Monthly Archives: October 2014

Mon, October 13th, 2014 by Graves and Allen

APPLE iPhone 6Plus

I got my 6 Plus iPhone about 10 days ago. It seems gigantic next to my iPhone 5S; but is only a bit larger than my Galaxy S5. I had some problems moving my information from the 5s to the 6Plus and ultimately had to do it manually (set the phone up as new and then install everything rather than just move the stored information on the 5S backup to the 6 Plus). In the long run, I am OK with that for two reasons: (1) it gave me the opportunity to clear some junk out of the phone that I have not used in a very long time or that has ceased to be useful to me (always a good thing); and (2) it gave me the opportunity to learn how much faster that chore has become with the 6 Plus by comparison to the last time I had to do it (iPhone 5 about 1.5 years ago).

Getting used to the 6 Plus is interesting. I have fewer pockets in which it fits and I read that others had problems with the phone bending if put in a back pocket and sitting down. As I would NEVER put my phone in a back pocket and sit on it, I did not find that issue significant; but I have seen a lot of people (especially those born in the last 20 years or so) doing just that. I keep mine in a vest pocket or a jacket pocket about 85% or the time I do not have it in my hand. Most of the other 15% it stays in my brief case. I will probably look around for decent leather holster that will mount the phone horizontally on my belt to allow me to carry it that way on occasion as well. As yet, I have not found one but Colonel Littleton (one of my favorite leather case makers) is reported to be working on one.

I love the larger display. Everything is easier to read; and the virtual keyboard is much easier to use than on the 5S (I have large fingertips and it makes it easier to get the right key when I use my fingers instead of a stylus). The phone is noticeably faster when doing various chores for me (opening programs, storing data, etc. I did not notice any substantial differences in wireless access or in cellular access between the 6 Plus and the 5S, although the 6 Plus is supposed to show some improvement. Where I REALLY see a difference is in the battery life per charge. That is significant to me as it was one of the main reasons I chose to go with the 6 Plus over the 6. While the larger battery in the 6 should show improvement over the 5S, the 6 Plus has an even larger battery, only some of which extra power goes to the improved and expanded display. Just to give you some idea of the difference, I charge the 6Plus once a day and generally have juice left over at the end of the day. I had to charge the 5S at least twice a day. Yes, I read the projected usage on the Apple website. I attribute the lower usage statistics I am observing to two facts (1) those numbers represent optimal circumstances, with little or no other activity to draw on the phone’s resources; and (2) my heavy usage of certain programs that draw power. If I leave the two phones overnight starting with 100% charge. I will have somewhere in the mid 90 percent range left on the 6 Plus and somewhere in the mid 50 percent range on the 5S the next morning (about 7 hours later).

In terms of form, I like the style of the 6 Plus better than the 5S; it is thinner and more svelte, despite the larger display (which makes it longer and wider).

FYI, I do like iOS 8, but remain frustrated that Apple released it, announcing a number of features that were not yet available. I think that Apple should have held it back until it was ready to release it with all of the promised features working. That’s just me, however.

One word of warning, The combination of iOS 8.0.2 and the 6 Plus resulted in a breaking of the connection to the built-in hands free system in my car (I drive a 2013 Acura). The folks at Acura knew of the problem, as they had complaints from others. They said they were waiting for a fix from Apple. I talked to the people at Apple and, sure enough, they had a work-around to address the issue. I am told that iOS 8.1 will fix the problem once it is released. No ETA on the release date. Interestingly, I also have 8.0.2 on my iPhone 5S and it continues to work flawlessly with the car’s handsfree system.

Bottom line, would I get the 6 Plus again? Yes. Would I recommend it to family and friends? I would say get the 6 or the 6 Plus depending on your need for the stronger battery and the helpfulness of the larger screen. There are no other significant differences between the 6 and 6 Plus other than that the 6 Plus uses optical processes to steady the camera during video recording, while the 6 continues to use digital processes. Additionally, the screen resolution on the 6 Plus is a tad higher than on the 6, but the net effect to the eye is that they look virtually the same. except for the size.

I have posted a picture (courtesy of Apple, Inc.) of the four current iPhone models to give you a rough comparison as to size. The 5c and 5S are the same size (4″ display); the 6 is larger (4.7″ display) and the 6 Plus (5.5″ display), the largest.