iPhone 6 Bigger Than Bigger

AT A GLANCE

Apple recently introduced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Both devices will launch on September 19 in the first wave of countries. The first reviews describe the units as "thin and sexy", "bigger and better", with impressive battery life.

The Good A bigger, crisp display, improved LTE and Wi-Fi speeds, better camera autofocus, bumped-up storage capacities to 128GB at the top end, and NFC Apple Pay mobile wallet features on the horizon.

The Bad In early tests, the iPhone 6's battery doesn't fare any better than last year's model. Some Android phones fit an even-larger 5-inch screen into the same size frame. It lacks the optical image stabilization of the bigger, more expensive 6 Plus.

The Bottom Line The iPhone 6 delivers a bigger screen while remaining easy to handle, with plenty of features to satisfy everyone -- and the promise of Apple Pay on the horizon to potentially sweeten the deal even further.

 

Design

Apple's design overhaul is much-needed and as much as many could have hoped for - taking a number of cues from the iPad Air to bring a metallic, almost ceramic, shell that feels simply brilliant in the hand.
 
Say what you like about Apple, it's a brand that's always put design at the forefront of its new handsets. Even the iPhone 5S, probably the most unimaginative of all of Cupertino's handsets, had a strong build that screamed quality in the hand, giving the user the instant feeling of something worth spending a lot on. The iPhone 6 pushes that idea to the next level, losing the sharp edges in favour of sleek and rounded sides that make the device much more pleasing in the palm. It just feels so thin, but doesn't have the overly-lightweight feeling of the iPhone 5S.
 There is a worry that this is a slippier handset than before thanks to the more rounded nature of the design, but then again with Apple (apparently) upgrading the glass in the screen to something that can withstand many, many more bumps and bruises before shattering, that might not be the horrid experience it might once have been. The larger screen is certainly an improvement on the previous models - while I think 4.7-inches is going to be a tiny bit small for those that have lusted after their friends' Galaxy S5 devices with the 5.2-inch screen, it's still a very good size for one hand.
 If it wasn't, then why would Sony have launched the Xperia Z3 compact and Samsung the Galaxy Alpha, both within 0.1-inch of the iPhone 6's screen size? The issue with the iPhone 5S, with the cramped screen making it almost impossible to peck out the letters on the keyboard, has now definitely been alleviated. It's not got a great resolution, at only 1334 x 750 it's essentially 720p, but the new Retina HD screen looks brilliant. So much so that I thought I was picking up a dummy model to play with. And if you're so desperate for the larger resolution, there's always the iPhone 6 Plus to be looking at, despite that being more of a phablet / Note 4 rival.

              4.7inches                                   5.5 inches

                        iPHONE 6                                                     iPHONE 6 PLUS

The upgraded resolution is a good jump for Apple, but not quite enough really for the spec fans. While I think the brand had it right a few years ago when it launched the Retina display, times have moved on. Some people say that the Full HD / QHD displays on offer today from Sony, Samsung and LG are overkill, but there's no way that you won't see the difference in sharpness if you put the iPhone 5S and LG G3 next to one another. However, it's the same PPI as the iPhone 5S, so the iPhone 6 might not stand up to sharpness tests next to the best the Android world has to offer. It must be tremendously frustrating to create a quality, well-selling app and then find the resolution you coded for is now old news. The good news is that while you're spending hours making an iPhone 6 version, the phone can scale old apps to still work.
 It's not going to be a perfect experience, but it's another example of Apple's decent ecosystem - if this was a handset running on the Android platform, a new resolution simply means the app won't run full stop, so at least there's some continuity here. In terms of the performance advantage Apple has given itself, the new A8 processor certainly seems up to the task. While (as usual) we've not heard much in the way of specs for it, save to say it's the same 64-bit architecture that Apple added into the mix last year. As such, the same snappiness is there in terms of camera processing, general browsing and app use, but it will only be with some serious use that the power of the new A8 chip will show itself. And while we've not been told the RAM inside the iPhone 6, there's a feeling that Apple will have doubled it at least to 2GB in order to facilitate more powerful and impressive apps, as well as allowing the phone to function better under duress.

