Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The iPhone 6 Plus is a stunning composition of aim , and its deluxe screen will be a magnificent showpiece for the latest plot , movies and web pageboy . Sadly , the Reachability feature film is n’t enough to solve the problems of such a large smartphone – those with pocket-size hands will have to give up on one - handed use – and the price rag remains intimidating . The iPhone 6 Plus is a huge leaping from the iPhone 5s , not in terms of engineering science so much as in terminal figure of its physical presence . It wo n’t be for everyone , but we are certain that it will pick up many exponent for whom the bigger screen is ideal .
The iPhone 6 Plus is the big iPhone ever , with the acute cover of any iOS gadget in history . It ’s a phonograph record breaker , but is it deserving the money ? And is it too big for its own goodness , or too big for the medium person to use one - handed ? Our iPhone 6 Plus brushup puts the twist throughMacworld‘s rigorous bombardment of stop number tests , graphics test and camera tests , and evaluates every view of the iPhone 6 Plus ’s design , build character , feature of speech set , battery life sentence , value for money and more .
Apple ’s iPhone 6 Plus went on sale on 19 September 2014 alongside theiPhone 6 , both of which are now 5 month sometime – and if the iPhone 6 is vainglorious , the iPhone 6 Plus isreallybig : a gargantuan 5.5 inches diagonally across its projection screen . It ’s by a huge distance the bounteous iPhone so far , but do the advantage of so much screen door space outweigh the negatives : red ink of portability , greater mogul requirements , and trouble for one - handed utilization ?
In our iPhone 6 Plus review we answer these questions , and many more . Such as : how can you buy an iPhone 6 Plus in the UK ? What it the iPhone 6 Plus ’s UK price , and is it a undecomposed deal ? How does the iPhone 6 Plus liken with the iPhone 6 , not to mention the old iPhones ? Plus , which iPhone should you bribe ? We also cover the iPhone 6 Plus ’s intent and interface changes and its raw features – and there are a duet of really interesting ones that will be denied to other iPhone owner even with Io 8 installed .
iPhone history
This iPhone has been replaced with a new role model . see contact below to our reviews of all iPhone models , including the in vogue generation.iPhone 16is expected to launch in September 2024 ( seewhen is the proficient prison term to grease one’s palms a new iPhone ) , whileiPhone SE ( 4th generation)andiPhone 17are likely to appear in 2025 . encounter out aboutApple ’s September event detailsandhow to watch the Apple September issue lively current ; or for other Apple products , pick up more about all thenew Apple products coming this yearandwhen is the next Apple issue . You might also like ouriPhone buying guide , best iPhone dealsandcomparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Size. Or, is the iPhone 6 Plus too big?
Before the unveiling of the iPhone 6 serial publication handsets , Apple was pretty conservative on size . The iPhone , iPhone 3 G , iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4 andiPhone 4sall had 3.5 in screens ; theiPhone 5,5cand5shad 4 in screen . We ’re not used to dramatic modification in this area .
But now the screen size has seen a striking jump : up to 4.7 in on the iPhone 6 , and on the iPhone 6 Plus a stunning increase all the way of life to 5.5 in .
This is exciting stuff for the many Apple followers who had been blazon out out for bigger screens . But Apple had its reasons for continue thing to 4 inches or below for so long . It come down to how well-situated the phone were to use , with Apple designing the iPhone 5 so you could accomplish all country of the machine while control it in one bridge player .
However , in its insistance on being correct about size not mattering ( or rather , big not always being better ) , Apple ceded the heavy end of the mart to Samsung and co , and client insistency began to build up . Why would n’t Apple release an iPhone with a bigger screen ? Eventually , Apple relented and introduced expectant iPhones . But the original reasons for staying small have n’t gone away .
To get an idea of the iPhone 6 Plus ’s size , here it is compare to the iPhone 5s :
Having held the iPhone 6 Plus we have to say that it would n’t be the phone of selection for all members of theMacworldteam . Some of us have small hands , and the iPhone 6 Plus overshadow them . We could hardly grip the phone with one bridge player , let alone use it one handed .
But even those of us with comparatively big hands get it a little bite uncomfortable to habituate : not egregiously so , just slightly cumbersome . We prefer withstand the iPhone 6 ; we sort of miss the iPhone 5s . And while at first we recall the iPhone 6 Plus ’s form would grow on us , even now , after five month of regular use , we ’re still finding it an awkward shape and size of it .
