Iphone really worth it?

[MonkeyD]

My girlfriend has expressed a lot of interest in getting an iphone this Christmas. I'm ok with buying it, I'm just hoping there's a reasonable plan that won't eat up her paycheck too bad because we're just barley getting by after we got our own place.

Any plans you guys would recommend?

[Jaketh]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

What plan and phone does she have currently? Is she already paying for data? Signing up for a new service with 2gb of Data on ATT and Verizon will cost you/her between 70-90 dollars a month when its all said and done on top of the 200 dollars for the phone itself with a 2 year contract. And i would recommend getting this instead of the Iphone 5 is she wants a smartphone.

This is all assuming you are in the United States.

[Love Mountain]

Depends on the plan mate.

The iPhone 5 is a terrific device and Samsung Galaxy S3 is definitely overhyped. Now Samsung did build a terrific device and gathered a whole bunch of fanboys but Apple's machine is by no means a chump in the park.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S 3
A6 SoC vs Krait MSM8960 SoC
PowerVR SGX 543MP3 vs Adreno 225
4" 1136x640 LED Backlit LCD vs 4.8" 1280x720 SAMOLED HD

Now then, I am a firm believer that Apple has put out a much superior device compared to Samsung. Why do I think that? Well first off, the Galaxy S3 is a relatively old phone at this point. It's had it's few months of glory. The iPhone 5 on the other hand just came out last month or so. It has much better internals. A6 SoC outperforms the S4 by a margin of anywhere from 10%-25%. Compared to the 4S the battery life on the iPhone 5 has actually improved. In some cases, where more horsepower is used the iPhone 5 has less battery life than the 4S but, in general you will see longer battery life than the 4S.

Battery life in general is about 10 hours for the iPhone 5 and 8 hours on the S3(Benchmark was Web Browsing on WiFi). So the iPhone will have the superior battery life in most cases.

The Screen on Apple iPhone 5 is superior to the Samsung S3 screen. This is not disputable, this is a fact. The iPhone 5 wins nearly benchmark out there in terms of color accuracy, white and black levels, etc. The Samsung Galaxy S3 however has a bigger screen. So if you like having a big phone, then the rest of the comparison is useless. The Samsung S3 is your only choice in terms of real estate space on the touch screen. Please note that the S3 screen is actually very nice. Despite being a PenTile screen, it's high resolution dilutes any PenTile disadvantage and results in a very very nice viewing experience.

The GPU in Apple devices always blew away the competition. There's no discussion. It's simply that much better.

Camera quality is really subjective. You can't be objective about it, compare both phones and try to see which one you like more. Now the iPhone 5 has a terrific front camera. That said, beware of the purple haze on the iPhone 5 camera. Goggle it.

Connectivity on both phones is the same. Neither has an advantage. That said, AT&T is no matter how you cut it. With T-Mobile it largely depends on your area. Verizon is phenomenal but we all know the perks and cons that come with that...

There's one serious advantage that comes with many Non-Apple devices. An SD Card. I can't count the number of times I wish my iPad had an SD card. It's simply an immesurable convenience. Portable storage is just a horrible on Apple devices and I sincerely hope that they at least get some sort of a propriety format. Samsung Galaxy S3 can have virtually double the storage simply because of this virtue. A 16GB S3 is essentially a 64GB iPhone 5 if memory is a big concern for you.

The choice you make about your smartphone now will dictate a lot of your future purchases. Simply speaking, you're either in the iOS eco-system or the Android eco-system. Being invested in both is a costly business and it's better to just stick to one. Apple devices do command a small amount of premium but in general they are worth it. What Apple offers is a solid experience. They extremely friendly towards newcomers of the smartphone scene which is not what I can say about Android. Android can be difficult to navigate around and trust me, I tried a lot of phones out there. My current phone is a Windows 7 Phone so I am definitely not biased in any way. I also have an Apple iPad 2 as well as a broken HTC Sensation. Choose well, each phone has it's Plusses and Minuses, in terms of premium device though, I believe the iPhone 5 to be the superior buy.

[Zerosliver]

Sukiyama forgot one essential thing: OS. The Samsung Galaxy SIII runs Android, which is open source, compared to Apple's IOS. It all depends on your preferences, Android gives you a lot more freedom, while IOS will guarentee you more apps (for now!).

[Bolkonsky]

Both stores have a bazillion apps at this point, it's not down to who has more apps, it's down to whether or not you want Google Apps, which only Android can offer because Apple is run by dictators.

Also, the S3 is superior hardware by miles, I've used both and the iPhone 5 is basically the 4S which was overpriced and overhyped to begin with. The S3's screen might not be as nice, but let's be honest here, you won't even notice, as they're both good screens. However the S3's is bigger.

