As phones become more sophisticated, choosing one brand from the rest becomes more difficult. IPhone or Samsung - which is better? Reviews about these devices are completely different. Choosing the right phone for you depends on several factors.
Do you prefer a large screen or a small one? Are you very picky about the photos that the camera takes and are you looking at pictures in pixels for technical excellence? Do you play games with heavy CPU or graphics usage, or mostly browse the web, make calls, and sometimes watch movies? Do you need to store a terabyte of data or need less space? How much are you willing to pay to have the latest and best device?
What latest devices do these brands offer?
Which phone is good - iPhone or Samsung? To answer this question, you need to compare the latest Apple and Samsung devices and user reviews about them.
Apple's lineup includes the new iPhone XS and XS Max. Samsung also offers the Galaxy S9, S9 + and Note 9.
The main differences between Apple phones are the screen size and battery life (XS Max has a larger screen and a slightly more capacious battery). The S9 is roughly the size of the iPhone XS, and the S9 + is roughly the same size as the iPhone XS Max. Note 9 is also large, but a stylus for writing on the screen is added to it. Each version of the phone has slight differences in technical specifications, but in general this is a general description.
Physical size
Which phone is better - iPhone or Samsung? Customer reviews contain too many contradictions. The most obvious difference between these devices is size. The characteristics of their displays are as follows:
- iPhone XS: 5.8-inch screen size, resolution 2436x1125;
- XS Max: 6.5 inches, 2688x1242;
- Samsung S9: 5.8 inches, 2960x1440;
- S9 +: 6.2-inch screen, 2960x1440;
- Note 9: 6.4 inches, 2960x1440.
Screen size affects many aspects of these phones. The decision to use a smaller or larger smartphone is purely personal, it all depends on factors such as portability, arm size and your eyesight. To determine which is better - iPhone or Samsung S9 (or Note 9), just think about the advantages and disadvantages of their physical parameters.
Big or small?
According to the reviews of many users, the positive aspects of the big screen are as follows:
- Everything on the screen is larger and easier to read.
- Large keyboards provide more space for fat fingers when typing.
- Films and photos look more beautiful.
IPhone or Samsung? Which is the best device to choose? Samsung allows you to run multi-tasking applications in multiple windows. This software trick is great for viewing your calendar when sending emails. Apple lags behind in this functionality when it comes to using the big screen.
There are also disadvantages of a larger phone:
- Such devices do not fit easily in pockets.
- They are easier to drop and damage, while the cost of repairing the screen is quite high.
- They are heavier and less comfortable in the hand.
Despite the fact that the screen resolution and phone sizes differ between Samsung and Apple, in practice the small and large options of each brand are quite similar. The iPhone XS Max is slightly wider and heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S9 +, and the Note 8 screen is easier to control than the XS Max.
Some reviews say that Note 9 is not as convenient as Note 8, but most appreciated its powerful 4000 mAh battery, Bluetooth S Pen, stunning display, virtually unlimited storage capabilities and much more.
What to choose?
If you want a smaller phone, buy an iPhone XS or Galaxy S9. If you prefer something big, XS Max or larger Samsung devices will suit you. Small differences in the characteristics of the phones have little effect on daily use, so do not worry about them.
The conclusion that it is better (iPhone or Samsung Galaxy or Samsung Not) can be made as follows. Although the sizes of the devices are roughly comparable, Samsung uses the multitasking of a large screen much better than Apple.
Camera
Which phone is better - iPhone or Samsung? The reviews of many buyers and specialists indicate the following. For most people taking rare shots, Samsung and Apple offer photo quality sufficient to replace a separate camera. However, each brand has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to creating photos and videos.
In general, Samsung phones have two lenses (one wide-angle and the other for distance), while newer Apple devices have better dynamic range. In some cases, iPhone can achieve good image quality by aligning the visual tone and image contrast.
Dynamic range in comparison
IPhone or Samsung - which is better? User feedback is best supported by a vivid example. In the photo you can see the pictures taken by the iPhone X Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 cameras. In the Samsung picture, the sky is completely overexposed without any cloud details, while the Apple device retains color on trees with lower overall contrast, and the clouds visible in the bright sky.
In portrait mode, these phones use computer photography methods to adjust bokeh or blur the background. Thus, the resulting image is the result of hardware capture along with software processing. As users, we only care about the result, but it’s useful to know what is happening inside these devices.
The new iPhones are equipped with a large sensor that collects light more efficiently than in the past. As a result, the XS Series's performance in low light has improved compared to the original iPhone X. However, Samsung devices have a larger aperture, so they pass more light into the sensor, which greatly improves the quality of photographs taken in low light.