Macworld ’s Jim Martin , who employ the iPhone 6 Plus every Clarence Day , say that , while he ’s now used to the sizing of the smartphone he ’s not overly keen on it . It ’s not just the fact that you ca n’t apply it with one helping hand ( and even the Reachability feature that Apple has added does n’t help much and he does n’t use it at all any longer ) , it ’s also that apps do n’t make the good use of its pixels . Everything seems too big , because most apps are n’t optimised for the iPhone 6 Plus yet .
Read next : Is it possible to get a free iPhone ? The truth about loose iPhone cozenage
He has said , however , that it ’s idealistic for anyone who want to use it to watch moving picture , as you may hold it with one hand in landscape painting orientation thanks to the with child bezels at the top and bottom ( or left and right when you ’re hold it that way ) and your quarter round wo n’t get in the way of the screen door .
“ I retrieve I ’ll be glad with an iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch combo , but we ’ll see how that pans out in April , ” Lucy adds . get out more about theApple Watch here .
As much as you may hope that you could use the iPhone 6 Plus one handed , you are probable to be disappoint . It really is a twist specify for two - handed mathematical process so it ’ll be tricky to use when bear on a crowded train – unless you select not to advert on to anything .
For some people that wo n’t be a concern . Not everyone commutes and therefore not everyone needs to use their smartphone with one script . If you change your mindset to reckon of this as a two - handed equipment , you should enjoy using it .
And , if all else fails , one quick - thinking accessary maker has already come up with a root : this jumbo quarter round style .
The real substance here is try the iPhone 6 Plus in your bridge player before you purchase it because no two hands are the same and that means that only you may make up one’s mind if you are comfortable with this mammoth earpiece .
For pocketability , the iPhone 6 Plus is of course less convenient than its smaller sib . It does still steal into a pant air pocket ( assist by its marvellously thin body ) but you ’re far more aware of it . The iPhone 6 Plus finger like more of a handbad / briefcase equipment than a true pouch handset .
That ’s been made even clearer since the Bendgate issue arose in brief after the iPhone 6 Plus ’s launch . While we ’ve yet to live the return , many iPhone 6 Plus possessor reported that their iPhone had crouch after being deport around in a pocket for sustain menses of prison term . We speak more about Bendgate below .
you’re able to also register ourfull first look review of the Apple Watch , and ourApple Watch Release Date story , including UK pricing for the Apple Watch .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Reachability
Apple has bestow a feature in Io 8 that have it easier to make the controls for the iPhone . Apple calls it Reachability and it is a pretty good word for what it does .
witting that some smartphone buyers ( and , to be brutally good , the troupe itself , when notice on Android phones in the past ) have say that 5.5 - inch screens are too large to use one - handed , Apple has equipped the iPhone 6 Plus ( and , in fact the iPhone 6 too , even though its not quite so vast ) with the Reachability feature article to enable precisely that .
This is Apple ’s solution for not being able-bodied to reach the far corners of the CRT screen when you are using the iPhone 6 Plus one handed .
You touch off Reachability by tapping the habitation button twice ( just a wiretap , not a push ) . When activated Reachability slew the top of the projection screen down to where your thumb can reach it . The idea is that , when you ’re holding the equipment in one hand , you ca n’t reach the whole screen ; so if Mohammed ca n’t get to the slew , the muckle must come to Mohammed . Ingeniously , Reachability brings the entire screen down to within fingerbreadth - tapping reach . Another double - tap returns everything to normal .
Reachability is n’t a in particular elegant result to the issue , but it is a solution and it does make the large screen more usable . In our testing there was some repugnance in how Reachability was follow up . We bear this to be ironed out in next operating organisation updates .
However , we love the idea , and the humility of know that such an attack might be take . ( equate with the Steve Jobsian ‘ You ’re holding it wrong ’ approach when the iPhone 4 ’s feeler subject emerge . ) Our US colleagueDan Morenisn’t whole convinced by Reachabiity , however .
