Bigger than the iPhone 6 but smaller than the iPad Mini, is this in betweener a go-getter?
- 7/10
- 619.00
- Buy iPhones from Amazon
What we love...
- Amazing Screen Quality
- Better Battery Life
- Fast, very fast
What we don't love...
- Bend Gate
- Quite big and Bulky
- Expensive
The original iPhone that was released in September 2007, didn’t get my attention straight away. For starters, it was tied to the O2 network and I was already in a contract, with the then, Orange. But it didn’t wow me, because other smartphones and touch screen phones had previously been a disappointment.
But then I got to play with the original iPod touch at an Apple Store in Orlando, and I was simply blown away. When I got back to the UK, I tried all tactics to get the original iPhone. I went to Meadowhall, I went to Bullring, I even went to France two weekends on the run, to try and buy one out of contract. But nobody, not one dealer had one in stock.
Then came the announcement of the iPhone 3G, that’s it I was sold and I pre-ordered a 3G, 16gb with Carphone Warehouse on 02, despite the fact I had already got a Blackberry on contract with Orange.
Since then, I have just about had every iPhone thats been going, sometimes two of the same models for testing. Right now, and on my desk I have got the iPhone 6, which is mine and the iPhone 6 Plus reviewer model…
Build and Design...
The iPhones get thinner and thinner each time, but tend to grow outwards, the iPhone 6 is bigger and the first time I picked it up, I assumed it was the plus! Wrong! I quickly changed my Apple order from the Plus to the standard phone. It feels solid, but slippy and will get dropped at some point.
You need to be a Samsung Galaxy Note fan to be in love with this, yet the more its used, the more I am starting to love it, although it doesn’t fit in my pocket and it is starting to show signs of “Bendgate.”
The glass is clear and supposedly scratch resistant, and with 5.5inches of glass available to you, I’m sure the odd hairline scratch will appear in no time.
Display...
The 5.5″ screen is 1080p, whereas the screen on the standard iPhone 6 is 720p, but it really is crystal clear and a Retina display. I’m not sure if this next sentence should drop into the Operating Systems section or not, but I love the way everything rotates and changes like an ipad, from emails to the homescreen. iPhone 6, doesn’t offer this.
Operating System and Apps...
iOS 8 is the launch software for the iPhone 6 plus and it brings a whole range of new features and functions, that the previous iOS didn’t. With this version, the photo editor that comes with the phone now has a few more options, yet Photostream Albums and Camera Roll have disappeared but a promise that this will come back.
You can now send video and audio messages within the app, just by pressing record. I even found out by accident, that if you are within the messages app and have selected someone elses name, you can hold the phone to your ear and it will start recording.
My other favourite feature of iOS 8 is handoff and continuity, this is great if you have a combination of an iPhone and an ipad, or an iPhone and a Macbook. You can literally start an email on one device, go to the other and then select the icon at the bottom of the screen, and finish the email off to send.
Performance and Speed...
I’m not sure if its the iOS 8 software or not, but it does seem very slow and has a few glitches where iOS closes the app, or even restarts the phone, but other features on the phone do seem pretty quick.
On this occasion we were using Vodafone 4G and the 3 Network (3G), we uploaded 20 photos to dropbox, did a few other bits like emails, text messages and sending photos via iMessage. All seemed to work really well, with the 3 network on 3G, working much quicker than Vodafone.
Camera & Videos...
The camera is a massive improvement over the iPhone 5S, with the iPhone 6 plus having image stablisation. The photos print to A4 with hardly any distortion at all, really impressed.
The app now also features Slow Motion with improved frame rate (you can lower the frame rate on slo-motion videos on the iPhone). Time Lapse function, although we prefer (Hyperlapse – Reviewed soon). and a few other bits.
The slow motion video is great and almost makes our GoPro Hero 3 redundant, but not quite yet.
Would It Battery Life Thru The Day...
The battery life is heavily improved over previous models. The iPhone 5S used to get me to about 4pm, before the swirly hypnotic dots appeared. Now I can get through to bedtime and even longer with the iPhone 6 plus. I’ve managed to get it to last me 2 days, with plenty of email checking, facebook updates and a couple of photos.
I still carry a charger, just in case, but its very rarely used now. Also, the new iPhones can take advantage of the quicker charging from the iPad plugs, so go and get yourself some for under the desk.
Disclaimer
We’ve got no tie in with Apple and have purchased this phone directly from Apple’s website. We have not received any money or promotion for writing this review, we simply do it for the love of gadgets. However, links on this page may result in us receiving a small commission. We just like to be open and honest.
