The iPhone 6 Review
by Joshua Ho, Brandon Chester, Chris Heinonen & Ryan Smith on September 30, 2014 8:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPhone 6
With every launch of the iPhone, Apple seems to have everything to lose and not much to gain. Apple’s iPhone line accounts for the majority of profits in the smartphone space, and as the smartphone market marches towards maturity it seems inevitable that companies like Xiaomi will be able to deliver largely similar experiences at much lower prices. The same once happened with Apple in the days of the PC industry where Apple approached irrelevance. Yet generation after generation, Apple seems to be able to hold on to a majority of profit share, and they’ve managed to tenaciously hold on to their first-mover advantage.
This brings us to the iPhone 6. This is now the eighth generation of the iPhone, and the fifth generation of the iPhone’s industrial and material design. We should note right now that this review is specifically for the iPhone 6; for the iPhone 6 Plus, please see our iPhone 6 Plus companion review. At this point, it’s not really possible to revolutionize the smartphone, and on the surface, the iPhone 6 seems to be directly inspired by the iPod Touch. However, instead of the chamfered edge where the display meets the metal unibody we see a continuous curve from the sloping glass to the metal unibody that looks and feels great. While the M8 was one of the best phones for in-hand feel, the iPhone 6 goes a step further due to the reduced weight and rounded side. I've always felt like the HTC 8X had one of the most compelling shapes for a phone, and the incredibly thin feel of the iPhone 6 definitely reminds me of that.
Along the left side, we see the standard volume buttons and mute switch that continue to have the same solid feel and clean clicking action. As I discuss in the iPhone 6 Plus review, going by Consumer Reports' data it seems that there is a weak point near the bottom of the volume rocker, although it's far less likely to be an issue on the iPhone 6 due to its smaller size. Along the top, there isn’t a power button because it’s been moved to the right side of the phone so there’s nothing notable on the top.
On the right side, we see the previously mentioned power button and also the SIM tray, which is ejected by inserting a pin into the eject hole. Similarly to the volume buttons, the power button has a solid feel that gives a distinct click when triggered and continues to be quite unique when compared to phones other than recent iPhones.
The bottom has the Lightning connector, speaker, a microphone, and 3.5mm headset jack. The placement and design of all these elements are largely similar if not shared directly with the iPod Touch.
The back of the phone continues to share elements from the iPod Touch. The camera, microphone, and LED flash are almost identical in their appearance, even down to the camera hump’s design. The LED flash does look different to accommodate the second amber flash, but the shape is identical. The only real difference is that the antennas of the iPhone 6 are the metal pieces on the top and bottom, with the associated plastic lines instead of a plastic RF window.
The front of the phone is decidedly more similar to the iPhone 5s though, with the Touch ID home button. While the earpiece hasn’t moved, it seems that the front facing camera has been moved back to the left side of the earpiece, and the sensors for light and proximity are now above the earpiece. For the most part, there’s not much to comment on here but after using the iPhone 6 for an extended amount of time I’m definitely sure that the home button is relatively closer to the surface of the display glass than before. In addition, the home button has a dramatically improved feel, with short travel, clean actuation, and a reassuring click in most cases.
Overall, while I was undecided at the launch of the iPhone 6 I definitely think the look of the new iPhone has grown on me. The camera hump’s accent serves as an interesting design touch, and the feel of the design is definitely much more comfortable and ergonomic than before. I’m not really sure that the extra reduction in thickness was necessary, but it does make for a better first impression. In the launch article I was a bit surprised that Apple chose to have a camera hump but given the fact that the iPod Touch has the same design it seems that there is precedent for such a move. I personally feel that the design wouldn’t be worse by increasing thickness to eliminate the hump and improve battery life as a result.
Apple has also introduced a new silicone case, which brings a lower price point than the leather cases. Surprisingly, this is a rather high quality case, and as far as I can tell it doesn’t carry any of the issues that silicone cases traditionally have. There’s a nice lip to make sure that the display glass doesn’t touch a surface if the phone is put face down, and the material doesn’t seem to stretch or attract pocket lint the way most silicone cases do.
There’s definitely a lot more to talk about though, and to get a sense of the major differences I’ve put together our usual spec table below.
