New York vs. Los Angeles, Coke vs. Pepsi, The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones. All the world’s greatest rivalries are built around the two major players that are the cream of the crop in their respective industries. When it comes to smartphones, the modern equivalent is unarguably the eternal fight between Steve Jobs’ lovechild, the iPhone, and Samsung’s flagship line of Galaxy S models.
With both phones reaching their 6th reiteration (well, the iPhone actually has quite a bit more than that, considering all the S and C stop-gap versions, but who’s quibbling) it’s time to take a look and see how these two titans stack up against each other. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll only focus on comparing the iPhone 6S and the Samsung Galaxy S6 on the basis of their respective hardware and design features, leaving the software battle between the iOS and Android operating systems for another day.
Design
It’s no secret that smartphones nowadays are designed to be as sleek as possible, with Apple and Samsung’s flagship models both being firmly in line with this trend. The iPhone 6S has a slim 7.1mm frame that’s just a wee bit thicker than that of its predecessor, owing to the integration of its newfangled 3D touch screen technology. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 is similarly style, boasting an unbelievable 6.8mm thickness. When it comes to weight, Samsung’s product also comes out on top, with 132g to the iPhone’s 143g. Finally, in the looks department, both phones are designed with the clear aim of turning heads. With Apple’s newly strengthened aluminum build and Samsung’s adoption of the glass back, you could in fact make the case that the two phones have actually gotten a bit too similar to one another.
Camera
The days when taking pictures with your phone was frowned upon are long gone. Both Apple and Samsung have incorporated high-performance cameras into their latest models, with the iPhone 6S graduating to a 12MP main camera and a 5MP front-facing one, while the Galaxy S6 boasts 16MP and 5MP on its two cameras, respectively. When it comes to bells and whistles, it’s Samsung that comes out on top, owing to the inclusion of numerous camera options that allow for a high degree of shot customization. The iPhone, on the other hand, seems to have been designed for today’s GIF-obsessed youth, with a new Live Photos feature that allows you to take a 1.5 second clip on either side of your photo.
Specs & battery life
Now for the geeky stuff. The iPhone 6S has an upgraded A9 processor that is designed to perform between 70% and 90% faster than its predecessor, the A8. This means that any task or command will be noticeably faster on the iPhone 6S than it was on the iPhone 6. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 can more than hold its own, with an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor that has four cores running at 2.1 Ghz, while the other four hum along at a steady 1.5 GHz clip. As for battery life, the stellar graphics and powerful hardware have taken their toll, with both phones suffering from a slight decline in battery life, at least when compared to their previous models. Overall, you can expect somewhere around 1 day’s worth of battery life, so be mindful and try to plan your charging sessions ahead of time.
All in all, when it comes to an object that has become inseparable from day-to-day life like the smartphone, any choice is bound to be a very personal one. If you feel a certain kinship with the Apple aesthetic, you may be able to overlook minor things like an increased weight and a lack of camera options and still get a lot of enjoyment from your product. At the same time, Samsung devotees can easily feel proud of their chosen gadget, with the Galaxy S6 clearly belonging in the upper echelons of cutting-edge smartphone technology.
Whichever option you choose, just remember that these phones are best bought unlocked whenever possible, so you can be free to match them with whatever service provider you feel most comfortable with. There are companies like Unique Mobiles that specialize in providing the latest unlocked smartphone models at affordable prices, without skimping on quality. So it’s only a matter of finding the right phone to fit your needs and personality, one that you’ll be proud to use and call your own.
About the Author
This article was provided by Bob Gorman. Visit Bob on Twitter and say ‘hi’.
Photo credit: Kārlis Dambrāns
