Krizia Gail Lucero

University of the Philippines Cebu

Which is a Better Smart Phone to Purchase:

the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the iPhone 6?

Submitted by:

Cabatingan, Paula Jen Louisse, BA Mass Communication, Comm 2-E

Lucero, Krizia Gail, BA Mass Communication, Comm 2-E

Submitted to:

Jocelyn A. Pinzon

May 15, 2015

Outline

I. History

Significance of smart phones

Significance of the paper

C. Predecessors

iPhone 6

Samsung Galaxy S6 (Samsung Galaxy S series)

II. How are the two smart phones different?

Describing iPhone 6

Describing Samsung Galaxy S6

III. Which is a Better Smart Phone to Purchase?

History

As comparable to a historical landmark whose presence one can only fully comprehend and appreciate if one knows what it has gone through, in order to fully grasp the very essence of this paper itself, an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6, the readers must first familiarize why the writers chose this topic, the history of the two phones, and how they came about trending in the global market.

Significance of smart phones. In this generation where smart phones are a common object being used among individuals, and with the demand of smart phones on the market increase per year, various companies have produced their own line of smart phones. It has come to a point where even brands and companies who have specialized only in the manufacturing of computer and electronics hardware, such as Asus, Acer, and Lenovo, have also introduced their line of smart phones into the global market.

Significance of the paper. Because of too much brands to choose from, we have decided to focus on two that have reached the top spots on the Companies with the Most smart phones Sold list in the fourth quarter of 2014, as stated in the Forbes Magazine official website (http://www.forbes.com). This paper was made to be able to provide an in-depth comparison of two top-selling smart phones today, and give a help to the readers who are planning to buy a smart phone but is having a hard time choosing which one to buy. This paper is not made under the name of any product or service company, and opinions stated here are according to the findings of the writers after their analysis and comparison.

Among the numerous brands of smart phones that are now available in the global-- and even Philippine-- market, there are two that really stand out among the rest, and have been known as the worlds two most popular smart phone brands, according to Communities Dominate Brands website (http://communities-dominate.blogs.com), and again, the Forbes Magazine-- these are Samsung and Apple.

Predecessors. Understanding the features and specifications of each phone better means to have some knowledge about the phones predecessors. That being said, like any other gadget that has had the earlier versions of its series released in the market, we would have to take a run-through on the smartphones produced before but in-line with the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 in order to acquire a better understanding of how the two competing companiesApple and Samsungfurther improved their line of smartphones.

iPhone 6. Apple, known for the iPod music player series-- which comprised of the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch-- and, of course, the iMac and MacBook series-- both of which are Apples own line of personal computers and laptops-- has released theeir first smart phone, the iPhone, on June in the year 2007, as stated in the iPhone Wiki (http://theiphonewiki.com). The first ever iPhone has been made with an iOS (iOperating System) 1-- the operating system used by Apple in their electronic products. Since then, the evolution of the iPhone progressed. By 2008, Apple released iPhone 3G, which boasts of an iOS 2. Not long after the iPhone 3G, when the iPhone 3GS was announced, and was then made available to the public on June 2009. On 2010, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S were released, although the latter was only available through pre-orders. 2011 was the year when the iPhone was made available in iStores all over the globe and by 2012, Apple announced the upcoming release of iPhone 5. A new and revolutionary iPhone 5 was then made available to the world market in 2013, and in 2014-- following the demand for a new iPhone design-- Apple released the iPhone 5C, which has has the components and specifications of the iPhone 5, only in a polycarbonate casing which features various colors such as pink, blue, green, yellow, and white. Later in the same year, the iPhone 5S was introduced; the new and highly-improved smart phone came in a black, metallic silver, and gold casing. It was the iPhone that Apple made known the TouchID-- a high-functioning fingerprint sensor that enables the iPhone 5S to be secured and can only be opened by the sole owner.

Just when the world thought that Apple has outdone itself with this idea, by late 2014, it was leaked that an iPhone 6 was on its way-- bigger, better, and slimmer. It was then by the beginning of 2015 when iPhone 6 was released. It was so that the first person to have purchased Apples new product experienced something that no other iPhone user has experienced before: his new iPhone 6 developed a bent form after being placed in his pocket for a few hours. Not long after, other iPhone 6 owners have begun to complain about their iPhones being bent. The Telegraph Website (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) and Yahoo! News (http://www.yahoo.com/news) have even reported that individuals have already given a name to this phenomenon-- the bendgate. Others have speculated that this is a new feature of the iPhone 6 which Apple has failed or purposely intended not to include in the specifications. Skeptics, on the other hand, think that there is a mistake in the structural design of the iPhone 6 and therefore the bendgate phenomenon occurred. Mistake or not, because of this, the whole world has been put on a curious edge-- one in which has sparked an even interesting side to the iPhone 6.

