Samsung Galaxy s4 vs iPhone 5?

Have you seen the ad with the wedding turned into a fight over the two phones.
I’m an android man myself, my wife is loving the iphone.

Both my fiancé and I got the iPhone when it first came out, and have upgraded through the 6 years since – in fact, we met because of the iPhone, via an iPhone social app. I preordered the 5 when it came out and upgraded from the 4. The LTE was the best part of the upgrade for me, and I appreciate the retina screen on all my devices now, and I use dictation fairly often. For me, the familiarity and predictability are good. I prefer the smaller size of the iPhone and find that most Android devices are huge and won’t fit my hands or my pockets very well.

However, my fiancé is an IT guy, and the iOS platform – even jail broken and the early iOS 7 beta were stale for him, so he upgraded from his iPhone 4S to the Samsung Galaxy S4. He has had it for several weeks now and likes it. The camera isn’t as good and there aren’t as many photo apps that we’ve found, so he misses that a bit. Most of the apps we shared, like the Grocery IQ and DropBox, have Android versions and we can still sync our data for the app. Even our shared Apple calendar will work with his Android device.

Neither of us used FaceTime, but I have friends whose families use it often, so that ties them to the iOS. I’ve met many people via iPhone apps and sites, and a large number have tried Android devices. Those who came back to iOS seem to be the regular end-users like myself; and those who prefer the Android seem to be technology motivated people who like to explore what the device can do, like my fiancé.

Both phones are essentially the same in terms of function.

What it boils down to is this:

Do you like being sucked into Steve Job’s view of how the world should run? If so, buy the iPhone.

Do you like thinking for yourself and being treated as an adult? If so, buy the Samsung.

As to “Steve Jobs’ view of the world”, I prefer it over “Samsung’s view of the world.” It’s strictly of matter of which phone you like better. I’d been an iPhone devotee for years but tried a Samsung in February. Wound up taking it back for many reasons and trading it for iPhone 5, which I love for many reasons.

@elbanditoroso Rroww! Claws in!

I have an iPhone 4 at the moment. I’m eligible to upgrade in October. I plan on getting a Galaxy. I’ve asked a lot of people that have Galaxy’s what they think of them. I haven’t heard one bad comment. Probably 75% of them are former iPhone users.
It’s a personal preference thing. My brother has been a die hard iPhone fan for many years and will probably never switch. My son had a droid up until December when I bought him an iPhone 5. He loves it. He likes to laugh at my slow ass iPhone 4.
I say try them both and see which one suits you best.

It really is a personal preference thing.

Personally, I abhor the “walled garden” approach that people_thinks_ makes them safer, being locked out of basic controls, or unable to perform certain tasks/functions. And I prefer having a market where over half the stuff is totally free instead of one that has half as many free things that are mostly crippleware demo versions of paid software.

That means that I personally will likely never even consider thinking about getting an iOS device ever again (and, in fact, would prefer to be sodomized with a chainsaw; I consider iOS that bad!), and won’t bother trying Windows phones.

@jerv Lmao! Sodomized with a chainsaw???? I dislike iOS as well, but DAMN!

Great fucking answer!! :0)

I prefer the customization capabilities of Android over iOS. The iPhone has always seemed so limited and the interface is not aesthetically pleasing to me. I can change my entire layout on a whim—background, sounds, keyboard, widgets, whatever strikes my fancy.

If I were to upgrade my Atrix 2, it would probably be for a Galaxy.

I think that it really depends upon what you are looking to do with your smartphone.

If you are a more techy type of person and if you enjoy customizing everything to the nth degree then you’ll want the Galaxy and the Android OS.

I have an iPhone but also have a Galaxy Tablet so I can speak about both OSs from experience.

Once I got over the initial fascination with all the zillion ways to customize Android, I realized that all of the “live wallpapers” were just a big battery drain. Yes they’re pretty and appeal to the artsy fartsy side of me but they screw up so much of the rest of functioning that its just not worth it.

And how many ways do you want your weather and time displayed ? My first criteria is readability so the bigger the better and I’ve never found iPhone lacking.

So, I’m a simple soul whose biggest criteria is rock solid dependability and functioning and iPhone suits me just fine.

Anytime I have a problem or question there is a competent friendly capable person at an 800 number to settle any problems I may have.

Whichever you choose really depends upon which approach to technology you prefer in an OS. you know yourself better than anybody else so let that guide you.

@Buttonstc I find a 4.7” screen easier to read than a 4.0” one, and the 1100 extra maH in the battery is nice when as I am still rocking when many iPhone users are looking for a charger with proprietary connector as opposed to a standardized micro-USB). The Gorilla Glass™ screen is a nice extra. Easier to read, always charged, and never scratched.

The option shock is, to my mind, a straw man. My wife likes simple, and actually finds iOS harder than Android, largely because of the lack of customization options that allow her to set her Droid 3 up for simpler operation. But she also stays away from many of the options that seem to confuse many people. It’s one thing to have a car and never look under the hood, but it’s another to have the hood welded shut. By the same token, just because something is there, that doesn’t mean you have to use it.

There is another factor to the equation though. I have enough savvy to not need much support of any kind. Those who do need help with problems they can’t solve themselves or just questions they don’t already know the answers too benefit greatly from Apple’s top-notch customer service.

So your choice really does depend greatly on your approach to technology.

@jerv – My fiancé‘s S4 battery seems to run down quicker than my 5 when we’re out and about. He had to buy an extra battery, and while it’s nice to have that option, it’s nicer not to need it.

@hearkat I have a Motorola Razr HD. Battery life is part of why I chose it over any Samsung… or even other Motorolas.

@jerv – The OP specified the S4, and you hadn’t previously mentioned that your experiences are with a different device, which is a crucial detail regarding hardware features. Thanks for the clarification.

@hearkat There is a difference between what I have experience with and what I own.
There is also a difference between what I own, and what I have owned in the past.

@jerv – Understood, but your paragraph talking about the battery life and other physical features do not specify which hardware you are referring to, so it might be misinterpreted by some that the S4 has those features, since that’s what the OP asked about. Again, thanks for the clarification.