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Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S II

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleiPhone 5SamsungGalaxy S II
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2012May 2011
Display
Screen size4″4.27″
Resolution1136 × 640800 × 480
Sharpness326 pixels per inch218 pixels per inch
PanelLCDOLED
Refresh rate60 Hz–
Peak brightness500 nits–
Display typeRetina display; 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus with Real-Stripe RGB subpixels, 800 × 480 (Engadget)
Pixel density326 ppi–
Brightness detail500 cd/m² max brightness (typical)–
Screen protectionFingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on frontCorning Gorilla Glass
Display features800:1 contrast ratio (typical)–
Performance
ChipA6Exynos 4210
Memory1 GB1 GB
Storage16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB16 GB
CPUDual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (GSMArena); 1 GB of Elpida LPDDR2 RAM (iFixit)1.2 GHz dual-core processor; 1 GB of RAM
GPUPowerVR SGX543MP3 (GSMArena)Mali-400 MP4 (AnandTech)
Storage type–16 GB; microSD card slot up to 32 GB
Cameras
Main camera8 MP8 MP
Ultra wide cameraNoneNone
Telephoto cameraNoneNone
Optical zoomNoneNone
Front camera1.2 MP2 MP
Main camera8-megapixel iSight camera with autofocus, tap to focus, face detection and LED flash8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Front cameraFaceTime HD camera with 1.2MP photos2 MP
Video recordingHD (1080p) up to 30 fps with audio; improved video stabilisation1080p at 30 fps
Front videoHD (720p) up to 30 fps–
Camera featuresPanorama; photo and video geotagging–
Battery and charging
Battery1,440 mAh1,650 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)Up to 10 hours–
Wireless chargingNoneNone
Battery life detailTalk time up to 8 hours on 3G; standby up to 225 hours; internet use up to 8 hours on 3G or LTE and 10 hours on Wi-Fi; video playback up to 10 hours; audio playback up to 40 hours; 3.8 V, 5.45 Wh, 1,440 mAh (iFixit)Removable battery
Wired chargingCharging via USB to a computer or power adapter–
Design
TypeStandardStandard
Weight112 g116 g
Thickness7.6 mm8.49 mm
Height × width123.8 × 58.6 mm125.3 × 66.1 mm
MaterialsAnodised aluminium body with diamond-cut chamfered edges and glass inlaysGorilla Glass front, plastic back and frame (Engadget)
ColoursBlack & Slate, White & Silver–
SensorsThree-axis gyro; accelerometer; proximity sensor; ambient light sensorAccelerometer, light sensor, digital compass, proximity sensor, gyroscope
Software
Operating systemiOSAndroid
Software at launchiOS 6Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with TouchWiz 4.0
Connectivity
Mobile networkGSM model A1428: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA, GSM/EDGE and LTE (bands 4 and 17); models A1429: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA, GSM/EDGE and LTE (bands 1, 3, 5, plus 13 and 25 on the CDMA model)GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz; 3G 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz; HSPA+ 21 Mbps
SIMNano-SIM (GSMArena)Mini-SIM (Samsung GT-I9100 manual)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
USBLightning connector; 3.5 mm headphone jack (GSMArena); video mirroring and video out up to 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and Lightning to VGA Adapter (sold separately)USB 2.0 (micro-USB) with MHL TV out; 3.5 mm headphone jack
PositioningAssisted GPS and GLONASS; digital compass; Wi-Fi; cellularA-GPS

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