musicMagpie Blog

Apple phones and Samsung smartphones are clearly the most popular at what they do, but it isn't a case of one is better than the other. 

Both iPhones and Samsung phones have a wide range of features that may be suitable for one user and not the other. Cost is also an important factor to take into consideration when choosing which brand to go for, as both Apple and Samsung supply budget phones and higher-end devices. 

Read on to learn whether an Apple iPhone or Samsung smartphone is the best option for you! 

Does Apple or Samsung sell more Phones? 

Samsung is a leader in the smartphone industry and Apple has a large global footprint, with the iPhone as a signature product. It's safe to say both are two of the top smartphone companies in the world.

In terms of which company sells the most phones, it's no surprise that the coronavirus pandemic has made an impact, resulting in a decrease in phone sales. In the third quarter of 2020, Samsung had sold over 80 million whereas Apple had sold over 40 million phones. 

Cost

If you want to cut the cost down when considering an Apple iPhone or Samsung device, buy a refurbished phone and save £100s. Here at musicMagpie, we've got an amazing range of refurbished iPhones and refurbished Samsung Galaxy phones to choose from. 

Another option is to choose an older model as phones lose value over time. Newer models such as the iPhone 12 range and Samsung Galaxy S21 are more expensive as they have improved features, newer updates and better design than previous devices.

Plus, keep an eye out for phone depreciation – this is when newer models are released, the prices of older models drop. 

Storage

If you like a lot of storage on your phone, a lot of the newer iPhones and Samsung Phones come with up to 512GB of capacity. 

iPhones don't come with micro SD card slots to increase internal storage and recent Samsung Phones are joining them, for example, the S21 range. iPhones have an option in settings to upgrade iCloud storage but you'll have to pay each month to use this. 

Features 

Both iPhones and Samsung phones have a huge range of different features, which means we can't include them all. Here are some important features to take into consideration!

Design

Both Apple and Samsung have moved away from using the plastic design and the newer models come with the very latest screen technologies. 

iPhones use a glass and stainless steel design whereas Samsung has upgraded with much larger displays.

Screen size 

A lot of the newer models are increasing in screen size, especially the "˜Plus', "˜Ultra' and "˜Pro' models. 

Take into consideration different screen to body ratios; physical dimensions are actually a better indicator than display size. 

Resolution

Both have chosen different display types, with newer iPhones veering towards Super Retina XDR OLED display and Samsung going with dynamic AMOLED displays.

AMOLED displays allow control over each pixel and have better power consumption. However, AMOLED can use too much power when displaying brighter colours, whereas OLED displays are more visible in the sunlight. 

Camera

The better the camera on a phone, the more you'll pay. Samsung and Apple are great at providing us with quality cameras and they've not stopped when it comes to their newest releases. 

The iPhone 12 includes multiple lenses with a 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera. The Samsung S21 includes a three lens-array with a 64MP telephoto and 12mp ultra-wide and wide camera. 

With the newer models, Samsung Galaxy specifically has a scene optimiser which automatically adjusts and improves quality when the camera recognises an object. 

Whereas Apple has features such as Smart HDR which blends multiple photos for the best shot. 

You can be reassured whether you choose an iPhone or Samsung phone, you won't be disappointed with the camera!

Which features do Samsung Phones not have?

• Facetime is for Apple users only and can be used across a range of iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. If you wanted to use something similar on a Samsung, you would have to install a third-party app to video call your contacts. 

• iMessage end to end encryption makes it a lot safer for the recipient and sender 

• The latest iOS operating system updates automatically and is pushed to all iPhones which support the new update at the same time. 

Which features do Apple iPhones not have? 

• The split-screen option allows users to open two apps in split-screen mode. iPads currently have this feature but it hasn't been introduced to iPhones yet. 

• Set data limit alerts are found in settings and allow users to control and limit background data consumption. 

• "˜Choose default apps' is an option that gives users the flexibility to perform an action. For example, if you want to open links in a certain browser then you can alter that in settings. 

Apps

Apple is very strict about which apps are made available to users and therefore the Apple App Store is more limited, with fewer apps than the Google Play Store. However, both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are making it safer to download apps.

With the bigger range of apps to choose from on the Google Play Store, there are more free apps but if you're waiting for a new app to drop, you're more likely to find it on the Apple App Store first.

We've got a perfect way for you to save across iPhones and Samsung Phones! Check out our great range of refurbished Phones at the musicMagpie Store or say goodbye to expensive Phone contracts and rent a Phone today.