Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Galaxy S3: Is the Galaxy S4 Worth the Extra $100?

Samsung's new Galaxy S4 may be all the rage, but budget-minded consumers would do well to not forget about Samsung's 2012 flagship, the Galaxy S3. The smartphone can be found for half the price as the Galaxy S4, so the question arises, is the Galaxy S4 worth the extra money? To answer that question, let's take a look at the smartphones' specs.

(For the purpose of the specs comparison below, we will be looking at the standard American variants, as Samsung has a number of international models that sport different processors)

Make no mistake, the Galaxy S4 is powerful. The smartphone is equipped with a 5-inch 1080p HD Super AMOLED display pushing out 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, a 13-megapixel rear shooter, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Both the cameras can record in 1080p. The stock battery holds a capacity of 2,600mAh, and the Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2.2 right out of the box.

The Galaxy S3, however, is no slouch either. The Galaxy S3, released last year, comes with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen that can display 306 ppi. Underneath the hood lies a dual-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 1.9-megapixel front camera. While the rear camera can shoot video in 1080p, the front one can only take video in 720p. The Galaxy S3's battery is smaller, at 2,100mAh, and it comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean onboard. An update to Android 4.2.2 seems to be in limbo, but when it finally does release, it will bring a number of Galaxy S4 features such as gesture controls over to the Galaxy S3.

Both phones support LTE and additional storage through a micro SD slot, and both phones, even the Galaxy S3, will be able to run most apps without a hitch. In fact, both phones exude a similar look and feel, and while the Galaxy S4 is undoubtedly the better of the two, a quick trip to a local retail store can save buyers $100. Given the longevity of these powerful handsets, and despite the Galaxy S3's still-impressive specs, those who want the latest and greatest will have to shell out the extra money for the Galaxy S4, which will seem far more modern against newer rivals like the HTC One or the Sony Xperia Z, all of which have 1080p displays as well.

Let us know which one of the two smartphones you prefer, and why, in the comments sectino below.