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Your decision to get a new phone isn’t a small one. You’re either committing yourself to a two-year contract to get a discounted price or you’re forking out a big wad of dough. Either way you want to consider carefully many factors before making your purchase decision. Or, you could just follow the lead of millions of people around the world and get the iPhone 6.
If you’re looking for bigger and better, then you should look at the iPhone 6. This is bigger, though not biggest, iPhone launched last month in response to many people’s desire for a larger phone that wasn’t quite a phablet. Those who want most ginormous screen offered by Apple will go for the iPhone 6 Plus. But for a good chunk of the population, the iPhone 6 will be the sweet spot that gives them the convenience of a bigger screen with the comfort of being able to hold it in their hand.
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But the improvements in the iPhone 6 go beyond the larger screen. The phone has new, advanced features that make the iPhone 6 a major upgrade over previous iPhone models.
Design
In spite of its larger screen, the iPhone 6 is light, weighing in at a svelte 4.55 ounces (129 grams). Apple has shaved off width too, with the iPhone 6 measuring 0.27 in (6.7 mm), making it the thinnest iPhone ever. Yes, bigger can be smaller, as Apple has shown us with this phone.
Unlike the 5 and 5s with their squared edges, the iPhone 6 has curved edges, giving it a sleeker look and feel. The finishes are seamless, with surfaces flowing together to envelope the phone. You won’t see or feel rough edges or gaps, but an elegant design that has translated into a high-quality build.
The phone’s smooth, rounded edges feels well-honed in the hand but the size is definitely larger than previous iPhones. Be sure to hold one compared to the iPhone 6 Plus to see which one fits better in your hand.
Hardware
The iPhone 6 has an advanced A8 processor, which is both smaller and faster than previous processors, plus an M8 processor that registers the motion of the phone. The M8 processor uses sensors including a barometer that can detect both distance and elevation, which can be useful for navigation and activity tracking.
Speed is improved as well with advanced Wi-Fi and LTE antennas, which will be able to transmit phone calls over Wi-Fi and and transfer between Wi-Fi and your cellular signal. Carriers in the US don’t yet offer this capability, though T-Mobile will be the first one to start in 2015.
Display
The Retina display, first introduced in the iPhone 4, has received another upgrade with the iPhone 6, making the images sharper and the colors brighter. This screen has Retina HD display and 1334-by-750-pixel resolution. Apple added a feature called Dual-domain pixels so you can view the screen at wider angles. The fonts are clearer and the contrast is greater, making reading on the iPhone 6 much easier than with previous models.
The advanced display and larger screen also work well together when you’re viewing photos and watching videos. Apple added polarization to the screen so you can view the display in the sun when you’re wearing sunglasses.
Larger Screen and Apps
App developers now have 6 screen sizes to accommodate:
3.5″ for iPhone 4S and earlier
4.0″ for iPhone 5, 5c and 5s
4.7″ for iPhone 6
5.5″ for iPhone 6 Plus
7.9″ for iPad Mini
9.7″ for iPad
Count on most but not all apps taking advantage of the larger screen size of the iPhone 6. If your favorite app hasn’t been updated for over a year, chances are that it may not be updated in the future to be optimized for the additional screen real estate of the iPhone 6. But if an app is frequently updated, then it’s probably only a matter of time before an update arrives that will make the most of the iPhone 6 screen.
The good news is that Apple software scales apps that aren’t written for the iPhone 6 to take advantage of the larger size. While not as ideal as customized apps, scaling means that you won’t see black borders around older apps as you did when the iPhone 5 was launched.
Reachability
If you prefer to use your phone one-handed, Apple has you covered with the iPhone 6 Reachability feature. Double-tap the home button (that’s “tap” not “press”) and the display compresses to a size you can navigate with your thumb.
The volume buttons on the sides are longer so you can reach them more easily. The power button has been moved to the side from the top of the phone so you can reach it with one hand. This new location can take some getting used to for those who are accustomed to a top power button, but I was able to adapt to it very quickly.
Display Zoom
Apple lets you make the most of your screen by either seeing more items or by enlarging what you see by using Display Zoom. Display Zoom expands the view of your screen, making the icons and images larger.
You can access Display Zoom by going to Settings => Display & Brightness => View => Zoomed.
Camera
The iPhone 6 has an updated camera with faster autofocus capabilities and improved face detection. You can take time-lapse videos and larger panorama photos. Improved slow motion video capabilities and auto HDR for video are other improvements to the camera.
