Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5, HTC One, and BlackBerry Z10

Samsung GS4 and HTC One
The Samsung Galaxy S4 (left) and the HTC One.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
It's been nearly nine months since the highly successful Samsung Galaxy S3 was first released in the U.S., and today, the Korean phone company officially announced its successor, the Galaxy S4, at a New York press conference.

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Packed with a 5-inch screen, a 13-megapixel camera, and either a quad- or octo-core processor (depending on where you are), the GS4 is dressed to the nines with hardware goods.
So how does it stack up against its current competition? Based purely on a spec-by-spec showdown, we line up the handset with three other popular flagships, each of them on different OS platforms: Apple's iPhone 5, the HTC One, and the BlackBerry Z10.
Judge for yourselves (as we're sure you will) whether Samsung's newest device has what it takes to bring down its rivals. And if you're curious about how it stacks up against its GS3 predecessor, check out our other chart.

Spec                            Samsung Galaxy S4           Apple iPhone 5                     HTC One                     BlackBerry Z10





Operating system* Android 4.2.2 iOS 6 Android 4.1 BB10
Dimensions 5.38 x 2.71 x 0.31 inch; 4.6 ounces 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inch; 3.95 ounces 5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inch; 5.04 ounces 5.12 x 2.58 x 0.35 inch; 4.78 ounces
Display 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED; 1,920x1,080 pixels, 441ppi 4-inch IPS LCD; 1,136x640 pixels, 326ppi 4.7-inch LCD; 1,920x1,080 pixels, 468ppi 4.2-inch LCD; 1,280x768 pixels, 355ppi
4G LTE Yes Yes Yes Yes
NFC Yes No Yes Yes
Rear camera and recording 13-megapixel, 1080p HD video 8-megapixel, 1080p HD video 4-megapixel (Ultrapixel), 1080p HD video 8-megapixel, 1080p HD video
Front-facing camera 2-megapixel 1.2-megapixel 2.1-megapixel 2-megapixel
Processor 1.9GHz, quad-core Snapdragon 600; or proprietary 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 5 Octa Proprietary A6 1.7GHz, quad-core Snapdragon 600 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus
Capacity 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 32GB, 64GB 16GB
Expandable memory Up to 64GB No No Up to 64GB
Battery 2,600mAh Not disclosed by Apple 2,300mAh 1,800mAh
Price TBA $199.99, $299.99, $399.99 U.S. pricing TBA $199 on Verizon
Carriers AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, Verizon AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
Available colors Black, white Black, white Silver Black, white (Verizon only)
Credit: Lynn La/CNET
At time of introduction*

Galaxy S3 vs. Galaxy S4

The Galaxy S4 is a terrific phone. And it's a decent upgrade to the Galaxy 3. But Samsung has not revolutionized the smartphone with this new device. In fact, side by side the Galaxy S4 looks very similar to the Galaxy S3. Samsung has used the same sturdy plastic for the S4 that it used in the S3. The home screen button and other buttons are in the same place on the S4 as they are on the S3.
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 (left) and its predecessor, the GS3
(Credit: CNET/Sarah Tew)
That said, there are some hardware differences between the devices. While the devices look the same, the S4 is actually a tad lighter and thinner than the S3. And the guts of the phone are different as well. As my CNET Reviews colleague Jessica Dolcourt said in her first-take review of the product, Samsung seems to have taken every feature to an extreme on the S4.
"The screen is larger (5 inches vs. 4.8 inches), the resolution greater (1,080p vs. 720p), the battery capacity higher (2,600mAh vs. 2100mAH), the processor faster (1.9GHz quad-core or 1.6GHz octa-core vs.1.5GHz, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (U.S. version); proprietary 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos), and the rear-facing camera stuffed with more megapixels (13 megapixels vs. 8 megapixels.) But, once you've gone through the features checklist (which also includes lots of internal and external storage space and RAM), it's the software extras that Samsung continues to lean on to keep its phones one step ahead of the competition."

Apple answers Galaxy S4 launch with new iPhone campaign

(Credit: Apple)
Samsung's just-launched Galaxy S4 is nothing special -- it's simply another member of the wannabe-iPhone crowd. At least that's what Apple would have you believe by way of a new marketing effort for its storied handset.
"There's iPhone. And then there's everything else." reads the headline on a Web page added to Apple's site today -- two days after Samsung trotted out the S4 during a splashy (and, to some, rather puzzling) event at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
The Apple Web page -- reachable by way of a button on the Apple home page and an e-mail sent to customers -- amounts to a scrollable laundry list of the things that supposedly place the iPhone above the competition. And the list may well have been influenced by Samsung's new gadget. Among other things, the rundown:
  • Seems to take a potshot at what some have called the Galaxy line's "plastic-y" feel, saying that with the iPhone, "Every detail and every material -- particularly the sleek aluminum enclosure -- has been meticulously considered and refined."
  • Touts the iPhone's Retina display. Samsung's smartphones have been dinged in the past for oversaturated, candied colors (though at least one observer says the S4 is a different animal in this regard).
  • Takes a swipe at "other smartphones" that, while discussing camera quality "simply tout large amounts of megapixels" (the iPhone's shooter -- "the world's most popular," Apple claims -- is 8 megapixels; the S4's is 13).
  • Trumpets the number of apps available for the iPhone, saying that the iOS operating system is "the platform for over 800,000 apps that let your iPhone do even more." If nothing else, the S4 is jammed full of new software features.
Is the new Web page a sign that Apple is sweating a bit when it comes to how phone buyers will answer the question "Does the S4 make the iPhone 5 look lame?" We'll let you be the judge of that. As for the S4's features, check out CNET Reviews' FAQ and Editors' Take on the device.
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