This article is part two of a series -- click here for part one.
Operating system: Samsung Galaxy Note II uses Google's Android operating system version 4.1 nicknamed "Jelly Bean." Apple's iPhone 5 uses iOS 6.1. There are numerous differences between the operating systems. And we rate the iOS higher. Here are a few reasons.
Excel file viewer: In our demo we realized we cannot view MicroSoft Excel files on the Samsung Note II while we can on the iPhone.
Copy and paste text capabilities: In iOS, text can be copied and pasted from document to email to spreadsheet to website. If there is a way to do this in Android we have not found it.
Maps and navigation: Both Apple iOS and Google Android now provide Google Maps and hands-free Google Navigation. The iPhone also offers the Apple Maps product. While Google's underlying maps are better, we found the Apple maps with Siri did a better job of adjusting when we deviated from the defined route than Google. Apple Maps adjusted quickly to a new route while Google on the Samsung Note II continued to try to get us to make U-turns and get on major highways. We also found the Siri interface easier to use than the Google Maps user interface, though there is an easy to use voice-activation function on Samsung Android that works for dictation and initiating calls
Apple iOS still has an "app advantage" over Google Android though that gap continues to narrow as time passes.
Similarities between the Samsung Galaxy Note II and iPhone 5:
Speed and response time: Both phones were fine in this area. We did not notice a difference in speed between these two phones, neither in telecommunications time nor in response time within the phone's microprocessor.
Cameras: Both provide 8 megapixel rear facing cameras plus front facing cameras and video capability.
Telephone capability: Both are fine phones with speaker capability, hands-free calling and all the features you expect from a cell phone.
4G LTE capability: Both phones offer 4G LTE capability, the fastest telecommunications capability available to US consumers now.
Conclusion: The overwhelming differences between these two phones are the large size and the S Pen that are integral to the Samsung Galaxy Note II. If you are having difficulty selecting things on the screen of your phone, check out the larger screen and S Pen of the Samsung Galaxy Note II in a Cleveland-area Verizon shop or other store such as Best Buy or Target and see how it feels. It doesn't fit in the pocket or hand as well as iPhone 5 but there is some beauty in that larger screen, and the long battery life makes Samsung Galaxy Note II a serious alternative worth considering.
This article is part two of a series -- click here for part one.
Copyright © 2013 Susan J. Walker. Subscribe above to receive an email whenever Susan Walker publishes on Examiner.com; follow @WalkerSusanJ on Twitter.
Suggested by the author:
Samsung Galaxy Note II Phablet: Smartphone for books and video.
LeBron James appeared in Samsung Super Bowl ad.
Differences between Windows Phone 8X and Droid Razr Maxx HD both from Verizon.
This article is part two of a series -- click here for part one.
Comments