Apple is going big with the iPhone this year. Two million photo-aligned pixels big!
The sight of Apple’s new mammoth iPhone 6 Plus might inspire a lot of witty genitalia jokes thanks to its 5.5-inch display, but Apple will be laughing all the way to the bank, as the iPhone 6 Plus has the potential to be Apple’s biggest seller of the year, and I’m not talking screen size.
Yes, the iPhone 6 Plus has display so huge you’ll need to buy an entirely new wardrobe to fit it in your clothes, but it also packs all-new features we weren’t expecting, some of which didn’t even make it onto the iPhone 6. Despite costing an extra $100, the iPhone 6 Plus is will hit shelves right as the phablet fad is booming, and its armed with features that make it not just bigger than the iPhone 6, but better too.
Here are eight reasons why the iPhone 6 Plus tops the iPhone 6:
Bigger and stronger display
Tim Cook wasn’t been metaphoric when he said Apple was releasing the biggest advancement in iPhone history. The iPhone 6 Plus features a massive 5.5-inch display, that’s isn’t just bigger that the iPhone 6, but features a higher pixel count of 401ppi vs 326ppi.
The beast has 2 MILLION pixels. That’s 183% more pixels than the puny iPhone 5s. It’s like a TV in your pocket, that’s nearly just as hard to grip, but will immerse you in games, movies, websites, and apps like no iPhone before it. And not only is the 6 Plus display bigger, its “ion-strengthened glass” is more durable than the iPhone 6.
You can toss your tablet
The iPhone 6 Plus solves many users’ need for a tablet, boasting a faster CPU than the iPad Air or iPad Mini in a form factor that straddles the line between the iPad mini and iPhone 6. Some exclusive iPad-like features, such as a new horizontal keyboard for Mail and Messages, are being brought over to the 6 Plus, along with gorgeous horizontal apps that display more content, and a horizontal homescreen.
Entertainment factor
The iPad Mini’s screen is tiny, but it’s still bigger than many of the paperback novels I carry with me to the coffee shop, and lengthy reading on an iPhone 5s is painful. The iPhone 6 Plus on the other hand, could be the best reading device Apple’s ever made, and that’s to say nothing about gaming. The huge display and faster CPU will provide the next boost mobile gaming needs, and could double as VR headset if you’ve got some cardboard.
Phablets on the rise
Apple didn’t comment on how many 6 Plus will be available at launch, but production reports indicate they could be in low supply for the first few months. Adding to Apple’s demand problems is the surging popularity of the phablets category worldwide. Sales of 5.5-inch smartphones are projected to jump from 175 million in 2014 to 318 by the end of 2015. Smartphones with huge screens might only be a fad, but it’s one Apple stands to make a ton of money off of, as nearly half of our readers surveyed said they plan to buy Apple’s phablet this year.
Battery Life
There isn’t a big difference between battery life in iPhone 6 and 5s, but the iPhone 6 Plus comes with a significant boost, getting 10 hours more 3G talk time over the iPhone 6, and 30 hours more life when playing audio. Apple users who are tired of being a lonely wallhugger should definitely be tempted by the 6 Plus’ extra juice.
The best camera available
Optical image stabilization may not sound like a huge feature, but it will be one of the biggest specs many iPhone 6 buyers stare at before making up their purchase. The upgraded camera is the most appealing hardware upgrades on the iPhone 6 Plus other than increased resolution, but will it be enough to convince iPhotogs to find a way to shove it their pockets?
New UI features
The thought of Apple adding an ugly “one-handed mode” like Samsung’s horrific creation had a lot of Apple fans apprehensive, but Apple’s solution is actually quite brilliant. Rather than blacking out areas of the screen, a simple double-tap to the Touch ID sensor will shrink everything from the top half of the iPhone screen down to the bottom, within thumb’s reach. The horizontal keyboard picks up dedicated keys for cut, copy and paste, and expanded horizontal apps offer up more content than the iPhone 6. There’s even a horizontal app tray too.
Fanny packs
Don’t think you’ll be able to shove a iPhone 6 Plus into your jeans? Matthew McCounghay is the hottest thing in Hollywood and the dude swears by the fanny pack. “I’m not afraid of the fanny pack. You gotta kinda put it on the side to make it look a little not as nerdy, but still, practicality wins out,” says man who was just nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year. The Rock gets down with the fanny too, although no one told him the Steve Jobs turtle neck and silver chain are optional.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
40 responses to “Bigger is better: 8 reasons to choose the iPhone 6 Plus”
I don’t game and I have an iPad Air. I don’t give a damn if Bongo Boy wears a fanny pack. Why on earth would I need a giant-ass iPhone? I’m upgrading—to a 5S.
Ha Ha – sucka.
