If you guys think that the internet is drowning in iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus news, don’t worry; the end is in sight. While both new “large screen” smartphones will launch on Friday, reviews for both smartphones are starting to roll in from around the internet.
We’re not going to waste time regurgitating the specs of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus — you can see our original story for that information. The only new bit of information that we’ll add here is that there is now confirmation that both smartphones do indeed come with “only” 1GB of RAM.
So far, here’s a list of reviews that have been posted tonight:
Engadget (Both)
The Verge (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus)
TechCrunch (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus)
USA Today (Both)
Macworld (Both)
Re/code (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus)
The New York Times (Both)
BusinessWeek (Both)
Mashable (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus)
iPhone 6 Plus [Image Source: The Verge]
On performance of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus; both of which are pretty evenly matched:
The long and short of it is that you shouldn’t feel like switching from one flagship phone to another simply because it has more cores; Apple holds its own against the strongest competition, and it still has the advantage of having 64-bit support on both hardware and firmware for at least a short period of time. — Engadget
On the “usability factor” of the 5.5” iPhone 6 Plus:
It’s harder (but not impossible) to use the iPhone 6 Plus one-handed, even with Apple adding a gesture called Reachability which makes the top portion of the display move down toward the bottom when you gently double-tap the home button.
It’s also still a tad unnatural to hold a really large phone up to your ear during a call. In that sense the 6 felt more comfortable. — USA Today
For most tasks, I find the iPhone 6 Plus to be a two-handed device – but I also find that I’m absolutely fine with that. The 6 Plus is closer in usage style to an iPad mini, in my experience, albeit one that’s pocketable and capable of full cellular voice communications. Part of the reason that it works so well as a tablet-style gadget is that Apple has introduced special landscape support for both the homescreen and some its first-party apps, which really add to my ability to be productive using them. — TechCrunch
Both new iPhones feature a protruding camera lens [Image Source: TechCrunch]
On the iPhone 6 Plus’ 8MP camera with optical image stabilization:
The iPhone 6 Plus camera is the best smartphone camera I’ve ever used. Apple’s holding firm at 8 megapixels while everyone else is racing to put ever-bigger numbers on spec sheets, and it feels like the right decision: the iPhone 6 Plus focuses faster, works better in low light, and generally produces the best photos I’ve ever seen from a phone.
The 6 Plus has the same basic shooter as the iPhone 6, but it adds optical image stabilization to the mix, which improves low-light performance even more. It’s not going to help you when you’re shooting anything that moves, like people, but for sunsets and skylines, it’s clutch. — The Verge
On the improved battery life with both new smartphones:
Battery life on phones depends heavily on how you use them. In my daily use, the iPhone 5s generally lasted from eight to 10 hours between charges. But during my week of testing, the iPhone 6 did better, going 14 or 15 hours. Most people will still have to charge it nightly, but won’t be hunting for plugs during the day. — Re/code
During one cycle, where I used my phone only a few times a day to check calls, weather and messages, I got over three days of standby time and nearly 11 hours of use. — TechCrunch
I found battery life on the smaller iPhone 6 to be impressive. I went almost two full days without a charge. Battery life on the iPhone 6 Plus is more like a day of constant use and not much more, but that’s not terrible on a phone that size. — The New York Times
The overall consensus is that that Apple has upped its game by upping the screen sizes of its smartphones (and actually giving customers a choice in the big-screen arena). Not surprisingly, some of the reviewers have resorted to calling the iPhone 6 Plus “The First Truly Well-Designed Big Smartphone,” while The Verge’s Nilay Patel came right out and stated:
I’m going to buy an iPhone 6 Plus. I’m taken with it; it feels like an entirely new kind of device for Apple, and it has such a killer camera I can’t say no. It’s every bit as good a phone as the iPhone 6…
I can’t see myself ever using my iPad mini again after having the 6 Plus, and it’s getting harder and harder to justify pulling out my iPad Air. With the right software changes, I could basically use an iPhone 6 Plus all day long, for everything from sending messages to editing documents to watching videos. A do-everything phone like the 6 Plus would eventually allow Apple to push the iPad even further towards becoming the true laptop replacement it was always meant to be.
Are these latest and greatest smartphones truly the equal of their Android competitors? Only time will tell, but we’re sure that the Apple faithful will be eager to let their story be heard once they get their hands on the devices this Friday.