Finally, I've gotta touch on the GPU. You're simply wrong there Sukiyama, just look at the benchmarks. The iPhone gets murdered.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5810/s...rmance-preview



Also, because of Apple's app store rules, and the fact that they want to make every app compatible on every iPhone, it's worth noting that any performance increase in the iPhone is moot because simply put, people make apps for the lowest common denominator (the older iPhones.) That said, the GPU in both is more than sufficient.

The problem with the iPhone is that it's the same thing, repackaged every time with a few small changes that will never give way to performance increases or additional functionality. Because of their walled garden approach, and closing off their app store, they are halting progress. People make apps to make money on them, experimental or half function apps are not allowed on their store. So when you take the time and money to make a program, you're going to market it to the widest audience, and that means the iPhone 3, 4, and 4S as well as the 5. Any extra processing power in the 4S or 5 is going almost entirely to waste. People can't use the power of these phones so aside from making them a couple of grams lighter (which no woman will care about since they carry around 30 pound handbags) and slight battery increases, and small dimensional changes, there is no practical change from iPhone to iPhone. If you like that, and you're OK with paying an astronomical amount for the same old same old, then it really just comes down to personal preference. Some people would say that by not changing anything, or improving anything, Apple is appealing to customers with that kind of stability. I for one would respond by pointing out where smartphone technology is, how little time it has had to evolve, and how much better and more efficient other phones will become.

You also lose the option of choice. There's only the apps that Apple allows, only the services that Apple allows, etc. On my Galaxy Exhibit I'm running CyanogenMod 9 (ICS) with an Linux terminal, which is absolutely incredible. I can change and customize every single feature of my phone, the homescreens, the UI, the fonts, the boot logo, the operating system. On Apple, you get Apple. So if you're looking for same old same old, wear North Face jackets, drive a Honda or a Toyota, and want to be spoon-fed a "smart phone" that offers absolutely no innovation or change, then go with Apple. If you want an incredible piece of hardware that you can innovate, make your own, and do incredibly powerful things with, stay on top of and be at the bleeding edge of technology, go with the S3 and Android. As a side affect of bland-ness is that Apple offers a bit of a smoother experience, for a higher price. Android will be a bit bumpier, but also a bit cheaper and a bit more exciting. It really comes down to personal preference.

[MonkeyD]

heh, I might just get a Galaxy for myself.

Is it right for me to hesitant to get her the iphone because I don't want to give Apple any more money? The Samsung actually sounds pretty good, but she is firmly an Apple fan (she loves her Macbook Pro.) So is the iphone 4s any cheaper these days?

What annoys me is that all her friends have iphones and they are constantly showing her all the tricks they can do. Oh and thanks for the info so far guys, it helps a lot.

[Bolkonsky]

Where do you live? 4S prices have dropped a bit some places, but you've probably got to wait a few months to see them come down a lot. It really just depends on your provider though, and the plan you get.

EDIT:
This link should help a bit:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...amily/iphone4s

[The Hedge Knight]

Wrong Iphone there Bolk, the 5 is indeed ahead of the s3 in terms of performance and just about everything else though the point about the lowest common denominator is true to some extent some apps don't function or run lower graphics on older phones (looking at infinity blade). Its also worth noting the 5 comes with some awful design choices like Apple maps, the lightening connector (nothing more than an attempt to lock up the market) and a premium for a fruit shaped badge.

Here is a later ARS bench of newer smart phones. Perhaps you should be considering other phones including android and even the Nokia lumia 920 (win phone 8) which are cheaper have better features and at the moment seem to be more innovative.

[DAVIDE]

Depends by the ROM used on the S III. S III with the leak "Jelly Bean" outscores iPhone 5.

[mrmouth]

You are still going to save her a boatload of coin by shelling out full price for either the iphone or the Galaxy S3 if she goes with a no contract option, over the long term. Unlimited everything will come at about $50 cheaper a month with no contract. So that extra $300 or so you spend on paying full price is quickly paid back.

These no contract deals are a no brainer.

And Im actually really liking these new windows phones. The Lumia 920 is hard to pass up once you try it. The user interface is amazing. The only downside is the lack of diversity and choice (cost) of apps that is also a realty with the iphone OS.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

iphone 5 camera issue nuff said giant hardware flaw passed off as this is okay its ment to happen by Apple lulz

[abbews]

Best phone there is, and cheaper than the iPhone!


Edit:
If anyone needs further convincing..