Camera

The camera on the iPhone 6 isn't much of a change... from the outside. It's still 8MP, and still doesn't record in 4K. But that would miss some of the big changes: the f/2.2 aperture, the new iSight camera with superfast autofocus thanks to 'Focus Pixels' and the same trick repeated with the video, for smooth shooting even if you're moving around. The iPhone 6 has digital image stabilisation, unlike its larger iPhone 6 Plus brother, which packs optical image stabilisation for a likely slightly crisper picture. But the cool thing (if you like slo-mo video) is the phone can now shoot at 240fps, which is a fantastically sharp way of looking at what people are doing really, really slowly. I'll be digging into the camera more in a short while, so again: stay tuned.

Display

The iPhone 6's headline feature is its 4.7in display. And with good reason: Apple had only ever upped its screen size once before, and that from 3.5in to 4in. But let's not get carried away here - by anyone else's standards, 4.7in is not a huge screen. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact - note the word 'Compact' - is only a smidgeon smaller at 4.6in. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3 and Sony Xperia Z3, the iPhone remains a pixie in a land of Android ogres. For many people, 4.7in will be the ideal size: big enough to offer a better viewing and gaming experience, without being so big that you can't use it properly. Of course none of that matters if the quality isn't there too. Fortunately, it is.

The iPhone 6 is no match in screen resolution terms when compared to the G3 (534 pixels per inch) and Galaxy S5 (432ppi). Apple’s screen has just 326ppi, the same as the iPhone 5s. But stats aren’t the whole story and one glance at the iPhone 6 confirms this. The Samsung Galaxy S5 has arguably the best screen on the market: rich, vibrant and unbelievably detailed, although the LG G3 runs it very close thanks to the extra pixels on its 2K display. And the iPhone 6 deserves to sit in that exalted company. It’s lower-resolution than its rivals, but more than dense enough to look glorious. It also lacks the occasionally over-saturated look of the S5; the Samsung display, though unequivocally beautiful, can still tend to the garish. As far as the LG goes, those extra pixels only really make themselves known when you’re reading the tiniest of writing.
 
 However we'd be lying if we said that we hadn't hoped for more. The 6 Plus has a full HD 1080p screen, as does almost every one of the iPhone 6's main rivals. While the 6's display is easily one of the best 720p efforts we've used, the differences between it and a full HD screen are visible if you look for them. However, for day-to-day use, there’s a limit to what you can see - or at least to what matters. And in those terms, the iPhone 6 is as good as its keenest rivals. Plus, it’s just right there: the display seems so pressed up against the glass it’s like you’re making direct contact with the pixels.

Security. Right at your fingertip.

Your fingerprint is the perfect password. You always have it with you. And no one can ever guess what it is. Our breakthrough Touch ID technology uses a unique fingerprint identity sensor to make unlocking your phone easy and secure. And with new developments in iOS 8 and Touch ID, your fingerprint will grant you faster access to so much more. Place your finger on the Home button, and just like that your iPhone unlocks. Touch ID is capable of 360-degree readability, which means no matter what its orientation — portrait, landscape, or anything in between — your iPhone reads your fingerprint and knows who you are. And Touch ID even lets you enroll multiple fingerprints.
 Touch ID does more than just let you unlock your iPhone. Your fingerprint can also approve purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store, so you don’t have to enter your password or billing information again and again. And for the first time, developers can integrate Touch ID into third‑party apps. Apple Pay lets you use iPhone 6 to pay in hundreds of thousands of stores with a single touch. Just place your finger on the Touch ID sensor with your iPhone near the contactless reader, and your payment is sent. Apple Pay makes it just as convenient to pay within apps, too.

iOS 8

The new operating system that was debuted at WWDC earlier in the year has the expected poster boy in the iPhone 6 - while it's not a massive overhaul of the platform, it brings with it some nifty tweaks. For instance, the updated notifications center is imbued with better powers than before, allowing you to see more relevant information from a simple pull down from the top of the screen.
 This action isn't as easy as it once was, thanks to the larger screen, but that's worth it for the greater real estate to play with. The new OS brings with it other big upgrades, such as the ability to use other keyboards in the future - the thought of Swiftkey on an iPhone, and one without such cramped conditions for typing is an appealing one - which shows that Apple knows it needs to do something big to keep up with the smartphone competition amid eroding market share.

