Is the Apple iPhone 4 really worth two Samsung Galaxy S’es?
One of my biggest objections to buying an iPhone has always been the cost. If I would be willing to afford one, I would probably love it, however there are always a couple of fibers of my body which say: “It is not worth the extra money!”.
For this article, I have chosen to compare the current flagship Android device in Europe, the Samsung Galaxy S with the iPhone 4 and see whether the price difference can be explained by comparing features. As many would agree, the Samsung Galaxy S is Android’s best bet at beating Apple in the current smartphone war. Although very much the same in features, in Europe it costs only half of what the iPhone 4 will run you (both unlocked).
To objectively compare the two phones, I have provided this table in which you can see the differences in features.
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4 | Samsung Galaxy S |
|---|---|---|
| Cost unlocked | 950 euro | 450 euro |
| Operating system (OS) | Apple iOS4 | Google Android 2.1 (upgradeable to 2.2) |
| Display technology | Capacitive retina IPS | Capacitive Super AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 640x960 pixels | 480x800 pixels |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, 720p video recording 30fps | 5 megapixels, no flash, autofocus, geotagging, face and smile detection, 720p video recording 30fps |
| FM radio | No | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Internal memory | 16GB or 32GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| Expandable memory | No | microSD card slot |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9mm |
| Weight | 137g | 118g |
| Application store | Apple App Store | Google Android Market |
| Processor | Apple A4 | ARM Cortex A8 (1GHz) |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 850/ 900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 900/1900/2100 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 3.0 with A2DP |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 7 hours | Up to 6.5 hours |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 300 hours | Up to 576 hours |
| Adobe Flash support | No | No (Yes after 2.2 update) |
Judging by the fact that you could buy two Galaxy S’es for one iPhone 4, I would expect double the features in the iPhone 4. In reality however, you only get a flash on the camera, more (stock) internal storage space, a higher resolution display and a (currently) better application managing infrastructure.
Some might even say that the lack of a SD card slot, less standby time and the lack of Adobe Flash support in the browser are quite the losses when choosing an iPhone 4.
Of course there also are some excellent aspects to the iPhone 4 like the use of high grade and expensive feeling materials like stainless steel and glass. Also the overall experience on the iPhone is just a little bit smoother and slicker than on current Android devices. This experience is strengthened by the use of beautiful animations and user friendly consistency throughout the whole interface
So in the end, all of this comes down to emotion. As a designer I know how much emotions can play a part in choosing products, and Apple products are just that little bit better in making an excellent first impression than the current Android phones. So if you have had experience with Apple products, you probably won’t even hesitate to spend a ridiculous amount of money on your iPhone 4. But if you are not yet brainwashed by Steve Jobs, there is no reasonable way to explain the enormous cost difference between the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S.
I urge Google and the phone manufacturers that support Android to spend just a little bit more time on the details of their software and devices, to trigger just the right emotions when people see them in the store for the first time. Think like Apple to beat Apple. After that realization has hit Camp Android, the iPhone will have some awesome challengers to overcome.
