Apple came out with two new phones in September, so that the company can cater to different types of audiences. The iPhone 6, which we can call the successor of the iPhone 5S, is the smaller iteration of a flagship from the company, catering to Apple fans and iPhone users in need of an upgrade. The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, caters to those who’d rather use phablets instead of smartphones. While the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are mostly the same phones in different sizes, there are still a few differences one should know about before settling on one or another version of the newest Apple flagship.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of bendgate and the durability issues users have encountered with the larger iPhone 6 Plus. The issue with the chassis and body of the phablet from Apple is that when put under pressure, it tends to bend out of shape. While Apple said that only 9 customers have sent their units back with this complaint, the issue and bendgate went viral on Youtube after Unbox Therapy demonstrated how the iPhone 6 Plus could be bent only with one’s hands. While the vlogger did bend the flagship, we should note that the action required quite a lot of force a phone would not have to endure in normal usage conditions. At the same time, bendgate shouldn’t be a major issue for smartphone users and shouldn’t be a surprise either.
Since both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have aluminium unibodies, it is natural that the rather flexible material would bend under pressure. At the same time, the breaking point of the iPhone 6 Plus is more fragile than with its smaller brother, because it is thinner and larger. That being said, we can safely say that any large, thin phones would bend if put under a lot of pressure, as demonstrated by various tests, including those of Consumer Reports. While some might say that the bendgate issue people were having with the iPhone 6 Plus constitutes a drawback when it comes to design, I would rather say that a bigger problem with the design is that it doesn’t allow for a big enough battery.
Many iPhone 6 Plus users have voiced their opinions about the thin chassis of the phone saying that they would have liked a thicker, more bulky body with a bigger battery instead. Since the new flagship from the Cupertino company is the biggest iPhone yet, with a lot of screen real estate to power, a bigger juicer would have made more sense in my mind, as well. Alas, Apple is going for the thin design in every release this year, including the sort-of redesigned iPad Air 2 tablet, which is the thinnest tablet yet from the company. At the same time, when it comes to design, the iPhone 6 Plus feels slippery in the hand because of its size and chamfered metal edges which don’t allow for a good grip. With a phablet, having a design that makes the user feel that the handset is secure in their hands and won’t slip at the smallest of movements is very important, but Apple didn’t seem to mind too much about that.
The iPhone 6 on the other hand, has a more suitable design for its smaller footprint, and the same chamfered edges and metallic design feel more solid with the phone. Since the smaller of the two new flagships has an ideal size compared to most hands and palms of people, there have been less complaints about the phone being slippery or needing a skin like with its bigger brother. If we are to choose one of the flagships based on design, the iPhone 6 would be our choice since it has a better grip, a smaller form factor that fits better in the average palm of the hand and because it has less chance of getting bent like its big brother. At the same time, the smaller screen might constitute a “con” for some people who enjoy large displays on their smartphones.
The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch display, while its big brother has 5.5 inches of screen real estate. That means that both phones are aimed at certain crowds with a certain type of preference when it comes to display size. Those coming from previous iPhone devices like the 4 or 5S might feel more comfortable with the smaller iteration of a flagship, while the iPhone 6 Plus would sit better with Android or Windows Phone users who might want to switch to the Apple ecosystem but are used to the big phablets from Samsung, Huawei and LG. That doesn’t mean that those are the only crowds interested in either flagships. Sales of the new Apple phones have set a new record for the company, selling 10 million units in the first weekend they went up for sale in the U.S.
The iPhone 6’s 4.7-inch Retina HD display is 1334 x 750 while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 1920 x 1080 Retina HD display. Those numbers amount to a pixel density of 326 ppi on the iPhone 6 and 401 ppi on its bigger brother. When considering this aspect, it might seem natural to say that the bigger iPhone 6 Plus is the better choice between the new flagships. Even though the difference is barely noticeable in everyday use, if you put the two phones next to each other and play a high res movie, you will certainly agree with me when saying that the iPhone 6 Plus is more suitable for those who tend to consume a lot of video media on their phones, which is the case with a sizable number of smartphone users. While I personally don’t use my phone as an entertainment device, I can still understand why a bigger and more detailed display would be the choice over a smaller, but maneuverable smartphone. With this in mind, I think it’s safe to say that the iPhone 6 would be more suitable for those who tend to use their phones for business rather than pleasure, while the bigger brother would be better for those who sometimes use their phones as replacements for tablets or even laptops.