Wireless Charging
Best Screen in the world
Best smartphone camera (bar the Lumia 808). The earlier devices have some problems with sharpness, is fixed by a software update.
Incredible OIS and night camera^^
NFC
Better hardware overall compared to the i5 and S3.
Fresh operative system

[Bolkonsky]

It's a nice phone, but the OS doesn't have the support of Android or iOS.

[abbews]

It's a nice phone, but the OS doesn't have the support of Android or iOS.

It will come. The OS already has over 100k apps, and it's growing fast. The fact that it's much easier to make apps for W8 than the other counterparts is a huge factor. And it has a quality control, so we won't see so many shady apps that we've seen in Android.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

at the same time if you game on your smartphone win 8 is fail heres why their app store only allows E rated content lol, so WIn8 phone if you like to waste time with some good games is pretty much a no go Its why game developers are pissy about Win8 on PC as GFWL if tied to Metro Apps store means no T -M rated games period or applications that offer such functionality lol, Its sort of a huge cock up, The phone is good just would have been better with Android

as for the shady apps well i can seem them being a problem for the ignorant majority but for a person with common sense not such a big issue.

[Adar]

Getting an iPhone 5 when your short of money really isn't the best of ideas. It's less stupid if your American (where they are less overpriced) but it's still not a good idea since living in the Apple system is far more expensive than the Android/Google system.

I would probably get a Google Nexus if I was strapped for cash and desperately wanted to get a new smart phone.

But then you have the 100 $ question. How agreeable is your girlfriend? Getting an overpriced phone with a poor map function may sometimes be the best choice...

[MonkeyD]

at the same time if you game on your smartphone win 8 is fail heres why their app store only allows E rated content lol, so WIn8 phone if you like to waste time with some good games is pretty much a no go Its why game developers are pissy about Win8 on PC as GFWL if tied to Metro Apps store means no T -M rated games period or applications that offer such functionality lol, Its sort of a huge cock up, The phone is good just would have been better with Android

as for the shady apps well i can seem them being a problem for the ignorant majority but for a person with common sense not such a big issue.

Is the windows 8 really that much beneath the competition or is just concerning gaming (which is kinda sad considering it's windows. )

[Crazyeyesreaper]

Is the windows 8 really that much beneath the competition or is just concerning gaming (which is kinda sad considering it's windows. )

The OS could be great but with the whol Windows 8 experience across all devices Microsoft is taking a G approach aka suitable for everyone period so theirs alot of restrictions set in place just like Apple with iOS, if you want the most from a device with the max in terms of customization and choice Android is pretty much the only option in that regard. Android also offers the ability with custom firmware to overclock on some devices getting extra performance.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1827635
granted it requires an internation version but a 400 mhz overclock on the CPU is still pretty damn cool not much help but i do wish i had an actually need for said device but i dont.


Essentially

Windows 8 is meh in all forms Microsoft strangle hold will kill the devices their is a reason they hold less than 2% of the mobile OS market.

iOS newest version is just plain garbage new iPhone has hardware issues aka purple glare in photos where light source is visible its a design flaw Apples moto its suppose to do that dont worry about it angle your camera different lulz

Android yes can be sketchy dont be an idiot and the OS will treat you right. simple put Stupid is as Stupid does. if someone cant take care of their devices i feel they deserve what they get if common sense is one of your girlfriends strong points get the S3, if not well get the iPhone 5 and if she complains say well you wanted it so its what you got should have researched it more first.

Ignorance is essentially no excuse. regardless im rambling, Galaxy S3 is better of the too phones overall, for me tho the Galaxy Note II looks better but its big, bigger than the S3 by a good amount but its badass.

[Nyxos]

I thought the Nexus 4 was going to be the new big thing ? Having the galaxy S3 myself I can say two things about it : it's awesome and it's huge. The Iphone is pretty cool too if you want the same performances (well, they aren't exactly the same, but you'll never notice the difference) with a smaller sized phone. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but iOS doesn't have any widgets, and those are cool.

Can't help you with plans, I live in France and plans here are crazy cheap and crazy good (I pay 20€ a month for 42MB/s data up to 3GB then they reduce the speed, unlimited texting, image texting and everything you can do with a text message, unlimited phone calls to cells and land lines in France, the US and Canada, unlimited phone calls to land lines in over 50 countries all that with no contract).

[HunterKYA]

I swapped my old iPhone 3 to a Galaxy S2 back in April, and haven't regretted it. Apple claims its the most innovative, but they always had some of the smallest screens from smartphones, and even the screen for the iPhone 5 is smaller than my S2. The battery is the only complaint I'd have for the S2, seeing that you can get 10-12 hours from a full charge on a good day. Other than that, after making the switch, I've come to see iPhones as overrated.