“ This ‘ fix ’ is uncanny and somewhat un - Apple , ” he watch . “ I find oneself myself wonder if a good resolution might emerge further down the road . But I suspect that this feature will attract to the same common people who frequently use the multitasking gestures that have been built into the iPad for a long time . It ’s the iPhone ’s combining weight of a keyboard shortcut : something for those power users who just do n’t desire to be slowed down . ”
iPhone 6 Plus review: Can the iPhone 6 Plus replace the iPad?
The 5.5 - inch iPhone 6 Plus is Apple ’s entry into the phablet market , something we ’re trusted Steve Jobs would have pooh - poohed a year ago had he still been alive . But phablets are hot the right way now : some say they ’re a major reason why tablet sale have slowed down .
That ’s not to say that the iPhone 6 Plus is more popular than the smaller iPhone 6 . After reporting an incredible , record - go against Q1 2015 in January with a huge 74.5 million iPhone unit cut-rate sale , Apple CEO Tim Cook corroborate that the iPhone 6 was the most popular iPhone . He refuse to break out figure of iPhone 6 versus iPhone 6 Plus , but he did say this : “ What I can tell you is that iPhone 6 was the most pop iPhone last after part . But obviously to sell 74.5 million , they were all really popular . And all did well . There is understandably a geographic predilection difference , where some geos would skew much higher on their predilection to the iPhone 6 Plus than other geos . So it ’s not consistant around the world . ”
Meanwhile , lozenge sales are decelerate , and Apple reported sale of 21.4 million iPads in the quarter , which is 4.8 million less than the same quarter last year , and it ’s certainly possible that phablets are part of the cause .
We have two iPhone 6 Plus owners here at Macworld , and after five month of using it they ’ve found that their iPad - using habits have change . Lucy Hattersley says that , while she ’s always used the iPhone more than the iPad , it is now easier to do work on the iPhone with the larger screen . She incline to reach for the iPad Air in the theater and stick with the iPhone on the move , but she did n’t buy the raw iPad Air 2 when it arrived ( she usually buys all of the latest Apple tech ) , so that ’s jolly telling . “ I ’m not sure I ’ll corrupt another iPad unless it does something radically different , ” she said .
If you already own an iPad – particularly an iPad mini – you may be question what the iPhone 6 Plus could bring you that you do n’t already get from your iPad . Perhaps the iPhone 6 Plus makes more sentiency for those of us who do n’t own an iPad , or for those who cerebrate an iPad is a shade too big for what they have in mind . There ’s also the benefit that the iPhone 6 Plus has many features that you wo n’t see on the iPad , yet .
We tackle this outcome in more depth in a separate clause : iPhone 6 Plus vs iPad mini 3 comparison : When to buy a big iPhone , and when to bribe a small iPad
iPhone 6 Plus review: Design and differences
There ’s not a big difference between the two new iPhones . Other than the size of it ( the Plus is 14 percent wider than the iPhone 6 ) and some more advanced camera technology inside the iPhone 6 Plus , the two sound share many specs and a similar intention that fructify them aside from 2013 ’s iPhone 5s andiPhone 5c .
Despite being the biggest and second - bounteous iPhones of all time in terms of meridian , width and concealment size , the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are both more slender ( flatter ) than the phones that preceded them . The innovation is more sonsy , with rounded edges rather than the straightforward sides of the iPhone 5s .
Oddly enough , the iPhone 6 Plus bring to mind the original iPhone just a little bit , what with its curved aluminium edges and all - metal back . A more late measure for many users will be theiPhone 3GS , the most late ’ rounded ’ iPhone design .
Even the glass screen has a slight curve at the edges , which experience pleasant against your handwriting in a direction that the needlelike edges of the iPhone 4 and 5 series ( iPhone 5cexcluded ) never quite did .
It strikes us that Apple ask to slim down the iPhone 6 Plus as much as possible . Had the border been 7.6 mm rather than 7.1 mm , that would have been a lot of spare bulk to cart around , not only adding to the weight unit , but meaning it would sit less well in your hand : you would have to stretch your palm half a cm further for reach the screen . This definitely matters if you have small hands .
There are other computer hardware pattern changes that set the new iPhones apart from the iPhone 5s . For example , the volume buttons are no longer round , but ellipse . And the sleep / viewing push button is no longer at the top of the iPhone where it has always been – instead , it ’s on the righthand side . This is presumably to make it easier to reach one handed .
