Samsung Galaxy S5 vs S4 vs Note 3: specs comparison

The much-hyped Samsung Galaxy S5 has just arrived and it’s a gradual evolution over last year’s Galaxy S4, and an even milder one when compared against the Galaxy Note 3. Samsung says it has gone back to the basics when creating the Galaxy S5, and this effort resulted in two big new features - a fingerprint scanner built right in the home key (hello, iPhone 5s) and a heart rate monitor positioned right below the rear camera.
We’ll take a separate look at these two, but one thing we’re particularly curious is just sheer performance. With no Quad HD (QHD) display on board, some of the excitement about the Galaxy S5 will die down, but fact remains that it’s a powerful smartphone on par with the top competitors out there.
Some of these competitors are Samsung’s own devices - the preceding Galaxy S4 and the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 phablet. How much of an improvement is the Galaxy S5 over them? Take a look at the table below to find out.
Some of these competitors are Samsung’s own devices - the preceding Galaxy S4 and the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 phablet. How much of an improvement is the Galaxy S5 over them? Take a look at the table below to find out.
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|
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Samsung Galaxy S5 | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Samsung Galaxy Note3 |
Design
Dimensions | ||
---|---|---|
5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 inches 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm |
5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm |
5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 inches 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm |
Weight | ||
5.11 oz (145.0 g) | 4.59 oz (130.0 g) | 5.93 oz (168.0 g) |
Materials | ||
Back: Plastic | Back: Plastic | |
Resistance | ||
Water, Dust; IP67 | ||
Biometrics | ||
Fingerprint (swipe) | ||
Features | ||
Touch sensitive control keys, Interchangeable covers, Notification light | Notification light | Stylus, Interchangeable covers |
Keys | ||
Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key |
Colors | ||
Black, Gold, Blue, White | Black, Blue, Red, White | Black, Pink, White |
Display
Size | ||
---|---|---|
5.1-inch | 5.0-inch | 5.7-inch |
Resolution | ||
1920x1080px, 432 PPI | 1920x1080px, 441 PPI | 1920x1080px, 386 PPI |
Technology | ||
Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
Screen-to-body | ||
69.76 % | 71.91 % | 74.78 % |
Colors | ||
16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | |
Features | ||
Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
Hardware
System chip | ||
---|---|---|
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974-AC (28 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 8974 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 |
Processor | ||
Quad-core 2500 MHz Krait 400 | Quad-core 1900 MHz Krait 300 |
Quad-core 2300 MHz Krait 400 |
GPU | ||
Adreno 330 | Adreno 320 | Adreno 330 |
RAM | ||
2GB (LPDDR3) | 2GB (LPDDR3) | 3GB (LPDDR3) |
Internal storage | ||
32GB | 64GB | 64GB |
Storage expansion | ||
microSDXC up to 128 GB | microSDXC up to 64 GB | microSDHC up to 64 GB |
OS | ||
Android (6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4.2), Samsung TouchWiz UI | Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.2, 4.3, 4.2.2) | Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4, 4.3) |
Battery
Capacity | ||
---|---|---|
2800 mAh | 2600 mAh | 3200 mAh |
Type | ||
Li - Ion | Li - Ion | Li - Ion |
Camera
Rear | ||
---|---|---|
Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
Main camera | ||
16 MP (BSI sensor, PDAF) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal length: 31 mm Sensor size: 1/2.6" Pixel size: 1.12 μm | 13 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal length: 31 mm Sensor size: 1/3.06" Pixel size: 1.14 μm |
13 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal length: 31 mm Sensor size: 1/3.06" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
Flash | ||
LED | LED | LED |
Video recording | ||
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps) HDR, Continuous autofocus, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing |
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) EIS | 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps) Continuous autofocus, Video light, EIS, Video calling |
Front | ||
2.1 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) | 2 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) | 2 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) |
Connectivity & Features
Bluetooth | ||
---|---|---|
4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
WLAN | ||
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct | 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct | 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot |
USB | ||
microUSB, USB 3.0 | microUSB, USB 2.0 | microUSB, USB 3.0 |
Hearing aid compatible | ||
T3 | ||
HDMI | ||
Yes | Yes | Yes |
Location | ||
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
Sensors | ||
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Pedometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Gesture, Barometer, Step detector, Step counter | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Gesture, Humidity, Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Gesture, Humidity, Barometer |
Other | ||
NFC, ANT+, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | NFC, ANT+, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | NFC, ANT+, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync |
Multimedia
Headphones | ||
---|---|---|
3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
Speakers | ||
Earpiece, Loudspeaker | Earpiece, Loudspeaker | Earpiece, Loudspeaker |
Features | ||
Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback, Preset equalizer |
Screen mirroring | ||
MHL | DLNA,Wireless screen share,MHL | DLNA,MHL |
Additional microphone(s) | ||
Noise cancellation, Video recording |
Cellular
4G (FDD) | ||
---|---|---|
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) | Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 18(800 Lower) | Bands 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 8(900), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower) |
3G | ||
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) | Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) | Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) |
Data Speed | ||
LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS |
SIM type | ||
Micro SIM | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
VoLTE | ||
Yes | Yes | Yes |
Phone Features
Notifications | ||
---|---|---|
Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone | Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone | |
Other features | ||
Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
FCC approval | ||
---|---|---|
Date approved: Mar 14, 2013 FCC ID value: A3LGTI9505 | Date approved: Nov 07, 2013 FCC ID value: A3LSMN9005 | |
Measured SAR | ||
Head: 0.50 W/kg Body: 0.65 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.17 W/kg Wireless Router: 0.67 W/kg |
Head: 0.24 W/kg Body: 0.72 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.07 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.04 W/kg |
|
EU SAR | ||
Head: 0.29 W/kg |
Availability
Officially announced | ||
---|---|---|
Feb 24, 2014 | Mar 14, 2013 | Sep 04, 2013 |
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Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note3 specs comparison
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