All about iphone 6s plus. General user experience
The iPhone, one of Apple's most iconic products, has changed a lot this year. The one and only, special, original suddenly ceased to be so. Now there are two of them and you will have to choose which one to buy. The task, I will say right away, is not an easy one, and if you think that you will pick up both new items and immediately understand everything, I have to disappoint you - it is difficult to decide. On the one hand, an iPhone with ideal proportions, on the other, an iPhone for ideal content consumption. Let's try to choose?
Before a full review, watch our short video from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus - short and most important. Happy viewing:
Design: iPhone 2G is alive!
The appearance of the last two generations of the iPhone, to put it mildly, is boring. Yes, the iPhone 5s looks like a jewel with polished edges, but for a long time I wanted something new. And we know that the new is the well-forgotten old, which is why the iPhone 6 in the hands so much resembles the first Apple smartphone.
rounded edges, whole piece aluminum and comfortable fit in the hand. I'm talking now about both models - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, since they are identical in design, the differences are only in size and in some pieces of iron.
The new iPhone could be a real revelation for me, because I always wanted a real smartphone of the future - a stylish, but no frills plate of aluminum and glass. This would be a novelty if someone in Apple's design department would have given Jony Ive a thumbs up when he came up with the design of the antenna module in the iPhone 6. The lines you see on the back cover look mediocre. And on the example of thin and neat stripes on the back cover of the Taiwanese flagship HTC One M8, it’s even somehow sloppy and this is strange. Nevertheless, one can get used to this feature (disputable, by the way, this is a matter of taste).
After two days of using the iPhone 6 already seems familiar. Eyes already refuse to look at the 4-inch display, hands reach for the thin body and fingers want to run over the glass of the new smartphone again. Its edges are slightly rounded, so that the gadget looks and feels like a solid piece made of correct materials.
The only caveat is that it is slippery, so I recommend thinking about buying a cover in advance. It seems that Apple accessories are just right.
Other noticeable external changes include separate volume buttons, which are now recessed into the case and are pressed incredibly clearly. The Power button of the same shape has moved from the top to the right side. The thumb of the right hand or the index finger of the left lies directly on it. The first few hours, of course, you continue to rummage around the top edge in search of a button, but over time everything falls into place - this is the only place where you can comfortably reach your finger and lock / unlock the device.
Regarding the protruding camera module. He didn't bother me at all. Yes, it is noticeable, but the iPhone lies flat on the table and does not stagger when you press it from one side. Maybe there is still a minimal, almost imperceptible movement, but in the usual scheme of use you do not notice this. I tried to poke the module with my fingernail, but it didn't work.
Screens: Steve was wrong
iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s
Immediately after the release of the iPhone 4 (3.5-inch screen), Steve Jobs commented at a press conference on the situation with smartphones equipped with large screens:
It is impossible to manage them with the help of hands, no one will buy them. They are just like Hummer SUVs.
Four years later, his successor Tim Cook presents two new SUVs. One - with a large screen, the second - with a huge one.
The screens of the new iPhones have been greatly increased in size compared to previous models. This is striking when you pick up the iPhone 6, and, perhaps, shocking when the iPhone 6 Plus falls like a shovel on your fingers. An awkward "hmmmm-hmm" quickly changes the surprise - the quality of the display and the picture on them is head and shoulders above than in the iPhone 5s.
The display shows colors perfectly, they are natural - not dull and not violently burnt, as in the Super Amoled screens, which Samsung is actively promoting in Galaxy smartphones. Viewing angles, I think, the maximum possible. Just imagine that you turn the iPhone to face you, and the text on the screen remains perfectly readable. Yes, thanks to the new polarizing film in the iPhone 6/6 Plus, the display behaves much better in the sun than the iPhone 5s.
With the screen of the iPhone 6 Plus, the situation is exactly the same as with the iPhone 6. If you do not take into account that its size for the user of the "five" will seem extremely large. The iPhone seems very unusual with such a screen and, it seems to me, that's what Apple intended. This is practically a new device that can "eat" some iPad mini users and start the process of turning iPads into full-fledged computers with touch screens, predicted by many.