Apple iPhone 5s | Apple iPhone 6 | Apple iPhone 6 Plus | |
SoC | Apple A7 | Apple A8 | Apple A8 |
Display | 4-inch 1136 x 640 LCD | 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 LCD | 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD |
WiFi | 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0 | 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, single stream, BT 4.0, NFC | |
Storage | 16GB/32GB/64GB | 16GB/64GB/128GB | 16GB/64GB/128GB |
I/O | Lightning connector, 3.5mm headset | ||
Size / Mass | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams | 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm, 129 grams | 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm, 172 grams |
Camera |
8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash 1.2MP f/2.4 Front Facing |
8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash 1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing |
8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash + OIS 1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing |
Price | $99 (16GB), $149 (32GB) on 2 year contract | $199 (16GB), $299 (64GB), $399 (128GB) on 2 year contract | $299 (16GB), $399 (64GB), $499 (128GB) on 2 year contract |
As you can see, this is a major release even at a high level. While the design might take some inspiration from the iPod Touch, the hardware is a completely different beast. There’s a new SoC, the A8; the iPhone 6 also includes a bigger and better display, newer WiFi module, bigger battery, and a better camera. Of course, there’s a lot more to the story of the iPhone 6 than a spec sheet. The first major difference that we’ll talk about is the SoC.
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grayson_carr - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
I own an iPad and my wife uses an iPhone. I hate lightning connectors. They're expensive, they die or stop being recognized far too frequently, and I can't use them with any of my other electronics so they add more cable clutter to my house and cars. So your statement is false. There are people who own Apple devices and still hate lightning connectors. Also, check out the lightning cable reviews at Apple's website (1300 1 star reviews vs 130 5 star reviews... hmm)... http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD818ZM/A/lightn...blackcrayon - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
How are people killing these lightning cables? I've never had one die, the first one i got from my iPhone 5 is probably still working (can't tell them apart really, but they're all still working).shm224 - Thursday, October 2, 2014 - link
you are the exception, not the norm. the 1.5 star, out of 5, on Apple review clearly demonstrates that @grayson_carr isn't the only one with unhappy with Apple's charge cables.mrochester - Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - link
It sounds like you're being incredibly careless with your cables. Personally I think people who don't look after their things deserve to see them broken. I've never had any Apple or micro-USB cable break. Maybe try looking after you're stuff a bit better?dmacfour - Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - link
A lot of people think it's normal to bend the connector ends of the cable at obscene angles. I've never done thing with any kind of cable, and I've never had a cable fray.akdj - Friday, October 3, 2014 - link
I agree. We've got a dozen ipad fours. We use them in the field. All over Alaska and from extreme to extreme temperature wise. Had the iPhone 5&5s'es for 17 employees and my wife, nine year old son iPod touch fifth gen and not a SINGLE lightning cable since their release two years ago has crapped out. Two dozen at least with backups for vehicles, desks and homes.This is ridiculous. Whoever 'breaks' a Lightining cable does it intentionally. They don't. Just. Break. Good Lord!
michael2k - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
Apple has more cash on hand than the US Treasury:http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/04/14...
Not sure why you think they needed to compete in the mid and low end three years ago, do you really think they need that much more cash?
Hemlocke - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
Exactly. Every other OEMS competes there, and the only one who is even playing in the same sport as Apple is Samsung, and they have been sent back to the minors over the last year. Competing on the low-end/price is a race to the bottom that nobody wins except Google, much like Microsoft did in the PC business. In the end, Apple proved that model to be inferior, as well.techconc - Thursday, October 2, 2014 - link
Lightning connector is not defective. We all wish USB would have put nearly as much thought into their connectors as Apple has. I can't exactly blame Apple for raising the bar here and showing others how it should be done.It's funny, people see jacka$$ on youtube putting lots of pressure on an iPhone 6 plus and assume it's a real issue. Those that I know with a 6+ don't seem to have any trouble with it in their pockets, etc. Also, why no mention of devices like the HTC One which bends under considerably less pressure? According to consumer reports, it bends under 70 lbs of pressure whereas the iPhone 6+ doesn't start to bend until 90 lbs. of pressure.
supgk - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
Wow.. I sincerely hope it's just Samsung paying you to write that. The thought that anyone would truly believe it is depressing.