Apple has officially unveiled the new iPhone 6 and, as expected, there is a lot to love about this powerful little device. There’s also quite a few reasons to question the investment one might make into this new piece of technology. Let’s examine the pros and cons of the iPhone 6 a little more in-depth.
Pro: It’s the biggest Apple screen ever.
If you love the iPhone, then you’ll love the fact that your screen on the iPhone 6 is going to be bigger than ever before. The basic phone has a 4.7 inch touchscreen, while the iPhone 6 plus has a 5.5 inch screen. This makes it easier to text, plug in website names, and ultimately browse.
Con: Other phones are already bigger than the iPhone 6 Plus.
If you get up into the 6 inch screens, then you enter into a debate as to whether or not you’re using a phone or a phablet. Whatever you feel it would be called, the Samsung Galaxy Mega was released last year with a 5.8 inch and 6.3 inch option for the display. You’ll also be able to pick up the Mega for about 50% of the price of the iPhone 6. You just won’t have the pleasure of calling yourself an iPhone user.
Pro: There’s a landscape mode included for the home screen.
One of the most frustrating things about using an Apple product of previous generations is that when you rotate the item from vertical to horizontal, your icons go all “wonky” on you. The spacing is different, items aren’t in the same location, and it takes you a few moments to acclimate to the new format… or just turn it back to the one you’re most comfortable using. With the iPhone 6, the new landscape mode helps you stay on target without getting lost.
Con: You have to get the iPhone 6 Plus to get the extra pixels.
The iPhone 6 has over 1 million pixels and that’s pretty nice, but it isn’t going to blow you out of the water when compared to other premium smartphones from other brands. The Plus version has over 2 million pixels and this creates pictures in HD with stunning detail, but again – you’ll get just as good of an image from other devices today. There’s even replicated retina technology within the competition that is equally good, if not better.
Pro: The iPhone 6 is the thinnest phone produced to date.
You’ll be getting a smartphone that is 6.9mm thick if you get the iPhone 6. Want the iPhone 6 Plus? It’s just 7.1mm thick. Combined with the A8 chip, the new iPhone is up to 50% faster than the original model. Despite the slim design, the new iPhone is expected to play games at a higher resolution than the next generation gaming consoles that were recently released.
Con: You might have to wait for upgraded games and apps.
Many of today’s best app and game producers have committed to releasing new titles that are designed for the improvements of the iPhone 6, including faster graphics processing for better frame rates in games, but only by the end of the year. That means you might have to wait until next year in order to fully realize the potential of what this new piece of technology can do.
Pro: Pictures just got a lot easier!
With new software working with the higher resolution camera, it’s a lot easier to take great photos with the iPhone 6. Facial recognition happens at greater distances and there’s a burst mode that will take multiple shots and then give you a recommendation on the best one of the bunch. Optical image stabilization is included for vibration-free images and the new ISP helps to naturally increase the colorization of an image, even in low light. Time lapse photography is available at just one touch and the new and exclusive video encoder allows for slow motion video to be recorded at 240 fps.
Con: Continuous autofocus… and nothing else needs to be said.
When your camera is continually autofocusing, it becomes virtually impossible to choose the vantage point of the image. Although most iPhone photographers aren’t going to have much of an issue with this, the serious photographer will struggle to pull in a deep focus or create an image of massively fine details without altering the photo through apps that provide sharpening, filters, and other editing options.
Pro: You get the iOS 8 with the iPhone 6.
The benefits of using the new iOS are too numerous to name. It is one of the best advancements that Apple has taken in an operating system to date and you’ll love how easy it is to multitask with this combination of technology and software. If you could create a definition of form meeting function, it would be the iOS 8 working with the iPhone 6.
Con: Get ready for even more autocorrect jokes.
The texting features in the iOS 8 include the ability to add voice and location to each text, which means there could be a potential lack of privacy that occurs if you send the right text to the wrong person. An even bigger issue, however, is the intuitive texting technology that has been included. It attempts to “guess” at what you’re going to respond to and that means you could send the wrong message to the right person.
Pro: The iPhone 6 becomes more of an all-in-one machine.
The goal of the iPhone 6 is to replace almost all of your data that you carry with you in a wallet or purse. That begins with payments that are easy to make at virtually any point of sale location. When you lock your iPhone and use secure payments, there is less risk of identity theft, credit fraud, and other problematic issues that come along for the ride when you lose your wallet or forget your purse.
Con: Cost.
Although the iPhone 6 starts at $199, this is on a 2 year service agreement. To get a top of the line machine with the iPhone 6 Plus and 128 GB, you’re going to shell out $499 and be stuck with a 2 year agreement to boot. For that kind of cash, you could upgrade your PC to an Apple Mini instead, get a Mega, and not be tied to a contract.
Are you going to be one of the first in line to get the new iPhone 6? When you get the phone in your hands, share your experiences with us below!
