It’s funny to see how Apple and Android fans duke it out in Internet forums, YouTube comment sections, and Facebook pages. Well hey, it’s the Internet and it’s no surprising at all to see both groups of fans stir up debates, even if their behavior is completely irrational.
Anyway, it’s pretty easy to look at the chipset, specifications, and certain factors in deciding which devices one should avail. In this speed test matchup, our combatants are the newly-released iPhone 6s and the Galaxy Note 5.
In the specs department, the Galaxy Note 5 is the clear winner, considering that it’s armed with a more powerful chipset: Samsung’s own octa-core Exynos 7420 processor along with an impressive four gigabytes of RAM.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 6s pales in comparison: it’s powered with Apple’s own dual-core A9 processor and two gigabytes of RAM.
Clearly, the Galaxy Note 5 seems like the clear winner here, after all, it has the more impressive hardware.
The Speed Test
This was done by YouTube user Phobnebuff, a veteran in creating smart phone speed tests in his channel. The test is pretty simple: it is set up as a race and the two phones are pitted against each other. The tester simply opens and closes a series of apps, ranging from utilities such as Photoshop Fix, to games like Temple Run and Clash of Clans, to the Amazon website on Safari. It was done in two laps. See how both devices fared here:
Clearly, the iPhone 6s emerged as the winner, besting the Galaxy Note 5 which happens to be PhoneBuff’s defending champion.
If we use this speed test as a basis, we can safely say that Apple’s new flagship smartphone is quicker than most Android phones, considering that the Galaxy Note 5 is quicker than other mobile devices, such as the LG G4 and OnePlus 2:
Different factors are in play
It is worth noting that apart from the speed and the chipset, there are numerous factors that come into play. This test should not be used as a basis to decide which device is better – both are great smart phones in their own right. Anyway, these factors include:
- The operating system – it is worth noting that the iOS 9 is way faster, smoother, and better equipped for multitasking compared to the Android. Take a look at the speed test video again and see how the iOS leaves the apps running in the background – Android somehow makes each app load again.
- The graphics – the Galaxy Note 5 has better graphics compared to the iPhone 6s. The former has a pixel density of 518 ppi (or pixels per inch) while the latter has 401 ppi.
- The applications – considering that the test uses third-party applications – and different operating systems at that – there’s no way to find out if each app is optimized for the platform. Also note that Apple uses the app thinning feature, which enables users to download device-specific versions of most applications, resulting into lower iPhone file sizes.
It is also worth noting that the iPhone 6s’ camera is clearly outmatched in terms of quality by most Android devices, including the Galaxy Note 5.
