The iPhone 6 continues to set records, sell prolifically, receive critical acclaim, and just generally put the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in an extremely strong position at the head of the worldwide mobile market. But much though this latest smartphone from Apple has received both plaudits and commercial recognition, no device is perfect. Complex modern handsets are always likely to experience a few teething problems, and the iPhone 6 is no exception to this rule.
Problems with iPhone 6
Reachability problems
One issue that has caused problems for some iPhone 6 users is the so-called reachability feature. This is actually a very useful part of the functionality of the iPhone 6, which enables users to reach the top row of applications on the home screen with what is supposed to be greater ease. And it works perfectly adequately for the majority of users. However, this function has not found favour with all Apple fans.
Users of the iPhone 6 that operate the device with one hand can easily make use of reachability. It enables a double-tapping of the home button to move the entire screen downwards, allowing easy access to the top portion. However, particularly in the case of the phablet-sized iPhone 6 Plus, many users operate the device with two hands, which essentially makes reachability completely useless.
Thankfully, it is possible to disable the reachability function through the settings application, and then via the accessibility option. Well, that’s the theory at least. In reality, some iPhone 6 users have found that reachability remains in operation even after they’ve switched it off. For these unfortunate individuals, sometimes re-enabling this and then disabling the feature once more can sometimes reset the problem. If this doesn’t work then it’s time to rely on the good old-fashioned hard reset. Rebooting your iPhone 6 should alleviate the problem completely.
iOS 8 issues
In general terms, the iOS 8 operating system which Apple includes within all of its iPhone 6 models is an outstanding piece of software. It is the amalgamation of Apple’s proprietary software with its internally developed and manufactured hardware which has enabled the iPhone to establish itself as such a slick and esteemed operator.
But the iOS 8 system is not without any few bugs and foibles. One of the most irritating of these is that the iPhone 6 quite frequently gets stuck in landscape mode. Many users of both the smartphone and phablet versions of the iPhone 6 have reported this issue, which seems to be unique to the iPhone 6 given that no such reports have been made with regard to the iPad.
Apple has already stated that it is aware of this issue, and the recent 8.1 IOS release was intended to fix it. While some users have noticed an improvement, this is not an across the board solution unfortunately. There continue to be reports of users experiencing freezes in this mode for as many as 12 to 15 times per day.
Keyboard disappearance
Apple’s iPhone 6 system is based on and on-screen keyboard, which has become the norm across smartphones, despite the fact that the BlackBerry Passport has stuck resolutely to its old-fashioned physical device. Usually this system works fairly well, even if it is easier to type with a physical keyboard. But some iPhone 6 owners have experienced an issue where the keyboard disappears completely. There doesn’t appear to be a direct solution for this; it is usually self-righting within a certain period of time.
Slithery casing
Without doubt, the iPhone 6 scores very well in the looks department. The design of Apple devices is pretty much unrivaled in the mobile industry, and the general reception for the appearance of the iPhone 6 was a positive one. But as sleek as its body may be, it also has a tendency to slide out of the people’s hands rather too easily. Again, this would appear to be a rather insoluble problem, given that the material the device is manufactured from is obviously causing this issue. Users would simply be recommended to cling on to their iPhone 6 devices for their dear lives.
Durability
Already reports are coming in that the iPhone 6 is not as durable as previous devices, and that cuts, scrapes and nicks can damage the surface of the device pretty quickly. Some users have suggested that the silver model of the iPhone 6 is actually the best of those available in terms of retaining its individual appearance. But even those who have opted for a silver iPhone have found it struggles to retain its initial gleam.
Wi-Fi connectivity
Another common and extremely irritating foible with the iPhone 6 has been faltering Wi-Fi connectivity. This is probably the biggest nightmare to any iPhone user, given the absolute ubiquity of the Internet. It is absolutely essential to be able to connect modern smartphones to the web constantly, otherwise they become practically redundant rather quickly. And an iPhone i6 Plus in particular certainly makes a rather expensive music player.
Various software updates and rebooting solutions have managed to ease this issue, but it is fair to say that the Wi-Fi functionality included with the iPhone 6 has been a little less reliable than previous versions. Whether this will improve over time remains to be seen, but it seems a certainty that Apple is currently working on an iOS 8 update to address this commonly experienced issue.