Price Comparison

	Apple iPhone 6	Apple iPhone 6 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S5	Motorola Moto X (2014)
US base price (with two-year agreement)	$199	$299	$199	$99
UK base price (unlocked)	£539	£619	£350	£420
Australia base price (unlocked)	AU$869	AU$999	AU$900	N/A
Display size/resolution	4.7-inch 1,344x750 IPS (326 ppi)	5.5-inch 1,920x1,080 IPS (401 ppi)	5.1-inch 1,920x1,080 Super AMOLED (432 ppi)	5.5-inch 1,920x1,080 AMOLED (423 ppi)
Processor	1.39GHz Apple A8 (64-bit)	1.38GHz Apple A8 (64-bit)	2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (Krait400)	2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (Krait400)
RAM	1GB	1GB	2GB	2GB
Internal storage	16GB, 64GB or 128GB	16GB, 64GB or 128GB	16GB, 32GB	16GB, 32GB
Expandable storage	No	No	Yes (microSD)	No
Networking	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system	iOS 8	iOS 8	Android 4.4.2	Android 4.4.4
US carriers	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon	AT&T, Verizon

Other Technical Specs

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - A1549 (GSM), A1549 (CDMA), A1586
		CDMA 800 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1549 (CDMA), A1586
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1549 (GSM), A1549 (CDMA), A1586
		CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - A1549 (CDMA), A1586
		TD-SCDMA 1900 / 2000 - A1586
	4G Network	LTE 700/800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 (1/2/3/4/5/7/8/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29) - A1549 (GSM), A1549 (CDMA)
		LTE 700/800/850/900/1800/1900/2100/2600 TD-LTE 1900/2300/2500/2600 (1/2/3/4/5/7/8/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/38/39/40/41) - A1586
	SIM	Nano-SIM
	Announced	2014, September
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2014, September

BODY	Dimensions	138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 in)
	Weight	129 g (4.55 oz)
		- Fingerprint sensor (Touch ID) - Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)

DISPLAY	Type	LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	750 x 1334 pixels, 4.7 inches (~326 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Shatter proof glass, oleophobic coating
		- Display Zoom

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, proprietary ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	No
	Internal	16/64/128 GB, 1 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 150 Mbps DL, 50 Mbps UL
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	v4.0, A2DP, LE
	NFC	Yes (Apple Pay only)
	USB	v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
	Features	1/3'' sensor size, 1.5µm pixel size, geo-tagging, simultaneous HD video and image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR (photo/panorama)
	Video	1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps
	Secondary	1.2 MP, 720p@30fps, face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular

FEATURES	OS	iOS 8
	Chipset	Apple A8
	CPU	Dual-core 1.4 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based)
	GPU	PowerVR GX6650 (hexa-core graphics)
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
	Messaging	iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
	Browser	HTML5 (Safari)
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
	Java	No
	Colors	Space Gray, Silver, Gold
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - AirDrop file sharing - Siri natural language commands and dictation - iCloud cloud service - iCloud Keychain - Twitter and Facebook integration - TV-out - Maps - iBooks PDF reader - Audio/video player/editor - Organizer - Document viewer/editor - Photo viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial/command - Predictive text input

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Po 1810 mAh battery (6.9 Wh)
	Stand-by	(2G) / Up to 250 h (3G)
	Talk time	(2G) / Up to 14 h (3G)
	Music play	Up to 50 h