Spec-by-spec: How the new iPhones stack up to the competition

Apple’s iPhone event marked a slight shift in the company’s ongoing strategy for new releases. Instead of announcing a new device and lowering the price on the previous generation, the company introduced two new phones: one flagship and one aimed at more budget-conscious buyers. Yes, the iPhone 5S and 5C are officially a reality, and rumors centering on them over the last few weeks have been mostly spot on.

You can read all the details in our announcement coverage. But if it’s hardware specs you are after, we’ve compiled a side by side comparison with some of today’s top contenders for your smartphone dollars.

	Apple iPhone 5S	Apple iPhone 5C	Moto X	HTC One	Samsung Galaxy S 4	Nokia Lumia 1020
Price (on contract)	$650 ($200)	$550 ($100)	TBA ($200)	$600 ($200)	$650 ($200)	$660 ($200)
Availability	September 20	September 20	Now	Now	Now	Now
Metascore	N/A	N/A	82	89	87	80
Review	More info	More info	More info	More info	Review	More info
System chip	Apple A7	Apple A6	Motorola X8 (Snapdragon S4 Pro)	Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T	Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T	Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960
CPU	-	1.3GHz dual-core, Apple Swift	1.7GHz dual-core, Krait	1.7GHz quad-core, Krait 300	1.9GHz quad-core, Krait 300	1.5GHz dual-core, Krait
GPU	-	PowerVR SGX543MP3	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 225
Display	4-inch IPS LCD	4-inch IPS LCD	4.7-inch AMOLED	4.7-inch S-LCD 3	5.0-inch Super AMLOED	4.5-inch AMOLED
Resolution (PPI)	640 x 1136 (326)	640 x 1136 (326)	720 x 1280 (316)	1080 x 1920 (468)	1080 x 1920 (441)	768 x 1280 (334)
RAM	-	1GB	2GB	2GB	2GB	2GB
Front camera	1.2MP	1.2MP	2MP	2.1MP	2MP	1.2MP
Rear camera	8MP	8MP	10MP	4MP	13MP	41MP
Storage	16/32/64GB	16/32/64GB	16/32GB	32GB	16/32/64GB	32GB
USB	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
microSD	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Cellular	HSPA+ / LTE	HSPA+ / LTE	HSPA+ / LTE	HSPA+ / LTE	HSPA+ / LTE	HSPA+ / LTE
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0
NFC	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operating System	iOS 7	iOS 7	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2	Windows Phone 8
App Marketplace	iTunes	iTunes	Google Play	Google Play	Google Play	Windows Marketplace
Weight	112g	132g	130g	143g	130g	158g
Other	Airplay, Fingerprint sensor, always-on motion sensors	Airplay	Always-on voice recognition / authentication, gesture controls

Keep in mind that as smartphone hardware has reached a certain level of maturity, these raw specs can only paint part of the picture. For instance, at 8-megapixels the iPhone 5S’ camera may seem to be on the losing end of this chart. But other camera related improvements like a larger sensor, improved autofocus and image stabilization, and dual LED flash setup may go a long way in keeping Apple among the best in this category.

Otherwise we’re seeing an emerging trend where some manufacturers are carefully looking at hardware differentiators that can truly enhance how you interact with your smartphone and the world around you, as opposed to throwing stuff you’ll rarely use in there just because it exists. For Motorola that’s always on voice controls and gesture recognition, whereas Apple also has a motion coprocessor plus fingerprint reading.

That said, it’s kind of surprising Apple didn’t include 802.11ac wireless in their latest handset.

Spec-by-spec: How the new iPhones stack up to the competition