I will be seen with the bigger and more beautiful iPhone 6 plus while you will look outdated with a puny 5S.
Sarcasm now off.
I would rather have the iphone 6 than the 6+, but will probably be getting a 5s because of money.
I’m gonna carry my giant-ass iPhone in my JNCO jeans.
ok, the plus might have longer battery better but is just too big i wan a phone i could just put in my pockets and ready to go, i don’t wan to have to carry a freacking backpack just to carry my phone
I made a mock-up out of cardboard of the 6+ and it fits in my pocket!
Here is why I’m going with the 6 Plus: I hardly ever talk on my phone. Most of my usage is text-entry based. Coworkers and I made templates this morning ,and the 6 Plus felt like a minor miracle when going through text motions. Plus, it fit in both my shirt pocket and rear pants pockets (I wear scrubs at work). But make no mistake: it’s HUGE. I encourage anyone who is planning on pre-ordering to make a template of both, because there is an enormous difference between what we have now and what is coming.
Really disappointed that the 6 doesn’t include OIS. It actually had me considering getting the 6 Plus, until I made a 6 and 6 Plus mockup, and realized the 6 Plus is too ridiculous for me.
It has wide angle lens, you don’t really need OIS.
I take many pictures and videos with my iPhone so having OIS is a real benefit to me. I like the size of the 6 and would’ve been just fine with getting it if it had OIS.
One of the reasons I switched from the Samsung Galaxy S3 to the iPhone 5S is that I didn’t like the bigger size. I like that I can fit my iPhone 5S in my pocket, and I can hold and use it comfortably with one hand. I hope that when Apple eventually drops the iPhone 5 series that they will still offer a 4-inch phone. Bigger isn’t always better for everyone.
If you double tap the home button button it will let you reach all our apps on the home screen.
No disrespect but you should continue to using the iPhone 5S. Because i’m sure they’ll never make another 4″ phone.
Jobs: ‘no one’s going to buy’ a big phone
Nice prediction.
Psh, iDiot.
At the time he said he was correct… Remember we were coming from giant unusable smartphones. The man was far from an idiot.
Exactly this. Can you imagine how heavy and thick a 4.7 or 5.5 inch iPhone would have been in 2007? It’s so silly how stuck in the past some people are.
Are you really calling Steve Jobs an idiot?! If so, that speaks more to your intelligence level.
I could be wrong, but you might need to double check… I believe both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have “ion-strengthened glass”.
You mean higher pixel *density*
Wtf they give us a bigger screen and then add keys to the keyboard instead of finally giving us a larger keyboard? That is a big part of why I want a larger screen. So I can flop my fingers when typing instead of trying to pinpoint with my wide thumbs.
Download a third-party keyboard from the App Store FTW! :-D
Where are all the Apple people making fun of the Galaxy Note @ now?!
I’ll still mock people who talk on their iPhone 6 Plus behind their backs. :-P
I’m sure they will care when after they pull up a video on that gorgeous 5.5″ screen of your wife sleeping with the UPS man. What can brown do for you? Apparently everything you can’t! Give it to me big daddy next day air! : P
Aww burn!! :-D
I’m sure they will care when after they pull up a video on that gorgeous 5.5″ screen of your wife sleeping with the UPS man. What can brown do for you? Apparently everything you can’t! Give it to me big daddy next day air! Bubble wrap me baby! : P
ion-strengthened glass is used in both new iPhones !!!! Double checked in the keynote !
Alleluia
Which is a deal breaker for us normal people.
What’s up with your grammar, author?
Probably typed it using an iphone 6
6 reasons would have sounded better.
I’m having flashbacks to 20 years ago when you needed a ‘fanny pack’ to carry your Newton MessagePad around with you.
When supplies of the iPhone 6 Plus pick up, that’s the on I’m going for. I will be amazing for gaming and movies plus reading.
The iphone 6 plus easily fits in your pocket. Fanny pack not required.
Google printable iphone 6, print it out and see. I glued mine to cardboard. It’s really not a big phone and easily fits in a shirt pocket.
Winner: plus, hands down.
Yes, just did the obvious by cutting out a dummy in the 6plus size and it still easily slides in my jeans and inner jacket pockets.
“Tim Cook wasn’t been metaphoric…”
Could we hire professional writers to write this stuff? I don’t care to read articles that appear to have been written by mentally challenged children.
Is that an iPhone Plus in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
This is one of the worst edited articles I have read yet on the Internet. If you seek to be a writer then learn the rules of writing.
I wear pants or shorts with cargo pockets most of the time. If something more dressy is called for I have jackets with inside chest pockets. No problem here carrying an iPhone Plus. Very much looking forward to the many advantages those who have limited spatial concept ability will be missing.
I can Really Put My iPad Mini Retina In My Pocket…Problem Is My Shoelaces :/