- iPhone 6: 4.7 inches, 1334 x 750 pixels
- iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5 inches, 1920×1080 pixels
Is 1920 by 1080 resolution enough for a 5.5-inch screen? With head. And do not believe those who recommend urgently switching to QuadHD displays, which are already in some Android smartphones - LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The human eye can only distinguish pixels at up to 300 ppi, while in the iPhone 6 Plus it is as much as 401 pixels per inch. The race of characteristics has not yet led to anything good. iPhone against the backdrop of top-end Android gadgets is a vivid example of this.
Iron: simply better
It is not customary to talk about technical characteristics in the world of Apple mobile devices. Where have you heard users of different generations of iPhones talk about processors, random access memory and, excuse me, overclocking? But you want this, right? Then here's a comparison of two smartphones in the Geekbench iOS application to calculate processor speed:
Yes, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are currently the most powerful smartphones Apple has ever made. They run on the same new-generation Apple A8 processor clocked at just (in today's smartphone world) 1.4GHz. Feel free to add the M8 coprocessor here, which helps to clearly count the number of steps taken and calories burned. RAM - 1 GB, as in the iPhone 5s. But was it ever enough? It's not a Mac.
What is the result? In general, iOS 8 runs slightly faster on the iPhone 6/6 Plus than on the iPhone 5s. The difference is very small, literally minimal, but it is there. This is the traditional magic from Apple, when you pick up a new iPhone, after which you no longer want to use the “old” one.
Yes, games load a moment faster, the multitasking menu with previews appears in a second, but this is far from the main feature of the new iPhones. Oh yes, if it bothers you iOS work on a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution, I will say that there are no problems. Both smartphones work almost identically, if you do not take into account minor slowdowns in just a few games (Real Racing, he is). This is an optimization question to ask developers. I've played Asphalt 8 updated to run with Metal GPU DATA, Modern Combat 5 and the graphics are, I must admit, impressive.
Battery: Powerful but no innovation
To be honest, it’s not easy to understand in two days how the batteries in the new Apple smartphones behave. No, not even possible. I can say one thing for sure - my iPhone 5s, which I have been using for about 8 months, during this time held a charge many times worse than both new items that lay side by side. Yes, the battery in the iPhone 5s could “get tired” during this period of operation, but the fact remains that in the evening my smartphone lay down to rest with 0% charge, while the iPhone 6 had 30% left, and Plus, it seems, was ready to work even before lunch the next day. He had about 55% charge left. Worthy.
The numbers you can find on Apple.com speak for themselves. The iPhone 6 can last up to 250 hours in standby mode, while the iPhone 6 Plus will last 384 hours in the locked state. The younger model will be able to show you about five films of medium length, the older one - all seven. The figures are not bad, but not revolutionary. And so I would like innovations in mobile batteries, but not this year, unfortunately. Now in fashion mobile photography and here you will definitely like everything.
cameras: where are my megapixels?
They are not here. More precisely, there are as many of them as in last year's model. And in the year before last, and even in the iPhone 4S. You were deceived, framed and pushed outdated iron at a sky-high price. You are wrong.
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
Indeed, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have an ƒ/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel camera, but with new lenses. One of the most impressive technologies in these cameras is Focus Pixels. This is a phase focusing system that seriously reduces focusing time with camera movements. The principle of its operation is as follows: you take your iPhone out of your pocket, open the Camera application and start frantically taking pictures of several objects around you at once, sharply changing the position of the smartphone. No additional focusing occurs, it seems that the camera reads the picture around you immediately after you took out the phone. Forget "tap to focus" - now iPhone does it for you.
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
Image quality on high level, a minimum of soapy scenes when photographing indoors, this is really impressive. This is especially true of the iPhone 6 Plus with its optical stabilization system, which can take amazing photos. With straight hands, you can create real masterpieces, print them out and hang them on the wall.
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
Apple also worked on video quality. The cameras in the two new products can shoot FUllHD video at 60 frames per second, while slow-mo videos can now be made in two formats - 120 and 240 frames per second. Together with cinematic stabilization during video shooting, we get the most desired mobile video camera of a real video maniac.
iPhone 6 Plus Features: mini iPad mini
No wonder I said above that the iPhone 6 Plus does not seem like just a new smartphone or the second model of this year. This is something new that may soon affect other Apple devices. For example, on the iPad mini. I sincerely do not understand why the user needs a small tablet with a 7.9-inch screen when there is an iOS smartphone with a 5.5-inch display that is always in your pocket. It is simply designed to consume content in huge quantities - you want to watch movies, play action games and arcade games, surf the Internet through Safari or, for example, do video editing through the iMovie application. This is the ultimate gadget for the active user who is on the edge. That is, it is really huge for a phone, but at the same time it is so-and-so convenient during use. In addition, Apple took care of the pioneers and made some changes in iOS 8 that are only available on the iPhone 6 Plus.
