Update: A mix-up earlier stated that the Galaxy S3 has no LTE. It in fact does, and the Galaxy S3 seems to have beaten the iPhone 5 in LTE speed tests conducted by Strangleloop Networks.
There has never been a better time to look into getting a smartphone. This fall features two of the most prolific handsets to ever hit the markets: the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. If you're having trouble deciding which one to get, here's a look at the two of them.
Let's begin with the technical mumbo jumbo.
Apple's iPhone 5 features a 4-inch Retina display, 4G LTE, and its new A6 processor has been clocked at 1.3GHz. The handset comes with Apple's new iOS 6 out of the box, which boasts more than 200 new features, according to Apple. Some of them, like the Facebook integration, have been well received. Others, such as Apple Maps (which replaces Google Maps as the default navigation tool), haven't fared so well.
The iPhone 5 comes with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime HD.
The iPhone 5 is available through AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. With a two-year contract, the 16GB model costs $199, the 32GB costs $299, and the 64GB iPhone 5 costs $399. Apple is set to introduce unlocked version in the coming weeks which will cost $649, $749, and $849 depending on the amount of storage you choose.
Samsung's Galaxy S3 handset comes with 4G LTE and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor here in the United States. The handset comes running an older Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, but an official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update is already rolling out, with Poland the only country to have it so far.
The Galaxy S3 sports a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.
The Galaxy S3 is available through carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and C Spire. The handset begins at $199 for the 16GB model as well, but some sleuthing can uncover some great deals. For instance, Sprint is going to offer the phone for $50 on Black Friday with a two-year contract.
So which one should you buy? The decision will mostly come down to mostly whether you prefer using Apple's iOS over Google's Android. Otherwise, both handsets are solid, and are priced similarly, although carrier options may limit your chances of owning an iPhone 5 versus the Galaxy S3.
Which of the two phones do you prefer?
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