Flagship battle: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs BlackBerry Z10

BlackBerry launched their re-invented and re-innovative BlackBerry 10 operating system early this year in January 2013 along with its first smartphone which is their new flagship the BlackBerry Z10. We know how the Samsung Galaxy S4 triumphs its victory over every other smartphone around. Last week, we did a comparison of the all new Samsung Galaxy S4 with the predecessor Galaxy S3 and Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920. This time its the flagship battle between Samsung Galaxy S4 and BlackBerry Z10, and let’s see how both of these perform in practical conditions.

Build:

We agree with the fact that Samsung Galaxy S4 does not have that build which should be bragged about. The design of Galaxy S4 is nothing special alike their other handsets apart from the thing that they managed to get such a hardware beast in this handy package which Samsung assumes as innovation. With 130gms weight and 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm in dimensions we were impressed to see how well this 5inch smartphone can be a life companion.

We can’t forget about the awesome build of BlackBerry premium handsets which are very impressive, remember Bold 4? This time we think BlackBerry has not kept up to that level which we expected on their touch only BlackBerry Z10. The build has no wow factor and it nothing better than the design of Galaxy S4 apart from the glossy looks on the back of the S4 which we really hate. With 130 x 65.6 x 9 mm and 137.5 gms weight we are not complaining that it is not good in hands which infact we found this to fit very well but as a matter of fact it weighs 7 gms more than Galaxy S4.

I will rest this case here, by giving equal points to both of them for build but some extra marks to Galaxy S4 for the Samsung innovation to get things packed fit for hands.

Hardware:

If we are talking about hardware, we should all know that Samsung does put in a lot of effort in their R&D labs to get these products perform what they are. Samsung Galaxy S4 packs in a Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chipset with Octa-core processor that is Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 and PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU along with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory which is expandable up to 64 GB via a microSD card.

On the other side, BlackBerry Z10 packs the Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon chipset with Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor and Adreno 225 GPU with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal with external memory expansion option too.

Display on the Samsung Galaxy S4 is absolutely amazing. 5-inch Super AMOLED full HD display when compared with 4.2 inch HD display obviously overshadow the later.

2600 mAh battery on the Galaxy S4 has also got an edge over 1800 mAh that of BlackBerry Z10. On the connectivity front, S4 has an infrared port other than usual bluetooth, NFC, Wifi. There’s one more thing where S4’s Wifi adapter and micro USB port takes the lead with the Wifi 802.11 ac compatibility, Wifi Direct and the USB on the go support.

Undoubtedly Galaxy S4 with the Octa core processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory, 5 inch Super AMOLED full HD display remains the unbeaten champion and the best smartphone with hardware specifications.

Camera:

BlackBerry Z10 has a 8MP autofocus LED flash rear camera and 2MP front-facing camera whereas we can find a 13 MP autofocus LED flash rear camera and 2MP front facing camera on the Galaxy S4. Both the rear cameras can shoot videos upto 1080p@30fps but the front-facing camera on the S4 can shoot videos up to 1080p@30fps whereas Z10 can shoot it only up tp 701p@30fps.

Adding up some points to S4’s victory in this camera comparison, are the shooting modes. Drama shot, panorama, shoot & sound, animated shot, eraser and a lot more over BlackBerry timeline is a win win situation for Samsung.

Software:

Galaxy S4 runs on the latest version of Android 4.2.2 with Samsung’s custom UI layering known as TouchWiz. Android as a mobile operating system is more functional and powerful compared to anything else. BlackBerry 10 OS on the other hand is neat, clean yet functional with gesture controls. Some might think Android as a mess but BlackBerry 10 OS is new in market and needs assistance for even basic usage. I myself being a hacker find Android to provide me more amusement make me opt for S4. We cannot declare a winner in this case as it varies depending on choice but we should know that Android has a high number of applications which aren’t there on the BB10 OS.

Conclusion:

Looking at above mentioned facts it makes a clear win for Samsung Galaxy S4 on every aspect. Discussion about camera and hardware specifications is clear that it is better on S4 whereas its a 50-50 win on design. It is the applications which make any operating system a success and eventually the smartphone. If BlackBerry 10 OS still doesn’t have that app ecosystem to compete how can we expect the smartphone to take over others. BlackBerry 10 on the other hand is a refreshing experience from the so called ‘Android mess’ by some people which I totally disagree. BB10 still needs to grow and Android currently is at a higher level so this counts to another win for Galaxy S4.

Considering the price most important factor here in India, Galaxy S4 and BlackBerry Z10 are now available for almost the same amount about 38-39k INR investing in S4 will be a better idea. Not only the resale value will be more for Samsung but the support for this device will be humongous as compared to BlackBerry Z10 so this adds another point for S4.
In short, S4 wins!

Picture : N4BB