If you're tired of carrying around the same old "dumb" phone that has a tiny little screen and doesn't run any of the thousands of cool apps and games available these days, it's time to upgrade to a powerful modern smartphone. The problem is knowing which one to get, a problem made especially difficult if you're not already committed to either Apple's iOS or Android.
This article is based on the AT&T versions of both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S III. Versions offered by Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile may differ slightly, but not enough to cause a major change in the "winner" for each category of the comparison.
Build and Design
I may be biased here, but I have to give the Design category to the Apple iPhone 4S. While the Galaxy S III is available in a variety of colors, unlike the iPhone, it doesn't have the same "look at me" sensibility that oozes cool either. When you pull an iPhone out of your pocket, everyone around you knows exactly what it is. When you pull an Android smartphone out of your pocket, anyone interested in what you have would have to ask, because most Android smartphones look so much alike.
Aside from the overall form factor, both of our competitors today are quite similar in that the large display is the most obvious feature of the phone. The back of the iPhone is glass, while the back of the Galaxy S III is plastic. The buttons on both phones are quite minimal, but the Galaxy S III has curved edges and much smaller buttons than the iPhone. They're also much more difficult to find with a wandering finger, and more difficult to operate without looking at the device.
Display and Keyboard
The iPhone 4S is equipped with a 3.5-inch Retina display that has a resolution of 960 x 640 at 326 ppi. The Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display that has a resolution of 1280 x 720 at 306 ppi, which is much larger than the current iPhone but isn't quite as sharp.
The much larger, higher-resolution display on the Samsung device is one of its greatest strengths over its rival. It offers a better experience doing many tasks, especially when watching video. Apple has apparently taken notice, and the rumor has it the next iPhone will have a bigger screen.
If you use your phone outside in bright sunlight a great deal of the time, you'll likely prefer the Galaxy S III over the iPhone, because the Samsung display is slightly more vibrant overall and is capable of eye-blinding brightness.
Both devices are rather even when it comes to text entry; the Galaxy S III has a larger display and therefore a larger keyboard so it's easy to use. I personally prefer the iPhone 4S because it has a more intuitive layout of the onscreen keyboard, but that's purely personal preference.
Portability
Both of these devices are highly portable, but the iPhone 4S gets a slight edge in this category. They are somewhat similar in size with the Galaxy S III being the larger of the two, and the iPhone 4S being the slightly thicker phone. (Note: the comparison image above is to scale.)
The iPhone 4S measures 4.5-inches tall, 2.31-inches wide, and 0.37-inches thick, but it is slightly heavier than the Galaxy S III since it weighs in at 4.9 ounces. The Galaxy S III is 5.39-inches tall, 2.78-inches wide, and 0.34 inches thick, and weighs 4.73 ounces.
The device you choose when it comes to portability will be based on whether or not you're more concerned about an overall smaller package (the iPhone 4S) or if you don't mind a larger phone as long as it's thin and has a bigger screen (the Galaxy S III).
Features and Capabilities
The Apple iPhone 4S is based on the A5 chip, which is a dual-core processor -- although the actual processor speed has not been released by Apple, independent sources rate it at 1GHz. It is super fast and responsive, though there's no way to directly compare it to the Galaxy S III since the same benchmark app isn't available across platforms.
The Galaxy S III has a dual core 1.5GHz processer from Qualcomm, and it's super fast and responsive. I can't say that you won't ever wait to open up an app or switch tasks, but performance is excellent across the board. It also offers more storage, since the iPhone 4S tops out at 64GB total, while the Galaxy S III has 16GB of internal storage and the microSD card slot supports cards up to 64GB in capacity, for a total of 80GB for your music, videos, ebooks, and apps. If you need even more room, a 32GB version of the Galaxy S III is available from T-Mobile, offering a total of 96GB of memory if you plug in a 64GB microSD card.
The Galaxy S III gets a slight nod in this category, mainly due to the added bonus of more extensive multitasking and removable/expandable storage thanks to its microSD card slot. Please not however, that iPhone 4S isn't by any means a slouch when it comes to performance.
Communication and Call Quality
The Apple iPhone 4S is at a distinct disadvantage here because it is not a 4G phone; when it comes to pure download speeds it simply can't compare to the 4G-enabled Samsung Galaxy S III. Obviously there won't be much difference when it comes to texting and Twitter, but it is much more of a concern if you're downloading lots of apps, watching a ton of streaming video, or constantly surfing the web.
