The iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S are so closely matched in specification that this contest has got draw written all over it.

We’ve already contested the likes of HTC Desire, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and Nokia N8, and each time the iPhone 4 beat the opposition hands down.

Can the iPhone 4 be beaten? Can the Galaxy S be the iPhone killer? Let’s find out…

Dimensions
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S
122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm, 119g

Loser: iPhone 4
115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm, 137g

Yes, the iPhone 4 is 6mm thinner and the thinnest smartphone in the world but who cares when the Samsung Galaxy S is a whole 18 grams lighter? I don’t think you’d ever notice the very slightly fatter and very slightly larger bulk of the Galaxy S in your pocket when in comparison it is as light as a feather. We’re going with the Galaxy S here.

Display
Draw: iPhone 4
3.5″, 960 x 640, TFT-LCD

Draw: Samsung Galaxy S
4.0”, 480×800, SUPER AMOLED

The iPhone 4 ‘retina’ display is incredible but it doesn’t match-up to the claims that its resolution is equal to the human eye. Instead market analysts expect that AMOLED screens are the future of display technology and the Samsung Galaxy S has a Super AMOLED screen. Nice.

Engine Room
Draw: iPhone 4
Apple A4 CPU, 512MB RAM

Draw: Samsung Galaxy S
1GHz CPU Speed, 512MB RAM

Both smartphones are lightning fast here and with a similar RAM specification, this could only ever be a draw.
Battery
Winner: iPhone 4
7 hours 3G calling, 300 hours standby

Loser: Samsung Galaxy S
6 hours 30 minutes 3G calling, 576 hours standby

iPhone 4 just sneaks it here. Standby battery life is unpredictable at the best of times and although Samsung Galaxy S has a longer standby battery life, that isn’t as important as how long you can actually use your phone for. That half hour more juice the iPhone 4 has clinches this one for Apple.

Imaging
Draw: iPhone 4
5MP, Flash, AF, 720p video capture

Draw: Samsung Galaxy
5MP, Flash, AF, 720p video capture

The specification here is worryingly similar, so much so we suspect that it can’t just be coincidence. Draw hands down here. Although the iPhone 4 has video editing software in iMovies, the Galaxy S has cool features such as cartoon shot.

Storage
Draw: Samsung Galaxy S
16GB (expandable up to 32GB)

Draw: iPhone 4
16GB or 32GB

The iPhone 4 is available in either 16GB or 32GB versions, and whilst the Galaxy S isn’t – the 16GB can be expanded up to 32GB with a MicroSD card. Of course, Apple don’t like SD cards. Either way, same internal memory sizes, so it’s a draw here.

Software
Draw: iPhone 4
iOS 4

Draw: Samsung Galaxy S
Android 2.1 OS

iPhone IOS 4.0 is an excellent operating system with the benefit of access to hundreds of thousands of apps but it still doesn’t do anything the Android OS can’t, ie. multitasking. And what’s more, Android is fast snapping at Apple’s heels with a burgeoning open-source app market.

Price
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S
£429.99 SIM Free

Loser: iPhone 4
£499.99 SIM Free

SAMSUNG GALAXY S IS THE WINNER!

Conclusions
Crikey! It’s happened. The iPhone 4 has been beat. It was a draw right up until price where the Galaxy S clinched this one. Still, I don’t think Apple will be quite shaking in their boots yet, but Samsung are really going for it. The Galaxy S is a winner of a smartphone and should maybe signal the time that we really start to consider Samsung a top contender in the high-end mobile phone manufacturing market.