Iphone 5s vs Galaxy S4? - Having an Apple phone without any other apple devices?

[Grimezy]

My Galaxy S2 contract has come to an end and it's time for an upgrade. I'm currently with Orange and am struggling to find a decent deal for a new phone + plan (is it me or do they not offer any benefits to loyal customers anymore?!).

Anyway, my number one choice was going to be the Galaxy S4. I like the screen, I enjoy using android, it's cheaper than most competitors and it's what I'm used to. However, I have had a few issues with my phone over the past couple of years which has put me off the 'build quality' a tad; nothing in terms of the phone breaking, just overheating, crashes, text messages not sending/receiving despite full signal, apps that I've fancied that haven't been on Google Play, etc. Basically, it's got me tempted for an Iphone... Great build quality, streamline product, good apps and benchmarks show that it seems to utilise its hardware a lot better than the Galaxy does. I'm not one of these people that plays tons of mobile games or watches loads of films on my phone or anything, I just want a solid product that I can text, call and browse the web on with a few decent apps, etc.

So my queries are:

1) The iphone seems ridiculously high priced. The deals I've been looking at are like £220 upfront and £38/month for Unlim. calls and texts and 1gb data. This seems massively high compared to the S4's £100 upfront and £33/month. I can get them both on free contracts but the monthly prices are ridiculous and I'd rather pay the upfront on my 0% APR credit card and get it out of the way.

Do these prices seem reasonable? What do you guys pay? Can the iphone really justify the extra fee (I'd have to have insurance on top of that price as well - £6-£8 per month from the looks of things)?

2) Probably my main concern is I don't intend to buy any other apple products. Not interested in a Mac or Macbook, don't use itunes at the moment, considered an ipad before but I have a chromebook which fills those needs. I'm currently pretty nicely synced up on Google Drive which links my Desktop, Chromebook and Galaxy S2 together; can I continue this on the iphone or will I have to adopt their whole 'iCloud' thing?


Just wanted advice really, I've always thought of Apple to be way overpriced but whenever I use my mates phones they all seem pretty solid and snappy compared to my S2. I even have an old ipod touch from 2008 I think which still runs perfectly fine, obviously it can't handle demanding apps but it browses and plays music effortlessly, even my 2 year old S2 struggles with those tasks occasionally! And before Wozza chirps up, I've looked at the Nexus 5 and wasn't too fussed, reviews seem to say it's inferior to the S4 despite the OS it's running and everybody just said it was a bit 'blah' really.

Any suggestions would be great though. Haven't really looked into Lumia's if they're any good?

 

[keynes]

1) I think my missus paid around £150 and I am on a monthly contract of £36 with EE. Whether is reasonable or not really depends on much you value the iphone and your finances.
2) Not sure about it, I do use iTunes but haven't tried anything else.

 

[Wozza63]

There are still much better phones out there, i think than the S4 and 5S. The main appeal of the Nexus 5 is its flagship specs and faster updates whilst being nearly half the price of any other flagship.

I have a Lumia 920, its great although if you struggle to find the apps you want on Google Play, then the Windows Phone store won't do you much good, it has all the apps I need personally, but not many of the latest games and most apps are behind the iOS and Android versions. If you are interested in photography then a lumia is the way to go, the camera apps are much better than any available on iOS or Android, most of them being offered by Nokia themselves.

Looks like HTC are going to release a new flagship soon (codename M8) and if its anything like the HTC One with better specs and better camera then its definitely going to be the phone to beat, but I could be wrong.

 

[Deklore]

Im sure there are other people that know more about phones than I do but heres my 2 pennies.

Although the 5s seems pretty good, personally I do think its over priced for what you get. Ive also heard reports that the battery life is worse than the 4s

The main problem I have though with iphones in general is the integration with other software/hardware devices. Apple don't do file transfer via Bluetooth or USB mass storage mode and theres no microSD slot. For me that's places a big inconvenience when trying to move stuff from one medium to another. For example I have a Galaxy S3 Mini and I wanted music on it so I just dragged and dropped mp3s into the phone and I was sorted.

Also if you are on the internet alot on your phone you would really appreciate the bigger screen the S4 offers. Although I got a Mini, I now kinda wish I had the non-mini version as the screen size IS noticeable when browsing. Youd just have to consider the larger size if you keep your phone in your pocket.

