The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is perhaps on better ground to compete with Apple's iPhone 5 than the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 tries to challenge the Apple iPhone 5 on its own turf, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is different enough to offer users several unique selling points.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs iPhone 5: Specs
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has better specs than the iPhone 5 — on paper, anyway. Galaxy Note 2 is powered by a quad-core 1600 MHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor and 2GB RAM, while the iPhone 5 only sports a dual-core, 1300 MHz chipset with 1GB RAM. However, the iPhone 5 processor is Apple's homecooked A6 chip, which has been optimized for iOS 6. So although the Galaxy Note 2 has more cores and a faster processor, iPhone 5 still runs way smoother.
The Galaxy Note 2 however, also has expandable internal storage that can be augmented to 128GB via microSD card, helping the Galaxy Note 2 overtake the iPhone 5 in the specs category.
Verdict: Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs iPhone 5: Screen
This is an area in which the Galaxy Note 2 has an inherent advantage, depending on your taste and needs. The iPhone 5 packs a 4-inch Retina Display with a 640 x 1,136 resolution and 326 ppi. Galaxy Note 2 has a much larger 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1,280; however the dpi is only 265 due to the larger screen.
The iPhone 5 features Corning Gorilla Glass protection, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 boasts the newer Corning Gorilla Glass 2.
This one can really go either way. You'll either think the Note 2 is too big, or you'll think it's what you've been missing from the iPhone 5.
Verdict: Draw
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs iPhone 5: Build
These Samsung Galaxy vs Apple iPhone showdowns tend always to boil down to the same question: do you want a phone made from premium materials like anodized aluminum, or do you want one that's made of cheap plastic?
Verdict: iPhone 5
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs iPhone 5: Overall
While the Galaxy Note 2 is a formidable opponent, its main advantage is a larger screen, and depending on your taste, the larger screen could just as easily be considered a disadvantage.
Verdict: iPhone 5