The conclusions are as follows: iPhone XS offers a significant improvement in the camera compared to its predecessor X, especially with previous generations of the gadget. Nevertheless, Samsung devices continue to retain their own merits. Depending on what you are photographing, one phone can give excellent results compared to another, and you will not be mistaken in any case. Of course, if you compare which is better - iPhone 6 or Samsung of the new generation, the second will have an advantage, and the devices released at the same time are equivalent.
Work speed
When assessing the speed of work, the most important criterion is subjectivity: is the phone fast enough for you?
Browsing websites, writing documents, watching movies, listening to music, using spreadsheets and similar actions do not require the highest speeds on both computers and mobile devices.
On the other hand, video editing and action games really benefit from higher processor and graphics speeds. So, if you create films or want to squeeze the maximum possible frame rate out of games and simulations, then this feature is important.
Which is better - iPhone or Samsung? Reviews are very different. To make a comparison, which is better - iPhone XS and Galaxy S9 +, specialists tested these devices using the popular Antutu software. This software conducts various tests to measure the speed of several subsystems on a mobile device. This test shows that the iPhone is significantly ahead of its competitor.
But in practice, these tests are not useful. Then what is better - "iPhone" or "Samsung"? The reviews say that you may simply not notice that the iPhone is faster than Samsung. Therefore, the main selection criterion should be your subjective experience. If your phone seems responsive and fast when opening applications, browsing the web, sending emails, or watching a movie, then it is probably good enough for your needs. Of course, you can pay more to get better features, but this will be your initiative.
Screen quality
Samsung and Apple use incredible OLED screens on their phones. You simply cannot make the wrong choice. Both companies use bright, clear, highly calibrated displays. Even if you compare devices not of the latest generation, but released several years ago, the result will be the same. So, in terms of screen quality, you can’t definitely make a choice which is better - “iPhone 8” or “Samsung Galaxy J7”.
Unlock Home Screen
Fast and reliable phone unlocking is the most important feature of a modern gadget. Smartphones store financial data, business information and all kinds of personal content, so security is a key aspect when evaluating mobile devices.
Face ID was one of the great innovations of the iPhone X. Although the initial implementation of the option in most cases worked well, it was even faster on the new iPhones.
When you use Face ID, it becomes a natural way to unlock your phone: just look at the screen and it will unlock almost immediately.
Samsung devices offer face recognition, iris scanning, and a fingerprint sensor. According to reviews, of these three options, the fingerprint sensor works quickly and reliably, while other methods seem slow and often do not work at all.
Thus, Apple ensures the security and unlocking of the device is much better and significantly ahead of Samsung in this regard.
Drive capacity
Depending on your needs, you may want plenty of storage space. For example, if you want to copy many high-resolution movies, you will need more storage than those who do not watch movies on their phone.
Samsung smartphones come with a microSD card slot, which allows you to increase the amount of memory beyond what is built into the phone. The best storage option from this brand is the 512 GB Note 9 version, which can be expanded up to 1 TB with 512 GB MicroSD.
The maximum capacity of Apple phones is 512 GB, which does not allow expanding the internal memory.
Which is better - iPhone or Samsung? Reviews 2018-2019 indicate the following. If you need 1 TB of data storage, contact Samsung. Otherwise, both companies offer good options, but these devices are expensive.
Password management
As the need for strong, unique passwords grows, so does the complexity of remembering these codes. Password managers such as LastPass and Dashlane will help you create unique and strong combinations for each website. The program then automatically provides these credentials when entering sites and applications.
Using the password manager on Android and iOS has historically been difficult, unreliable, and very difficult to use. With the release of the new iOS 12, Apple has significantly improved the integration of these applications to such an extent that they have become convenient and safe to use. Although this is more of an operating system problem than a hardware feature, it is important enough.
Summary Results
So which is better - Samsung or iPhone? Customer reviews most often say the following:
- Physical dimensions: there are no differences in small phones, but Samsung wins in a larger size.
- Speed: Apple products win.
- Screen quality: brands do not have significant differences.
- Camera: both device lines have their strengths and weaknesses.
- Unlocking the main screen: iPhone wins.
- Memory capacity: Samsung is better.
- Password management: devices from Apple.
As you can see, both Samsung and Apple make great phones. Find out which aspects of the device are more important to you, and make a purchase based on these personal criteria. If you prefer Android, you'd better choose Samsung. If the convenience of Face ID is more important to you, buy an iPhone. All of the above phones will meet your needs, and the main applications will work equally on both Android and iOS.
One final note - buy a case: all of these devices are expensive, fragile, and easy to drop. To ensure absolute security for your device, opt for a leather case - this material does not slip in your hands. Thanks to this quality, you are more likely to not break the phone.