As with all iPhones , build quality is excellent . button and switches are uniformly firm and responsive , and the Ring / Silent switch produces a comforting click . One small business concern is the rear - present photographic camera , which ( presumptively as a injured party of the ever - shrinking depth of the iPhone ’s chassis ) sticks out a small bit and marginally itch the integrity of the iPhone 6 Plus ’s visibility . Laying the iPhone 6 Plus down on its back on a hard , flat Earth’s surface make it to lie in unequally .
We will talk more about the unexampled iSight backside - face tv camera subsequently in this critique .
The colour options are the same for the iPhone 6 , 6 Plus and the iPhone 5s : black ( Space Grey ) , whitened ( silver medal ) and gold . Only the iPhone 5c offers a option of bold colour options .
see for more information on the next generation of iPhones ? See ouriPhone 6c bruit , iPhone 6s rumoursandiPhone 7 rumour .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Build quality and ‘Bendgate’
Reports are suggesting that the build timber of the new French telephone is n’t up to scratch . Is this the case ?
Apple has released a program line claim that it rigorously examine its raw iPhones , and thatonly nine people reported a bent on iPhone 6 Plus to them during the first six days of cut-rate sale ( Apple sold 10 million iPhone 6 - series role model in the first three days ) .
Apple emphasised in its statement that : “ iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineer unibody enclosure constructed from machining a customs grade of 6000 series anodized aluminium , which is tempered for redundant strength . They also feature stainless brand and atomic number 22 insert to reinforce eminent stress locations and apply the strongest glass in the smartphone industry . We chose these mellow - tone materials and construction very carefully for their military strength and durability . We also perform rigorous trial run throughout the integral development round including 3 - compass point bending , atmospheric pressure item cycling , sit , torsion , and user study . iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our in high spirits lineament standards to endure everyday , real life use . ”
Apple also gave a tour of the laboratory where its iPhones are try . Apple says it runs three different ‘ sit - down test ’ that copy what might take place if the phone was sat on . The gimmick are also put through a bend trial with 25 kg ( 55 lb ) of pressure exerted . The devices are also twisted .
Apple ’s not the only one to have performed stress trial run on the iPhones . Consumer Reportsperformed their own “ pliability ” run which involved a “ ‘ three - point flexural test ’ , in which the telephone is supported at two points on either end , then force is applied at a third point on the top , ” and found that the twist were “ pretty problematic ” .
Consumer Reports did n’t just test the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus , they also tested the iPhone 5 , LG G3 , Samsung Galaxy Note 3 , and HTC One ( M8 ) .
Even before Consumer Reports ran its tests , Square Tradehad reported that the new iPhones perform imposingly in their fragility tests . However , that caller has since enjoin it will bear out further exam on the new handset .
“ The new series of iPhones performed above expectations , scoring higher than both premature iPhone models and popular Android phone like the Samsung Galaxy S5 . The iPhone 6 ’s Breakability Score of 4 solidification a new high Gospel According to Mark with a slightly better performance than even Google / Motorola ’s Moto X and the HTC One . The much larger iPhone 6 Plus grade a 5 , more than a full point well than the Samsung Galaxy S5 , making it the most long-wearing sound with a blind tumid than five column inch , ” according to Square Trade .
allot to Square Trade : “ The iPhone 6 Plus is not only more lasting than most prominent screen phones , but it also outscore last generation ’s iPhone 5S ; Both new iPhones performed very well in most test , but the iPhone 6 Plus lose some points because some users may have a punishing sentence gripping the phone due to its with child but slim form ; The concealment on both fresh iPhones held up very well to Breakability testing , giving credence to Apple ’s promise of ion - strengthened glass . ” Square Trade offer a protection plan for fluid devices .
It should be notice that that kind of force would have the potential to go against any speech sound . In fact , it ’s not really surprising that a 7.1mm - deep machine made from aluminium would flex . This is on the button what the laws of physics would auspicate .
However , there have been critique that it ’s Apple ’s use of aluminium that is to charge , since this is a comparatively pliable metal . ( Other smartphones include a Mg admixture chassis on the inside for extra long suit . )
Others suggest that rather than the enjoyment of aluminum being to blame , it ’s the design . One Reddit substance abuser noted that the bend is happen where the intensity control button are located , because that is the weakest gunpoint : Apple exercise holes into the aluminium typeface to accomodate the bulk buttons .
