Bonnie Cha

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Smartphone Wars: iPhone 5 vs. the Competition

Finally, we can put to bed the question, “When is the new iPhone coming out?”

Apple announced today at a press event in San Francisco that the iPhone 5 will be available on Sept. 21, with preorders starting today, for $199 for the 16 gigabyte model, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB.

Now it’s decision time. Will the iPhone 5 be your next phone?

For some, the decision will be easy. They will get the iPhone on Sept. 21 or whenever they’re due for an upgrade. For others, their allegiance to another operating system or brand will lead them to stick with their current device or wait for the next “it” phone using their preferred platform. And yet, there will be others who will go back and forth, researching comparable phones, dissecting features and seeing what will deliver the most for their money.

If you fall into the latter camp or if you just want to see how the competition stacks up (be nice, fanboys and girls), here is a chart comparing some of the major features of three of the flagship smartphones for iOS, Android and Windows Phone: The iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia Lumia 920.

Apple iPhone 5 Samsung Galaxy S III Nokia Lumia 920
Operating system iOS 6 Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Windows Phone 8
Size 4.87 inches tall by 2.31 inches wide by 0.31 inch thick; 3.95 ounces 5.38 inches tall by 2.78 inches wide by 0.33 inch thick; 4.69 ounces 5.11 inches tall by 2.79 inches wide by 0.42 inch thick; 6.53 ounces
Display 4-inch, 1,136 by 640 pixel touchscreen; 326 pixels per inch 4.8-inch, 1,280 by 720 pixel touchscreen; 306 pixels per inch 4.5-inch, 1,280 by 768 pixel touchscreen; 332 pixels per inch
Camera 8-megapixel rear camera, LED flash, 1080p HD video recording, 720p front-facing camera, built-in panorama mode 8-megapixel rear camera, LED flash, 1080p HD video recording, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, quick-press burst shot mode 8.7-megapixel rear camera, LED flash, 1080p HD video recording, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, optical image stabilization
Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 16GB, 32GB, microSD expansion slot 32GB
Processor Apple A6 processor 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
Battery 8 hours talk time on 3G, 8 hours LTE browsing, 10 hours video playback 2100mAh battery, 8 hours talk time on 3G (AT&T) 2000mAh battery, 10 hours talk time on 3G, 67 hours music playback, integrated Qi wireless charging
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope Accelerometer, proximity, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope, barometer Accelerometer, proximity, digital compass, ambient light, gyroscope
Port Lightning 8-pin connector Micro USB Micro USB
Notable features New noise-canceling technology for clearer audio; Siri can now answer questions about sports scores, post Facebook status updates and more S Voice personal assistant; picture-in-picture features lets you watch video while working in other apps PureMotion+ HD display registers touches even if you have gloves on or long fingernails; supports Nokia City Lens augmented reality app
Connectivity GSM, UMTS, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS GSM, UMTS, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA+, CDMA, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC GSM, UMTS, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA+, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.1, GPS, NFC
Availability and carriers Sept. 21; AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Available now; AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon TBA
Pricing $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular: $199.99 for 16GB, $249.99 for 32GB; AT&T: $199.99 for 16GB; T-Mobile: $279.99 for 16GB, $329.99 for 32GB TBA
Colors Black, white White, blue, red (AT&T only) Black, white, gray, yellow, red

Updated at 2:16 p.m., PT with more information.

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Just as the atom bomb was the weapon that was supposed to render war obsolete, the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering it impossible for anyone to ever make a profit off anything again. It’s especially hopeless for those whose work is easily digitized and accessed free of charge.

— Author Tim Kreider on not getting paid for one’s work