First, it's landscape mode, like on the iPad. The desktop, icons, content - everything is in a horizontal position. This feature is activated in Settings -> Display and Brightness -> Appearance. Here we select the normal mode, where by default work is available in a horizontal position.
If you select the "Magnify" mode, all icons and text will become a little larger. It is promising, but we need the support of developers who optimize their software to work in this mode.
Another point is changes in the location of some interface elements in standard applications. For example, in Mail and Messages, dual screen mode is enabled, like on the iPad. This also includes the supposedly improved keyboard, to which the shortcut buttons for the “Copy, Cut, Paste” functions have moved, but they take some serious getting used to. It seems that the system is not finalized. Either the iPhone 6 Plus was released ahead of schedule, or they simply overlooked it.
Unlike other manufacturers of large smartphones, Apple did a good job of making them more convenient. While competitors are introducing complex schemes for controlling large screens into interfaces, Cupertino simply adds one, but useful feature. Double tapping (not pressing) on the Home button lowers the entire interface of any application so that you reach the status bar with one finger. Simple and convenient.
There is also a problem with the display of some applications. No, I didn’t notice any pixels, but the software that looked normal on the screen of the iPhone 5s now looks strange on the 5.5-inch Godzilla. There is a lot of space on the screen, but the interface elements are stretched and look somehow awkward or even clumsy. I think developers are already aware of this nuance and are already revising the interfaces of their programs.
About not the most important: boxes and kit
Pay attention to the changes in the appearance of the boxes from the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Now they are completely white without any pictures, except for the name of the model on the side. The silhouette of a smartphone is embossed on the lid of the box. It looks unusual and unusual. Everything is much simpler with the kit - everything inside the box is the same as with the iPhone 5s: EarPods, Lightning cable, charger and a bunch of paper materials with a paper clip to open the SIM slot inside.
What to choose?: instead of conclusions
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 has changed a lot compared to previous models and has become undeniably better. The most popular (and, therefore, the best, right?) smartphone on the planet has become even better, it is already being swept off the shelves, bought, advised, and taken to countries where there is no Apple Store. This is a definite hit for the next 12 months. The screen is finally bigger, but the smartphone is still comfortable to use, an improved camera, an NFC receiver with support for Apple Pay (does not work for us) and a new design. I don't have a single word for you against buying an iPhone 6. Except for the iPhone 6 Plus.
iPhone 6 Plus
For the first time in the history of the iPhone, we have to choose between two iPhones - a powerful and a second powerful novelty, but with a larger screen. The latter has its own charisma, it attracts with its unusualness and magnificent screen, which in any case will always be with you. It is really very difficult to choose, but I can recommend you something. Do not even expect to come to the store and immediately make a choice there - it's impossible!
Twist in your hands, take a closer look, spend an hour there, but think through all the scenarios for using your future iPhone, but do not buy anything. A few days of rest, the information will be digested and you will get the result - you will definitely be drawn to one of them.
5.00 out of 5, rated: 2 )
The high-tech market works according to general and familiar principles, if the product is successful with users, the manufacturer tries to join this market segment as quickly as possible and compete as much as possible with those who are already present in this segment. It's always been that way, and likely always will be.
While almost every smartphone manufacturer has begun to ramp up the development and production of devices with large screens at a tremendous pace, Apple showed conservatism and persistently released smartphones with a screen diagonal of 4 inches, someone was extremely unhappy with this and demanded a larger screen in the next versions iPhone, and someone idolized them for who they are. But despite all the disagreements, the company slowly but surely continued to set sales records for its iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, but this could not continue indefinitely, and if Apple wanted to continue to receive huge revenue from their smartphones, they needed to follow the market, develop, increase the screen ...
