Apple iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 5S and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Price | $41 | $54 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 1,560 mAh | 2,600 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 2 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 5 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 13 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 112 g | 130 g |
| Released | Sep 2013 | Feb 2014 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 5S is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition is ahead on battery, screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 5S is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.0 inches | 5.0 inches |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels | 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Features | 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) | — |
| Pixel Density | — | ~441 ppi |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| OS | iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 12.5.8 | Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (upgradable to 4.4.2 KitKat, planned upgrade to 5.0 Lollipop) |
| Chipset | Apple A7 (28 nm) | Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) | Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 |
| GPU | PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics) | Adreno 320 |
| Coprocessor | M7 motion coprocessor | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 64GB |
| Internal | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB/32GB/64GB, 2GB RAM |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR3 | — |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.5µm, AF | 13 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard), 1/3.1", 1.12µm, AF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash (True Tone flash), HDR | LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps | 1080p@30fps, dual-video recording |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) | 2 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide) |
| Features | Face detection, HDR | — |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, dual video call |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Po 1560 mAh (5.92 Wh) | Removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery |
| Talk time | — | Up to 17 h (3G) |
| Music play | — | Up to 62 h |
Body
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 112 g (3.95 oz) | 130 g |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back (faux leather), plastic frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Micro-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP | 4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out), OTG |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS |
| Infrared port | — | Yes |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 5S | Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition |
|---|
| Announced | 2013, September 10 | January 2014 (Black Edition) |
| Status | Released 2013, September 20 | Available February 2014 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 5S or Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition?
Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition — 1,560 mAh for the Apple iPhone 5S versus 2,600 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 5S or Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition?
Apple iPhone 5S — 112 g for the Apple iPhone 5S versus 130 g for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 5S or Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition?
Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition — Sep 2013 for the Apple iPhone 5S versus Feb 2014 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition.
Is the Apple iPhone 5S or the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 5S 6/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition 6/10.
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