Samsung Galaxy S5 vs iPhone 5S

Features

iPhone 5S

Aside from the 64-bit processor, the biggest selling point of the iPhone 5S is probably its Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Just rest your finger on the home button and it will unlock the phone and it can also be used to replace your iTunes password, so tedious password typing is a thing of the past. The M7 motion co-processor is pretty cool too as it allows the phone to double as a fitness tracker, registering all your movements without draining the battery.

Samsung Galaxy S5

The Galaxy S5 takes a leaf out of Apple's book by including a fingerprint scanner of its own. It also has a heart rate monitor and an improved S Health app, making it similarly useful for fitness fanatics, a download booster which combines 4G and Wi-Fi for extra speed and it's IP67 certified dust and water resistant.

Camera

iPhone 5S

An iPhone 5S shot

The iPhone 5S is one of the best camera phones around, thanks to an 8-megapixel snapper along with a 'True Tone' flash, which does a great job of reproducing colours accurately. The iPhone 5S can also shoot video in 1080p and has a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Samsung Galaxy S5

A Galaxy S5 shot

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has far more megapixels - 16 to be precise. It's also very fast, as it can take pictures in just 0.3 seconds, allows you to alter the focus of a shot after taking it and it has a real-time HDR mode, which shows you how HDR will affect a picture before you take it. It can shoot videos at up to 4K and it has a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, so on paper at least it should out-snap the iPhone 5S.

Verdict

Even though the iPhone 6 has come along and impressed, the iPhone 5S is still a really solid offering. If you're a fan of the smaller form factor and like the metal design you'll love the iPhone 5S.

Updating it to the latest iOS 8 software paired with an impressive camera makes for a good set up and adding in features such as TouchID make it a great option for iOS fans.

Android lovers will find the update to the Galaxy S5 exciting and also frustrating - TouchWiz just isn't a great overlay. Even though the design has been proven rather lacklustre, for a cheaper price and an impressive set up under the hood this is a really strong option.

We've only really skirted round the edges here though - for a full look at these phones check out our full reviews of the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.