Every now and then we like to give readers a comparison of two or three smartphones, contrasting the known specs and features they have. In the case of the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III it’s too early to have confirmed specs, nevertheless these are the two handsets that many want to find out about. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at the iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III to give you some idea of what many expect.

Rumor and speculation about both of these handsets is rife and no doubt will be up until their release. We’ve left out some of the more outlandish ideas that have been reported but will include some of the key features and specs that are being widely talked about, many of which we think will turn out to be accurate. Of course some of you will already have made your choice from the iPhone 5 or Galaxy S III simply because you have a preference of operating systems. The iPhone will have Apple’s iOS whilst the Galaxy S III will be Android.

We’re hearing of a big step up for both of these smartphones, with recent news from analysts, of the iPhone 5 being a major upgrade. Know Your Mobile also offer some good pointers of what each phone is likely to offer. Both handsets have been rumored to join the new slew of quad-core processor phones such as the upcoming HTC Edge and the newly detailed LG X3. Apple is likely to launch the iPhone 5 with its new A6 quad-core processor at around 1GHz while Samsung is rumored to be hitting back with a 1.5GHz A9 quad-core processor.

The iPhone 5 is likely to have 1GB of RAM and also 16, 32 or 64GB options while the Galaxy S III could even have 2GB of RAM, which would be a huge step forward. On-board memory for the Galaxy S III looks to be 16 or 32 GB with microSD card expansion up to 32GB. Purely from processing power and storage at this point the Galaxy S III looks to be excelling. 4G LTE connectivity is being widely spoken of for the next-generation iPhone and of course there could be LTE variants of the Galaxy S III when it arrives.

Displays for both also look to be promising. A larger display for the iPhone 5 has been widely reported and it’s thought it could be a 4-inch display with pixel density of more than 350ppi and could use 25% less power thanks to new technology. The Galaxy S III is likely to have a massive 4.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display at 720p and a pixel density of over 330ppi. We’ve also heard news of 3D support for the Galaxy S III and the inclusion of next-generation Gorilla Glass 2. Both displays look set to be hugely impressive but the deciding factor for you might be whether you want a huge or smaller screen.

Camera-wise, both look to be notable. The iPhone 5 seems likely to get an improved offering from the most recent iPhone’s 8-megapixel rear camera. However the current iPhone 4S offers great quality photos so that’s not a done deal. It is more than likely to get a better front-facer though. As for the Galaxy S III this could have a 12-megapixel rear camera, dual-LED flash and 1080p video capture, as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter for HD video chat. That set-up could tempt many.

Both the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III are likely to have NFC support and also be capable of contactless charging. As far as design goes, then this will be very much a choice of personal taste but both are anticipated to have sleek, new designs and both manufacturers usually excel in this department. Both will be released worldwide as their predecessors were. Ultimately these smartphones will undoubtedly have a huge amount to offer but both Apple and Samsung need to keep pushing the boundaries to avoid being left behind.

It will certainly be interesting over the coming months to hear more details on both phones. We’d like to hear your thoughts on the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III. Are there any features or specs we haven’t mentioned that you think should be included on either? Have you already decided which you’d pick if these specs are accurate? Let us know with your comments.

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