So, the result of this development and following new market trends are two devices from Apple, updated iPhone 6 with 4.7 inch screen and iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5 inch screen. The smaller version is intended for the mass market and for those users who have already fallen in love with previous smartphones from Apple, but the version with the addition of the word Plus became a kind of experiment of the company, this is the first phablet from Apple on the market. We will get to know him in this review.
iPhone 6 Plus It has a 5.5-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (401 ppi), the screen is covered with a high-quality oleophobic coating, and there are practically no fingerprints. Inside the case is a 64-bit second-generation A8 chip from Apple and an M8 coprocessor, the amount of RAM is only 1 GB. The amount of internal memory varies, it can be 16 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB, the manufacturer decided to abandon the 32 GB version. The choice of body color is small, the smartphone will be on sale in gold and gray. Prices in Russia, as always, are not small, from 37,000 rubles. Today we have a 128 GB version of the iPhone 6 Plus in a gray case.
Design features
Apple has made drastic changes in the design of its next smartphone, those sharp, rather strict lines, an abundance of glass and a certain elitism that has become synonymous with the iPhone in the past few years, have disappeared. The new smartphones are made of a single sheet of aluminum, the edges and rear edges are quite rounded.
By and large, the main feature of the iPhone 6 Plus is only its huge screen. Apple was inspired to take such a step by its main competitor Samsung, which released its Note 2 with a 5.5-inch screen 2 years ago, then it seemed some kind of exotic, but everyone understood that sooner or later the fashion for large smartphones would cover more and more and more users, now with full confidence we can say that the moment has come, since even the ultra-conservative Apple has released such a giant to the market.
Characteristics of the latest models of the iPhone line:
However, a phone with a 5.5-inch screen is still very large and uncomfortable for most people. It is simply incomparable in size to last year's iPhone 5s, and those who used the 5s are unlikely to like such a dramatic increase in size. But if you love phablets and have been waiting for the combination of a large screen and iOS optimization, then this will be exactly what you need.
Since the very first leak of information about the new iPhones, there has been a persistent rumor that Apple will use sapphire glass to cover the display of new smartphones, but this turned out to be just a rumor. The screen is covered with ordinary protective glass with increased strength. The edge of the glass has a peculiar thin rim. Along with the change in case materials, the power and volume buttons have also changed, now they have a streamlined rounded shape, there is no marking. The upper edge of the smartphone case is now completely smooth, the power button has been moved to the right side of the case. This was done due to the large size of the case, since it would be almost impossible to reach the button on the top edge with one hand.
On the bottom edge there is a Lightning connector, a 3.5 mm audio jack, a speaker and a microphone hole.
Behind the well-known Apple logo, a round flash and a camera eye. The camera is in approximately the same place as before, but it sticks out quite a lot above the surface of the case, this is due to the fact that the camera module is quite massive, and the case is only 7.1 mm thick.
The back cover is completely metal, so the engineers had to fantasize in order to find the best place for the antennas. Especially for them, two transverse plastic inserts were made, it doesn’t look very nice, but there’s no getting away from such a design feature, if it weren’t for the stripes, then something else would have to be invented.
The SIM tray, touch-sensitive home button with fingerprint detection, front microphone, ambient light sensor and selfie camera are in their usual places.
Screen quality
The screen of the new iPhone 6 Plus has received the highest award from the DisplayMate expert community, and it is absolutely deserved. The screen really looks fantastic, perhaps at the moment it is the best screen on the smartphone market. When comparing the screen with the iPhone 5s, the increased brightness of the new screen is clearly visible, viewing angles have also improved slightly. The bezels around the display have also become thinner.
The iPhone 6 Plus screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, which on a 5.5-inch display creates a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. This is 185% more than last year's smartphone. Although, if you look at the top solutions of competitors, this is far from the best pixel density, but it should be noted that it is simply impossible to see individual dots on the screen with the naked eye.
Indeed, if you look at the competition, there is absolutely no need for more FHD resolution on 5.5-inch screens. For example, LG G3 became the first smartphone with QHD resolution (2560x1440) with an impressive pixel density of 534 per inch. But as we found out in the G3 review, there is a significant drop in performance due to this resolution (about 33% compared to smartphones with FHD screens), and battery life suffers greatly from the higher resolution screen.
Camera
The smartphone is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera module. The lens consists of 5 elements, the aperture is F / 2.2. Apple has also implemented phase detection autofocus in its new camera, which allows you to focus faster and more accurately, and there is also an optical stabilizer.
At first impressions, the autofocus of the iPhone 6 Plus is slightly faster than the iPhone 5s, but the difference is not very significant. Photos look simply gorgeous, especially on the screen of the smartphone itself, when copied and viewed on a large monitor, the delight fades a little, but this is more likely due to the fact that many of us are spoiled for photos from expensive SLR cameras.
