In TV commercials, Samsung makes fun of Apple fans - claiming that Android phones have had better features and capabilities than the iPhone 5 for ages. Back in the labs, Consumer Reports puts all the phones through their paces, assessing each one's features and options.
First - display. Everyone wants a big screen to watch movies, play games, and use apps.
While the iPhone 5's four-inch screen is Apple's biggest yet, it can't compare with the screens on many Android phones.
"Voice-control is another area of competition. Here Android capabilities are quite good, though they're no match for Siri, who can understand and execute more complex commands," Mike Gikas of Consumer Reports said.
Next up, navigation.
"Android has more detailed maps, better traffic info, and more customization. Apple has a few glitches, and until those are worked out, Android carries the day," Gikas said.
With everyone using their phone to take pictures, how do the cameras affect your Apple-or-Android choice?
While both the iPhone and some Android phones have the ability to take panoramic stills, Consumer Reports finds when it comes to photo and video quality, the iPhone 5 outperforms the Android competition.
What if you want to talk on the phone and connect to the Internet over the cellular network at the same time? All 4G phones can do that, but not the iPhone 5 on Verizon or Sprint.
So while the iPhone 5 gets many things right, so do a lot of the top-rated Android phones - making them worth consideration.
Due to significant improvements over the iPhone 4S, the new iPhone 5 is now among Consumer Reports' top-rated phones, up with the Samsung Galaxy S-3 and the Motorola Razr.
For more information, visit Consumer Reports at http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2012/10/apple-iphone-5-test-results.html
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