Hands-On with the iPhone 6
In case you’ve been living under a rock, you know that there’s a new iPhone. In fact, you could say that there are two new iPhones, because one is bigger than the other. This article will not be discussing the iPhone 6 Plus, the larger of the two, because I haven’t been using it for a month.
I, like 10 million other people, purchased a new iPhone the first weekend it became available. I ordered mine through the Verizon website at 2AM on September 12th without any incident or waiting. I received it on the 19th and just like with any new iPhone, the expectations for beauty are fulfilled upon the initial unpackaging. This one is definitely a slick character, the slimmest iPhone yet.
With its 4.7” screen, the iPhone 6 is much larger than the iPhone 5s, with the latter fitting easily within form factor of iPhone 6. But a bigger phone means more to hold, and I’m a one-handed user. It’s almost too big for me in that respect. Over the past month, I’ve used Reachability, the “one-handed” mode, and it helps a little, but I’m still not comfortable using it exclusively with one hand. You can access Reachability by double-tapping on the home button. Don’t double-click, just double-tap.
The iPhone 6 is also very smooth. Unlike the rigid corners and bevels of the iPhone 5 and 5s, the iPhone 6 hearkens back to the original iPhone with its contours. With the larger form factor, albeit slimmer, I find it almost slippery to hold. Worrying about dropping it, especially if using with one hand, I purchased a case immediately to help allay my fears. Having a little more substance and texture on the iPhone 6 with the case is definitely helpful for me.
A marvel to behold, both in image quality and physical appearance, the iPhone 6 display curves ever so slightly to meet the rounded frame that encases it. However, one thing that crashes the party is the back camera. Yes, the camera is improved with a better sensor, but it sticks out from the case. You can’t lay this phone flat on a table – it wobbles. This isn’t what I’d expect from Apple.
With a case this camera issue is resolved, as the cutout for the camera allows for it to protrude, but that shouldn’t be necessary, in my opinion. By making the phone a little thicker, they could have resolved the camera protrusion, added a little more to the battery for longer life, and no one would have griped. It still would have been thinner than the iPhone 5s. I wonder who dropped the ball here, because even the Apple promo pictures showing the backside of the iPhone 6 don’t show that camera sticking out.
Of course, the iPhone 6 also heralded the release of iOS 8, which brings its own host of new features, but that’s for another article. The improved A8 chip and M8 coprocessor drive the new iOS quite nicely and the user experience is sleek as ever. I did see some apps crashing more than on iOS 7, but that’s to be expected when you’re pushing updates. The iPhone 6 has also been rock-solid on battery life, with my only charging taking place at night when I’m sleeping.
It’s bigger. It’s faster. Do you need it? That’s up to you, but if you’re still using a 4 or 4s, I’d say yes. Still loving your iPhone 5 or 5s? Waiting for the iPhone 6s might be in your future.
