Apple iPhone 5c vs Samsung Galaxy S4

Introduction

Well this should be a familiar comparison! On one side of the ring, we have the almighty Samsung Galaxy S4, the Android smartphone that’s arguably the best that the platform has to offer. And on the other side, we have the refreshed version of the iPhone 5 – what we know now as the iPhone 5c. Indeed, it’s regarded as a mid-ranger due to its price point, but that doesn’t mean it can’t hold its own ground against the more aggressive offering of the Galaxy S4. New body, same old hardware from before, so let’s find out how the iPhone 5c stacks up against the Galaxy S4!

Design

Hey-hey! Would you look at that? We’re dealing with plastic phones here, which is something rather surprising for an iPhone – albeit, it’s not the first time. Nonetheless, it’s a tough decision determining which of the two has the more attractive design. For starters, the two handsets are available in a variety of colors, but the iPhone 5c is dabbed in brighter colors that definitely stand out more in a crowd than the darker toned hues that are available with the Galaxy S4.

When it comes to the in-the-hand feel, the iPhone 5c feels a smidgen more comfortable, mainly because of its smaller footprint. Still, the Galaxy S4 feels pretty good in the hand too, aside from its beefier size, as its curved edges, streamlined figure, and light weight feel all come together to give it a natural feel.
Plastic isn’t the most premium material used by smartphones nowadays, but between these two, the iPhone 5c’s closed design evokes the sturdier construction. In contrast, there are seams and some hollowness attached to the Galaxy S4. At the end of the day, the two look equally appealing to the eye depending on the individual. If it weren’t for the bright color options that are available with the iPhone 5c, it would come off nothing more than bland in this comparison.

Display

The 4-inch 640 x 1136 Retina Display of the iPhone 5c isn’t anything new in the space, especially when it’s the same one used by last year’s iPhone 5, so it doesn’t have the goods to take our eyes away from the 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S4. Although the pixel density advantage goes to the Galaxy S4, it’s only noticeable from a very close up view – so it’s negligible from a normal viewing distance.

Naturally, there are strengths with the two displays. For example, the iPhone 5c’s Retina Display produces very accurate colors and offers the superior outdoor visibility. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 has that wow factor thanks to its vibrant (but inaccurate) color reproduction, wide viewing angles, and deep black color – though, its screen is harder to view outdoors with the sun present.

Putting the two side-by-side to one another, we can’t help being more attracted to the sharp display of the Galaxy S4. Not only is it exquisitely detailed, but its iridescent glow really helps to give it a more profound look than the iPhone 5c’s display. Oh yeah, the Galaxy S4 has the ability to track our finger as we hover it over the display.

Interface and Functionality

It’s about time that iOS got a facelift, seeing that the previous version of iOS didn’t look too differently from the first incarnation of the platform. Between iOS 7 and the TouchWiz Nature UX experience running on top of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, we’ll give it to Apple’s refreshed mobile platform for having the more pleasing visual presentation – mainly because it’s fresh. Yes, TouchWiz continues to look cartoony when pitted against the minimalist look of iOS 7. Additionally, the iOS 7 experience continues to adhere to that fundamental principle of being simplistic – more so than the TouchWiz experience. When it comes to the personalization department, it’s obvious that the Galaxy S4 with its Android experience blows away iOS 7, as we have control in pretty much all aspects of the homescreen layout.


Thankfully, there’s a one-stop hub for notifications with these two handsets. On the Galaxy S4, we adore that its notifications panel provides us with more depth thanks to the additional functions we’re offered with certain notifications – such as being able to archive emails. Furthermore, we have access to modifying the brightness of the display and some connectivity features. Well, the iPhone 5c also provides us with the same set of functions through its Control Center.


On the surface, multi-tasking is handled in the same manner, which is more on the line of task switching. Showing off its depth, the Galaxy S4 caters to the whole multi-tasking function more than the iPhone 5c, mainly because its multi-screen feature allows us to run two apps simultaneously.

Both handsets has its own unique voice assistance service, Siri on the iPhone 5c and Google Now & S-Voice on the Galaxy S4, but it’s the Google Now experience that reels us in with its intelligent awareness and features set. Quite simply, Google Now is extremely encompassing with its features set, as it provides us with relevant information that Siri can’t compete with.

Due to its larger sized display, the Galaxy S4 naturally benefits with its more spacious keyboard layout. However, the iPhone 5c is still remarkably good too, as its snappy responsiveness and killer auto-correct feature makes it one of the more pleasing devices to text on. Then again, we can say the same thing about the Galaxy S4, which gives us access to numbers and various punctuations directly from the main layout.

Processor and Memory

This is a perfect example of why specs sometimes don’t matter. Frankly, the dual-core 1.3GHz Apple A6 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM in the iPhone 5c isn’t new and it’s not as intimidating as the Galaxy S4’s quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU with 2GB of RAM and the Adreno 320 GPU, but nevertheless, it handles the same tasks with the same finesse as its rival. To tell you the truth, the iPhone 5c maintains a smoother performance with all operations – whereas the Galaxy S4 sometimes exhibits some choppiness navigating across the homescreen.

