Apple iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S III
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S III, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Price | ₹3,299 | ₹8,989 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 1,432 mAh | 2,100 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 2 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 3.5 in | 4.8 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 8 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 140 g | 133 g |
| Released | Oct 2011 | May 2012 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S III is ahead on battery, screen size, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S III is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 4S is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD, Retina display | HD Super AMOLED |
| Size | 3.5 inches | 4.8 inches, 63.5 cm2 (~65.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 640 x 960 pixels, 326 ppi | 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~306 ppi density) |
| Protection | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back | Corning Gorilla Glass 2 |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| OS | iOS 5, upgradable to iOS 9.3.6 | Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), upgradable to 4.3 (Jelly Bean) or 4.4.2 (KitKat) on some variants |
| Chipset | Apple A5 | Exynos 4412 Quad (International) / Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus (USA) |
| CPU | Dual-core 800 MHz Cortex-A9 | Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 (Exynos) / Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait (Snapdragon S4 Plus) |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX543MP2 | Mali-400MP4 (Exynos) / Adreno 225 (Snapdragon S4 Plus) |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| RAM | 512MB DDR2 | — |
| Internal Storage | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | — |
| Card Slot | No | — |
| Card slot | — | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | — | 16GB 1GB RAM, 32GB 1GB RAM, 64GB 1GB RAM (some variants had 2GB RAM) |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.4, 35mm (standard), AF | 8 MP, f/2.6, AF |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR, face detection, image stabilization, backside illumination sensor | LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR, Burst shot, Zero shutter lag |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Single | 0.3 MP (VGA) | 1.9 MP, f/2.6 |
| Features | FaceTime over Wi-Fi or cellular | Video call |
| Video | VGA@30fps | 720p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 1432 mAh, non-removable | Removable Li-Ion 2100 mAh |
| Stand-by | Up to 200 h (3G) | — |
| Talk time | Up to 8 h (3G) | Up to 11 h 40 min (3G) / Up to 21 h 40 min (2G) |
| Music play | Up to 40 h | — |
| Video playback | Up to 10 h | — |
| Internet browsing | Up to 6 h (3G), Up to 9 h (Wi-Fi) | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm (4.54 x 2.31 x 0.37 in) | 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm (5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 140 g (4.9 oz) | 133 g (4.69 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back, stainless steel frame | Plastic body |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP | 4.0, A2DP, EDR, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | — |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Radio | No | Stereo FM radio with RDS (International model only) |
| USB | 2.0 (proprietary 30-pin connector) | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out), USB On-The-Go |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III |
|---|
| Announced | October 4, 2011 | 2012, May 03 |
| Status | Released October 14, 2011 | Released 2012, May 29 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy S III?
Samsung Galaxy S III — 1,432 mAh for the Apple iPhone 4S versus 2,100 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy S III?
Samsung Galaxy S III — 140 g for the Apple iPhone 4S versus 133 g for the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy S III?
Samsung Galaxy S III — Oct 2011 for the Apple iPhone 4S versus May 2012 for the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Is the Apple iPhone 4S or the Samsung Galaxy S III rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 4S 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S III 8/10.
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