The embargo on reviews for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been lifted, and reviews are flooding in from around the Internet, The reviews are largely positive about both the handset, and its operating system, iOS 8.
Here’s a sampling of the first round of reviews…
Jim Dalrymple – The Loop:
One thing has become very clear over the last week: The choice over which of these to buy will be the most personal decision that iPhone owners have ever had to make when choosing a device.
iPhone 6
…probably the easiest and most satisfying upgrade an iPhone owner will ever have. It looks like an iPhone, it feels like an iPhone, and it comes with a new design and new features.
Of course, the biggest new feature that everyone will notice is the larger 4.7-inch screen. It is stunning. Large enough to be impressive, but a subtle enough of a change that it’s not overwhelming for switchers of the latest generation iPhones.
While in comparison, the design of the iPhone 5s is a bit boxy, the iPhone 6 has smooth, curved corners, that make holding the device very easy. It fits perfectly in my hands and allows for mostly one-handed access to the entire screen.
It is tough to reach the far top edge of the screen, but I can do it with a little stretch. It’s easier to shimmy my hand up the phone and touch the far edge, if I need to, but to be honest, holding the iPhone in my left hand, there isn’t much on the far right side that I ever need to touch.
This is the iPhone I think most people would find to be a perfect fit for their lifestyle, whether they are coming from another manufacturer or a previous generation iPhone.
iPhone 6 Plus
It’s big—bigger than I expected, even after seeing it on screen at the keynote.
After handling the iPhone 6 Plus, I was sure it was a device that I wouldn’t use long term. However, the more I used it, the more I found myself wanting to use it.
Text on the Plus is clear, big, and easy to read, every single time you pick it up. I think that’s why I began using it more as the week progressed.
Surprisingly, I could fit the iPhone 6 Plus in my pocket. It wasn’t as comfortable as the iPhone 6, but it can be done without any issues.
David Pogue – Yahoo:
Inside, Apple has been up to its usual tightening and polishing. There’s a new chip inside that Apple says is 25 percent faster. You wouldn’t notice it without testing the old and new phones side by side. Apps, for example, pop open about a half-second faster on the new phone.
The Plus model has optical image stabilization — the lens jiggles in precise motion to counteract the handheld movement of the phone itself — that works supremely well.
[Plus] – When you’re typing in landscape mode, there’s so much extra space that Apple has thrown in some additional on-screen keys. On the left: buttons for Cut, Copy, Paste, Bold, and Undo. On the right: Punctuation keys and actual cursor keys–a first on the iPhone.
Darrell Etherington – TechCrunch:
iPhone 6
Apple has outdone itself with the iPhone 6’s design – despite gaining a significant amount of screen real estate, it doesn’t feel huge compared to its predecessor, and it’s still a very easy device to use one-handed.
The iPhone 6 is a much more comfortable device to hold vs. the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and 5s…
Apple’s new A8 chip is the powerhouse behind the iPhone 6, and it delivers the kind of performance you’d expect from cutting edge processor technology. […] The iPhone 6 deals better with iOS 8’s various animations, transparency and other visual effects as a result, and can handle powering that larger, high-resolution display without breaking a sweat. It can handle more powerful games, and best of all, delivers better battery life even when tackling visually intensive tasks.
Reachability is a feature unique to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus which is designed to help compensate for their large screen sizes, and make it possible to still use the big phones one-handed, regardless of how large your mitts are. On the iPhone 6, it simply makes things more convenient, as I’ve found no difficulty in using the device one-handed even with the screen in its regular position.
The iPhone 6 is the best smartphone available.
iPhone 6 Plus
The First Truly Well-Designed Big Smartphone
In terms of carrying and holding the device, the additional size makes for a less ‘perfect’ ergonomic quality, something the iPhone 6 definitely achieves, but there’s still lots to love about the industrial design of the 6 Plus.
For most tasks, I find the iPhone 6 Plus to be a two-handed device – but I also find that I’m absolutely fine with that. The 6 Plus is closer in usage style to an iPad mini, in my experience, albeit one that’s pocketable and capable of full cellular voice communications
Apple has also introduced new optical image stabilization for still pictures to the iPhone 6 Plus, and the effects are very impressive.
The iPhone 6 Plus image stabilization results in pictures that look crisp even when captured casually, and Apple’s new autofocus tricks mean there’s almost no waiting before a scene is properly focused and exposed, with as little manual intervention as possible.
The iPhone 6 Plus has another trick up its sleeve, aside from the optical image stabilization and the landscape orientation bonuses: Better battery life.
Walt Mossberg – Re/Code
iPhone 6
In my view, it’s the best smartphone on the market, when you combine its hardware, all-new operating system, and the Apple ecosystem whose doors it opens.
So the iPhone 6’s 4.7-inch screen is a catch-up feature.
But it’s very well done. It has the same 326 pixels per inch as the 5s, and a higher resolution that allows it to display 720p high-definition video (Apple now calls it the “Retina HD Display”). In my tests, text, photos and videos appeared clear, sharp and vivid, with great color that avoids the oversaturation I have found in some Samsung models.
And, despite the larger screen, all my apps — by Apple and third parties — just worked. None that I tested looked distorted or blurry.
In my daily use, the iPhone 5s generally lasted from eight to 10 hours between charges. But during my week of testing, the iPhone 6 did better, going 14 or 15 hours.
Lauren Goode – Re/Code
iPhone 6 Plus
I started to like a phablet.
There are a couple of reasons why the Apple iPhone 6 Plus might also be too big for me to purchase. But I have to admit it: I’m tempted. I really like this phone. And to people who actually prefer huge smartphones: You are going to like this phone, too.
First off, the iPhone 6 Plus is easy on the eyes, in more ways than one. I tested a bling-y gold model; it’s also available in space gray and silver. Its anodized aluminum back is cool to the touch. While I had to stretch my hand to hold the phone, the curved edges felt smooth against my palm and finger fat.
I took a few dozen photos at the beach and in a dark restaurant, and they all looked better than photos taken with my iPhone 5s; though, to be honest, I feel it was a combination of all of the new camera features that made these photos look more professional, not just the optical image stabilization.
I barely used my tablet while I was testing this phone. Instead, I used the 6 Plus to watch videos and read in bed at night.
It didn’t fit well in pockets. And it was too big to hold in my hand, or even wear on my arm, during fitness activities. This is key for me.
There are numerous other reviews available around the net, and we’ve provided a list below.
It looks as is Apple has two winners on their hands. Personally, my wife and I have held off pre-ordering, we want to hold both devices in our hands before we make a decision. How about you? Which one have you chosen? The iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus? Or, do you want to try them out hands-on first, or will you even be upgrading this go round? Please share you thoughts with us in the comments section below.
More Reviews From Around the Web:
Gareth Beavis (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), TechRadar
Molly Wood, The New York Times
Edward Baig, USA Today
Harry McCracken, Fast Company
Lance Ulanoff (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), Mashable
Jason Snell, Macworld
