In a recent TV commercial, Samsung makes fun of Apple fans, claiming that Android phones have had better features and capabilities than the iPhone 5 for ages.
Back in the labs, Consumer Reports put all the phones through their paces, assessing each one's features and options.
First on the comparison block is display. Everyone wants a big screen to watch movies, play games and use apps. While the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen is Apple's biggest yet, it can't compare with the screens on many Android phones.
"Voice control is another area of competition. Here, Android capabilities are quite good, though they're no match for Siri, who can understand and execute more complex commands," said Mike Gikas with Consumer Reports.
Next up is navigation.
"Android has more detailed maps, better traffic info and more customization. Apple has a few glitches, and until those are worked out, Android carries the day," Gikas said.
With everyone using their phone to take pictures, how do the cameras affect your Apple/Android choice? While both the iPhone and some Android phones have the ability to take panoramic stills, Consumer Reports found when it comes to photo and video quality, the iPhone 5 outperforms the Android competition.
What if you want to talk on the phone and connect to the Internet over the cellular network at the same time? All 4G phones can do that, but not the iPhone 5 on Verizon or Sprint. So while the iPhone 5 gets many things right, so do a lot of the top-rated Android phones - making them worth consideration.
So here's the bottom line. Consumer Reports says the new iPhone 5 has significant improvements over last year's model - the iPhone 4S. In fact, Consumer Reports has put the iPhone 5 among its top rated phones, which include the Samsung Galaxy SIII and the new Motorola Razr.
