In this, the first installment of EPIC Device Battle of the Century, I take a good, hard, rational look at the two biggest rivals in mobile technology: Samsung and Apple.
For this battle, I’ll look at measurable and OBJECTIVE specs and features. I won’t be delving into feelings or brand loyalty for the devices or the companies that make them. (Out of full disclosure, I am an Android guy, BUT I will try to keep this as objective as possible.)
BEGIN!
Look and Feel: These devices won’t be walking themselves down the catwalk anytime soon, so I won’t spend much time on this round; looks are subjective. I will say that Samsung has finally stepped up their game, starting with the S6 and improving with the S7. Long gone are the days of paying $600+ for a phone that feels like something that came out of your little cousin’s Tyco playset. This phone walks the fine line between feeling light and flimsy (i.e.: CHEAP) and feeling like it has the density of a dying Neutron star. The slight curvature to the rear of the phone (and the front, if you get the S7 Edge) feels more natural and comfortable to hold when talking, too. It’s all gloss, shining like a brand new sports car. And much like that new ride, it’ll show the print of EVERY SINGLE FINGER that touches it. So if you own one and ever have it stolen, there will never be a shortage of forensic evidence with which to ID the culprit.
The iPhone is, and has always been, a beautiful phone. Carved out of aluminum and possessing an authoritatively dense weight, you will never doubt that you are holding something very expensive. But Apple hasn’t changed much in terms of design since the original; you’d have to look close to be able to tell the 6S apart from the 6. And the 5. And even the 4, if you’re just glancing. Boooooorrrrrinnng.
Battery & Screen: This is an area where one phone flat out lays the smack down on the other.
And Apple is the loser.
Let’s talk about the battery first: the 6S has a PUNY 1715 mAh battery. That’s smaller than the 6, which had 1810 mAh. I know I know, Apple is SOOOOO great on battery life, you scream. To that I say, don’t stray too far from a wall outlet. In fact, you should probably plug in and top off right now, because if you do any moderate amount of activity, you won’t make it more than 6 hours before you see that stupid little red battery icon.
Samsung took note of the primary gripe that consumers have with their smartphones and put an even BIGGER battery in the S7, to the tune of 20% more than the S6 at 3000 mAh. The S7 Edge comes in at 3600 mAh, basically 2000 mAh over the iPhone. Now all of this is talk of milliamps per hour will mean more or less to you depending on how much you actually use your phone and what it is you are doing with it. Have 2,176 apps that all like to sync in the background (like me)? Then you won’t see the 24+ hours that phone manufacturers tout. Use your phone only as a PHONE and have few apps? You’ll get a couple of days.
Now let’s talk about screens.
The “Retina” display that Apple touts on its devices is a REALLY nice display, and no wonder, because SAMSUNG makes it. That little fact aside, this is another area where Samsung overshadows Apple. Some stats:
Apple 6S: 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 pixels, 326 pixels per inch (ppi), LCD
Samsung S7: 5.1-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi, Super AMOLED
Samsung S7 Edge: 5.5-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi, Super AMOLED
Those numbers mean images are sharper on a Samsung display than they are on an Apple. Neither have 4k, but one certainly looks better than the other. Don’t believe me? Look at this picture (and don’t mind the fingerprints):
I’ll chalk this one up to complacency on Apple’s part; after all, marketing can only take you so far, and once the marketing dulls, you need an actual MEASURABLE result to support the hype.
Camera: I know this is a touchy topic for the Apple fans so I will exercise brevity on this one.
Samsung wins.
Apple and Samsung have been slugging it out for almost a decade (feel old yet?) over camera superiority. It looks something like this:
For a while, Apple was winning. Samsung held a close 2nd, and all the other phone makers were faaaaaaaaar behind them. But Samsung took all those beatings and narrow losses and learned from them, plotting their revenge like something straight out of “Kill Bill.” Apple on the other hand, has become too comfortable with previous wins and has actually REGRESSED the quality of their cameras.
But we’re talking cameras on a phone here. I’m not saying it’s meaningless, but you won’t be winning any Pulitzers. If you are looking for a high-range camera, then I suggest you just buy one. These are phones first, after all. Stats for those concerned:
Samsung S7/S7 Edge: 12 megapixel Sony IMX260 F1.7 sensor, OIS, LED flash, Dual Pixels, 4K video. Front facing 5MP F1.7 camera, 1080p video, 1.4 µm pixel size
Apple 6S: 12 megapixel sensor, F2.0 lens, Focus Pixels, EIS, dual-LED flash – 4K video. Front: 5MP sensor, F2.0 lens, 1080p video, 1.22 µm pixel size
Those numbers at the end are what cellphone photographers will appreciate, because it indicates how well pictures turn out when the lighting isn’t PERFECT. Any phone can take a decent picture when lighting is perfect, when everything is stationary. Low-light picture quality is remarkably better on the S7, also made better because of the faster lens, an F1.7. By the specs, Apple once again regressed their equipment by shrinking the pixel size from 1.5 µm on the iPhone 6 to a pathetic 1.22 on the 6S.
Storage & Cost: This is the field that Apple excels at and really does take the cake. And by take the cake, I mean take YOUR cake, because after you finish buying an iPhone 6S with any decent amount of storage, you’ll be eating Ramen for a while. Now I know that “value” isn’t a concern for anyone seriously considering either of these phones. That said, one has expandable storage and the other charges a hefty tax for a non-expandable, you’re-stuck-until-you-mortgage-your-house-for-the-next-generation-of-the-same-phone kind of storage.
Balk at the fact that the Samsung S7 only has 32 gb of internal storage, and I’ll have a good belly laugh at the fact that Apple sells a 16 gb version of the 6S for $650.
16 gb. For $650.
Honestly, that wouldn’t be so much of a problem if it had expandable storage. I could just buy a 128 gb mini-SD card and pop it in to that emaciated iPhone 6S. If I could. “BUT WE HAVE THE CLOOOUUUDDD!!!” you shout. So does Samsung. And Google. And Microsoft. Personally, I use both, but tend to keep more of my information/files stored locally and encrypted, because I like privacy. I digress. You do have the 64 gb version S6 for $750. What a deal! (Samsung S7 at 32 gb is $700.)
Final Blows: I think I have made it unabashedly clear my feelings about this battle. But just in case I haven’t…
The Samsung S7 and S7 Edge are water resistant to IP68 (1.5 meters for 30 minutes). iPhone 6S? Nope. But you can try it and let me know how it works out for you.
Samsung S7 has wireless charging ability built in. iPhone? Nope. Open your wallet again and get a “wireless charging cover.” *laughs quietly*
Samsung has Google Now on Tap (along with all other Androids running 6.0+): The cool feature that allows you to search anything that is on your screen with Google. Simply hold the home button for a couple of seconds, and Google will search for relevant information. Pretty handy when doing things like trying to find a phone number/location/business hours/fill-in-the-blank without having to exit that screen to conduct a separate search. And Google Now. iPhone still has Siri, but I hear she’s going senile.
Finally, Apple has no plans to support USB Type C, and their drive for corporate profits leaves its customers needing to purchase overpriced and proprietary “Lightning” cables. USB Type-C is right around the corner and offers a TON of possibilities. But more on that in another blog post.
I need a Gatorade and a towel.