I know I sound very bias, but that's just the experience I and my friends have had with those phones. Im not saying the iphone isn't good, im just saying value for money for features etc then your better off with a Samsung S4 (which is an amazing phone) or even consider the HTC One which is also superb.

I'll admit ive never been a fan of Apple products and im no different here. I really don't understand why people get Apple when better and cheaper options are on offer but I guess that's down to personal preference.

 

[Grimezy]

Thanks for the input guys

@keynes - Sounds fairly reasonable then, is yours the 5s or the 5? My mate with a 5 reckons the deals I'm seeing are really expensive but then it may just be because of the newer generation...

@wozza - I think I'll stay clear of the Lumia then! I'm not really big into my photography but had heard they're really well put together phones. I guess if I'm going to be more restricted than on Google Play I'll encounter some issues then I will re-look into the Nexus 5. I know that Orange definitely don't do it but O2 do (I'd rather avoid moving if I can). I'd read it had very good specs and a decent OS but in reality it lacked a lot of features that things like the S4 are bringing to the table (I assume all this touchwiz stuff, etc).

@dek - Thanks for the input! I too shared your view of why people spent more on a 'inferior' product but from reading more about the 5s it does sound appealing. The 64-bit dual core processor is apparently a bit of a monster and the secondary processor built in seems to do a good job of taking the strain off the main processor when using background apps like Strava Cycling, etc. I know it's not a game-winner as I barely exercise anyway but it's good to see they're putting their components to good use. It's easy to read that an S4 has a quad-core CPU on paper but in real world performance does it really show over the dual core iPhone? Benchmarks would disagree... (again, benchmarks don't really show real-world performance though).

I completely agree about the integrations with other devices though. I only recently bought a 16gb SD for less than a tenner and it's doubled my phones memory... Compared to the Iphone which is charging £150 more for the 32gb handset compared to the 16gb one. Although I don't do much file transferring, it is appealing to know that I technically can't run out of space! The small niggly problems with my S2 are still on my mind though, they don't really seem to be built to last like competitor phones are...

I may have to go back to the phone shop and have another go of some! The S4 probably felt the best in my hand despite the cheap feeling to it. The HTC One felt a bit odd? I don't know if I just wasn't keen on the metal backing. The iPhone felt solid but doesn't exactly fit into your hand comfortably... It seemed to pick up my typing much better than the others though...

Decisions decisions...

 

[keynes]

@keynes - Sounds fairly reasonable then, is yours the 5s or the 5? My mate with a 5 reckons the deals I'm seeing are really expensive but then it may just be because of the newer generation...

5s

 

[bigben]

The reason I like iphone is that they hold their value, I can still trade in my 2 year old 4s for £152 here, which when compared to the galaxy S4 is really good (here)

 

[Wozza63]

@wozza - I think I'll stay clear of the Lumia then! I'm not really big into my photography but had heard they're really well put together phones. I guess if I'm going to be more restricted than on Google Play I'll encounter some issues then I will re-look into the Nexus 5. I know that Orange definitely don't do it but O2 do (I'd rather avoid moving if I can). I'd read it had very good specs and a decent OS but in reality it lacked a lot of features that things like the S4 are bringing to the table (I assume all this touchwiz stuff, etc).

Most of the carriers seem to add a big charge to the nexus 5 for some odd reason, ask your carrier what price they will give you for the contract you want without a phone, then add the price of the nexus 5 to it, its £349 on Google Play I think, much cheaper than any other phone of its specs.

Personally, the reason I won't get a Samsung is because of TouchWiz, its awful I think, I much prefer stock android.

What you are saying about the processor, yeh its powerful but not that great, 64-bit is completely pointless as it only has 1GB RAM and doesn't make it any faster, the CPUs aren't better but its because Apple optimize it really well, if Android could better optimize their OS then it would be much smoother, but with KitKat being much more refined than any other Android, it runs smoother than ever.