In our own valuation we felt the iPhone 6 Plus was sufficiently stout . However , just as you would head off sitting on your glasses , you should avoid sitting on a gimmick that you have just spent a fortune on .
Of naturally , this is n’t the first ‘ -gate ’ scandal associate to afflict an iPhone launching . Back when the iPhone 4 plunge everyone was utter about Antennagate ; last yr there were complaints that the iPhone 5c was too highly price , and that the iPhone 5s was apparently hackable .
orchard apple tree products are not arrant , by any means – no mass - get item can be . But you get wind more about these particular matter because Apple makes good newspaper headline , and also because a lot of people go out and purchase Apple products at launching . Other telephone set digest from interchangeable issues but we hear about them less because the only people who really care are the owners of those twist .
One last hypothesis that is perhaps deserving mentioning : a Reddit user has compare an iPhone 6 Plus bought the daytime after launch , and one purchase six week after launch , and claims they are physically different . It seems improbable that Apple would have been able to redesign the iPhone 6 Plus , making it somehow sturdier without changing the exterior attribute , screen it , ship it and get it out to customers , all within the blank of six hebdomad , but some Apple sports fan are hop it ’s true .
We measure the plausibleness of this theory ( and look at the Bendgate issue in far more depth ) in this article : Apple Bendgate latest .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Specs
Here are iPhone 6 Plus ’s specs , we ’ll look at each in more particular below .
mainframe : as expected , an A8 microchip with 64bit architecture , and a M8 co - processor . pronounce to put up or so 25 percent higher speed – on paper – than the iPhone 5s ’s A7 check , and 50 percent with child graphics performance . Obviously we would enter the usual caveat about current apps being quite comfortably handled by the A7 so that any existent execution improvements wo n’t become detectable until more demanding apps are written for the A8 . More of a time to come - proofing component than a short - condition benefit .
Screen:5.5 - inch ‘ Retina HD ’ screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel density of 401ppi ; 1300:1 contrast ratio ( distinctive )
Rear - confront television camera ( ‘ iSight ’ camera):8Mp photos ; f/2.2;optical prototype stabilisation ; 1080p video transcription
Front - look ( ‘ FaceTime ’ camera:1.2Mp photos ; ƒ/2.2 ; 720p video transcription ; burst modality
Storage:16 GB , 64 GB and 128 GB
larboard : Lightning connecter and Touch ID fingerprint digital scanner
Dimensions:158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm
Weight:172 g
iPhone 6 Plus review: Screen
We ’ve already refer that the presentation in the iPhone 6 Plus is immense : 5.5 inches from box to corner . What is it like to actually look at ?
Apple is refer to the display on both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as ‘ Retina HD ’ . This may be pushing the truth somewhat with the iPhone 6 , which has exactly the same pixels per column inch ( 326 ) as the iPhone 5 , 5c and 5s – they are n’t packed in any closer together .
The iPhone 6 Plus , on the other hand , offers 401 ppi . That ’s the gamey pixel compactness ever seen on an Apple iOS machine , and the same resolving as a full 1080p video display , which is what your high - def TV offers .
Mind you , when Apple first introduced Retina display as a concept it said that the eye was ineffectual to see any more pixel , so peradventure it does n’t really make a difference of opinion . Except it does , as we know from looking at Android telephone with more picture element . We were n’t confident that up the covert resolution beyond standard Retina was worth the disbursement , since many experts had exact that human eyes ca n’t discern greater particular than that at received smartphone aloofness . But our initial impressions were , well , middling neat . Every app we looked at was sensational on the 401 ppi screen . Read : What ’s a Retina display , what ’s a Retina HD display , and are they worth the money ?
Apple say it offers wider viewing angles because of its dual - domain pixels . We sure felt the most impressive aspect of the screen was the wide viewing angle and the extra clearness when compared to the iPhone 5s . When position matted on the desk and reckon from the side we could see the colour and clearly make out the app icons . We also felt that the screen was a muckle less reflective than the screen on the 5s , although being bigger meant that there was a lot more covert for contemplation .
to make the most of the more detailed covert Apple is using scale techniques so that more detail can fit on the screen , including surplus key on the keyboard .
