The latest iPhone may be flying off the shelves since its launch 5 days ago but a lot can happen in a few days. Today saw the unveiling of not one but two big hitters to enter the Android smartphone arena: Galaxy Nexus and Motorola RAZR.
Phew! Just when you thought the decision was a simple fight between the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S II…
Will it come down to Android vs iOS or will each of the manufacturers be able to offer something unique on their device?
There’s only one way to find out – let battle commence!
Design
Screen wise, the Galaxy Nexus steals the show with its whopping 4.65 inch 720p resolution display. The Motorola RAZR puts up a good fight with its 4.3 inch Super AMOLED screen and Apple serves up an iPhone 4 replica for the iPhone 4S’s display (not that we’re complaining thanks to the Retina technology, but it is the smallest at 3.5 inches).
Looking at the complete design for these handsets, all three are contemporary and sleek in appearance. The RAZR wins the thinnest-smartphone round with an incredible 7.1mm thick frame, although it does lose a few points for its sticking-out camera which adds some bulk on the back.
The Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4S are similar in the thinness stakes, with the Nexus featuring an 8.9mm frame and the iPhone 9.3mm.
However, there’s more to good looks than simple screen size and slimness. Some people prefer a weightier phone, one they can tell is in their pocket without at the same time dragging them downward. This trio are all good for this, with the RAZR being the lightest at 127g, Galaxy Nexus second with 135g and the iPhone 4 a little heavier at 140g.
Where the iPhone challenges the two newcomers is with colour – only it’s available in black and white, whereas the others are offered in black.
Power and OS
This is where the battle heats up as both the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola RAZR are powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor whereas the iPhone 4S has a 1GHz dual-core chip.
Nevertheless, the iPhone 4S is able to keep up with its rivals when it comes to speed.
OS wise, iOS 5 is pitched against Android Gingerbread and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. This round is really between Apple and Samsung/Google because the Motorola RAZR launches with an earlier version of Android than the Galaxy Nexus.
With more features than you could shake a stick at, do you rate iOS 5 or Android 4.0 more highly?
Images
The iPhone 4S and Motorola RAZR both come with an 8-megapixel camera inbuilt for snapping high quality images on the move. This is not to say the Galaxy Nexus doesn’t offer premium photography too but simply it is lacking in the megapixels department – although as you know this isn’t always the deciding factor in quality.
All three smartphones support 1080p video recording and feature a front-facing snapper for making video calls.
Storage and battery
The iPhone 4S is offered in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. Neither the Galaxy Nexus nor Motorola RAZR come in a 64GB version, although the Nexus is offered in 16GB and 32GB versions with up to 32GB of expandable space via microSD cards.
Motorola’s handset lags behind in this round, though, as despite offering up to 32GB extra space too, the RAZR only comes with 16GB internal memory.
When it comes to battery power, the iPhone 4S supports up to 14 hours on 2G compared to the RAZR’s 12.5 hours. It’s not been confirmed how long the Galaxy Nexus can keep going in between charges so we’ll diplomatically call this round a tie.
Verdict
There isn’t much between these three smartphones. All three are slim, fast and powerful devices that offer ample features and functions to keep you in touch and entertained.
However, we view the real fight as between the iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus because of their heady mix of design, coolness and unique features.
The aspects of phones that matter most to you – large screen, operating system, brand, camera, apps, storage etc – will probably dictate which handset you go for. And of course price will likely play a part too.
Both the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola RAZR are coming in November, and the RAZR will need to be competitively priced to make a real dent in the iPhone’s popularity.
Do you agree?
| iPhone 4S | Motorola RAZR | Galaxy Nexus | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Operating System | iOS 5 | Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread) | Android OS, v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| Colours | Black, White | Black | Black |
| Processor: | 1 GHz dual-core A5 | 1.2GHz dual-core A9 | 1.2GHz dual-core A9 |
| Dimensions: | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm | 130.7 x 68.9 x 7.1 mm | 135.5 x 67.9 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight: | 140 g | 127 g | 135 g |
| Display Type: | LED-backlit IPS TFT | Capacitive touchscreen | Super AMOLED |
| Display Size: | 3.5″ | 4.3″ | 4.65″ |
| Camera: | 8 MP | 8 MP | 5 MP |
| Video: | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Data Speed: | HSDPA:14.4 Mbps HSUPA: 5.8 Mbps |
HSDPA: - HSUPA: - |
HSDPA: 21 Mbps HSUPA: 5.76 Mbps |
| RAM: | 512 MB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Internal Storage: | 16/32/64 GB | 16 GB | 16/32 GB |
| External Storage: | up to 32GB | up to 32GB | up to 32GB |
Comments:
