[evorc]

It's a damn Samsung at the end of the day! Sure it will have more and new features. Many iPhone users, like myself are already too attached in the apple ecosystem. Specially when you own iPads and MacBooks. Apple is beyond specs and features.

[RoboWarrior]

One should note, Apple always had a superior architecture for its processor especially in the GPU department. Realize the next Galaxy is probably going to be using the same GPU on the new iPad in a single core config. rather than a multicore config. Even now, the 4S outperform an extraordinary amount of devices with the new Qualcomm S4 finally being one of the few chipsets to outperform Apple A5.

[Davyo]

I'm an x iphone junkie,,, had all of them including the 5,,,, then jumped ship and went to the Galaxy S3 and now have the Note 2,,,, love the GS3 and really really lovin my Note 2,,,, but I am waiting to see what the new GS4 is all about this Thursday and then I guess wait and see what the 5S or 6 is and has to offer,,,,,, I like both iphone and Samsung, so I'm just looking forward to seeing the next generations of both before I decide what to get next.

Cheers
Davyo

[col_bris]

It is what is inside the box that counts Apple has always delivered quality products

[cardfan]

Let's be honest, Siri drove the 4S sales. Personally, I thought the hardware changes were great and well worth it. But I'm not everyone else. Apple will need another "Siri" for the 5S especially when the iphone 5 is already blazing fast with LTE, still sports one of the best cameras in a phone, and will be hard to improve much on in those aspects. So far I've heard fingerprint sensor and NFC. Not every exciting.

Of course, that's where iOS 7 comes in and the big hope that Apple has some sweeping changes along with ecosystem features.

For Samsung, it's the same android. Like with the S3, any new half baked features will be powered by bloatware from Samsung. The only thing the masses care about is the bigger screen as Samsung's marketing machine hums right along.

[wolfedude88]

Let's be honest, Siri drove the 4S sales. Personally, I thought the hardware changes were great and well worth it. But I'm not everyone else. Apple will need another "Siri" for the 5S especially when the iphone 5 is already blazing fast with LTE, still sports one of the best cameras in a phone, and will be hard to improve much on in those aspects. So far I've heard fingerprint sensor and NFC. Not every exciting.

Of course, that's where iOS 7 comes in and the big hope that Apple has some sweeping changes along with ecosystem features.

For Samsung, it's the same android. Like with the S3, any new half baked features will be powered by bloatware from Samsung. The only thing the masses care about is the bigger screen as Samsung's marketing machine hums right along.

Wait so same old android but with a bigger screen? The almost describes what the iPhone 5 is, still makes it great.

Half baked features, that is what Siri was when first released. In androids defense it has changed a lot where iOS hasn't changed much recently.

So I'm not sure why your bagging on android for the same things.

Anyways i think I'll pass on the gs4 personally. I think it will be a nice device but I would rather have the htc one.

[taz323]

No, have the 4a, great phone, if anything, I will prob upgrade to 5s.

[crackcookie]

Wait so same old android but with a bigger screen? The almost describes what the iPhone 5 is, still makes it great.

Half baked features, that is what Siri was when first released. In androids defense it has changed a lot where iOS hasn't changed much recently.

So I'm not sure why your bagging on android for the same things.

Anyways i think I'll pass on the gs4 personally. I think it will be a nice device but I would rather have the htc one.

Exactly. They both fight the same way, it isn't anything mind blowing. This isn't like you are breaking a vow or anything, experience all the phones you can and if you come back it shows it was meant to be!

[cardfan]

Wait so same old android but with a bigger screen? The almost describes what the iPhone 5 is, still makes it great.

Half baked features, that is what Siri was when first released. In androids defense it has changed a lot where iOS hasn't changed much recently.

So I'm not sure why your bagging on android for the same things.

Anyways i think I'll pass on the gs4 personally. I think it will be a nice device but I would rather have the htc one.

I'm talking specifically Samsung features/software. Not android. One is bloatware. The other is an OS made by google. I'm not "bagging" on android.

The iphone 5 came with a new version of iOS. You can argue about Maps and whatnot, but it was an update from iOS 5.

