The smart phone battle increasingly comes down to Apple versus Samsung but with two top-rated phones currently available, now the question is which one is best for you? Anyone can take decision itself after having a glimpse on this comparison.

Android vs. iOS

Samsung uses Google’s Android operating system; Apple uses its own iOS. They look very different, with Apple’s iPhone dominated by the now familiar grid of icons for apps and functions such as the web and calls. Android is infinitely customizable, with widgets that take up as much of the screen as you want sharing space with standard icons. So if you want to see your inbox on a main screen, rather than clicking through to it, you can do that on Android but not on iOS.

Equally, however, if you want a neat and friendly grid of icons on every screen, then the iPhone will do it for you with very little hassle. Both will let you put apps into folders to make things easier to navigate.

Difference in Features

At the heart of the iOS v Android debate is the idea of a highly curated experience, iOS, where everything must match up to Apple’s strict rules, or Google’s approach which is open and different on each handset. Samsung is aware that that can make Android seem unfriendly to new users, so there is an easy screen mode which presents users with standard options, and the default is to a mixture of icons and widgets for, say, news and weather. Its added features such as ‘Direct Call’ which mean you can phone someone automatically by lifting the device to your ear if you are looking at their contact details.

Besides the look and feel, however, Android and iOS differ in what software developers are allowed to build to enhance your phone. Baked in to the S3 is Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube and other standard Google features such as Google Now, which aims to second guess what you want to know and suggest it before you have actually searched the web for it. Think flight delays if you have previously searched for a flight. Apple prefers to let developers add features such as that, and its most recent foray into doing such things for itself with Maps was a disaster.

Hardware

It would be easy to say that the iPhone 5 is made of glass and aluminum, the S3 is largely plastic, and so one feels far more like a premium product than the other. But that would be a harsh, black and white view. The S3’s 4.8” screen defines the device, making it feel large and luxurious; the iPhone’s 4” equivalent is much more rectangular and while both look lovely, they also look different. It is worth pointing out too that the S3 can be upgraded with removable memory cards and for wireless charging, while the iPhone is what it is.

Difference in Weight

The S3 weighs 133g to the iPhone’s 116g; the difference is noticeable but insignificant. The iPhone processor is dual core while the S3’s is quad core, but the difference isn’t noticeable. In terms of battery life, both, in my experience, last a similar period of time but the iPhone is often just ahead. Both, thankfully, now get accessories that combine a sleeve with a built-in extra battery.

Both records in HD, Apple’s Siri voice assistant is less imperfect than Samsung’s S Voice. The S3 also has features such as ‘Smart Stay’, which aim to keep the screen on when the front-facing camera detects you’re looking at it. It works, most of the time. 4G versions of both are available.

All in all, however, the S3 and the iPhone mimic their operating systems: the iPhone is neat, contained and elegant, perfectly formed while the S3 has more options that leave things open to consumers. You could argue that makes the S3 either harder work or more rewarding.

Manufacturers’ specifications:

Apple iPhone 5

It has Nano-SIM, Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
and Screen 640 x 1136 pixels, 4.0 inches (~326 ppi pixel density).
Its SD Card slot: No, Memory: 16/32/64 GB storage, 1 GB RAM, Camera: 8 MP/1080p@30fps;1.2 MP/720p@30fps, CPU: Dual-core 1.2 GHz

Samsung Galaxy S3

It has Micro-SIM, and Dimensions 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm,
with Screen 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.8 inches (~306 ppi pixel density). SD Card slot: micro SD, up to 64 GB, its memory storage is 16/32/64 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
and Camera is of 8 MP/1080p@30fps; 1.9 MP/720p@30fps
CPU: Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9

War of Applications

By general consensus, the iOS app store is slightly larger than the Android Play Store, but it is quality rather than quantity that matters. For now, on that measure, iOS is still winning but Android is catching up. So if you want, for instance to download Jamie Oliver’s latest app, it’s in both stores. If you need to instantly access bus timetables, they are in both too. The really luxurious applications that are popular on the iPad, such as The Orchestra, are missing from Android but that’s less of an issue on phones. More functional things, such as banking apps, are increasingly available equally on both, and Google’s class leading maps software is finally on both platforms too. 

Price

Galaxy S3 Price in Pakistan Start from 52,000 PKR and in  Saudi Arabia from 2,000, iPhone 5 Price in Pakistan from 74,000 and KSA from 3,000 SAR, On current UK contracts, you can easily pick up an S3 free at £26 per month and an iPhone 5 for £36 per month, plus £25 up front. Both deals are via Car phone Warehouse on a two-year contract. Network prices vary, but the differential remains; free phones for both on Vodafone, for instance, make the iPhone £10 per month more expensive. 

Conclusion

The iPhone has become an icon, a totem among its fans. It is not cheap, but those fans say you get what you pay for. Others argue the S3 does more for less money and offers far greater flexibility. Many argue that the iPhone is an easier device for users to start with as a smart phone. But the momentum, for now at least, seems to be with Android and Samsung’s S3 is its best advert.

The Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710 are the two entry-level smart phones in the Windows Phone range and share a lot in common but there are quite restrained but fundamental differences.

Cost effective Windows phones

The Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710 are amongst the most cost-effective and appealing Windows Phone devices on the market.

Lumia vs lumia, Nokia Lumia 610 or Nokia Lumia 710

The entry-level market is one of the toughest to crack, as there are so many players but on sheer build quality and features, both these phones stand head and shoulders above the average budget smart phone.