Call quality depends as much on your carrier and your location as on the phone itself, so it's impossible to judge this category objectively. I have fairly good service with both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S III; the iPhone does seem to suffer from more dropped calls, but that's a known issue in my area. It's hit or miss actually receiving a call on either phone when in my office, but I can go right outside the door of my building and both devices work fine.
Productivity
The winner in this category is the phone that does what you want. While iOS and Android are very different operating systems, they each have their advantages and disadvantages, and most users generally prefer one over the other. The iPhone 4S offers some strong advantages if you already use other Apple products such as the iPad or a Mac, because iCloud can handle reminders and notes in addition to Android's excellent Calendar and Contact syncing capabilities.
Since many apps are now available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play, there's less chance of being forced to pick one platform or the other based on a critical need for one particular app. When it comes to Microsoft Office compatible apps, I've found that they are generally included with the purchase of an Android device, but you'll have to pay extra for either Apple's own Office suite or DataViz's Documents to Go if you get an iPhone. The built-in viewers for Word and Excel documents are top notch on the iPhone, but if you need actual editing capabilities that is going to cost you $20 - $30.
If voice search capabilities are important to you, the iPhone 4S is the obvious choice. While Siri is far from perfect, it is also far, far superior to the Google voice search widget on the Galaxy S III. Siri did what I wanted it to do somewhere between 50-75% of the time, but I couldn't get the included voice app to make a call, do a web search, get directions to a particular destination, or carry out any of the other commands that is is supposed to handle. I had a friend try it with the same results, so it isn't just me.
Entertainment is a dead heat, because so many of the top mobile games are available for both platforms. The same is true for video playing apps, ebook readers, and other entertainment apps. The real choice here is whether you want the extreme clarity of Apple's Retina display on the iPhone, or if you would rather have the larger screen found on the Galaxy S III.
Battery
The iPhone 4S is rated for up to 8 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 14 hours on a GSM network, with a standby time of up to 200 hours. The Galaxy S III is rated for the same 8 hours of talk time and up to 200 hours on standby, but I found that the battery drained much faster than the iPhone 4S in real life testing, most likely due to multitasking and using the 4G network instead of the iPhone's 3G.
Camera
Both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S III have 8 megapixel cameras with LED flash, though the Samsung model's front-facing camera with 1.9 megapixel resolution is definitely better than the VGA resolution of the front camera on the iPhone 4S. Camera features and photo quality are very similar on both devices, though the Galaxy S III has some extra features like burst shot to capture up to 20 images at lightning fast speeds, a zero lag shutter, and AllShare Group Cast that can instantly share photos with friends who also have the Galaxy S III smartphone.
Price
The iPhone 4S ranges in price from $200 to $400, depending on the memory capacity you choose: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. The Galaxy S III (16GB) is $200 from AT&T and Verizon, and $280 (16GB) or $330 (32GB) from T-Mobile, so the two generally cost the same for the lest-expensive version, but as storage capacites go up, theGalaxy S III has a lower overall cost of entry. Of course all prices quoted are with a new two-year service contract.
Conclusion
The Apple iPhone 4S shines in some categories, such as design and portability, the Siri voice assistant, built-in task and notes apps, and battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S III barely wins the performance battle, but is solidly ahead for a larger, more sunlight-visible display, as well as getting the nod for expandable memory, and some advanced camera features. Other categories simply can't have an overall winner, because they are based solely on the carrier you choose and network coverage in your area, or pure personal preference. If the speed of 4G is important to you, the Galaxy S III is your only option at this time.
If you're already a fan of one platform or the other, the decision will be relatively easy, but if this is your first smartphone purchase you'll want to try both models out by arranging a personal demonstration from friends and family members, or a visit to a wireless store. While I personally prefer the iPhone 4S because it just "clicks" with me, and because the power of iCloud's Reminders and (with the upcoming Mountain Lion OS X upgrade) Notes synced to all of your devices keeps me organized without requiring me to constantly send email messages to myself. There's no denying the fact that the Galaxy S III is a powerful device with some excellent features, but it's larger than the iPhone and its battery doesn't have the same kind of stamina as the iPhone 4S.
You can make your purchasing decision easier by ranking the most important features, such as the smallest size, largest display, built-in apps and functionality, or battery life, and picking the one that best suits your needs. Either way you'll get one of the most powerful smartphones currently available, and you'll always be entertained, connected, and productive no matter where you find yourself.
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