Samsung Galaxy S6. Unlike Apple which only has the iPhone, iPhone 3, 4, 5, and 6 series, Samsung has produced more than thirty models of the Samsung Galaxy series, which is why we decided to tackle only the Galaxy S category of the Galaxies. This choice made on the study is not only because of random choosing, and the fact that it is in line with our chosen subject (Samsung Galaxy S6). The main reason why we have decided to discuss on the Galaxy S series is because this series has the most high-end class of Samsung smart phones, and can therefore be considered more or less equally comparable with Apples line of smart phones. S in the Galaxy S label stands for Supersmart, and Samsung has made done so far as to have the phones included in this series live up to that name.

According to the DigitalTrends website (www.digitaltrends.com), throughout Samsungs assault on the smart phone market, the company has always been careful to distinguish its flagship line with the letter S. The original Samsung Galaxy S was released in the summer of 2010 and has sold over 24 million units worldwide. As a high-end, premium Android smart phone, it packed a 1GHz (GigaHertz) processor, 512MB (Megabytes) of Random Access Memory (RAM), a 4-inch screen display, and a 5-megapixel camera.

Slim, powerful, and hugely desirable, the S2 launched in more than 120 countries in the summer of 2011. With a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch display, and an 8-megapixel (MP) camera, the S2 blew the competition away and it was widely praised as the best Android phone on the market, with some reviewers going further and calling it the best smart phone on the market. Samsung has sold more than 40 million S2 handsets since release and there has been a number of variants on different carriers and in various countries.

The Galaxy S3 boasted a 1.4GHz quad-core processor (1.5 GHz dual-core in some markets), 1GB or 2GB of RAM, a 4.8-inch display with a 720-pixel (p) resolution, and an 8-megapixel camera. It proved to be the fastest-selling Android smart phone to date and Samsung has sold over 40 million S3 handsets in 145 countries by March 2013, meaning its selling at roughly double the rate of its predecessor. Samsung has even taken affordability as a factor and later released the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, which has similar features with the S3, only in a smaller and, yes, more affordable price. 2013 has started in much the same way as the hype grew deafening in the build-up to the release of Samsungs next flagship to S3, the Galaxy S4, which outsold its predecessors.

As in the TechRadar website (www.techradar.com), the Galaxy S4 arrived in the world in April 2013, offering users a whopping 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel Super AMOLED[1] screen, an upgraded 13-megapixel camera, Android (Operating System) 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and a 2600mAh battery that typically lasts at least the length of a day. In February 2014 the Galaxy S5 was launched unto the baying public, and delivered in a number of stable ways. Gone were the theatrics and the pointless sensors, to be replaced by a heart rate monitor, a blazing fast autofocus and a fingerprint scanner. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) was faster at 2.5GHz, the screen was larger as a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED High Definition (HD) option, the camera boosted to 16MP and the battery now rocking up at 2800mAh (ampere-hour). The fitness elements were boosted through S Health 3.0, which brings the most holistic tracking app ever for your fitness. It wasnt long before rumors of an upcoming successor to the Samsung Galaxy S5 stirred.

With Apple releasing its latest product, the iPhone 6, it was already expected that Samsung would soon follow suit. This was then realized when, at the 2015 Mobile World Congress held last March 2-5,2015 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S6alongside its partner, the Galaxy S6 Edgehoping to lure smart phone users away from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+.

In order to be able to compare the two smart phones and determine which one is better and more worthy to purchase, we take a look at the specifications-- or specs-- of each one and, in doing so, grasp a better understanding of the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6.

How are the two smart phones different?

When choosing a smartphone, one must have an overview of its specifications and special features (if any). The most important factors to consider in purchasing a smartphone are its RAM (Random Access Memory) storage, User Interfaceor how user-friendly the platform of the smartphone is, the Operating System used, its type of screen (Corning Gorilla glass is, so far, the most preferred among users), the amount of megapixels of its camera and, of course, the audio quality. The aforementioned, then, will be our basis on determining which is the better phone from the two subjects.

Describing iPhone 6. Apple Inc. (http://www.apple.com) released the iPhone 6 in September, 2014, boasting of specifications like a dual-core 1.4 GHz Cyclone processor and ion-strengthened glass outer covering. It has an LED (light emitting diode)-backlit, 4.7-inch touch screen made of Corning Gorilla glass and a fingerprint-resistant, oleophobic[2] coating on the front. The iPhone 6 has an 8 MP (megapixel) main camera with a 1.2 MP secondary camera and HD (high definition) auto-focus for easy picture-taking. For the platform, like its predecessors, the iPhone 6 has an iOS-- only now it is iOS 8 and upgradable to iOS 8.3.

What Apple has to boast the most of its latest product, though, is its improved fingerprint sensor (TouchID) which enables the owner to unlock the phone using only his or her fingerprint, now with more accurate detection of the owners fingerprint. This prevents other people from easily accessing the phone and avoids cases like hacking and tampering with internal data. The phone measures 6.9mm deep. That additional thin-feel to the new model owes a debt to the shape of its glass face, which bend down around all edges of the iPhone to meet a smooth aluminum rear chassis, itself bending from the back to meet the glass edge-to-edge. The result is a smooth rounded texture that hides a tiny but perceptible bit of thickness; the edges are just slightly thinner than the main body, and since it's the edges your fingers will mostly feel it's this thinness you appreciate most. Its resolution offers the same pixel density as the iPhone 5S-- 326 pixels per inch-- and so appears equally as sharp when browsing the web and viewing photos. Battery life for the iPhone 6 anecdotally showed a slight improvement over the iPhone 5S, giving about a day of use comfortably.

