The Galaxy S5 runs on the latest Android 4.4 KitKat without any additional skins. There is no notice regarding whether the device will get the upgrade to the alleged Android L. All the core sensors and features are there, including accelerometer, barometer, heart rate sensor, NFC chip, finger print sensor and lots more. Apple’s device runs on the latest iOS 8 original Xiaomi Mi4 an operating system which incorporates several features already present in Android devices.
The camera battle is another one where Samsung takes the win. The S5 features 16-MP rear sensor, capable of taking snaps at 5312×2988 pixels and record 2160p videos at 30fps. Equipped with LED flash and several features in the camera application, the device is far superior compared to Apple. The iPhone 6 Plus sticks to the 8-MP rear sensor camera, but has improved in other sections. The device now has a dual LED flash and optical image stabilization.
First tests of the battery proved that the iPhone 6 Plus can handle more usage. Just for comparison, the S5 features a 2800 mAh battery, while the iPhone 6 Plus is equipped with a 2915 mAh battery. First tests, made by Anandtech, provide a glimpse into the battery life of both the devices. The test found that when it comes to web browsing, Apple’s device wins the battle, as the handset can handle 13.7 hours, compared to 10.2 hours the S5 can handle. There hasn’t been a test for talk time yet, but Apple’s device should handle 24 hours, while the S5 delivers 21 hours of talk time.
The starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is set at $700 for the SIM free version. The basic version of the iPhone 6 Plus with 16 GB memory space is priced at $750. Please note that it is for the off contract version.
The good news is that Apple has finally entered the phablet market.
That can mean only one thing. All manufacturers have to go an extra mile now, in order to deliver even more premium devices to compete with Apple. The phablet market was largely dominated by Samsung with the Note line. The Galaxy S5 can also be considered a phablet, even though it is a tad smaller than other devices in the class. We compare Samsung’s flagship phone with Apple’s latest product.
In almost every other comparison with Apple, Samsung’s devices have had an advantage in the display section. That is not the case this time. The S5 has a 5.1 inch display, with measurements set at 142x72x8.1 weighting 145 grams. For once, an Apple device is bigger, with the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a 5.5 inch screen display and measurements of 158x78x7.1 weighting 172 grams. The difference is evident, both in the size, and in thickness. And when it comes to the design, Apple is second to none. The company has implemented all the latest design trends, such as round corners and curvier looks.
Even though some expected Apple to introduce liquid metal in the build, the company sticks to the aluminum. Compared to the plastic used in the S5, the build material is far more premium and superior. The additional downside to Samsung’s device is the size. With the 5.1 inch screen display, the device is too big for one hand usage, too little for the two hand usage and there is no S pen Stylus. Both devices offer a screen resolution of 1080x1920pixels, but due to the lower screen size, the S5 delivers better density, 432ppi versus 401ppi. Color options for the devices are silver, gray and gold for the iPhone 6 Plus, and black, copper, blue and white for the Galaxy S5.
The power train is one area where Samsung should have an advantage. While there are still no benchmark tests comparing the devices, the sheer power of the S5 is too much for Apple’s handset to handle. The S5 is powered by Snapdragon 801, quad core processor clocked at 2.5GHz. And with 2 GB of RAM memory, the device runs as smoothly as possible. We still haven’t seen what the iPhone 6 Plus can do. However, the company has introduced a 64bit chip, which should provide a lot more power than the previous iPhones. The A8 chip is a dual core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and has a RAM memory set at 1GB. However, Apple has added a separate M8 chip, which serves as support for the main chip, supplying more power and reducing the battery consumption. The S5 comes with 16/32GB original ZOPO ZP998 built in memory. However, there is an external slot for microSD card and additional 128 GB of memory space. Apple’s device, on the other hand, doesn’t have an external slot, but comes in 16, 64 and 128 GB versions.