Apple iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 6 Review

The iPhone 6, one of the most popular tech releases of the year (as iPhones always are) is finally among us. The iPhone 6 has come with some serious changes this time around, similar to the iPhone 4 release that was much differentiated from its predecessor. If people were bummed out or let down by the release of the iPhone 5, they should be pleasantly surprised by what the iPhone 6 has brought to the table. However, one searing question remains... is it worth the price? Read on to find out!

iPhone 6 Design

The Apple iPhone 6 comes in three elegant colors: gold, silver, and space gray. There's no denying that the phones certainly look fantastically sleek. New to this model are the rounded edges that replace the previous sharp-edged rectangle look everyone is so used to. Some people believe this makes the phone more slippery and easy to drop, but that may be offset by the more durable screen that isn't so prone to cracks as previous models. The screen is supposed to be made of sapphire, but tests have shown that it probably isn't pure sapphire like the home button, but it is definitely stronger than the 5s screen.

The iPhone 6 is likely to make anyone who holds it fall in love. If one is an Apple hater, he or she should avoid picking up an iPhone 6. They will fall in love—fair warning to all. The metallic shell is akin to the iPad air, making it feel very comfortable in the hand. For those who put great design at the top of their list for desired qualities, this phone will make them spend their money.

The phone is also thinner than ever before, however, the camera protrudes a little bit out of the back of the phone, which could cause rocking when set down on a table. Although it feels thin, it doesn't have such a lightweight and empty feeling reminiscent of the iPhone 5s.

iPhone 6 Display

The iPhone 6 comes in two forms, the regular iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 plus. The regular 6 comes with a larger screen than previous models at 4.7 inches. The 6 Plus steps it up a notch (or 2) by boasting a 5.5 inch screen that rivals many of the large-screen Android phones. Those who had a harder time precisely pecking away at the small-lettered keyboards should be delighted with these new screen sizes. Apple must have smartly realized they were losing market share to the companies offering larger screens. Apple also added a Retina HD display to both models of the phone, effectively boosting image quality.

The resolutions for each are as follows:

• iPhone 6: 1334 x 750 with 326 pixels per inch
• iPhone 6+: 1920 x 1080 with 401 pixels per inch

The Retina HD display allows loyal Apple fanatics to experience a higher level of contrast, enhanced wide angle viewing, and improved polarization. The high level of contrast is produced by UV light aligning the liquid crystals exactly where they should be, providing a much-improved look with deep blacks and sharp text. Wide-angle viewing ensures everyone around has just as great a view as the person holding the phone. The Retina HD display utilizes dual-domain pixels that provide great color accuracy all the way across the phone, allowing movies and pictures to look as sharp as possible. The improved polarizer was designed for all of the vitamin D addicts out there as the Retina HD display provides a clearer view for those out in the sun wearing sunglasses.

Simply put, the user has the ability to see more and do more on the larger screen and Retina HD display.

Another feature is the ability to toggle between standard view or zoom view. If one has clunky and clumsy fingers, they might opt for the zoom view due to the larger icons for the apps; however, they would be sacrificing a little bit of their app viewing options as fewer can fit on the screen while in zoom view.

With the larger screen, a user can landscape view like never before. Some apps have new designs that take on a new structure in landscape mode that is different from what people may be used to in previous iPhone models.

No more black bars! The black bars have been eliminated as the iPhone 6 scales all apps to its resolution. All old apps will look just fine on an iPhone 6, but developers may want to re-design apps to be more aesthetically pleasing on the larger screens.

iOS 8 and Processors

The Apple iOS 8 has some great new features for this generation of iPhones. One feature is 'QuickType,' which accurately predicts what a person is going to type before they finish typing it, similar to Android phones. Spotlight search functionalities have also been expanded to include things like news, the App Store, and the web. The iOS 8 also has an improved notification system that provides convenient ways to respond to any notifications a person receives. The notification center can be a bit more difficult to pull down for those with smaller hands, but it's definitely worth the convenience of the new notification features.

The Apple A8 processor is capable of a 50% power reduction, but the difference will likely only be noticed by the most active phone users. The A8 is about 25% faster than the A7 born before it, allowing for quicker task switching, and the A8 also has a 50% faster graphics chip.

Along with the A8 comes the M8 co-processor. The M8 is responsible for detecting motion and is a step up from the M7 in the 5s. The M8 is capable of distinguishing between movements such as biking or running, and it can also act as a barometer. The M8 can track how many steps have been taken or how much elevation has been scaled in general.

The iPhone 6 offers 14 hours of talk time, which is 40% more than the 5s. However, the web browsing time on 3G and LTE still stands at 10 hours, and the video playback time has only increased 1 hour from the 5s, now standing at 11 hours.

iPhone 6 Camera

The camera still has the 8MP lens, and as previously stated, the lens sticks out a bit from the back of the phone; however, this shouldn't be a problem with the sapphire glass protecting the lens.

The camera allows for super smooth shots and fast auto-focus due to the 'Focus Pixels' sensor that detects light very quickly. Image stabilization is improved, allowing the videographer to create smoother video while moving about. The iPhone 6 Plus actually has a feature called 'Optical Image Stabilization' which utilizes a gyroscope to compensate for hand movement.

A brand new video encoder allows video of 1080p at 60fps and slow-motion video of a staggering 240fps that is perfect for viewing every ripple of action. The camera also now has built-in time lapse capability.

Apple Pay

It might finally be time for mobile payments to start taking off. Apple Pay on the iPhone 6 is very convenient, processing transactions almost hassle-free in seconds. All one has to do is select their card from their passbook, hold the phone up to the payment terminal, and use touchID to verify their fingerprint, and voila! Done!

The advantages of using Apple Pay are that it's quicker, multiple cards can be held, and the transactions are processed in a way that masks credit card numbers, providing further protection.

Online payment is pretty easy as well—similar to PayPal, except the user can choose to use TouchID to scan for fingerprint instead of entering a password.

This is a great feature for those who tend to forget their wallet because let's face it, nobody forgets to bring their phone anywhere these days. Right now Apple Pay is only available in the US. Apple has partnered with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and multiple issuing banks, and Apply Pay will be available in 220,000 stores in the US that are already capable of handling mobile transactions with the NFC's short range wireless capabilities.

Conclusion

Some are calling the iPhone 6 the best phone to ever hit the market, and for good reason. This phone is sleek and has a beautiful design and look to it. It just symbolizes supreme quality as it sits in the hands and demands attention. The larger screen and improved features make the iPhone 6 one of the hottest, if not the hottest phone out on the market. So, is the phone worth it's price? Simply put, YES!