iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III – To wait for the iPhone 5 or to buy Samsung Galaxy S III

"The Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) is a great phone, but should I wait for the iPhone 5 instead?" This question is quite common for all people who would like to buy a new phone. The Samsung Galaxy S III has been released this month via five carriers, while the iPhone 5 is still about to come. In some ways, the answers are obvious upon your preference. If you prefer one OS over another, have a Mac at home, or need a phone right now. However, if not, there's a lot to like about each platform's superphone, and we can't make your decision for you. So here's what we'll do. We're going to break it down by some of the phone features that we think could help you to decide.

Design: The GS3 also features a Gorilla Glass 2 cover. When it comes to first-class materials, Apple has Samsung beat. That is, if you like glass on both sides of your handset and an industrial look and feel. With the Galaxy S3, Samsung unabashedly sticks to its plastic preference, but has managed to make it look and feel sleeker and more desirable than its past Galaxy S devices.

Size is the other issue. Rumors point to an iPhone 5 with a larger screen, but an only slightly taller profile. Apple's phone would still fit in the hand about the same way. Compare this with the Galaxy S3, which dwarfs the iPhone 4S. We like its smooth, comfortable feel, but some people will simply find it too large.

Screen: Apple has made it abundantly clear that it's obsessed with screen quality. And now that the MacBook Pro is sporting a Retina Display, it's safe to assume the next iPhone will be equipped with the same technology, with which users could even enjoy Blu-ray movies on iPhone 5.

Though the iPhone 4S has the brighter and sharper display of the two phones, the Galaxy S3's HD Super AMOLED display has richer color contrast. Plus its 4.8’ large screen display, thus to watch HD videos on Galaxy S III will also be not inferior to that of iPhone 5. Some argue that the S3's AMOLED screen technology oversaturates, and in some cases we do find that to be true.

Camera: Apple is never one to pass up a chance to lift smartphone camera standards and some rumors about an interchangeable lens and a high-definition front-facing camera would call for another camera showdown. For now, the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4S offer the same amount of megapixels, high dynamic range, and zero shutter lag. Thus, we have reason to believe the iPhone 5 would get improvement in camera to bring better camera experience. But if you want something featured-packed, the GS3 has a lot of options. True, we don't know what sort of services the new iPhone will offer, but the GS3 already has panoramic shooting, burst shot, two sharing modes, and other fun shooting settings like "cartoon" (a la "A Scanner Darkly") and "beauty" (a la this-is-not-real-life).

Processor: Samsung and Qualcomm teamed up to put a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor in the Galaxy S3, which makes it one of the fastest phones in the U.S. Apple is all about advancing its processors with each succeeding model. Rumor is that Apple will promote the 4S' A5 chip to a faster A5X chip. However, don't get too caught up in processor specs (after all, quad-core prowess is still shrouded in myth).

Data speeds：The Samsung Galaxy S3 and Apple iPhone 5 will be evenly matched once the iPhone comes along with its expected (and anticipated!) 4G LTE support. Just keep in mind that not every carrier supports LTE (like Sprint and T-Mobile), and some networks are faster than others.

Availability: Both the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 will be easy to get. The Galaxy S3 will be available on T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and even C Spire (a regional carrier.) Apple will surely let its carrier-partner gravy train keep rolling with the Big Four, and (way later) down the line, it could also pass the iPhone 5 to Cricket and Virgin Mobile, following by taking the iPhone 4 and 4S prepaid.

Price: In the U.S., the Samsung Galaxy S3 is starting on-contract at $199.99 for the 16GB and $249.99 for the 32GB model (it'll differ by carrier.) As for the iPhone, the 4S on a designated network has a retail price of $199.99 for the 16GB model, $299.99 for the 32GB model, and $399.99 for its 64GB model. And, if the rumors prove true, the newest generation won't be any cheaper.  

Whether or not a phone is right for you depends on a whole bushel of personal values, but the bottom line is that when you compare the main features and specs, you can get the best out of the phones provided.