iPhone 5: How does it stack up?

A head-to-head comparison between iPhone 5, past Apple smartphones, and assorted Android and Windows Phone 8 devices

When the iPhone was first released in 2007, there really wasn't anything like it on the market, with the greatest respect to BlackBerry. Apple's iconic smartphone quickly carved out its own niche, and woe betide the OEM that tried to compete directly.

These days, however, competition in the smartphone market is quite a bit stiffer - which means the iPhone 5 has a great deal more company than its earliest predecessors. Here's our preliminary look at how the iPhone 5 stacks up next to the latest and greatest in Android and Windows Phone 8.

1. - IPHONE 5

Network World - When the iPhone was first released in 2007, there really wasn't anything like it on the market, with the greatest respect to BlackBerry. Apple's iconic smartphone quickly carved out its own niche, and woe betide the OEM that tried to compete directly.

These days, however, competition in the smartphone market is quite a bit stiffer - which means the iPhone 5 has a great deal more company than its earliest predecessors. Here's our preliminary look at how the iPhone 5 stacks up next to the latest and greatest in Android and Windows Phone 8.

1. - IPHONE 5

The star of the show packs some high-end features that make it a tough competitor for the Android and Windows Phone 8 devices of the world. A sleek form factor and uncompromising internals

CPU: Claimed twice as fast as previous chip, implying 1.6GHz dual-core

RAM: Not announced (The iPhone 4S had 512MB, for reference.)

Storage: Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB configurations

Screen Size: 4 inches

Screen Resolution: 1136x640

Pixel Density: 326 ppi

4G?: Yes

Cameras: 8MP rear, 0.9MP front

Major U.S. carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint

And now, a look at the Android heavy hitters.

2. - SAMSUNG GALAXY S III

Samsung's current flagship arrived on U.S. shores in late July with a considerable amount of fanfare, and looking at the device, it's easy to see why - the screen is beautiful, the hardware is top-notch, and the Android is at least not Gingerbread. (An update to the latest version, Jelly Bean, is set to appear any day now.)

CPU: 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core

RAM: 2GB

Storage: Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB configurations, plus 64GB of MicroSD

Screen Size: 4.8 inches

Screen Resolution: 1280x720

Pixel Density: 306 ppi

4G?: Yes

Cameras: 8 MP rear, 1.9 MP front

Major U.S. carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

3. - HTC ONE X

Arguably the weakest of the major Android manufacturers' current flagship phones, the One X is nonetheless an impressive piece of equipment. Packing comparable specs to the rest of the Android field, the One X suffers from reputed battery life issues. Currently runs Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), no word on a Jelly Bean update.