Apple has also sum up a feature call Display Zoom so you could choose to take in the screen door like you would on a smaller iPhone , only zoomed in .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Camera
Another particularly noticeable modification is to the camera – not just new photography features but the fact that the lens of the eye protrudes out in a way that some are suggesting is very un - Apple . So un - Apple in fact that the ship’s company seems to have live to neat length to insure that the unsightly bump does n’t show up in its promotional picture taking . The genus Lens is surrounded by a thin metallic element hoop . Apparently this was a craft - off made necessary by the fact that the iPhone is too thin for the camera mechanics . It may be preferable than the whole iPhone being a few millimetres thicker . If this is the reasonableness though it does seem unknown that both iPhones have the same gibbosity . Surely the slightly thicker iPhone 6 Plus could have concealed more of the bulge .
As we mentioned above , there are some new camera feature offered by the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6 , and some new features that can only be find on the iPhone 6 Plus . Only the iPhone 6 Plus offers Optical image stabilization while the iPhone 6 only offer digital figure of speech stabilization . The lens system on the iPhone 6 Plus can actually move up and down , and side to side in gild to adjust and stabilize images . Apple claims that this ferment well in low - light .
Both iPhones tender Focus Pixels for faster autofocus , this is useful when shooting video as these pixels automatically focus continuously as you are pip . In his review Snell mark that : “ The focus conduct in video is the feature I noticed the most – video focal point has never been really been one of the iPhone ’s strong suit . But the focus in the tryout videos I shoot down with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were clear and smooth , never seeming robotic or jarring . ”
fit in to Apple , you no longer need to tap the screen to tell it to focalise , either .
We tested this feature out and found it to be reliable . Filming a figure and placing something in and out of the frame caused the tv camera to shift its focus between whatever happened to be in the foreground and the figure . It happened quick . launch the same comparison on the iPhone 5s we found that the only way to get the television camera to focus was to solicit on the screen door where we wanted the point of focusing to be . It is an impressive feature of speech .
We took some pictures : this one was take with the iPhone 6 Plus .
The photo below was taken with the iPhone 5s :
There was n’t a huge departure , even when surge in , although it ’s unclouded that the colour look a little more washed out . There also seems to be more detail in the ashen edging near the windowpane .
Here ’s the iPhone 6 Plus :
And with the iPhone 5s :
There is also improved face detection on both the front and back facing television camera ; Panorama shoot at up to 43 megapixels ; and 1080p HD video transcription at 30 fps or 60 fps ( antecedently only 30 fps ) ; Cinematic video stabilisation ; and uninterrupted autofocus telecasting .
We tested the cheek detection . Here is the iPhone 6 Plus :
And with the iPhone 5s ( which in this guinea pig we cogitate took a good moving-picture show )
Below are some further examples of photos we ’ve captured using the iPhone 6 Plus , and we ’re sure as shooting impressed .
Cinematic television stabilisation coupled with Slo - bit video – which you’re able to now immortalise at ace - detailed 240 fps as well as 120 fps – allow for placid action running at one eighth the speed of normal video .
The front - facing FaceTime camera has also had some betterment . It now sport a new detector with a tumid f/2.2 aperture that lets in 81 percent more clear – perfect for low - light source selfies and video phone call This compares to the ƒ/2.4 aperture on iPhone 5s ) . There is also Auto HDR for photo and videos on FaceTime photographic camera ( previously that was only picture ) ; and a Burst mode on the FaceTime television camera . We have n’t had a chance to fully try out this camera yet .
Despite these new feature for the camera , there will be dashing hopes for some . There is no betterment in terminal figure of megapixels . The new iPhones still offer 8 - megapixel cameras . Many rival overbold phones offer many more megapixels . ( However , as you will see from this article , more megapixels does n’t mean better photos . )
study more about the new feature of speech in iOS 8 here , including new feature in the camera and photo app : iOS 8 peak and tricks .
iPhone 6 Plus review: A8 Processor
The raw iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are power by the new Apple A8 processor , although it ’s running at dissimilar clock speed . The iPhone 6 Plus runs at 1.39GHz compare to the iPhone 6 at 1.2GHz .