Both smartphones are available in 16GB and 32GB options, but the Galaxy S4 continues to show its worth by offering us an always useful microSD card slot to increase its storage capacity.

Internet and Connectivity

Posing no problems at all, even more when their performances rival one another, the web browsing experience is just utterly fantastic with these two. Not only do they feature speedy 4G LTE connectivity, but they also offer quick page rendering and smooth navigational controls. Still, the larger panel of the Galaxy S4 helps it to be the more ideal device for the occasion. In addition, the Galaxy S4 provides us with several secondary features like Smart Scroll with our eyes, Air Gestures to scroll vertically, and Air View to give us a zoomed view, that all culminate together to give us a deeper web surfing experience.



Since they’re positioned to sell like hotcakes, they’re offered in both CDMA and GSM flavors. Additionally, they pack the usual set of connectivity features – such as aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. However, the Galaxy S4 is loaded with other items, like NFC and an IR blaster, which extends its worth. For file sharing, though, the iPhone 5c has iOS 7’s new AirDrop feature to accomplish the same thing.

Camera

Making simplicity a core foundation with its experience, it doesn’t surprise us that the iPhone 5c doesn’t have as many camera oriented features. Frankly, it’s pretty barebones in itself, as we’re presented with a few things – like panoramic, square shots, and a color filter mode. Showing off its diversity yet again, the Galaxy S4 is chock full of goodies with its various shooting modes and manual controls. If you’re all about precise control, the Galaxy S4 is going to be your device. And who doesn’t like having options?

Knowing that the iPhone 5c is outfitted with the same camera on last year’s iPhone 5, an 8-megapixel iSight snapper, it doesn’t outclass the beefier 13-megapixel camera of the Galaxy S4. Regardless of that, the iPhone 5c still manages to take some snazzy looking photos – though, its quality doesn’t beat out Sammy’s offering. Thanks in part to its higher 13-megapixel resolution, the Galaxy S4 is able to draw out some additional detail that isn’t otherwise visible with the iPhone 5c’s shots. At the same time, the Galaxy S4’s camera produces the more realistic looking colors, while there’s a bit more saturation with the iPhone 5c.


Getting the same results with their 1080p video recording quality, the Galaxy S4 yet again proves its worth over the iPhone 5c. Well, it’s actually still pretty good with the iPhone 5c, as it boasts enough quality visuals to please us, but as a whole, the Galaxy S4’s camera captures the sharper looking footage. However, it isn’t without its faults – like how it exhibits a bit of noise with its results, which of course we don’t like, but it isn’t too profound to diminish its quality.

Multimedia

There’s not a single music player that’s more flattering than the other, mainly because their presentations and functions are nearly identical. Cranking their volumes to the max, it’s pretty much a tie with their qualities, since they deliver the same powerful and robust tones. Thankfully, neither really crackle or strain.



High definition videos play very smoothly with these two, but when bigger is usually better for the experience, it’s the Galaxy S4 that proves to be the perfect device for the situation. Not only that, but the vibrant look of the Galaxy S4’s display helps to catch our attention more. Adding to the visuals too, there are also a few software features with the Galaxy S4 that we appreciate with the experience – like its Pop Up Play and Air View features.

Call Quality

Hands-down, the iPhone 5c is better equipped for voice phone calls because voices are more distinct, deeper, stronger, and audible through its earpiece and speakerphone. As for the Galaxy S4, it’s nothing stellar with its quality, and in the end, it’s just passable enough to accept.

Battery

Quite frankly, we don’t find one to have a more profound battery life than the other, seeing that we’re able to get the usual one-day of normal usage out of their batteries.

Conclusion

Quickly taking a look at their base pricing, $100 on-contract for the iPhone 5c and $200 for the Galaxy S4, it’s easy to discern that we’re comparing a mid-ranger versus a supreme high-end smartphone here. Some will say that it isn’t a fair comparison at all, especially when we find the Galaxy S4 giving us the superior overall performance between the two. Despite that, the iPhone 5c has its own set of quality elements to make it an appealing option depending on your preference.

If savings and simplicity is more to your liking, then the iPhone 5c is the no-brainer choice for you. Not only will you save a cool $100 picking it up over the Galaxy S4, but it’s still a pretty damn good performing smartphone. Add to the fact that iOS 7 refreshes the experience over previous iPhones, it’s naturally a pleasant thing to find in tow with the new smartphone.

Conversely, if you’re all about having a plethora of software features and big specs, then the Galaxy S4 is more than ready to take you by storm. As we’ve seen in this comparison, it’s simmering with a ton of features to give its $200 price point plenty of justification. Therefore, there’s no wrong decision here as they both deliver top-notch qualities to please us.