The S4 will boast a version of android that debuted in Oct 2012 (along with nexus 4 and 10). Any Key Lime Pie update won't be seen til end of year or later depending on when Samsung gets around to updating its bloatware UI and ruining what's good about android. Any "new" halfbaked features of the S4 will be hardware and Samsung bloatware related. Not android.

Siri may be useless for some, but it did in fact drive 4S sales. Apple hammered it in every commercial practically. It's part of iOS. Unlike S Voice or whatever Samsung calls their bloatware version of Siri.

[JustMe'D]

This is good reading with excellent replies from both sides. Keep up the great work and thank you all for keeping it civil...

[Jeremy]

While he is.....baseless at best he has a point. What he is trying to say is that the law of diminishing returns will hold true for Apple...which is why you see less and less ideas implemented not to mention, they often times bemoan something, only to take it up later. I wouldn't be surprised if they diss the Blackberry Z10 for being DOA saying LED's are dead on arrival....only to make an LED notification light up around the home button or something.

Anyway yea, diminishing returns, it just means the more upgrades the less you notice. The graphical jump from SNES to N64....huge, the jump from Wii to Wii U...not huge...visually. Even though it was still an impressive jump from a tech standpoint, from our eyes, it is hard to see.

Making a phone more powerful, with a smoother OS, and longer battery life, with a sharp screen, AND thinner....that is an engineering marvel. But, we as humans are bad at judging 2.4 millimeters or a few ounces...so these upgrades seem minor.


Anyway, back to the point...this topic is kinda silly. Will a phone of the near future make me not want a phone of the later future.....how can anyone honestly even answer that?

But all hypothetical questions aside we already know the deal. Samsung is about specs...which don't mean much to most people. If I gave my mother a European sports car...she would still go to church, go to work, and get groceries and back out of the driveway slowly.

The phone/car doesn't change who you are or what you do...unless it limits you. And no phone out from any competitor really limits you, besides a limitation of what apps you can download...but other than that; S5, Z10, Windows 8, i5S....they will all do what they were meant to do, just because another phone came out, doesn't mean they will suck or stop working.

Honestly I don't think he had much of anything going for him besides trolling. And like I've said in other conversations in these forums regarding Android vs iOS, software is more important than hardware specs. Of course a new phone on the market will have better specs than a device 8-12 months old. That's common sense but make no mistake, Android is no where near as polished as iOS at this point. You can take Android's latest and greatest device and still get it to lag and it's not due to that hardware. It's the software and this is not the case with iOS devices. So Samsung can throw out all of these impressive hardware specs but at the end of the day it doesn't mean much to someone like me who knows better. And yes I have Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 along with my iPhone 5 and iPad mini so before anyone tries saying I'm biased, I'm not.

[wdiggums]

A retina plus 4.8" iphone could make the HTC One or S4 look silly. the htc droid dna on verizon has a 1080i 441 pixel per inch display.... retina is 226 pixels per inch? you can bet the htc one which is an upgrade droid dna will have at least the same display. apple is no longer the king in that department, but a wide margin. i have an ipod touch 5 ( blue ) and the dna , touch 5 has retina and well dna has 1080i in a five inch display, there is no contest.I am not downing apple but it is time to stop playing catch up and start leading again.

[wdiggums]

Honestly I don't think he had much of anything going for him besides trolling. And like I've said in other conversations in these forums regarding Android vs iOS, software is more important than hardware specs. Of course a new phone on the market will have better specs than a device 8-12 months old. That's common sense but make no mistake, Android is no where near as polished as iOS at this point. You can take Android's latest and greatest device and still get it to lag and it's not due to that hardware. It's the software and this is not the case with iOS devices. So Samsung can throw out all of these impressive hardware specs but at the end of the day it doesn't mean much to someone like me who knows better. And yes I have Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 along with my iPhone 5 and iPad mini so before anyone tries saying I'm biased, I'm not.

You are a tech fan , like myself. apple's apps are much easier to use like banking etc etc etc on the ipad and just work and well. android , a person can get deeper into the os retool refashion rework. its all a matter of preference, as for me i prefer being able to get into the nuts and bolts of my phones add files where i want them when i want them.