This A8 CPU is the replacement to last years A7 cow chip , which was a giant leap by its own bill extend a vast speed improvement thanks to its 64 - fleck capabilities . We ’re not going to see as handsome a leap with the A8 chip – but we ’re not certain that we really want to as unless you are playing eminent - powered games it ’s improbable to make much of a difference to you . One way in which the new scrap might make a difference is in power efficiency . The A8 uses a unlike manufacture process that create it more power efficient , and that may have an impact on battery living .
However , the A8 it is definitely dissolute than last year ’s A7 , accord toMacworld‘s tests .
We ran the GeekBench Single- and Multi - Core tests on the unexampled iPhones . The upshot were as play along . Macworld USalso run Geekbench , and their scores were slightly different to ours .
Single - Core
Multi - Core
iPhone 6 Plus review: M8 Processor
The Motion Co - Processor also gets an update . The M8 supersede the M7 from the iPhone 5s . This chip is used to collect sensor data point – it is a clever way to keep battery spirit as it bypasses the A8 ( or A7 ) processor . The M8 also collects data point from the new barometer sensor which is used to measure altitude variety so it can narrate if you have been mount steps and presumptively guage your fitness levels from that .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Speed and graphics performance
While discussing the unexampled A8 processor we say that performance gain from the iPhone 5s are unlikely to be noticeable for the foreseeable future , and sure enough our abbreviated hands - on time with the iPhone 6 Plus did n’t bedaze us with speed improvements . It ’s consummately tricky and spirited in use , of course , but so was the 5s ; high - power game could n’t stretch its powers , but again , neither were they an issue for the previous generation of iPhone .
We range the GFX Bench graphics benchmarking on the new iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 5s . We ’ve been advised that the onscreen results are not currently representative of the aboriginal resolution of the fresh iPhone ( developers are currently knead on a GFXBench update to fix this ) , so we ’ve only got off - screen results for now . The results were as follow :
Manhattan 1080p off - screen door
T - Rex 1080p off - screen
Apple showcased a new plot called Vainglory – gestate more on that bailiwick in futurity – and as you would bear , the new iPhones care its graphical fireworks with easiness . Read : Best iPhone games .
iPhone 6 Plus review: RAM
Both phones appear to have the same 1 GB RAM as the iPhone has since the iPhone 5 found . Many iPhone rivals tender more Aries . While some suggest that it ’s unneeded to add more RAM as Apple ’s Io software manages memory sufficiently well . That ’s not necessarily our experience and we must admit to being disappointed that Apple has n’t added more read/write memory . Hopefully iOS 8 will wield remembering better than iOS 7 did .
iPhone 6 Plus review: Battery life
Battery life history has improved fairly , made potential both by the fact that the bigger case can fit a bountiful shelling . Apple claim that the iPhone 6 Plus battery life is up to 24 hours of talk time on 3 chiliad ; up to 16 days/384 hours of understudy ; up to 12 hour of internet use on 3 universal gravitational constant , up to 12 hours on LTE , and up to 11 hours on Wi - Fi ; up to 14 hours of video playback ; and up to 80 hours of audio playback . That sounds pretty impressive .
By dividing line , Apple take that iPhone 6 battery life is up to 14 hours of talking sentence on 3 G ; up to 10 time of day of cyberspace exercise on 3 G , up to 10 hours on LTE , and up to 11 hours on Wi - Fi ; up to 11 hours of TV playback ; and up to 50 hours of audio playback .
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c had selfsame bombardment life , allot to Apple , which claimed , for those handsets : up to 10 hours of talk of the town time on 3 G ; up to 8 hours of internet utilisation on 3 G , up to 10 hours on LTE , and up to 10 hours on Wi - Fi ; up to 10 minute of picture playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback .
We find that the iPhone 6 Plus is indeed a footfall up from previous iPhones when it fare to battery life . If you use the smartphone for a mix of web browse , phone call , watching videos , play games , taking and editing photograph and divvy up them on Facebook , you ’ll get up to a full two days out of one charge .
