Many were fascinated when the iPhone 5s was unveiled back in September. Okay, it may not have been as crazy as when the 5 came out, but it still generated a lot of buzz for the design and Touch ID. Fast forward to 2014, and Samsung announced the Galaxy S5. Really, Samsung? S5? After the iPhone 5s? The jokes started rolling in, and the industry started to wonder if Samsung was trying to get away with pulling copycat moves. My thoughts? Maybe. Then again, maybe not. Let’s investigate.

The most noticeable feature in both phones is the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor. Like the iPhone 5s, Samsung built the sensor right into the home button. It can store up to 3 fingerprints at a time, whereas TouchID can store up to 5 fingerprints at a time. I guess we can give Apple a point there, but wait, there’s more. Unlike Apple, Samsung opened their technology to apps like PayPal to authorize payments with the scan of a finger. So maybe we should give Samsung a point for that. Then again, the iPhone 5S’s scanner allows payment of app purchases without having to enter a password.

While we’re on the topic of sensors, there are a few more similarities between the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5. Both phones feature an accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyro, and ambient light sensors. The Galaxy S5 has a few extras though, such as a heart-rate sensor, gestures, compass and barometer. But come on – compass and barometer? There’s an app for that.

Consumers went crazy over the gold iPhone 5s, to the point that the demand outpaced the supply by a long shot. Not long after that, Samsung released a limited edition S4. They now have gold S5’s ready to sell starting April. Okay, maybe it won’t be fair to claim that Samsung copied Apple with the gold phones. I mean, it’s just a color. Even so, the timing is quite a coincidence. Or maybe not! Turns out that Samsung actually released a few gold phones well before the iPhone 5s even hit the drawing boards, as you can see in the image below. And I must say, they looked good!

Overall, the Galaxy S5 appears to have many parallels with the iPhone 5s. Generally speaking, Samsung still has a bit of fine-tuning to do. For example, they have yet to sell content as seamlessly as the iTunes store. Also, many Galaxy owners steer clear of Samsung’s Hubs, turning to Google Play or third parties instead. The interface could also use some tweaking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome to have access to many options from one swipe – but maybe not for users who prefer something more simplistic. Last but not least, the design. Sure, we’ve all heard of the previous drama regarding Samsung taking serious inspiration from Apple’s design. Still – the iPhone 5s has a more premium feel because of the aluminum. The Galaxy S5, well, that’s dimpled plastic with a flap covering the microUSB port. Though there may be many similarities between the two phones, the Galaxy S5 is still a sweet phone worth checking out.

Check out the video below for a closer look at the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5.

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