Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. Apple iphone 6: Separating Fact from Fiction

With months away from the impending iPhone 6 launch date, consumers are already busy matching up the Samsung Galaxy S5 performance with purported iPhone 6 specs.

An accurate comparison between the two devices may be difficult to find given the fact Apple has been particularly tight-lipped over the actual performance of the iPhone 6. Needless to say, this has only added fuel to the already fierce online Apple vs. Samsung debate - the ferocity of which borders on all out war. Over the last few years, Samsung has itself made a concerted assault on Apple by trying to woo as many consumers over to the Galaxy platform. And, there is sign that this campaign is having an effect as the Galaxy s5 is turning out to be the best-selling Android phone for this year.

Though the Apple fan-base may seem religiously fanatical in its devotion to the product, there will always be those whom are more or less undecided about which product to buy. If you happen to fall into this category, here are some details that may be useful:

Display

Samsung's Galaxy s5, which is already out in stores, sports a 5.1 inch-size screen - making it slightly larger than its Galaxy s4 predecessor. The Galaxy s5 features an OLED Display that is has full HD resolution, which is more often called 1080p. A test conducted by Displaymate found that the Galaxy s5 had an increased 22 percent brightness and improved 27 percent power efficiency over the previous Galaxy s4. The same report finds the image contrast and color saturation of the Galaxy s5 to be slightly too high, but not adversely effecting the overall picture quality.

Apple, on the other hand, is rumored to be coming out with two new iPhones that are respectively different in sizes. The majority of the rumors suggest that the first phone, speculated to be released this Fall, will have a 4.7-inch display that is significantly smaller than the Galaxy s5. Comparable in size to the Galaxy s5, the second iPhone 6 may have a 5.5-inch display at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Sadly though, consumers wishing for the larger iPhone 6 may have to wait, as the smaller iPhone is expected to be released first. A recent Reuters report hinting at an early May production of 4.7-inch Apple screen components seems to support this theory.

Camera

The camera sensor on the Samsung Galaxy s5 comes at a whopping 16 megapixels. There is no evidence so far to confirm whether Apple plans match the Galaxy s5's megapixel count with the iPhone 6. If past experience is to be an indicator, Apple had a 5-megapixel camera on the iPhone 4, and later upgraded the iPhone 5 to a mere 8 megapixels.

In the area of auto-focus, Samsung's Galaxy s5 is clearly the winner, with a hybrid focus system that offers a fast auto-focus and the ability to pick point-of-focus on every shot. Users will have the ability to capture images the same way photographers are able to keep the foreground in focus, and the background blurred. The camera feature also features real-time HDR that may be useful to those capturing an image in an environment where shadows come out too dark in photos.

On the opposite end, the iPhone 6 may have an improved Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature that consists of a built-in gyroscope that reduces camera-shake when recording video and photographing images. For those whom have shaky fingers, this iPhone feature might come in handy - pun fully intended.

The Case

Both the Samsung Galaxy s5 and s4 have removable backs. The s5 features a new matter plastic design that is softer to the touch, while the Galaxy s4 has a glossy but slightly sticky plastic cover that some users may find uncomfortable to hold. Also, the Galaxy s5 has a noticeable improvement over the s4 by having a battery cover that has a rubberized weather-seal, along with dust and water-resistance rated at IP67. It is not, however, recommended to dump the Galaxy s5 in water, but the protection offered is similar to what is already being offered on the market.

The physical dimension of the iPhone 6 is not immediately clear, though so-called "insiders" have purported the phone to be significantly thinner than the Galaxy s5. If rumors are to be believed, the iPhone boasts a very thin body that is still capable of holding a large battery and other various components.

So far, physical evidence of the iPhone 6 is virtually nonexistent, and images believed to be photographic evidence of the new iPhone have turned out to be fan-created conceptual illustrations that are based mainly on hearsay. Due to conflicting information already on the web, no two images have turned out exactly alike. But, notable leakster Sonny Dickson reported that the iPhone 6 may be as thin as 5.5mm -- as opposed to the Galaxy s5 that is 8.1mm thin.

Software

Google's Android 4.4.2 KitKat update along and its TouchWiz user interface comes bundled in the Galaxy s5 . The phone will also have loads of features that includes real-time HDR, selective focus, integrated heartbeat sensor useful for monitoring health, parental control, as well as a number of other features.

Naturally, the iPhone 6 is going to run on Apple's in-house software - rumored to be the upcoming iOS 8. Current iOS 8 speculation illustrates a software that boasts VoLTE support as well as a standalone iTunes Radio app, health and fitness monitoring, and an improved Apple Maps amongst many other features. Apple has not confirmed when exactly the iOS 8 will be unveiled, though it has stated that it will introduce new software and products at the upcoming WWDC 2014 conference on June 2 this year.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Specs

Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor

Android 4.4 KitKat

5.1-inch display

2GB RAM

16GB Storage Option (32GB could be available later)

2.1MP front-facing camera

16MP rear-facing camera

2,800 mAh battery

802.11ac WiFi

Fingerprint Reader

iPhone 6 Specs (rumored)