It really depends on how much you ’re using it , though . Doing those aforementioned activities all day is going to reduce the battery life , and if you ’re streaming video over 4 gigabyte at maximum brightness , for example , you ’ll find that the battery depletes importantly quicker .
iFixIt hastorn downthe iPhone 6 Plus and reports that the barrage is list at 2915mAh at 3.82 volts : which means the 6 Plus has double the stamp battery capacity of the iPhone 5s , which had a 1560mAh battery . It is also large than the iPhone 6 ’s 1810mAh battery .
iFixIt also concluded that the Modern iPhones will be easier to animate than previous models and the bombardment easier to replace ( although not look at user replaceable ) .
iPhone 6 Plus review: NFC & Apple Pay
The iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 both support Near Field Communications , the criterion that lends itself toApple Pay , Apple ’s fresh mobile requital service . This wo n’t mean much to anyone in the UK yet as we do n’t live when Apple Pay will get along to the UK . It set up in the US in October .
Apple Pay is really exciting to us as a concept : it ’s a mobile payment system that will allow you to pay for stuff using your iPhone ’s Touch ID fingermark electronic scanner . Very commodious , rather nerveless , and in rule more dependable than current credit - card systems , although we ’ll be watching closely to see how the security department side of things work out .
Apple Pay is free-base on the NFC wireless communications protocol so involve an NFC transmitting aerial – which the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 , but no other iPhones , have . So it ’s restricted to the latest propagation of iPhone ( and , in more limited implementation , theApple Watch , iPad Air 2andiPad miniskirt 3 ) .
Read more about Apple Pay in our dedicated FAQs article : Apple wage FAQ : Will Apple Pay employment in the UK , is Apple Pay strong and more interrogation answer
iPhone 6 Plus review: Software
As we mentioned in the beginning , the extra blind real - estate can be used to add feature to apps , like additional keyboard keys . The most noticeable modification is that when you turn out the iPhone 6 Plus home screenland the icons switch to landscape mode , as per the iPad . There ’s a slight divergence compare to the iPad , though : the dock stays in the same place , on the rightfulness of the screen .
Apple has also update various apps to take advantage of the bigger covert , including Mail and Notes . There is a extensive - screen view for landscape painting mode for example . Both apps can use a two - column view with a list of items on the left hand and a prevue or field for edit on the right . This is similar to the way things ferment on the iPad .
Much as if you were using Calendar , Mail or a similar app on an iPad , the iPhone 6 Plus lets you catch many nonpayment apps in landscape style with two columns . And the nursing home screen itself can flip to a landscape manner – an omission which we always found a small odd . ( The dock does n’t flip to the bottom of the screen , though . It sit rather nattily on the side of the screen . )
The iPhone 6 Plus comes with Apple ’s iOS 8 computer software preinstalled ; take a look at ouriOS 8 reviewto see how that appeal . plain you may supplement the nonpayment features of this operating system by grease one’s palms and downloading additional apps , which Apple says now number more than 1.3 million . ( You ’ll also be capable to update toiOS 9for free when it launch next twelvemonth . This will add up some new feature to the iPhone 6 Plus ’s arsenal . )
We enshroud the various facial expression of Io 8 in the undermentioned article . you could also record our iOS 8 tutorials in ouriOS 8 zone .
Using QuickType & Swype keyboard in iOS 8
Can my iPad or iPhone run iOS 8 ?
iPhone 6 Plus review: UK price
The iPhone 6 Plus starts at £ 619 . That ’s not tawdry , is it ? Here are the full orbit of pricing options :
Each of these speech sound cost £ 80-£90 more than the same - capacitance iPhone 6 . It ’s a fortune to ask for a smartphone , even one as beautiful as the iPhone 6 Plus , and potential to put off all but the most attached ( or big - handed ) of Apple fans .
By the way , read about why it ’s not a good idea to buy the 16 GB interlingual rendition : The problem with Apple ’s 16 GB iPhones and iPads
And it ’s deserving pointing out that we ’ve not miss one out – Apple has indeed artfully remove the mid - ranking 32 GB model , which yield the modal buyer a big jog up towards the 64 GB . We ’re not trusted we could manage with 16 GB , although those who put in most of their media in the cloud and seldom download large apps might well be fine .
We really would n’t urge the 16 GB , though . It will be more like 12 GB in reality , and that will fill tight with apps , television , photos and medicine . Try for the 64 GB if possible .
Of course you may not need to bear the up - front price that Apple asks . Many of the UK net will pop the question the iPhone 6 Plus for less than Apple ’s price , you will just make up the difference in the monthly contract price . We havemore information on iPhone 6 Plus UK internet contracts here .
Read :
Read : Why you should n’t buy a US iPhone for use in the UK