Construction

On the surface of things, the Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710 have a similar look and feel. They both have back covers, so you can slip the micro SIM in; add the battery and you are away. However, the construction is quite different.

The Nokia Lumia 610 has a slip on shoe effect, with the plastic cover sitting over the front lid of the body. Meanwhile, the Nokia Lumia 710 has a far simpler back cover that sits on the sides, while the metal body of the bezel covers the top and bottom of the phone. However, the Lumia 710 shows the edge here by having a Gorilla Glass construction, making it tougher and more durable as well as a Nokia Clear Black coating so it is easier to read the screen in direct sunlight.

You might impressed with the look and feel of the Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710, as both are certainly a lot better looking and durable than rival budget phones out there.

Buttons layout

The Nokia Lumia 710 has physical function keys on the front of the device, great for those who like buttons, while the Nokia Lumia 610 has virtual touch screen keys. Button layout also differs, with the Lumia 610 having all hardware keys on the side of the phone, like the Nokia Lumia 800, while the Lumia 710 has the Screen lock button on the top of the phone.

The Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710 are budget smart phones so one area in which costs are kept down is by offering a standard capacitive touch screen. You will find that both panels are bright and highly tactile, so you won’t find any slowdown in performance. The Nokia Lumia 610 cannot live up to this but the 3.7-inch screen does have one thing in its favor, it delivers the same 800 x 480-pixel resolution as its slightly more expensive brother, so you’ll find web pages, games and even just reading emails and texts a pleasure.

Whether you choose the Nokia Lumia 610 or Nokia Lumia 710, you will find the latest version of Windows Phone running away under the hood. It is fast, nimble and incredibly easy to use. However, how your chosen smart phone accesses this OS depends on the processor and RAM on offer.

Bona fide difference

This is perhaps where the real difference between the Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 710 comes into play. You see, in order to hit that cheaper smart phone price point the Nokia Lumia 610 comes with a slower processor, 800MHz compared to the 1.4GHz CPU of the Nokia Lumia 710.

However, the big difference is in the amount of RAM that is on offer, as you will find half, just 256MB, on the Lumia 610, which means some apps and games would not currently run. We have been assured that developers are working on reducing the overheads on their apps so in the long term this would not be an issue but for now, those who need power apps may well find the Nokia Lumia 710 is the way to go.

Price

With prices on the Nokia Lumia 610 starting at just £10.50 a month, with the handset free, from the Car phone Warehouse you’ll find this a fantastic bargain smart phone.

The Nokia Lumia 710 has been on sale a little while longer so you will be able to find some amazing bargains on offer. For example, Orange is offering this handset for just £7 a month, with a one-off purchase of £100 for the handset itself. If you are looking for a free handset then you will need to pay £15.50 with a choice of Orange, T-Mobile and O2 all offering the phone at this price.

The G600 is well-built. It feels like it could stand a few knocks not that we were throwing it around and everything fits together nicely, both inside and out. That in itself is an astonishing feat in a smart phone costing around $400.

The Ascend G600 is not particularly stylish. It is plain not something you might had glance at twice. But if you can get past your initial impression, the G600 is a very good smart phone that is worth at least an extra $100 more than Huawei's charging.

Screen along with features

Alongside its new Emotion UI, Huawei debuted a handful of new devices in Berlin, including this; the 4.5-inch Ascend G600. The 4.5-inch screen is not stunning, but it is nice. Slotting in below the existing Ascend P1, but above the rest of Huawei's phone range, the HD screen is accompanied by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Android 4.0.4. There's 4GB of built-in storage, while the micro-SD slot can add up 32GB of extra space. The phone's shell is coated in a glossy finish similar to the Ascend P1, while the screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass.

The G600 has one with a 1.2GHz spec, and it is helped along by 768MB RAM. And it makes the G600 a pleasure to use snappy, responsive and capable of doing just about anything you could ask of it. When we benchmarked the device, however, the Galaxy S II, which costs an extra $100, soundly beat the G600, which is more on par with LG's Optimus 2X or Optimus 3D phones.

Battery

Battery life on the G600 is excellent, thanks to its reasonably large 1930mAh battery. Beneath that, Huawei has plumped for a 2,000 mAh battery inside the 300 euro around $375 device, while removing the cover reveals an NFC chip embedded behind it. We got our hands on the phone here at IFA skip after the break for our hands on video and first impressions. 

Glossy finish

The Ascend G600 felt a little thick, although we found our fingers were just about able to touch the outer reaches of that 960 x 540 screen. We are torn on the glossy finish maybe because we had to constantly wipe it down during our photo session but it certainly creates a classier image for the phone. Its worth saying that the G600 is not pitched at the top end of the smart phone market, despite a big screen, a dual-core processor able to deal with our hands-on demands and an 8-megapixel camera. There are also two built-in speakers with DTS audio-enhancing technology though you will need a quieter opportunity to test that out.

Colors

The phone is set to launch, in both Mysterious Black and Pure White, this December in Germany, with a further European roll-out expected soon after. Colors are lovely and bright, including reds and pinks, which we find can often appear washed out on smart phones. There is quite a big gap between the glass front of the device and the actual screen below, which makes the display look more distant than on many other devices.

Communication field

One thing the G600 has that the S II lacks is near field communications, which is not particularly useful right now, as it is not one of Snapper's approved Touch2Pay phones. You can use some features but not any of the good ones, according to Snapper's website - but could be useful in the future.