Here is a gallery of photos I took with the iPhone 6:
You can see full, uncompressed photos in my iPhone 6 Sample Photos album on Flickr
Apple Pay
You will be able to pay using your iPhone 6 and Apple Pay, after it’s launched later this month. Take out your phone, hold your finger on the Home button using Touch ID and point it in the direction of the payment reader. You’ll feel a vibration when the transaction is successful.
You can read more about Apple Pay at Apple’s website.
Battery Life
The advanced processors are more efficient, operating with greater speed while using less power, thus extending the battery life of the iPhone 6.
Battery life according to Apple:
Audio: Up to 50 hours
HD Video: Up to 11 hours
Wi-Fi Browsing: Up to 11 hours
LTE Browsing: Up to 10 hours
3G Browsing: Up to 10 hours
3G Talk: Up to 14 hours
Standby: Up to 10 days (250 hours)
Availability
The iPhone 6 is available in Space Gray, Silver and Gold with storage space of 16, 64 and 128 GB.
[note]Note that the iPhone’s storage space is not expandable with an SD card so splurging on the 64 or 128 GB sizes is a great idea. Saving money and getting the 16 GB? Not a great idea. You’ll run out of space very quickly. [/note]
With 2-year contract:
- $199 16 GB
- $299 64 GB
- $399 128 GB
Without a contract:
- $649 16 GB
- $749 64 GB
- $849 128 GB
Your Thoughts
Are you thinking of getting a new phone? Are you considering getting the iPhone 6? Which new and/or improved features of the iPhone 6 matter to you? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Hi Carolyn – great summary of the new iPhone features.
I purchased the iPhone 6 three weeks ago and am thrilled. I did have two problems at the beginning but they were both quickly resolved by Apple and AT&T. The worst one was the apparent loss of a hundred or more files stored in iCloud – but they magically reappeared and all is well. I’m pretty sure this is related to the upgrading of iCloud to iCloud Drive which will add much more power to the service and glitches along the way are not surprising.
Since I have an iPad, the smaller iPhone made the most sense. One of the most fascinating features is the ability to answer the iPhone on your iPad. If the phone is in another room or left in the car, the iPad can ring and you can answer and return calls directly on the iPad. While we are out and about, we have our smartphone with us but when we get home it is an entirely different matter.
I upgraded from a 4S so was thrilled by the finger print sensor. When ApplePay rolls out – maybe even today – this will make even a bigger impact.
Other things I appreciated – some are iPhone related and others are iOS8. With Apple, hardware and software are so connected, it’s often hard to distinguish.
• The new camera is wonderful and will likely be judged among the best available. It’s “only” 8MP but anything over 5 is pretty much useless except for professionals – and they will still use DSLRs anyway.
• Upgraded Siri now shows your words as you speak so you don’t have to wait till you stop to see the translation.
• Widgets have long been a staple in Android devices and they are now in iOS.
• Airdrop is a great way to transfer files among Apple devices on the same wi-fi network.
• The included Health app is the first step in incorporating a variety of fitness and health features into the Apple ecosystem – but some of the screens are ugly!
• The scandal of bendable iPhones (known through its short life as “bendgate”) turned out to be a hoax that was dismissed after Consumer Reports tested several popular phones and said they were all about the same strength.
• And finally, the look and feel are Apple through and through. Upgradng from a 4 or 4s is a no brainer.
I’ll be anxious to hear what other readers think and to see reviews comparing the new iPhones to the latest and greatest from Samsung.
Thanks again for kicking off a great discussion.
Gary
Hi Gary, That’s great you’re so pleased with your iPhone 6, thanks for your insightful and thorough comment. You’re right, the upgrade is a huge update from the iPhone 4S, both with added features and larger screen size.
Touch ID is very convenient to unlock the phone and iOS 8 brings even more features that can be used with Touch ID. Will you be using Apple Pay, Gary?
You listed a lot of wonderful features, some of which are iOS 8 updates and some are features of the iPhone 6. Just to clarify for readers, I will list which ones you listed are iOS 8 features and which are iPhone 6 features. Since you got iOS 8 together pre-loaded onto your iPhone 6, you got the best of both!
Your iCloud issue is related to iOS 8 and was a common one for those who updated and had files in iCloud. I haven’t heard of anyone losing their files permanently, but finding them was a challenge for some people.