 

[Paigey]

I was recently having the same dilemma after putting up with a Samsung Galaxy S (the original!) for many years, and thought it was about time for an upgrade when the phone was often freezing upon opening any kind of app. I must have spent about 30-45mins in the store just going from phone to phone, playing around with them to see how they each felt and how they were handling basic things. I went with the iPhone 5s finally and honestly I love it. It's speedy, responsive, can easily handle multiple apps open without slowing down at all, and I love the typing on it - never had an iPhone before but the autocorrect is amazing in my opinion.

Nowa-days though all the smartphones are probably as quick as each other if you're just using it for web-browsing and making calls/sending texts, it's all down to personal preference, there's benefits and flaws to every phone out there.

Also I was with Orange too before with my old phone, but doing a lot of research online before making my decision made me switch over to Three - I thought the prices were a lot better, the 16gb 5s starts from £37/month with £100 upfront, for 500min/5000texts/unlimited data, or +£5 / month for 32GB version. (or +5 again if you need as much as 64GB storage)
Another thing that drew me more towards Three is that 4G will be rolling out shortly on their network, and all their prices will stay the same, so if you're on a contract with a 4G ready phone, it will automatically switch you over to 4G as soon as it comes available, which is amazing considering how extortionate the prices for 4G plans are for the other networks!

 

[Grimezy]

Cheers for the input Paigey, glad to see you're enjoying it! I had thought about switching networks but all my family are on Orange and the signal is pretty good in my area. I suppose it'd just be nice to stay with them for ease of not switching (although I may go to 3 for some comparison prices and use it as a bartering tool!)

In terms of an update of my progress... The 5s is definitely still on the cards, GS4 not so much... After some research I discovered it's not really the best out there anymore (thanks for the heads-up wozza) and people seem to be in favour of the LG G2 or the Sony Experia Z1 thingy.

It seems like I'm going to be swayed to Apple although the small screen size is really disappointing. I don't watch films or anything on my phone but I do feel I may have become accustomed to my GS2's screen-size for things like browsing! Perhaps it'll give me more excuse to look at a future tablet purchase!

 

[Kalisnoir]

64-bit is completely pointless as it only has 1GB RAM and doesn't make it any faster,

Although you are partially right, you are mostly wrong; yes, the phone doesn't benefit from the extra memory available to the system, but any application designed as x64 will have a speed increase over its x86 counter-part. Everything already on the phone developed by Apple is quite likely to be x64 and will therefore benefit. Now large developers will likely start developing x64 variants for extra performance gains if it's a big enough project.

 

[Grimezy]

Well I bit the bullet and went for the iPhone 5s 32gb version. I know I know, call me a sheep or whatever, at the end of the day though I've never had one and while I have enough disposable income to justify the cost I'd at least like to see what all the fuss is about. It penultimately came down to the 5s vs Xperia Z1 vs LG G2 - both android phones not really doing anything for me.

Funny story about how Orange staff don't know about technology. Basically I spoke to some dopey sounding essex girl (no offence to anybody, but she was as stereotypical as they get) and told her what I wanted. She told me it would be £200 upfront and £40 a month for the best 5s plan she could give me. She then proceeded to tell me that she could do me a 'fantastic deal' on a 64gb iPhone 5 for only £30 upfront and the same plan for £40 a month. I told her I didn't want the 5 and she then claimed that I would be crazy to buy the 5s over the iphone 5 as they're "exactly the same phone". I asked her to clarify and her response was... "Well I've put you on a 4G plan with both phones which means they'll run at exactly the same speeds, there's really no need for the 5s and you're missing out on an extra 32gb of storage". I then had to explain that I wanted the processor which is claimed to be twice as quick as the 5's and had the potential of 64 bit apps... plus the secondary processor for background apps, plus the improved camera, plus the fact it's a newer phone so is not likely to become outdated by the end of my 2 year plan, plus the fact I don't even have 4G in my area and even if I did that would have no impact on my decision at all!

I must have come across as a proper fanboy over the phone and she's probably right, there's probably not a lot of difference in the phones in real world use... but still, it was quite obvious she was trying to clear old stock rather than find me a fantastic deal... I just can't believe how poor her knowledge was.. I was quite insulted by some call centre blondie calling me crazy just because I wanted the most up to date technology..

 

[Deklore]

it was quite obvious she was trying to clear old stock rather than find me a fantastic deal... I just can't believe how poor her knowledge was.. I was quite insulted by some call centre blondie calling me crazy just because I wanted the most up to date technology..