In general, the quality of the photos is at a very high level, the iPhone 6 Plus camera is one of the best on the market. In low-light conditions, optical stabilization helps a lot, thanks to which the photos are clear and not blurry. A wide range of manual settings in the camera control application also contributes to better pictures. Compared to previous releases of the operating system, iOS 8 paid quite a lot of attention to the camera. Of course, many users want full automatism from the camera, as they say “point and click”, but this approach does not give the quality of images that can be achieved with a little digging in the settings.
The new camera app adds a much-needed manual exposure slider and the ability to lock exposure. Now you are unlikely to want to immediately after the purchase to look for alternative application to work with the camera.
As for video, the smartphone shoots clips at 1080p at 30fps, and there is also the option to set it to 60fps. There is optical stabilization, which proved to be surprisingly good. The following videos will allow you to evaluate how the camera behaves in video shooting mode.
Operating systemiOS 8
iOS 8 was announced as the most global update for the entire existence of the operating system. Although the average user will not be able to understand this even after prolonged use. There are practically no changes compared to iOS 7, with the exception of minor points.
One of the most common complaints from iPhone 5s users was that the virtual keys were too small. It was very inconvenient for people with large fingers to type messages on a standard keyboard, even in landscape orientation of the screen. In the iPhone 6 Plus, the manufacturer made a rather strange move, instead of increasing the size of the keys, he added several additional rows of buttons with punctuation marks and other symbols. And it would be better just to increase the size of the buttons.
Another innovation is the ability to rotate the screen horizontally on the home screen, in addition, Apple has added a dual panel to a number of applications such as Email, Messages, Calendar Events, Weather, and so on.
Performance and Benchmarks
Both new iPhones feature the new 64-bit A8 processor with an M8 co-processor. The processor is manufactured using a 20nm manufacturing process. The new process technology reduces the space occupied by the processor by 15-17% compared to last year's A7. As a result, the manufacturer claims that the new smartphone has become 25% more productive in resource-intensive tasks and 50% more productive when working with graphics.
Apple has never provided complete technical information on its devices, so the technical data had to be collected from benchmarks. From them, we learned that the A8 is a dual-core chip with a frequency of 1.4 GHz, 1 GB of system memory, a quad-core PowerVR GX6450 chip is responsible for the graphics. It all looks completely unimpressive, especially when you look at the latest Android smartphones with their No. GHz processors and 3 GB of RAM. But we must understand that Apple mainly relies on optimizing its software and operating system, relegating the power of hardware to the background. That is why the technically modest iPhone 6 Plus competes on equal terms (and in most cases bypasses) in terms of performance both in games and in ordinary tasks, with the most powerful Android smartphones.
Synthetic test results:
The main requirement of most users is the smoothness of work in the interface. And many feared that as the screen and display resolution increased, Apple's processor might lose the smoothness of operation that it had before. I can safely assure you that the new A8 processor provides a very smooth and smooth operation of the iOS 8 interface, all animation and scrolling works at a speed similar to that of older versions of the iPhone.
General user experience
The smartphone served as the main means of communication for us for a whole week, which helped us evaluate almost all aspects of it and draw certain conclusions.
In our opinion, in the case of the iPhone 6 Plus, it's safe to say that Apple made concessions and finally released what many fans of the company have been waiting for. The smartphone, although it turned out to be huge, but the rounded aluminum case fits perfectly in the hand, does not strive to jump out at the most inopportune moment. Of course, the rear camera protruding above the body attracts attention, it is clear that this was a forced step and with such a thin body it is quite difficult to fit a volumetric camera module into it, but appearance this nuance spoils unambiguously. It would be better if they made the case a millimeter thicker, but hid the camera in it, as was the case in previous generations of the iPhone.
As for the choice between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it all depends on personal preference, if you are the owner of large hands and like to spend time watching movies or surfing the Internet, then the larger screen option may be preferable for you. If you are a connoisseur of those compact dimensions that the previous iPhone 5s had, then you should pay attention to the iPhone 6, all of which are much smaller in size than its older brother.
We can also not say about battery life, a full battery easily lasts for a full day of very intensive use, which the 5s could not boast of. The main consumer of energy is the large screen, if you use a brightness level below 50%, then the battery life increases significantly, and the smartphone lives for 2-3 days.