The new way Siri works is due to iOS 8. You can see it transcribe your words and even go back and correct itself. Very cool.
Widgets are another great new feature of iOS 8.
AirDrop was introduced in iOS 7 and will be improved in iOS 8 to allow transfer of files between iPhone/iPad and Mac computers when Yosemite is launched.
The Health app was introduced in iOS 8 and can help you track and monitor your health and give helpful information to first responders.
Bendgate seemed to be overblown with actual reports of bent phones numbering in the single digits out of over 10 million phones sold the first weekend alone. But one of the advantages of buying from Apple is getting a phone replaced no question if you have such a problem with your phone.
You’re right, upgrading from a 4 or 4S is a no brainer. Usually year-to-year upgrades aren’t as significant, but this year’s crop of iPhones are a big step up from previous models. Even those with the 5s might be tempted to upgrade…
I will be publishing an article about the features of iOS 8 soon.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, Gary!
Hi again Carolyn,
I will be looking forward to your iOS 8.1 critique. It is a major upgrade and we have a lot to learn to make the conversion smoothly and to enjoy the full benefits.
I’m enthusiastic about ApplePay. I’ve always avoided using credit cards for small purchases due to the opportunity to have mine stolen, lost or copied. The fact that the credit card industry is decades beyond when it should have been upgraded makes me think this could work. I know other players including Samsung have used NFC technology for purchasing for some time but it never has really caught on. This could be because the Android user base is so fragmented – different OS versions and different “skins” it really wasn’t possible to make the change on that basis alone. One thing Tim Cook is good at is relationship building which is just the skill it took to get everybody on board.
As far as when I’ll start using ApplePay, it might be like the first iPad. I didn’t see any real reason to jump right in until I picked one up in the store! I said “I want it” and got it on the first day they were available!
Hi Gary, Yes, I was the same way with the iPad. I thought I didn’t want it until I saw it in the wild. Then I had to have one!
I am excited about the opportunity for secure payments that Apple Pay presents. The US is way behind Europe in using chip & pin cards to protect credit cards from thieves.
You’re right, I’m waiting for iOS 8.1 to be released to write my article on the features of iOS 8. Perhaps it will be released tomorrow during the Apple event?
Hey Carolyn,
I don’t have an Iphone. I’ve go an android which works pretty well for me, however the Iphone has features I wish I had.
I’ve noticed they’ve done away with mandatory contracts, which is good but the price actually encourages having a contract.
Very informative Post. Thanks!
Blessings,
Liz
Hi Liz, I’m just curious, which features of the iPhone do you wish you had on your Android? I’m asking because a lot of Android fans say that the iPhone finally has features that the Android has had for years.
You’re right, if you’re with a major carrier, buying a phone on-contract will save you a lot of money. That is a strong incentive to sign up for another two years of service!
Hi Carolyn,
I don’t have an iphone so I guess I don’t truly know what I’m missing.
But for one thing the camera on the iphone is better. I’ve heard that the android camera is very similar, but my phone may be older too. The camera isn’t very good.
You’re probably open to security problems on android because it’s open source. iPhone is apple so you’re a little more secure. Correct me if I’m wrong on that.
Apple has iTunes and iMessage. I’ll never have those on my android. If you have a MAC you can connect nicely with your iPhone. An android and PC will never have that.
Liz 🙂
Hi Liz, Good points. When you upgrade your phone next time, be sure to check out the iPhone!
Hello Carolyn,
Many users have complained that their iPhone 6 has bent when using it. Apple has stated that this could only happen if one sat on it for hours while keeping it in their back pocket. However, Apple has promised to replace bent iPhones provided it passes a quality inspection. Users are also complaining about software problem, sluggish WiFi and low battery life.
Hi Worli, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, there were a few reports of bent iPhone 6 Plus phones, but a very small number compared to the millions of phones that were sold. Consumer Reports has shown that the iPhone 6 Plus doesn’t bend as easily as some other phones. But I do think that we may have reached a limit on how thin we want our phones to be!
You’re right, there have been issues with iOS 8 but iOS 8.1 was released earlier this week that should resolve some of those issues.
Other than the design i still don’t see the hype about this phone.
Hi Jon, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I would say that the biggest reasons to get the phone are the larger screen size, Apple Pay and the improved camera. If none of those excite you, then you should save your money and not get the iPhone 6.