Operating system
Apple's iOS 7 is a solid upgrade that adds some of Android's strengths, such as a Control Center. iOS 7 may be frustrating at first, but a solid ten or fifteen minutes is taken to adjust to the more fluid operating system. iOS 7 is still the most simple operating system on the planet. Apple still has the most robust selection of apps for its operating system.
The Galaxy S4 currently runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2, even though a 4.3 update will come in a couple of weeks. Samsung's TouchWiz interface clutters things up a little bit and some adjustments are needed to make things more comfortable. Samsung includes a remote control, a TV guide, and about a dozen gimmicky camera features that you probably won't ever use. Still, the operating system is fast, reliable and customizable.
Those who like simplicity will prefer Apple's iOS 7, while those who like access to customization will prefer Android Jelly Bean.
Performance
We don't have exact measurements and don't need any. The iPhone 5s is the fastest smartphone around. Applications launch instantly and graphic-heavy pages load fast, even on slower Internet connections. Part of this is due to the fluidity of iOS 7 and the other part is due to the mega-powerful A7 processor.
The Galaxy S4 uses a quad-core 1.9GHz processor, which is almost as powerful as the A7 processor from Apple. . Using Sprint's 4G LTE network, Internet pages loaded slightly faster than they did on any other Android phone. The Galaxy S4 can play just about any video thrown at it, even ones that have a high bitrate.
Both of these smartphones have excellent performance, but iPhone operates slightly faster and smoother than the Galaxy S4.
Multimedia
Apple's 4-inch screen hampers things quite a bit when viewing videos such as The Dark Knight. However, Apple still excels in the music department as the smartphone has richer sound than any of its competitors. The upgraded 8MP camera is the best for taking both still shots and videos.
Samsung's 5-inch screen is an absolute delight for playing all kinds of videos and viewing pictures. The speaker, however, is a little quiet. Samsung's stock music player is good, but doesn't provide the rich sound the iPhone does. The 13MP camera takes great pictures and videos, but the quality isn't as good as it is on the iPhone.
Samsung wins this category, but only because of the 5-inch screen. If you listen to music more than view pictures and videos, the iPhone may be your choice.