The hardware performance of the new smartphone turned out to be more than enough for any task. The interface "flies", any games run and work without problems, high-definition video is played without any complaints. In other words, the iPhone 6 Plus matches the performance of the best Android smartphones on the market.
Conclusion
When the founder and main inspirer of the company, Steve Jobs, died, many doubted that Apple would retain its leading position in this market segment. It is still impossible to refute or confirm this, it will become clearer in a few years. But the fact that the company's policy in the smartphone market has changed dramatically is a fact. The design of the new iPhones has undergone significant changes, in fact, they abandoned everything that Jobs did, for good or bad the user decides. Again, we did not see innovations that could change the market for mobile devices, the manufacturer turned out to be stingy with innovations, as usual, we can only note Apple Pay, which can work with NFC technology. As for the pricing policy, it is standard for Apple, in the USA the most popular solution will be the sale of smartphones with a two-year contract of a telecom operator, the price starts from $ 200, in our country they do not sell iPhone with contracts yet, so you will have to prepare a tidy sum to buy it. The 16 GB version will cost 36,990 rubles, 64 GB - 41,990 rubles and 128 GB - 46,990 rubles.
pros iPhone 6 Plus:
- Excellent bright and juicy display
- Productivity platform
- Excellent image quality from the main camera
- Extended battery life
- Slim aluminum body
Minuses iPhone 6 Plus:
- Protruding camera lens
- Unreasonably high price
Rumors that Apple will introduce a large iPhone in 2014 have been around since mid-2013. There was also talk of an even larger iPhone. This summer, courageous Chinese workers stole so many spare parts from Foxconn factories that some even managed to assemble the whole phone... No one doubted the release of the iPhone 6, while not everyone believed in the iPhone 6 Plus.
And so, on September 9, 2014, Tim Cook from the stage says that in addition to the new large iPhone 6, Apple will now sell the iPhone 6 Plus, a smartphone of impressive dimensions. Needless to say, what a stir began around the novelty. Some fans of the company immediately began to criticize the novelty, recalling Apple's words of Steve Jobs, who said that for convenience, the smartphone screen should not be large, and when using the iPhone, everyone could reach any point on the display with their thumb. Fans of devices under Android control considered that the iPhone 6 Plus is an attempt by Apple to copy the design of flagships from other manufacturers. But there were those who immediately decided to buy the iPhone 6 Plus - these are people for whom size played an important role.
I am the one who was excited about the release of the iPhone 6 Plus and was one of the first to get it. After three weeks of active use of the smartphone, I have accumulated a lot of impressions, the operating experience allowed me to evaluate the strong and weak sides device, and time to arrange thoughts into a full-fledged review.
- iPhone 6 Plus
- Length: 158.1 mm
- Width: 77.8mm
- Thickness: 7.1mm
- Weight: 172g
- iPhone 6
- Length: 138.1mm
- Width: 67.0mm
- Thickness: 6.9mm
- Weight: 129g
- iPhone 5s
- Length: 123.8mm
- Width: 58.5mm
- Thickness: 7.5mm
- Weight: 112g
In addition, not all jeans pockets will be able to absorb this hero. For example, with women's jeans, trousers and other wardrobe items, this trick most likely will not work, but with men's clothing everything is simpler. But even if you manage to completely lower the device into your pocket, then when walking you run the risk of significantly accelerating the wear process of the headphone plug, which now and then falls under the bend of the body. You can also note some inconvenience when climbing stairs, but if you do not step through the steps, then this problem is unlikely to affect you.
iPhone 6 Plus in women's and men's jeans
Deftly getting the phone out of your pocket with one hand is not easy, but if you have already taken it out and are ready to help with the fingers of the second hand, the large screen swallows you up and you no longer remember the frighteningly large iPhone size 6 plus.
iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 Plus
Despite the fact that I think the design of the iPhone 6 Plus is quite successful, I want to find fault with the wide bezels at the edges of the display, which are much narrower in competing models from other manufacturers. If the height of the phone is practically not embarrassing (158.1 mm), then the huge width (77.8 mm) is poorly compatible with the comfort of using the device with one hand.
Photo by iMore. iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina
The weight of the phone is huge - 172 grams, but you are unlikely to remember this in everyday use. The phone does not feel too heavy, except when you drop it on your face while lying on the couch.
