iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus – The Difference

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As expected, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at its September 9 event at Flint Center. Rumors and leaks were on the money regarding most of the features of new devices. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display and the Plus sports a 5.5-inch screen. That’s not the only difference between the two phones. Here is a long list of differences between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that may help you decide which one to buy.

Display

The 5.5-inch phablet has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. With Retina HD screen and 401ppi pixel density, it packs more pixels than 326ppi in the iPhone 5S. In contrast, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has a display resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels, which may not excite many users who have grown used to 1080p screens on similar size Android smartphones. The iPhone 6 has a pixel density of 326ppi, the same that Apple has maintained since the iPhone 4. However, the screen has a lot more than just pixels, and Cupertino has done a great job in that area. Both phones have high contrast ratios, 1400:1 for iPhone 6 and 1300:1 for the iPhone 6 Plus.

Design

Both new phones have done away with glass back panels and hard angles in favor of an iPod Touch-like rounded, aluminum chassis. Both devices will be available in space gray, silver and gold. The iPhone 6 is the slimmest Apple smartphone with 6.9mm thickness, compared to 7.6mm for the iPhone 5S. It weighs 129g and measures 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm.

iPhone 6 weight

 

The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus measures 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm and weighs 172g. It is clearly aimed at Android phablets, especially Samsung’s Galaxy Note line. The latest Galaxy Note 4 comes in at 53.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm and weighs 176g. Of course, the new iPhone models will require some getting used to for long-term Apple users.

iPhone 6 friendly for one-handed use despite bigger size

Apple has always favored one-handed operation when making smartphones. That was one of the biggest reasons the company adhered to 4-inch display. Many thought the company would have to compromise on its one-handed policy. But the company has introduced a new “Reachability” feature to help users navigate with just one hand. You simply have to double tap the Home button to enable this feature. It moves the entire UI halfway down the screen.

Camera

Apple has refused to join the megapixel race. Even with its newest devices the company has kept it the same at 8MP. The sensor, with f/2.2 aperture, has seen no improvement from the iPhone 5S. But there is a new feature called “Focus Pixels” that enables faster face and smile detection and halves the autofocus time. The new devices also have an improve True Tone flash that gives more realistic flash lighting.

However, the iPhone 6 Plus camera is better than the iPhone 6. That’s because the 4.7-inch model has got a software-based digital image stabilization, while the 5.5-inch phablet comes with Optical Image Stabilization. So, the bigger of the two can take better photos. As for the front-facing FaceTime camera, both devices get an improved face detection, gain HDR, take in 81% more light, and have a burst mode for selfies.

Battery life

Both models have got battery improvements, but the iPhone 6 Plus scores big. Apple used the extra size of iPhone 6 Plus to cram more battery power into it. The phablet offers audio playback of up to 80 hours, video playback of up to 14 hours, talk time of up to 24 hours on 3G, and 3G browsing of up to 12 hours. On the other hand, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has audio playback of up to 50 hours, video playback of up to 11 hours, and talk time of up to 14 hours on 3G.

Apple Pay

The tech giant finally launched its own mobile payments service called Apple Pay. It combined Passbook, NFC and TouchID to give users a digital wallet. Though it doesn’t create a difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it does differentiate Apple’s products from those of rivals. The tech giant has partnered with several major U.S. banks and payment processors, giving Apple Pay access to more than 80% of the U.S. market. What’s more, it has also signed agreements with 22,000 retailers that will now accept payment through Apple Pay.

iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus - The Difference

Price

Here lies the big difference between the two smartphones. No, the smaller version isn’t a “budget” phone. On a two-year contract, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 costs $199 for 16GB, $299 for 64GB and $399 for 128GB storage variant in the U.S. On the other hand, the 5.5-inch model comes at $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB and $499 for 128GB on a two-year contract. Visit this link for pricing details in other countries.

iPhone 6 Price list

Apple shares ticked up 0.46% to $98.44 at 10:14 AM EDT on Wednesday.

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