Haha, reminds me of the PC World employees that would sell a load of crap to unsuspecting people that knew nothing about computers and were thinking they were getting a good deal.
"look you can get this fabulous printer and £300 worth of bloatware for absolutely free as long as you pay £2000 up front and sign up for the 10 year Warranty at £150 a year..."

Anyway congrats on your new phone Grimezy As you know i am not a fan of Apple but im not stupid enough to say its not a good phone. One of the good things i heard is that if theres anything wrong with it, they are quite good at replacing your handset if you go to an Apple store and if youve backed everything up on Cloud then you wouldnt notice any different as its all done instore.

 

[Paigey]

Nice one Grimzey, I hope you enjoy it Just a quick tip, google search how to save battery life, there's a lot of default settings that are turned on that really (in my opinion) are pointless which can help save battery life - one of the biggest battery life saver's I've noticed is having wi-fi / mobile data off when not in use, wi-fi especially uses a fair amount of battery when walking around because it's constantly trying to find a network.

 

[SlimCini]

I had an S2 and it really was dire. Now I've got a Note 2 which is awesome... Not to everyone's cup of tea because of the size but I'm used to it now, it's awesome to browse on and going back to a small phone when I borrow the wife's 5S just seems wrong now and far too small! Is the Note 3 an option you've thought about? Or just too big?

Also, price wise, are you thinking of 4G?

 

[rickne]

The reason I like iphone is that they hold their value, I can still trade in my 2 year old 4s for £152 here, which when compared to the galaxy S4 is really good (here)

When buying a car I care about resale value . With a phone I want the best. The iphone is way behind in terms of tech now and even the Galaxy S3 is above the 5s. Iphone is about practicality now , inovation is long lost as well as overall power. It cant compete with raw power.

 

[bigben]

Iphone is about practicality now , inovation is long lost as well as overall power. It cant compete with raw power.

For me as long as it does texts, internet, angry birds and phone calls it's good enough. I find that the iPhone is the most comfortable phone to hold, it's not too big, and it looks nice.
I don't get how people can use all these huge phones, I've got bigger than average hands and find my 4s screen the perfect size for texting etc.
If they make the htc one mini more powerful I may have one of those as my next phone.

 

[Wozza63]

For me as long as it does texts, internet, angry birds and phone calls it's good enough. I find that the iPhone is the most comfortable phone to hold, it's not too big, and it looks nice.
I don't get how people can use all these huge phones, I've got bigger than average hands and find my 4s screen the perfect size for texting etc.
If they make the htc one mini more powerful I may have one of those as my next phone.

Have you tried using a bigger phone for a short while, I have fairly small hands and I find my Lumia 920 screen too small, there is just so much more space on a bigger screen, although sadly the new 6" Lumia is too big..

 

[bigben]

Have you tried using a bigger phone for a short while(

No, the 4s was my first smart phone.

 

[Grimezy]

When buying a car I care about resale value . With a phone I want the best. The iphone is way behind in terms of tech now and even the Galaxy S3 is above the 5s. Iphone is about practicality now , inovation is long lost as well as overall power. It cant compete with raw power.

I shared these views but then I did a bit of reading on the iPhone 5s and it seemed to trump the GS4 on all the benchmarks and it just seemed to offer a better all-round package. Plus, until you've tried both I think people will always see you as a 'fanboy' rather than somebody with general reasoning. If I have a bad experience then I'll go back to android, if I enjoy it I'll stick with apple, I don't know how people can say "that phones terrible because it's apple and it doesn't have a quad core processor" when in reality it's difficult to even tell the difference. This 5s is the first one I've ever considered and I am honestly impressed with it so far.

I don't get how people can use all these huge phones, I've got bigger than average hands and find my 4s screen the perfect size for texting etc.

I actually find my S2 much easier to get around than my 5s at the moment. I miss not having a touch 'back' button at the bottom of my phone and always having to reach to the top of the screen to go back. I miss not having a touch 'settings' button next to the home button rather than always having to reach to the top.

It's a very nice phone and I'm sure I'll get used to it but I don't find it any easier to use even though it's smaller. If anything, it actually makes some simple tasks a bit of a pain in the bum... I'm sure it's just a learning curve though!