iPhone 6 – Everything you need to know

Apple iPhone needs no introduction. iPhone 6 is latest in Apple’s lineup of iPhone series launched with another variation iPhone 6 Plus. iPhone 6 is the next big change after iPhone 5 launched two years ago. The screen is much bigger than its predecessors with better resolution, battery is much better in comparison to previous models. That is not all, iOS 8 has fulfilled every mobile user’s desire of a no non-sense, clutter-free, easy to use interface which does not require one to be a technical geek.

The Blueprint

Apple uses anodized aluminum, just like previous models. The phone is much thinner with a smooth and continuous profile. It looks much better when held in hand rather than in any photographs. The cover glass, curves around the sides to meet the anodized aluminum in minimalistic design. Metal meets glass in a smooth continuous bond making it appear like a continuous surface. Buttons are intelligently placed and reachable with single hand.

Bigger screen required changes in the software to allow single hand usage. That is what Apple is known for, changing the definition of phones! Challenging the idea of “big” but making it small where it mattered. Apple calls it designing inside out. Display, chips, battery all redesigned to make them small, but big on performance. This resulted in one of the thinnest Apple iPhone, only 6.9mm thin.

Retina HD Display

HD screen is not just bigger, it way better than previous models. The 4.7 inch Retina HD display comes with 1,334 X 750 pixels translating it to a resolution of 326 PPI. This leads to almost zero pixilation on screen, text looks crisp and images are extra sharp. Viewing angle is wide so that users can share their screen. Additionally, colors and brightness at screen corners still looks true and sharp. Outdoor viewing is also much better with the improved polarizer. This allows you to view the screen even when you are wearing a sunglass.

Camera

iPhone already boast of a great still camera. iPhone 6 follows its predecessor’s steps. With its large 8 mp iSight camera (primary) and 1.2 mp Facetime HD camera (secondary) with f/2.2 aperture, it’s one of the most popular phone camera in the world. Apple has now added couple of new features to the video mode as well. Options to capture 1080p HD at 60 fps, 240-fps slo-mo and time lapse video making this phone camera a great video shooter too. Additionally, bigger HD display provides a great means to view photos and video. This camera comes with bells and whistles usually found on standalone camera. Focus pixels, face detection, exposure control, auto stabilization, optical image stabilization, photos apps and panorama to name a few. The video camera also comes with an all new continuous autofocus feature where the camera keeps your subject always in focus as you capture your video.

Hardware and Performance

This new iPhone uses A8 chip built on the second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture. What does this mean for the user? For a layman, this means incredible processing power enhanced with a M8 motion coprocessor. This results is better performance and better battery life. A8 chip is the smallest and fastest of chip Apple has designed up till now. Also it is power efficient. Apple mentions that its A8 chip packs two billion transistors which are 50 percent more power efficient than its A7 chip. Apple shows this comparison in graphs shown below:

Source: Apple website

Battery is bigger on iPhone 6 with a 1810 mAh unit in place, non-replaceable as usual. Apple claims that this battery can support 14 hours of 3G talk, or up to 11 hours of wi-fi browsing, or up to 50 hrs of audio! Not bad for a battery size usually seen on smaller phones in the market. Technology and processors power consumption plays a major role here. Refer the below chart for more comparisons.

Source: Apple website Compare now

This phone also comes with NFC module but note that this feature is only for payments using Apple pay and not for data exchange. Apple Pay is currently not available in India, and probably will not be for couple of years. Hence, this feature might not make any difference to Indian user. But yes! If you travel to United States a lot and usually carry debit/credit cards then this feature may make sense for you. This phone also boasts of multiple sensors such as barometer, accelerometer, and gyroscope. All of these are used in plethora of apps available on Apple store, from games to health measurement apps to apps which measure distance climbed on a hill. In terms of internal storage you can choose from 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB variant.

Software

If it’s an Apple, then the software has to be classy! iOS 8 is no different. Apple’s hardware and software are seamless designed to complement each other. This has been, and still is, one of the largest selling point of Apple’s devices. The software is smooth and slick. iOS 8 now allows deeper access to app developers. This will result in better app development and new features now available on apps.

Collection of apps in Apple store is already one of the largest in comparison to either Android or Windows. Again, iOS 8 allows seamless connectivity between iPhone, iPads and Mac and any other iOS device. Apps such as iCloud on iOS 8 allow users to move their important data on Apple’s cloud servers.

Security – Touch ID

Apple’s revolutionary Touch ID security system has made its phone stand out from rest of the competition. Touch ID utilizes user’s finger print to grant access to the phone. Although this might not be of much use to general public, it makes more sense to enterprise users at large. With increasing mobility in place, losing a phone and corporate data is a major concern. This feature ties the phone to a user thus eliminating the risk.

Conclusion

iPhone 6 is undoubtedly the best your money can buy. The phone offers the best in terms of technology, backward integration (if you are an enterprise user), plethora of apps (if you are a general user), big screen, high resolution, good battery performance, exceptional gaming experience, and over the board sound quality. If you are looking at a feature rich phone with a no nonsense approach. Look no further! You can also consider iPhone 6+