There has never been a greater time to buy a smartphone I’d wager. From Nokia to Samsung to Apple and even (surprisingly) LG– there is lot to love. When it comes to iconic smartphone leaders though, we still often hear the names Samsung and Apple come up.

This begs the question, which flagship device reigns supreme at the moment: The Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Apple iPhone 5? Honestly, they both have their positives and negatives. This article is less about declaring a winner and more about just pointing out the overall hardware differences.

Let’s jump in and take a look:

Hardware

When it comes to processing power, there are two different versions of the Galaxy S3. The international has a quad-core, the US version has a dual-core. As for the iPhone? It is a dual-core device in all markets.

So how much difference does all that make? Less then you would think. With the US version of the S3, you get more RAM to make up for less cores. When comparing either version of the S3 to the iPhone 5, there isn’t a huge noticeable difference. Both swipe in and out of apps with relative ease. Both handle just about everything you throw at it.

As for battery life? Both perform about the same, though the iPhone 5 is said to last slightly longer.

As for other aspects like weight, the S3 is slightly heavier at 133g versus 116g for the iPhone 5, but you probably won’t feel the difference all that much. That said, the S3 has a much larger 4.8-inch screen.

Overall, the iPhone 5 does benchmark higher than the S3. That said, benchmarks don’t mean that much when it comes to everyday performance. Removing factors like OS preference, weight and size preference: these two phones both are rock solid. You won’t have to worry about the phone not handling apps or glitching. You won’t find either to be slow.

Design

This probably plays a lot into preference as well. The iPhone 5 has a glass and aluminum design that is admittedly quite attractive. Still, the Galaxy S3′s plastic body still manages a very premium look. The 4.8-inch screen on the front also adds to the appeal in design.

Android versus iOS

In many ways it is hard to directly compare the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 because their ecosystems differ so much. They have different looks, different levels of customization, etc.

To put it simply, figure out what OS matches your tastes.

Reasons for iOS: Most users that go with iOS laud it with praise for being simple, easy to use and highly secure. Apple fans say it just works, without all the extra effort. Apple’s AppStore is also known for having more apps, particularly paid apps.

Reasons for Android: Android users like that the OS is customizable on just about every level and that it has more free apps. Additionally you aren’t locked down to just one app store.

Pricing

While this varies based on carriers and where you are in the world, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is generally a little bit cheaper than the iPhone 5. Without any special deals going on, Verizon currently prices both handsets for $199 with two year contract. That said, the S3 often goes for less during special promotions.

When it comes to buying without contract, unlocked? You can find the S3 for cheaper as well.

Conclusion

When it comes to “versus” articles, there is probably nothing more dissatisfying for a reader than to hear a draw. I know that fans of one phone or the other won’t probably like to hear this– but it is really hard to say one is better than the other.

If you like the openess of Android, the S3 wins.

If you want the neat tidy Apple experience and don’t mind being a bit locked down, you get an iPhone 5.

There are other considerations to factor in as well– such as opinion regarding the company. Some people don’t like Apple, they feel that the company is unfair and overpiced. Some also feel the same about Samsung, and feels that it copies companies like Apple and profits off of it.

Instead of us declaring a winner, we want to leave this to our readers. We invite you to comment below with which phone you think is better, and why.

Please try and be respectful of others opinions. Honestly, both phones are great in their own ways.

The post Samsung Galaxy S3 versus Apple iPhone 5 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

With 2012  nearly over, we love taking a look back at some of the most innovative mobile technologies making their way into the “mainstream” this year.

Keep in mind that most of these innovations actually started years ago, but they make this year’s list simply because they went mainstream or showed up for the first time in a high-demand flagship device.

I am not going to number this as a “countdown of the best”, because each of these technologies bring new things to the mobile world and how important they are is really a matter of opinion.

This is by no means a definitive list; we are also  focusing on technologies in phones and tablets, not the devices themselves, though several hot items like the iPad, Nokia Lumia 920 and LG Nexus 4 certainly have technology present that makes this list.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Did we miss something monumental? Do you disagree with our top innovation choices? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Top Mobile Technology Innovations of 2012 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It has been a few months since the release of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, but still no tetherless jailbreak in sight. So when will we see a jailbreak solution that doesn’t require tethering to work? It’s hard to say for sure.

When it comes to jailbreaking, there are several big names out there for such hacks. One of these names is p0d2g.

Unfortunately, p0d2g has confirmed through Twitter that he isn’t focusing on such a solution at the time, but that doesn’t mean other famous jailbreakers aren’t still trying there hand at it.