As I’ve said earlier, battery size and battery life were a sacrifice in the design of the iPhone 6 Plus. Nonetheless, the battery life of the iPhone 6 Plus is still a tad better than that of its predecessor. We haven’t had much time to play with the flagships, but from our experience both of them have average battery life. With the 6 Plus, we managed to get 10 hours of mixed to heavy use out of the battery, which is an acceptable feat from a thin phablet with a big display. The iPhone 6 wasn’t too shabby either, with around 8 or 9 hours of mixed to heavy use. That being said, if you want a strong battery life, you should go for the bigger version of the iPhone. At the same time, we should be honest and say that these aren’t the best phones you could get if you want a good battery. You would be better off buying a Sony Xperia z3 or a Galaxy Note 4, which can last through 2 whole days of mixed use at least.
Spec-wise, the phones are largely the same, with the exception of an optical image stabilizer on the iPhone 6 Plus, which is missing from its smaller sibling. The camera on both phones sticks out a bit, which is yet again a bit of a design compromise. With a protruding camera, you run the risk of scratching or damaging the sensor easier than you would with a non-protruding, flat camera. At the same time, the issue isn’t too much of a hassle, because the camera sensor on both flagships is encased in sapphire, which means that it should be extra resistant when it comes to environmental damage. What’s more important is that optical image stabilization will help get clear images and videos of a higher quality, so it’s definitely a big plus for the iPhone 6 Plus compared to the iPhone 6.
As you probably already know, both the iPhone 6 and its bigger brother have Touch ID from Apple that incorporates a fingerprint sensor and coupled with the NFC chip in the phones ends up as the way you will use Apple Pay, the company’s new mobile payment system. The LED backlit IPS LCD displays of the flagships are a bit better than other displays out there because they allow for a thinner design and a smaller gap so that your touching and swiping experience can be more immersive. NFC in Apple’s flagships is currently locked to Apple Pay, but we are fairly sure the company will be opening up the function to developers in the future.
When it comes to storage configuration and processing power, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both run on Apple’s own A8X 64 bit chipset, backed by 1 GB RAM, M8 motion coprocessor and a PowerVR GX6450 GPU. You can choose from either 16/64 or 128 GB internal storage, but neither phones have microSD card slots, which is no surprise with Apple devices. Both handsets feature 8 MP rear sensors that are pretty great, with the added optical image stabilization on the iPhone 6 Plus. The selfie cameras on both phones are 1.2 MP ones, with HDR, FaceTime and face detection.
As for software, both phones run on Apple’s brand new, revamped iOS 8 which has more Android features than one might think. With iOS 8, Apple got off to a bad start, with a buggy first release and disastrous iOS 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 updates. Even so, the company fixed the software issues with the launch of the iOS 8.1 update that resolved performance, battery, HealthKit, Apple Pay, camera, animation and compatibility issues on the phones. If you are an Apple enthusiast with history, then iOS 8 will be perfect for you, because it keeps the interface of iOS 7 but brings increased functionality, widgets and more third party support. Customizability is still well behind that of the Android OS, though. If you like skins, themes, launchers, widgets, icon packs and other neat functions you can work with on an Android phone, you might be bothered by the restrictive nature of iOS. Nonetheless, iOS tends to run smoothly and without flaws.
As you can see, the differences between the larger and smaller iPhone 6 from Apple are not that significant, but they do make a difference. When it comes to price, the iPhone 6 would be the cheaper variant because it costs $650 for the 16 GB unlocked version, $450 for the 64 GB unlocked version and $850 for the 128 GB unlocked phone. The iPhone 6 Plus is a bit more on a hefty side when it comes to price. It will set you back $750 if you choose the 16 GB version, $850 if you choose the 64 GB one and $950 if you want maximum 128 GB storage. Overall, these phones should be worth their hefty price in durability and lifespan, but the iPhone 6 Plus does have a few features that are worth the extra cash. What do you think? Which would you choose if Apple were to ask you?