iPhone 6 Plus Review: Apple Enters the Phablet Game

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To the surprise of no one, Apple (AAPL) announced two new iPhones in September: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Also to the surprise of no one, the company set a launch record with the new smartphones, selling more than 10 million on the first weekend of availability.

iPhone 6 Plus Review
Source: Apple

We know the iPhone 6 is good — buzz has been almost completely positive, and our own review of the device found it to be a worthy upgrade for an iPhone owner — but what about the iPhone 6 Plus?

Is the super-sized iPhone also a winner, or do the stretched dimensions and concern over issues like it reportedly bending in some owners’ pockets torpedo the biggest iPhone ever?

Read our iPhone 6 Plus review to find out.

iPhone 6 Plus Review: Really Big Screen, Really Good Camera

iPhone 6 Plus Review, camera
Source: Apple

The iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s answer to phablets like Samsung’s (SSNLF) Galaxy Note series. Yet, Apple has positioned this device to be a big smartphone instead of a near-tablet like the Note is.

Apple’s biggest iPhone ever has a slightly smaller display, making it more compact in all dimensions than the leading phablet. And at 6.07 ounces vs. the new Galaxy Note 4’s 6.21 ounces, it’s lighter, too.

Make no mistake, at 5.5 inches, the new iPhone’s screen is huge — leapfrogging Android flagship competitors like the Sony (SNE) Xperia Z3 at 5.2 inches, the HTC One M8 at 5.0 inches, Samsung Galaxy S 5 at 5.1 inches and Google’s (GOOG) new Motorola Moto X at 5.2 inches. But it’s not so big that the iPhone 6 Plus isn’t pocketable.

And at a full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution, this isn’t just the biggest display you can get on an iPhone, it’s also the sharpest.

And speaking of sharp, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 6 Plus camera is a significant upgrade over the iPhone 6’s, despite having the same resolution and sharing most of the same components.

The difference is the optical image stabilization that’s exclusive to the bigger iPhone.

The result is that one of the best smartphone cameras gets even better, with even sharper photos. It’s not quite on par with the reigning mobile photography champ — Microsoft’s (MSFT) Lumia 1020 with its 41 MP PureView sensor — but the iPhone 6 Plus is definitely capable of replacing your point-and-shoot camera.

iPhone 6 Plus Review: But Will It Bend?

iPhone 6 Plus Review, Bendgate
Source: Apple

The biggest knock against Apple’s biggest smartphone has been accusations that the super-sized, super-thin aluminum-and-glass design is prone to bending.

There have been several reports of iPhone 6 Plus owners finding the device bent while in their pockets. Samsung ran with “bendgate,” quickly releasing a commercial pointing out that its Galaxy Note 4 is built to withstand being in a back pocket.

I don’t think the average person needs to worry about their iPhone 6 bending. Yes, it’s surprisingly thin and aluminum can bend more easily than steel, but Apple did put the iPhone 6 Plus through a rigorous design and test cycle.

In fact, Consumer Reports stress-tested the iPhone 6 Plus and other smartphones and found it performed quite well.

It took 90 pounds of force before the iPhone 6 Plus case deformed (bent), and considering 55 pounds of force is needed to snap three pencils simultaneously, that’s pretty good. The iPhone phablet actually outperformed the smaller iPhone 6 and HTC One M8 — both of which deformed after being subjected to 70 pounds of force.

If you try to bend an iPhone 6 Plus, yes, you can probably do it. If you try to bend your laptop or to flex your big-screen TV until the display cracks, you can probably do that too. But why would you?

Don’t pass on the iPhone 6 Plus based on concerns about it bending. If you’re really worried, keep it out of your pants pockets when you sit down — just like you should do with any phone.

iPhone 6 Plus Review: Specifications

iPhone 6 Plus Review, specs
Source: Apple
  • 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels, 401 ppi) with Gorilla Glass 3
  • 64-bit A8 processor, M8 motion coprocessor
  • Primary camera 8 MP iSight with f/2.2 aperture, focus pixels, optical image stabilization and True Tone flash
  • Touch ID biometric sensor
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0. NFC
  • Lithium-ion battery rated at up to 24 hours 3G talk time, 12 hours web browsing, 14 hours video playback
  • Runs iOS 8
  • 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28-inches, 6.07 ounces
  • MSRP $859 ($299 on contract) for 16GB, $969 for 64GB and $1,079 for 128GB
  • Available in Silver, Gold and Space Gray

iPhone 6 Plus Review: Conclusion

iPhone 6 Plus Review, conclusion
Source: Apple

If you have small hands, this is not the Apple smartphone for you. The iPhone 6 is big too, but at 4.7 inches, it’s much more suitable for those who find phablets too large.

However, if you’re an Apple fan who’s been enviously eying Android phablets like the Galaxy Note and you don’t mind paying the $100 premium over the iPhone 6, then you’re going to be very happy with the iPhone 6 Plus.

At 5.5 inches, full HD and 401 ppi, the iPhone 6 Plus sports the biggest and sharpest screen ever found on an iPhone. In its iPhone 6 Plus review, DisplayMate declared this to be “the best performing smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested.”

Despite its size, the iPhone 6 Plus has a slim profile, and the rounded aluminum case looks upscale compared to plastic competitors. Its A8 processor is a screamer, the camera is a segment leader, you’ll be able to use the iPhone 6 Plus for Apple Pay when it launches, and with 24 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours of web browsing, this smartphone will last all day on a charge and then some.

Once Apple resolves its issues with iOS 8, the iPhone 6 Plus will be as close to perfect as any phablet has yet come.

Unless you prefer Android to iOS …

As of this writing, Robert Martin did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2014/10/iphone-6-plus-review-aapl/.

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