Gadgetory

this is the Nokia Lumia icon this is the Samsung Galaxy s5 each represents some of the best its platform has to offer and each is available on America's largest network for about the same price if you're due for a new phone and you're on the fence which should you choose ultimately that decision is yours and yours alone but we're here with some information to help make it easier I'm Michael Fisher with PocketNow and this is Samsung Galaxy s5 vs Nokia Lumia icon just a quick note folks the Lumia icon is a Verizon Wireless exclusive here in the United States but it's functionally very similar to the Lumia 930 available globally so use this comparison as a loose surrogate for that faceoff if you're outside the US also we've already given each of these devices the full review treatment so if you want more detail check out those reviews at the links down the description and please subscribe to us both here on YouTube and on social media to keep up with the latest from pocket now if you're shopping on specs each of these represents the creme de la creme of its respective platform for CPUs you can't get much powerful than the Snapdragon 808 o1 and 2 gigs of ram is plenty in each case here in the States the icon edges out the galaxy s5 in onboard storage but the Samsung phone offers microSD expansion while Nokia does not Samsung's larger battery is also removable it's USB port is faster and it has many more sensors than the icon including a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate monitor the displays are the same resolution they run on the same technology and they're about the same size but the Samsung panel can be made much brighter and also much dimmer on top of all that the galaxy s5 casing keeps out dust and it's water-resistant so if you're looking for the ultimate combination of specs and customization as always it's tough to beat the galaxy but that feature load comes at a cost to quote our own review observation from a design standpoint the plastic galaxy s5 seems to have been engineered to avoid offending surprising or really moving anyone it just kind of exists whereas the icon definitely makes a statement its corners are aggressively squared off it's aluminum sides adorned with bold racing stripes its display glass curved at the edges like a puddle of liquid about to spill over the sides it's heavier thicker and frankly less comfortable to hold than the galaxy s5 but it also conveys a much stronger sense of quality and craftsmanship it's got four microphones for audio recording and noise cancellation built-in qi wireless charging and most importantly it uses a nano SIM instead of the galaxy's older micro sim okay maybe that's not so important so let's talk about something that is the camera ready for a shocker turns out Samsung 16 megapixel sensor is no slouch and holds its own against the icons 20 megapixel PureView shooter under quite a few lighting conditions this is surprised because the Lumia line is known for its optical performance and that's not just because of the dedicated shutter key Nokia's PureView technology is supposed to deliver superior output and it certainly does but under automatic settings we actually found ourselves preferring the Galaxy s5s pictures quite often as they're more colourful and seem more alive under a lot of conditions Nokia's edge comes in low-light start experimenting with indoor and dimly lit environments and the contest just goes out the window the icons camera is optically stabilized so it can better compensate for hand movements which is a big deal if you're taking a long exposure shot to let in more light the galaxy s5 can't do that and as a result the Gulf and performance is quite wide in near pitch black conditions the Lumia accomplishes much more with a much cleaner interface if you really want to kick up the resolution and shoot 19 megapixel images and RAW format you can do so or you can manipulate ISO and shutter speed to warp time which we did with this 2.5 second exposure of a car going down the street at night more casual Lumia users can also keep it set to standard and expect to get great results more often not the icons optical stabilization comes in handy for video as well despite its software stabilization the galaxy s5 really can't deal with any kind of hand movement during video recording as happens if you're panning around a lot or just on a windy day but again the s5 surprises us here its colors may not be as accurate but the slight over saturation looks pretty good and the aggressive audio cancellation on the icon means our test audio can't really be heard over the wind many times even with those four mics a whole lot of wind coming from my right hand side the bus is heading in the direction of the wind were checking auto-exposure considering the galaxy s5 can also shoot in high speed for slow motion playback and can shoot Stills and video underwater well the camera comparison is no shutout we'll put it that way in software the gulf between the icon and the galaxy s5 could not be wider aesthetically and functionally these are black and white Star Trek and Star Wars Google and Microsoft and so we're not spending much time talking about them not just because that would take twenty minutes that we don't have but because deciding what platform you prefer is not an afterthought Windows Phone or Android is an entirely different question on its own but if you need a quick summation will say this the software story mirrors the hardware situation samsung will give you almost every feature you can think of wrapped in a fairly complex visually inconsistent experience but it's one you can change with a custom launcher nokia gives you an elegant simple and very responsive user interface but one with very little customized ability and nowhere near as extensive an ecosystem using these devices on separate networks meant we couldn't directly compare things like reception and voice quality though for what it's worth both Verizon Wireless and AT&T offered outstanding coverage and good data speeds in the Greater Boston area on 4G despite the difference in battery capacity endurance is comparable though the icon doesn't feature the ultra power saving mode of the galaxy s5 and once again you can't swap its battery like you can on the Samsung phone and this speaker performance is also comparable loud enough but nothing to get too excited about considering the rear firing loudspeakers on each device we often say this but that's because it's often true either where you go here you're getting a variation on the best each platform has to offer so no one should be returning a phone or regretting a purchase based on this comparison still the differences here are legion on paper the s5 is definitely the winner it's a much more versatile more powerful device from a few perspectives some of them truly surprising to us while neither its hardware or software will be winning any beauty contests it'll probably get the job done for you whatever that job may be especially if you're deeply dependent on Google's ecosystem or you need a smartphone that can handle a little rough and tumble action near the seashore but where the galaxy s5 is a sturdy utility vest the Lumia is more like an expensive dinner jacket more limited yes but also much more regal more polished well it doesn't do as much unless you're a heavy office or outlook user the things it does it does with almost liquid smoothness and it looks great doing them also though it's camera didn't destroy the s5 by any means it still offers more tools and capabilities for photographers who want more control over their photos or for those of you who spend most of your time in the darkness so where do your priorities lie which would you buy let us know tell us which one appeals more to you down in the comments and remember to check out our full review of each device at PocketNow linked in the description below this has been Michael Fisher thanks for watching and we'll see you next time I'm Michael Fisher with PocketNow and this is Samsung's Galaxy s5 up against Nokia's Lumia 520 1020 82 80 better take care if I find you been creeping round my back stay here I'm Michael Fisher with PocketNow and this is Nokia's Lumia icon now it's not extra large bear down or TV in one of those little refrigerators you have to open with the key credit card oh god it did you did it did it did it did it did it it did it did it did it did it - did it get it get it get it get it - better dadadada