Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Which Is Your Choice?

Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Which Is Your Choice?

October 29, 2012, 10:35 [IST]

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Gadget Guru

Consumers are now craving for large displays on smartphones as they are convenient for watching videos, web surfing and gaming using the handsets. So long, Samsung, HTC and other Android based smartphones were coming up with a range screen sizes starting from 3 inches to 5 inches.

However, the sixth generation iPhone – iPhone 5, which was unveiled by Apple in the last month and released into major markets across the globe is an evidence to prove that Apple is also following this strategy as it houses a 4 inch display as opposed to the Apple’s tradition of using a 3.5 inch display for convenient single-handed usage.

But, the Android devices have grown bigger as Samsung came up with its second generation phablet – Galaxy Note 2 with a 5.5 inch display in August. Moreover, the Samsung offering packs many impressive specs other than its gigantic display.

When it comes to the Indian market, Galaxy Note 2 was released in September for a whopping price of Rs 39,990 for the 16GB variant. At the same time, speaking of the iPhone 5, the handset is yet to reach the Indian market, but, some online retailers including eBay, Infibeam, Saholic and others have listed the handset for pre-order starting at a price of Rs 45,500 for the 16GB version. Check goProbo.com to know  know the online pricing in India of iPhone 5 and Galaxy Note 2.

For those consumers who are planning to upgrade to an high-end device, here is a detailed spec comparison between Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Check how the smartphone and phablet stack up against one another. Read it below!

Dimensions & Weight: iPhone 5 measuring 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm in dimensions and weighing in at 112 grams is on the thinner and lighter side as compared to Galaxy Note 2 boasting a dimension of 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm and weighing around 180 grams.

Display: When it comes to the display, iPhone 5 packs a 4 inch LED-backlit IPS capacitive touchscreen Retina display with 1136 x 640 pixel resolution.

In comparison, Galaxy Note 2 houses a larger 5.5 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution.

Further, Galaxy Note 2 comes with an enhanced S-Pen stylus support, which has a revamped rubber tip for better touch response.

Processor: In this segment, iPhone 5 is equipped with a new Apple A6 chipset and Galaxy Note 2 is equipped with a Samsung Exynos 4412 Quad chipset.

Operating System: When it comes to OS, iPhone 5 runs on iOS 6, but, Galaxy Note 2 runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

Speaking about the new features of the operating systems, iOS 6 iOS 6, the latest version of the Apple’s mobile OS is loaded with 200 new features including Apple Maps, improved Siri, new Safari browser, iCloud cloud storage, deeper integration to Facebook, new PassBook app, PhotoStream app and more.

On the other hand, Jelly Bean has Project Butter for faster, smoother and more responsive performance, expandable and contractible notifications, resizble app widgets, simplified task navigation, live wallpaper preview, high resolution contact photos and many more.

Camera: On the camera optics front, both the devices have an 8MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash features.

Further, iPhone 5 has a iSight camera which includes features like backside illumination, HDR, panorama support and faster aperture speed.

In terms of front camera, iPhone 5 has a 1.3MP front camera and Galaxy Note 2 has a better 1.9MP front camera for video chatting sessions.

Memory: On the storage front, both the devices come in three configurations – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal storage. Moreover, iPhone 5 comes with 1GB RAM and Galaxy Note 2 has 2GB RAM.

Further, Galaxy Note 2 has a micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB expandable memory.

Connectivity: When it comes to data connectivity, iPhone 5 and Galaxy Note 2 have features including HSDPA 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and micro USB 2.0.

Further, Galaxy Note 2 has the NFC connectivity feature that lacks in iPhone 5.

Battery: iPhone 5 is claimed to have a Li-ion battery delivering 225 hours standby and 8 hours talk time and Galaxy Note 2 is powered by a mammoth 3,100 mAh Li-ion battery.

Price: On the pricing front, though iPhone 5 is still not officially released in India, it is available for pre-order starting from Rs 45,500 for 16GB variant. At the same time, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is priced starting at Rs 39,990 for the 16GB version. 

Verdict

Being high end devices – Galaxy Note 2 and iPhone 5 are packed with some impressive software features and advanced specifications. However, the iPhone 5 has missed out some important elements including NFC, wireless charging and Retina Display, which were highly expected.

While both the devices have unique software features that are restricted to their own operating systems, Galaxy Note 2, which is designed on the lines of the Galaxy S3 has some exclusive S features such as S Voice – voice assistant to rival Apple’s Siri, Direct Call, Smart Stay, S Beam, Pop-Up Play and many more.

Also, Apple has incorporated an improved version of the voice assistant Siri in the iPhone 5 and several other features with the new iOS 6 platform as mentioned above.

If you are too concerned about the size and usability of the gadget, then the iPhone 5 will be a perfect one, as it is light in weight and smaller in size when compared to the Note 2.

However, if a larger screen real estate, NFC connectivity, Airview and other software feature, better front camera, wireless charging and expandable memory options are your concern, the Galaxy Note 2 could be the right one for you.