40 
The new iPhone is finally here. Yes, people would line up to buy it even if it was made of bottle-caps and dog-poo, but it isn’t. It’s predictably a very good phone. How good? Let’s see how it compares to the top competition.
The following chart is a look at how these phones measure up by the numbers. Now, numbers certainly aren’t everything, but they aren’t nothing, either.
Note: the chart below compares the U.S. versions of all these phones. In the U.K. the One X and Galaxy S III both have quad-core processors, but over in the U.S. those beauties don’t work with their LTE chips yet, so they’ve got the dual-core Snapdragon S4 in there instead. Also, ignore the prices. They’re US network prices, and as you know, you can pick up any of those smartphones on roughly the same contract prices here in the UK. Got it? Good.
Click on the chart above to view in closer detail.
Obviously, the most noticeable difference between the 4S and the 5 is the screen. It has finally gone the now-standard 16×9 route. On paper it looks like it will hold its own against the Lumia 920 and the One X, but Apple is using a new screen technology from Sharp, so we’ll see if it’s as good as everyone hopes.
LTE of course is a very good thing, and it was a necessary move to keep up with the others. As someone who tests a lot of phones, once you use LTE for a little while, everything else feels like you’re crawling. At the same time, it’s a bummer that NFC was left out. No, people aren’t screaming for it, yet, but putting it on an iPhone certainly would have helped the burgeoning technology’s cause. Also, no word yet on the size of the battery. Apple claims it’s vastly surperior to the one in the 4S, but we’d be surprised if it can measure up to the monster in 3,300 mAh battery in the RAZR MAXX HD. We’ll see. All and all, by the numbers, the iPhone 5 certainly holds its own.
For a full list of everything Apple announced at its September keynote, take a look over here.
How the iPhone 4S Stacks Up to the Competition
How the iPad Mini Stacks Up to the Competition
How the Nexus 10 Stacks Up to the Competition
Wasn’t the leaked battery for the iPhone 5 only 1440 mAh? Less than half the RAZR MAXX’s 3000 mAh..
less ppi than before and lower than the Lumia.. Retina was your biggest draw Apple.. not that I’ll be able to see those missing pixels, but still.
Looks for a weakness in the chart that massively shits on the iPhone. Fails.
NFC?
When iPhone had the most dpi, it was global news, a new dawn for mankind, people stopped in the street to gawp, Jesus (Diaz) wept. When it doesn’t have the most dpi, it’s not an important feature, move on, bevelled edge is much more significant.
Funny that.
Great article as usual Brent.
Holds its own? Is that all iPhones are expected to do. Not lead, not innovate. Remember there will probably be new phones and maybe an OS bump from android before years end, so holding its own against the current crop means being behind for at least another year.
That seems to be the norm since last year. I honestly do not understand how technically minded people will go for the iPhone, unless they are already locked in Apple’s ecosystem.
so very true, apple are expected to innovate, but this is actually quite pathetic
You’re forgetting Apple’s unique selling point; User experience.
Apple products aren’t about headline figures, they’re about how their devices make users feel.
If you’re wondering, there’s a bright white wall behind me and I’ve got a smug expression on my face.
“Apple products aren’t about headline figures, they’re about how their devices make users feel”
Trapped, overcharged, like they don’t actually own what they bought, nauseous – that what you meant?
No, I meant euphoric, enthused, involved with creativity, saturated in productivity and enlightened through simplicity of use.
If you’re wondering, I’m starting a cult.
Free bottle of Kool-Aid with every phone sold!
I think Apple may have beaten you to it and you better watch out because they probably patented the idea
Where is Taf? I love to see how he defends apple now. Theres barely anything to argue why iphone is better than other smartphones.
I think he is calling Apple to see what they say before he replies.
£10 says he is going to jump onto android boat or use apple fake claims(Worlds slimmest phone)to back up his arguments.
RAZR MAXX or the SIII? But I am personal going Note II, and ditch the Nexus 7 – the things it can do with a SmartTV.
I’m going Lumia 920 and iPhone 5.
Personal I got a bit of a Samsung eco-system going on. The Nexus 7 doesn’t fit in, I like it and find myself with it most of the time and my phone, and I also have sketch pads – so it makes sense for me to get something like the Note II. Eco-system covered, tablet covered, phone and data covered, sketch pad covered.
I personally didn’t like the 4S, but I’d have liked a slimmer design of that over this new design. I just looks to me that Apple want to go bigger be are fearful so this is a bit of a compromise – the market is evidentially going for 4″+ devices. Very risky aspect.
Don’t see this latest iPhone seducing me away from Android…..and I was hoping to get away from the fragmentation issue, damn.
Must not feed the tro….oh balls to it. Get a Nexus device – fragmentation isn’t an issue. You have a choice, use it.
That’s my plan, just waiting for the next Nexus to come out.
SIII is quad core not dual core.
Although the Americans had dual didnt they?
The processor in our version isn’t 4G, so doing life-for-like with 4G connectivity (assuming that’s more of a bonus than the extra two cores) this is the comparison.
Lte is dual since Lte chip and quad core don’t play nice.
Ahh, cheers!
Think I’ll be hanging on for news of what more windows phone 8 brings to table. the iPhone 5 hasn’t impressed me much. I think this is the best looking of the squarer design they’ve used since the 4 but it’s still not selling it to me.
If WP8 does something truly ground breaking then I might move off my Lumia 800 for the 920. But at the moment I think I’m happy with my little blue gem.
Looks like im not getting another Iphone. Looks as fresh as a 2nd hand hanky! Just have to see how WP8 OS handles!
on the apple website is says that the front facing camera is 1.2MP
http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare-iphones/
Can’t go copying and pasting American stuff! Those aren’t the UK S3 specs!
It has a 1.4 Ghz quad core, 1GB ram, and 16, 32, or 64GB of storage (no 8GB option in the UK).
Just noticed you’d already mentioned the processor, but the rest sill stands!
Good to see that WP8 is starting to appear on peoples radars judging by some of the comments lefts by the not so regulars on this site..
It wouldn’t surprise me if WP8 had 12%+ of the market in the next 12 months, and I don’t see them pulling those points from Android.
Yeah, you can stop feeding of BlackBerry bloated corpse for a change.
Haha but that and Windows Mobile are so tasty!