The new Apple iPhone 6 is finally official. After months of near endless rumors and leaks, the latest smartphone from Apple has been unveiled ahead of its September 19th release date. As many predicted, the Apple iPhone 5 successor has improved features that will give Samsung phones a run for their money. Packing an iOS 8 operating system, a new design, improved camera optics and a faster processor, the iPhone 6 is a considerable improvement.
The Design
The new Apple iPhone 6 is noticeably larger than the Apple iPhone 5 that has a four-inch screen instead of the new 4.7-inch screen. The build quality is also excellent, and the switches and buttons are responsive and firm with a satisfying click from the silent and ring switch.
With its all-metal and curved aluminum edges, it actually brings to mind the original iPhone. The glass screen features a slight curve at the edges that feels pleasant against users’ hands in a way that the sharp edges found in the previous iPhone series never quite did.
Other design changes include repositioning the Wake or Sleep button that are now located at the right side of the phone. The tweak leaves the top of this smart phone completely unadorned with no ports or controls of any kind. This makes it easier for people to use without resorting to a second hand or adjusting their grip.
Unlike other smart phones out there, it has a feature known as Reachability. This addresses the issue of a bigger screen for one-handed use. Double-tapping the home button simply slides the entire interface down to about a third of the screen. This lets people quickly access the screen without having to strain.
The interface on the iPhone 6 is fully functional. Users can even tap the status bar to jump back to the top of a webpage. Although this fix is somewhat un-Apple, the feature will appeal to some who often use the multitasking gestures that have been built into the iPad for a very long time. It is this smartphone’s equivalent of a keyboard shortcut for power users who just do not want to be slowed down.
Unfortunately, Apple did not quite manage to fit in the iSight rear-facing camera. Even with a quick look, people can see that the camera lens slightly protrudes from the back. That is likely to mean that the iPhone 6 will not sit evenly on its back. This is a rather odd move, and it does mar this smartphone’s otherwise sleek features in a number of ways.
The Display
The iPhone 6 has a screen that is sizeable enough to make video playback a more immersive and enjoyable experience. This display utilizes an enhanced screen that has ion-strengthened glass, an ultra-thin backlight and improved polarization.
The resolution of what Apple is calling its new high-definition Retina display is in fact no higher than on previous Retinas. It is 326 pixels per inch. However, the 4.7 inch display means that there is 38 percent more display on the 6 than the 5.
Hardware and Specs
The iPhone 6’s A8 processor is the second 64 bit chipset that Apple has manufactured. It boasts a 25 percent faster CPU and 50 percent faster graphics. This makes the new iPhone more power efficient. It also has an M8 co-processor with a number of new sensor tricks that brings this phone on par with a number of leading mobile phones.
With this feature, people can get air pressure and elevation readouts along with distance estimates. Apple never provide battery specifics in mAh. However, the iPhone 6 is rated to last up to ten hours over 4G and 3G LTE and up to eleven hours on video and Wi-Fi.
There is Wi-Fi calling at long last and Voice over LTE. New specs also allow for a theoretical zenith of 150 Mbps downloads. Support for the Wi-Fi 802.11 ac standard means people are looking at Wi-Fi speeds four times faster than those found with the iPhone 5.
Apple also broke new ground when it comes to internal storage. The iPhone 6’s storage starts at 16 GB. Instead of going to 32 gigs, the next version steps directly to 64 GB of internal storage. What is even better is that there is a third model that has 128 gigs of storage.
The Camera
Apple’s 8 megapixel iPhone iSight camera may have had the pixel boost that people might want. However, it has been refreshed with a new sensor all the same. Focus time is down, color looks more lifelike when the flash is engaged and the imaging chip has better ways to fight noise.
HDR is now applied automatically as well. Panorama mode will capture up to 43 megapixels with the five-element lens. There is also face detection along with smile and blink detection. As with some rival smart phones, the auto-pick burst mode feature utilizes algorithms to choose the best from a string of similar pictures.
The iPhone 6 also has digital image stabilization. This reduces the impact of shaky hands on pictures. On the video front, people will be capturing 1080 pixel high definition video at either 60 or 30 fps with slow motion coming in at 240 or 120 fps. It also has a continuous focus feature as well. The camera will adjust as the subjects move around while the person is shooting a video. They can shoot video in HDR mode as well.
Apple has also made a number of improvements to the 1.2 megapixel FaceTime or front-facing camera. The iPhone 6 tweaks face focus and detection to aim for better accuracy and weave in HDR. Video capture still remains steady at 720 pixels HD, and the front facing camera also has a burst mode.
Conclusion
If a person has been waiting since the iPhone 5, wants a somewhat larger screen or wants to try the numerous new features, the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 is the way to go. Aside from that, the reasons to upgrade to the new iPhone 6 are easy to find if a person is not pulled in by the swelling size.
The new processor’s graphics and speed are a great improvement over last year’s. Much greater storage capacity is also another temptation as Apple leaps to 128 GB and 64 GB models. Aside from that, it has longer battery life and an improved camera that enables people to take high quality images at will. With this in mind, this is one of the best phone investments that a person can make.
ᐧ