[jvernwald]

I find myself becoming bored with my phone within a few months so, I'm constantly bartering and swapping to find my next device. I must say that I have never really been impressed with Samsung phones. I've owned the S2, Note and S3 just to name a few of the many. My largest complaint with all of these devices (and possibly just Android in general) is battery life... I've not owned the iPhone 5 but would like to. I read the posts on here about battery life and wonder if I'll actually see a difference.

When it comes to gizmos and gadgets.. I would have to say that Samsung is really trying to stay ahead of Apple... maybe with limited success. Apple and iPhone are known for their quality of build... Sadly, the same can't be said about the plastic, cheap feel of Samsung phones.

Who knows, maybe I'll hold the S4 in my hand and decide it's the perfect device for me! Or...maybe not.

[abaggy]

Definitely not. Being a former Android "Fanboy" I was initially thrilled with the prospects of being able to customize my phone into oblivion. This thrill soon gave way to the fact that I was spending more time tweaking my phone than actually being productive with it. I've since moved over to my 4S and have not looked back. Like many have said in this forum, what I like is the tight integration between my various platforms (iMac, iPad and iPhone). Without question, the quality of the iPhone is head and shoulders above any of the Samsung products in fit and finish.

[NolansVlogs]

Definitely not. Being a former Android "Fanboy" I was initially thrilled with the prospects of being able to customize my phone into oblivion. This thrill soon gave way to the fact that I was spending more time tweaking my phone than actually being productive with it. I've since moved over to my 4S and have not looked back. Like many have said in this forum, what I like is the tight integration between my various platforms (iMac, iPad and iPhone). Without question, the quality of the iPhone is head and shoulders above any of the Samsung products in fit and finish.

NO


NolansVlogs

[sprocket2107]

For me it comes down to what the iPhone 5S will bring. If its only a minor upgrade from the current 5 I "may consider" the S4 or HTC One(probably not though, I just like having other options). I love iOS and my iPhone. I currently have a 4S and the 5 was not enough of an upgrade for me to spend my money on it. I'm hoping Apple really does something with OS 7 and the hardware to keep me around. I'm not bored with my iPhone by any means, I just want to see Apple step up a little and come out with some newer features that other phones don't have, or even some similar features. I'd love to have NFC and LTE. We will see in the next coming months.

[BrentRoss]

I love Apple products, I have a Macbook and I cherish it! I've never had an Iphone but back in November I was due to upgrade and really was looking forward to getting the 5, then I thought maybe I should wait till after Christmas and see what happens, I wasn't absolutely totally sold on the Iphone at the time because of the OS, It's old and not really "mindblowing" I wanted a new phone that had a new user experience. What sold me on it though was the camera, and the design of the phone! A really great hardware phone, although I disagree with the increase in screen height without width increased. That was a terrible mistake on Apple's side (I find that alot on my sisters I5). So to jump on Galaxies side, I looked into it to, great specs, great screen, great display, though with only 306 ppi.. wasn't sold on that, the hardware again, fantastic, just like the Iphone's, but my trouble started with the user experience of the device, once again.. an old OS, buggy, laggy, I dont like the OS in general, prefer IOS much more but that's my opinion.. so long story short I fell in love with the Z10 from BlackBerry and haven't looked back.
Would I buy an I5S, sure, would I buy a SGS4, sure, as long as they bring a long better user experiences, I don't care about apps, I want something that doesnt get boring!

[piranhadonna]

I don't think I could ever go back to an android phone. I tried with a Galaxy SII but only lasted a week before becoming annoyed and missing my 4s. I now have the iPhone 5 and love it. I have played with my mothers SIII but it really is to big for me and the volume buttons are way to easily pushed. I will get an iPhone 5s or whatever comes next, but never android for me again no matter how awesome it might look and what features it might it might have.

[bgl321]

No. The S3 was/is a great phone and I'm sure the S4 will be as well. I've tried a lot of Android phones and always come back to the iPhone. Fortunately, I've realized that the iPhone works best for me. I am very happy with my 5.