Describing Samsung Galaxy S6. When it comes to specifications, Samsung does not allow itself to be beat, as it also has so much to offer. The official Samsung website (http://samsung.com/us) describes the Samsung Galaxy S6 as a smart phone that has a re-imagined design, inside and out, a stunning display, their best smart phone camera and a fast-charging and power saving mode.

For the body structure, the Samsung Galaxy S6 features a slim, lightweight, all-metal body and glass design. It has an Octa-core, 64-bit processor-- known as the Samsung Exynos 7420-- and a 5.1-inch Quad High Definition Super AMOLED display which Samsung promises to show a brighter, clearer, and more captivating screen. The screen also automatically adjusts itself to suit the lighting conditions in the environment. Because of this generation where selfies are done by nearly every individual who owns a smart phone, Samsung has offered a 5-Megapixel front-facing camera-- perfect for self-portraits or selfies. The main camera also cannot be beat, as it boasts a 16-Megapixel rear-facing camera with built-in Optical Image Stabilization to avoid blurs and minimize the low-quality photos taken due to shaky handling of the phone.

What the Samsung Galaxy S6 shows off the most, though, is its battery life which-- in Ultra Power Saving Mode-- enables the user to still be able to receive and send calls and messages in 24 hours with a mere 10% battery level. It is also fast-charging, as within only 30 minutes, the battery level of the Samsung Galaxy S6 can go from 0 to 50%. Lastly, this revolutionary smart phone has built-in wireless charging capabilities for those individuals who are constantly on-the-go and do not have time to find an outlet for charging.

Which is a Better Smart Phone to Purchase?

With all that is being mentioned, tackled and scrutinized on the two competing smart phones, one could very much say that the two companiesApple and Samsunghave done quite a good job in building up just the right features and specifications for their latest smart phones to be released in the global market. Where Samsung has made striking changes with design, Apple has slightly underwhelmed with the transformation from iPhone 5S to iPhone 6.

For both smart phones to be marked with similar lowest pricesat Php 34,990 in the Philippine settingit really would be quite difficult to decide which one to purchase if one has to base it on the cost. However, after being able to produce and provide an in-depth comparison of the two smart phones after thorough research with credible working sources, the writers of this paper give their vote to the Samsung Galaxy S6. For the first time Samsung has created a phone which can match the iPhone in build quality, speed of operation and crucially in the ease of use, quality and reliability of its camera.

Samsung has made sure that the camera of the Galaxy S6 is mentioned and advertised a lot and that is for good reason - the snapper is definitely very potent. Now, while the iPhone 6 does pack a really good camera, we find Samsung's to bea step above. It goes without saying that there is quite a bit of a difference in the way Android and iOS handle things. We won't call the latter "simpler", but it does tend to handle things in a more minimalistic way, closing the end user out of its file system and customization options. On the other side, Android offers customizations, widgets, open file system, and a lot of sub-menus in its settings. Samsung's TouchWiz interface that's laid on top of Android may have been a drag before, but it has been skimmed down and sped up a bit with this iteration, making the Galaxy S6 feel a bit "lighter".

When the iPhone 6 was nearing release, leaked pictures of the new model had some users disappointed in its rather "boring" back. This led to speculations that the phone's rear will be covered by a glass panel, which ultimately turned out to be false. If you are one who still wants that glass-metal-glass sandwich, the Galaxy S6 will be the more aesthetically pleasing choice for you here. Still a tech in its infancy, wireless charging is undeniably cool, and pretty convenient at that, especially since some coffee shops, such as Starbucks, have started outfitting their tables with wireless chargers. Early adopters have already made use of the tech by buying special back covers for their phones, but lo and behold-- the Galaxy S6 offers wireless charging out of the box. If you want to be on top of that wave-- that's surely a phone to pick.

When you count up the little wins, the S6 comes out on top. It's the most attractive Samsung flagship and has all of the cutting edge features to back up its metal look. If you want the best, then Samsung in our eyes, is the one to go for right now. The iPhone 6 is still fantastic phone in our book, but Samsung may have just raised the bar.

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[1] Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode is a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_compound" \o "Organic compound" organic compoundsform the HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroluminescence" \o "Electroluminescence" electroluminescentmaterial, and HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_matrix" \o "Active matrix" active matrixrefers to the technology behind the addressing of HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel" \o "Pixel" pixels

[1] Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode is a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which organic compounds form the electroluminescent material

[2] Oleophobic coatings impart exceptional lubricity to touch screens and give them a "slick feel" that eases their use.