According to p0sixninja, he is currently looking for ways to dump the bootROM. Other hackers are focusing on looking into kernel exploits. This means that not all efforts have been abandoned, we just don’t have an easy solution at hand yet.

From the sounds of it, iOS 6 has been much harder to crack than any previous version of iOS. Where there is a will, there is a way, though. In time, someone will find a way around this, so don’t give up yet. In the meantime, enjoy the many great features for your iOS 6 device that don’t require jailbreaking.

If you absolutely need a jailbreak solution in your life, you might be better off sticking with an iOS 5 device.

[ source 1 | source 2]

The post The Stagnant State of the iPhone 5 Jailbreak appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Say hello to the iPhone SJ. As we anxiously await any kind of formal announcement from Apple about a true iPhone 5 successor to the current iPhone 4S, we turn to the various design studios on the web for insights and inspirations. Here is one such example.

The iPhone SJ is the vision of Antonio De Rosa from ADR Studio in Italy. Of course, this is not at all sanctioned or endorsed by the team in Cupertino, but it could give us a glimpse into what the next iPhone will bring. For starters, this is decidedly thinner than the iPhone 4S, seemingly putting this iDevice in the same slimness league as the new Motorola RAZR Android phone, for example.

The overall design, though, appears to be roughly similar to the iPhone 4S, only squished down. The physical home button, from what I can tell, is still there. The display has gone virtually edge-to-edge, though, and it’s a “totally glass capacitive screen on a polycarbonate lightweight body.” The copy accompanying the concept images also tell us there is a “new core” and a “new camera,” but doesn’t go into any further detail. I imagine the real iPhone 5 will have an Apple A6 (or similar) chip, whatever that means.

What do you think? Is this what the next generation iPhone will look like? What would you change?

The post iPhone 5 Concept Gets Thinner, Boasts Edge-to-Edge Screen appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We’ve heard more than our fair share of rumors about the upcoming iPhone 5 (and iPhone 4S), but now we’re finally starting to get something concrete straight out of Cupertino. Apple has formally announced an iPhone media event on October 4 at 10am. Presumably, it is at this event that we will be seeing the next generation iPhone officially for the first time.

The media invitation specifically says, “Let’s talk iPhone,” so at least that’s a certain level of confirmation for us. The assumption is that iOS 5 and iCloud will be discussed at the same event, finally putting months of rumors, leaks, and hearsay to rest. That does not mean that the iPhone 5 will be made available for purchase right afterward, though. For that, we’re going back to the rumor mill.

It sounds like October 14th is the preferred date for the iPhone 5 launch in the United States, UK, France, Germany and Japan. This is in line with earlier statements from the Orange France CEO about October 15th being the launch date. The 14th is a Friday, which is the same day of the week we saw the first iPhone, the iPhone 3G, and the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 4 broke that mold with a Tuesday launch, but the iPhone 5 is once again breaking the mold with an October launch… so who knows?

I hope that the Canadian launch date for the iPhone 5 is the same as those other countries, but the Great White North has been given the short end of the iStick before.

The post Apple iPhone 5 launch date set for October 14? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Looks like the latest rumors surrounding the Apple iPhone 5 are starting to substantiate rumors we already heard earlier on. If you’ve been hoping to get your hands on the newest iHotness in time for school this September, you will be sorely disappointed. Instead, it looks like the launch date has been pushed back to October.

According to the latest reports, you won’t have to wait until the end of October though. Instead, the current rumor points toward an October 7th release, at least in the United States market. Pre-orders will apparently start on September 30. Why the repeated delays? Well, it looks like at least two factors are playing into that.

First, Apple is apparently dabbling in 4G LTE for the iPhone 5. That’s going to take some carrier testing, but we’re also hearing that some LTE radios are being installed in certain Apple Stores. Secondly, we’re hearing that the iPhone 5 will be a true world phone, except it could go with a SIM-less design. Everything would then be software-based, allowing users to switch to different carriers without having to swap out a physical SIM. The iPhone itself would have multiple radios in tow: CDMA, GSM, LTE, and so on. It could have three or four internal antennas. It’s also been rumored that the iPhone 5 will feature a SIM card slot for other countries except the U.S, so users could insert any SIM card in the iPhone when traveling abroad.

These are just rumors, but the push for a SIM-less design really would help to reinvent the iPhone all over again, especially if they make it remarkably easy to switch between carriers. This would also imply that all the iPhone 5s would need to be factory unlocked, regardless of carrier subsidy.

The post Rumor: iPhone 5 bumped to October, going SIM-less appeared first on Mobile Magazine.