[Raptor007]

I do see what he was trying to say, but I think they way it was said was lost by the delivery. Even iMore's very own Rene Ritchie saying (The "iPhone 5S" problem | iMore.com) that Apple needs to bring more, much more to the next iPhone. The issue isn't one of Samsung being better or HTC knocking it out of the park but that Apple has become complacent with an annual release of their iPhone with an every other year minor upgrade cycle. The competition whether you want to admit it or not has in fact caught up and is now starting to pass Apple. Drop the high and mighty plastic vs aluminum argument because I am just as comfortable with a GS3 and I am with my new iPhone 5 I got on Saturday, yet I miss the screen size of Android, but love the benefits of iOS, see my issue here.

The GS4 will bring new technology, new benefits and will push Apple even harder. The iP5S or iP6 (which ever it is this year) will sell tens upon tens of millions out of the gate, so what. Its not entirely about the numbers sold as Apple buyers will buy Apple no matter what. Its the fact that there are Apple buyers who are seeing the innovations OTHER companies are offering and it is drawing them away. Apple has been known for innovation and for Apple to continue it highly successful path they cannot afford to the every other year upgrade cycle. That is something that is accepted in the automotive world since it costs hundreds of millions if not more to design, launch and release a new car, retooling ain't cheap.

I am not saying Apple has to change the design every year, but they need to WOW the world every year and Siri was not a wow for me and neither was maps or passbook (which still has what 20+ apps that work with it, wow that is impressive). Apple turned the SMARTphone world on its head in 2007 and 6 years later we are still waiting for that to happen again. They can do it, they need to do it, and they should put a real battery into the iPhone while they are at it.

Apple can get away with the the same physical design 2 years in a row like a car company, but even BMW makes changes year over year that generates a buzz.

[Jeremy]

I do see what he was trying to say, but I think they way it was said was lost by the delivery. Even iMore's very own Rene Ritchie saying (The "iPhone 5S" problem | iMore.com) that Apple needs to bring more, much more to the next iPhone. The issue isn't one of Samsung being better or HTC knocking it out of the park but that Apple has become complacent with an annual release of their iPhone with an every other year minor upgrade cycle. The competition whether you want to admit it or not has in fact caught up and is now starting to pass Apple. Drop the high and mighty plastic vs aluminum argument because I am just as comfortable with a GS3 and I am with my new iPhone 5 I got on Saturday, yet I miss the screen size of Android, but love the benefits of iOS, see my issue here.

The GS4 will bring new technology, new benefits and will push Apple even harder. The iP5S or iP6 (which ever it is this year) will sell tens upon tens of millions out of the gate, so what. Its not entirely about the numbers sold as Apple buyers will buy Apple no matter what. Its the fact that there are Apple buyers who are seeing the innovations OTHER companies are offering and it is drawing them away. Apple has been known for innovation and for Apple to continue it highly successful path they cannot afford to the every other year upgrade cycle. That is something that is accepted in the automotive world since it costs hundreds of millions if not more to design, launch and release a new car, retooling ain't cheap.

I am not saying Apple has to change the design every year, but they need to WOW the world every year and Siri was not a wow for me and neither was maps or passbook (which still has what 20+ apps that work with it, wow that is impressive). Apple turned the SMARTphone world on its head in 2007 and 6 years later we are still waiting for that to happen again. They can do it, they need to do it, and they should put a real battery into the iPhone while they are at it.

Apple can get away with the the same physical design 2 years in a row like a car company, but even BMW makes changes year over year that generates a buzz.

I don't think Apple simply has a 5S planned though... think there will be more to follow.

[Raptor007]

Jeremy I certainly hope Apple does, I would like to actually have a reason to upgrade a phone that may be only 5-6 months old which I know will hold its value well enough. Only time will tell.

[offdahglass]

Thank you all for the replies. Tonight we will see what's in store. I do expect Samsung will take advantage of Apple coming up with the iPhone 5S with a spec upgrade. Time will tell.

[RoboWarrior]

If I understand, the processors that Samsung uses are usually outperformed by Apple devices by about 20% looking at the previous trends. GPU, from the iPhone, will kill any competition using the current trends. So specs are kind of worthless, least you add in other gizmos.