iPhone 6

First Impressions: How big should an iPhone be?

Finally, the new iPhone is out. And if you’ve been looking over your shoulder at people with a Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8 and envying the bigger screens on them, Apple has come up with something to cheer you up. It’s called the iPhone 6 (first non-surprise of the launch) and it has a 4.7-inch display. That’s bigger than any previous phone from Apple – though there’s a bigger one, too, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, more on which soon.

Watch the iPhone 6 presentation video:
 
 

iPhone 6: Design

But when you pick it up, the size isn’t what jumps out. It’s the fact that the phone is gently curved, front and back. The back makes it look more or less like a titchy iPad, though the antenna, built under white lines that dominate top and bottom, won’t please everyone.

But the feel is great. Solid aluminium on the back and smooth, curved glass on the front. Not sapphire as predicted, but with luck better able to withstand damage than on the iPhone 5S. We'll see.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus

The iPhone 6 (left) and the iPhone 6 Plus (right) side-by-side

And because it’s thin, for my not-so huge hands, the slender profile makes a big difference to portability. As with all big phones, it’s worth trying this out in your hand before deciding, but first impressions are good. It strikes a good balance between large but not too large.

iPhone 6: Display

The screen is called Retina display HD, although the pixel per inch count is the same as on the iPhone 5S. Never mind, that was pretty spiffy and this screen looks rich, detailed and highly attractive.

Apple points out that the new screen has 38 per cent more viewing area than last time, which is useful, especially in a handset that really doesn’t feel as huge as you might expect.

Unoptimised apps will scale automatically, and Apple claims that they will do so without any blurriness. All the same, app developers are bound to customise their apps to this larger screen given time.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5S: Should you upgrade?

iPhone 6: Specs and Features

Of course, there’s a faster processor and Apple has promised great efficiency here. So that along with faster performance – 50 times that of the first iPhone – and improved graphics, there shouldn’t be a fatal decline in battery performance. Since the iPhone 5S was often struggling to last a day, any benefit is welcome and Apple is claiming that the bigger battery will provide noticeable extra time. The iPhone 6 should last 25 per cent longer in standby than the iPhone 5S.
 
Like every new model, this one does more than before. So the inclusion of an NFC chip means that suddenly, gloriously, you’ll be able to use your iPhone as though it’s a contactless credit card. This is a feature called Apple Pay and could prove to be the most radical upgrade of all. We won’t be able to use it in the UK just yet, though.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5


You photograph your credit card and the details, when confirmed by your bank, are saved in the Passbook app. Then you tap your phone, while resting your thumb on the fingerprint sensor on the chip and pin reader. And you’re done. Your credit card stays safely in your wallet. If your phone is stolen you can remotely wipe it and not have to cancel your credit cards. It’s a slick system, if early demonstrations are anything to go by.

Also interesting is the introduction of VoLTE, that’s Voice over LTE, which makes the most of the faster LTE speeds promised on the iPhone 6 to improve call quality in poor signal areas. FaceTime Audio calls can sound fantastic – this promises to be even better.

Note also, if you’ve been filling up your iPhone with photos, videos and more that there is now a 128GB capacity version available. It’s not cheap but it means you really won’t run out of space this time.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4

The slightly raised camera and TrueTone flash

iPhone 6: Camera

A new phone means a new, improved camera, right? Yes, but Apple hasn’t rushed to increase the pixel count of the sensor. This is still an 8-megapixel sensor but it includes an intriguing technology called Focus Pixels, which measure the light, as other pixels do, but use the light to calculate the focus, resulting in faster autofocus. 

There’s also an improved version of slo-mo in the camcorder, arguably the coolest feature on the iPhone 5S camera. It can now record at twice the speed of before. No 4K video, though, which some will feel is an oversight as other flagship phones build it in.

 

First Impressions

The new iPhone is one of the slickest-looking yet and it performs at speed, though so does the iPhone 5S. Now, though, the prospect of high-definition, fast-moving games is imminent – the demo of real-time battle arena game VainGlory from Super Evil Megacorp was breathtaking. The bigger screen is the first change you notice, but it quickly becomes second nature.

In terms of new features, Apple Pay is potentially the biggest change to how we use our phones and arguably the implementation that will kickstart usage of NFC technology. Unless you want the super-sized screen of the iPhone 6 Plus, this phone offers more than the iPhone 5S and more space in which to use it.