What is the iPhone 6 Plus?

Having stuck to it's guns for so long Apple finally ceded the point – people want bigger phones. The continued success of plus-sized Android models like the Galaxy Note series and upcoming Nexus 6 has backed Apple into a corner. And when that happens it tends to come out all guns blazing.

And that's just what it's done with the iPhone 6 Plus. The 6 Plus is like the iPhone 6, but much bigger. There's a little more to it than that.  The main difference remains that huge 5.5-inch screen, but there are a few other small differences. But why has Apple decided to super-size the iPhone now?  The growth in phablet sales has something to do with it, but so does the companion device that Apple recently announced – Apple Watch. With an Apple Watch on your wrist you won’t need to pull the iPhone 6 Plus out of your pocket or bag all the time. 

The iPhone 6 Plus displays all the hallmarks of Apple’s key strengths. Outstanding screen, quality fit and finish and a great all round camera are present, but there’s no escaping how big it is. It will feel enormous to current iPhone 5S owners who will initially baulk at its heft, but anyone concerned by its size shouldn't write it off.

Pros

 

• Fantastic 5.5-inch screen
• Superb battery life
• Great camera with OIS
• Excellent gaming performance

 

Cons

• Bigger than similar rivals
• Very expensive

 

iPhone 6 Plus: Design

The iPhone 6 Plus looks huge compared to some other 5.5-inch phones like the LG G3. LG worked hard to make that phone as compact as possible and achieved something of a miracle. It's a lot smaller than the iPhone in everything barring slimmness.

Apple, on the other hand, has used the same design that the iPhone 6 possesses and it doesn’t work quite as well with the larger size.

The main problem is the large top and bottom bezel. They’re big and they make the phone look chunkier than it could be. The effect is offset by the fact that the iPhone 6 Plus is very thin at just 7.1mm. It also comes with a typically accomplished quality design. The glass and aluminium back merge seamlessly together and the iPhone 6 Plus feels great in your hand.

It’s well balanced and light too at just 172g. You’ll happily hold it for hours and that screen is perfect for browsing the internet or watching movies on the hoof. 



Its size means getting to the more inaccessible sections of the screen with one hand can be a struggle and can result in some straining digits. Apple has thought of this issue and has added a feature to the iPhone 6 Plus that brings the top of the screen closer to your thumb. 

Tap the home button twice and the active area of the screen drops, giving you access to icons, address and search bars. Unlike on the iPhone 6, which is much slimmer, this doesn’t resolve all the issues caused by a big phone. You’ll still find it a bit of a stretch to get to the sides of the screen unless you’ve got big hands, especially when texting.  Most people will need to use both hands to be comfortable in this scenario. Still, it’s an elegant solution that makes using the iPhone 6 Plus much easier than we expected.

Just as on the iPhone 6, the 6 Plus has the power button on the right hand side, about an inch and a half from the top. It’s reachable but it would have been better if it was a little lower down. It’s the same story with the volume buttons on the left.



Despite the slightly awkward location of the side buttons the iPhone 6 Plus handles well even when you’re using it one handed. It feels like a premium product – no-one can quite match Apple’s superb build quality. The iPhone 6 Plus manages to feel both solid and soft at the same time.

There is one area where Apple couldn’t quite get everything to fit smoothly into the body of the 6 Plus. The camera is a little raised from the back so it can fit the sensor with the addition of optical image stabilisation. It only comes out slightly and the edges are chamfered, so it looks good and doesn't snag on material as you put it in your pocket.

They better be large pockets, though. The 158.1mm tall, 77.8mm wide and 7.1mm thick body fits into tight jeans, but not with much to spare. Its thinness helps it slide into pockets, but it is larger than some other phones that come with the same size screen.   

For that reason the iPhone 6 Plus isn’t quite the design triumph we’ve come to expect from Apple. It’s very well made and feels great in hand, but is just a bit too big. LG has shown with the G3 that a 5.5-inch screen can be fit into a body that feels more like a phone than a phablet. It feels as if Apple could have tried harder to make a bespoke design to this size, rather than zapping the iPhone 6 with a growth ray.  

So, if you’re happy with the size of your current iPhone, or if you struggle with larger phones, then you should go for the iPhone 6 as opposed to its bigger brother. It’s a lot more pocketable and big step up from the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S.

If you do opt for iPhone 6 Plus, though, it’s well worth considering Apple's leather case. It adds very little bulk and provides a super grippy surface to ensure you don’t fumble your phone. The larger phone is little slippery thanks to its curved corners and greater width. 

Finally, we need to address the issue that has gone viral – the bendable iPhone. Apple has responded by claiming that there have only been nine cases so far and we believe it. We’ve had both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in tight jeans while cycling and for more than a week in day-to-day use. We’ve experienced no sign of bending at all. 

Time will tell if this is a valid complaint or not but in our experience they appear as solid, if not more, than many other phones on the market. This has also been verified by independent tests. It seems to be a storm in a teacup that has been stoked further by those with an agenda.