reply to: Long battery life & sturdier case & construction
theastromechdroid
Expert I
In terms of quality: iPhone wins this round. It's made of glass and aluminum while the Samsung Galaxy SIII is made of plastic. In terms of speaker: For calling: iPhone wins since it has HD... View theastromechdroid's recommendation
- 0 comments
- September 24, 2012
- Reply to: Phone clarity