It is worth noting that a small thickness, only 7.1 millimeters, is quite good for the confidence with which you hold the phone in your hand. Although, quite a lot of critics and users note that it is difficult to confidently hold the iPhone 6 Plus with one hand and there is a high probability of dropping it. Apparently, it depends on the size of the hands. In any case, you can always help with the fingers of the other hand.
iPhone 6 Plus design and construction
When photos of the back of the iPhone 6 began to appear online, many people were very unhappy with the thick plastic strips on the top and bottom of the case. These inserts are necessary for the signal to pass through, as the body materials prevent this in other places. Yes, in the photo the stripes really look disgusting, but in real life attention is not focused on them at all, which cannot be said about the protruding camera, but more on that later. Can these plastic inserts be called a disadvantage? Probably not. But it would be much better if they were made solid or vice versa, as thin as possible.But the protruding camera is really unpleasant. Of course, if you use a case, you won't even remember that the camera in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus protrudes, and even without a case, this feature does not bother. You remember the protruding camera in two cases: when the phone is lying on a flat surface; and when the phone is lying on a dirty surface.
I didn't just talk about dirt. The protective glass of the camera is practically deepened, which ensures its friction with any crumbs and grains of sand. Apple claims that the camera lens of the iPhone 6 Plus is protected by sapphire glass, but I'm still afraid of scratching it.
Otherwise, I liked the design of the new iPhone. The buttons fit perfectly, all connections are sealed to keep moisture out, and the sloping corners are so nice to the touch you might think they're soft. The feeling of how the finger rolls off the front panel is indescribable.
The Home button has also been changed. The Touch ID sensor has become significantly smaller, a nice edging has appeared, which gives the impression that the button has become smaller. The Power button has changed its location and is very convenient to use except when you need to take a screenshot. Sometimes you can accidentally press it when taking a photo. Bad, but not critical. Will have to get used to.
The design really turned out well. The phone seems to be monolithic, you can feel the quality of the materials used and it is very pleasant to hold it in your hands.
Hardware and performance iPhone 6 Plus
The new iPhone models received an updated A8 dual-core processor (64-bit) and an M8 co-processor. Tests show that the performance increase relative to the iPhone 5s can hardly be called impressive. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are only 20-25% more powerful than their predecessors, and in some synthetic tests, the performance increase is even less than 10%.The Apple A8 is made using a 20nm process, and the smaller this value, the higher the energy efficiency. In other words, the new processor, with higher performance, consumes less power and generates less heat.
Despite the fact that the frequency of the processor in the iPhone 6 Plus is higher than in the iPhone 6, the phones show almost the same performance. This is because the screen resolution of the 5.5-inch iPhone is higher than that of its smaller counterpart.
As you can see, the GPU has also been upgraded. Instead of the old PowerVR G6430, the new iPhone roars PowerVR GX6450. And note that the key change in the model name is not the number 5 at all, but the letter X. The PowerVR G6430 is a two-year-old obsolete GPU, while the GX6450 is a powerful modern GPU released this year.
ixbt.com performance text
The GX6450 is more than just an improved processor. The GX6450 is a 4-cluster model of the six-cluster GX6650. For those who are not in the know, I will explain that the GX6650 is one of the most powerful mobile GPUs that competes with the Tegra K1.
Considering that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus took the lead in the BASEMARK X synthetic gaming test, you don't have to worry about the marginal performance gains compared to the iPhone 5s. The new Apple phones are really very powerful devices.
But what is really sad is the amount of RAM, it remained at the level of the iPhone of previous generations - 1 gigabyte of the LPDDR3 standard. This is damn small by today's standards, but in practice you are unlikely to notice this drawback.
You can read more about performance tests in. I also recommend looking at the performance of the iPhone 6 in everyday tasks, relative to flagships from other manufacturers.
The new iPhones received the MDM9625M modem, which provides throughput up to 150 Mbps in LTE networks, but for such speed the operator must provide a wide range. It seems that only Megafon technically supports such a huge bandwidth in Russia.
The phone supports LTE networks of almost all mobile operators in the world, which can also be called an indisputable plus.
The Wi-Fi module in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is IEEE 802.11ac. show that data transfer rates over Wi-Fi in practice can be up to 275 Mbps.
Also, the new iPhones received NFC support, although even iFixed could not determine its location on the motherboard. There is a version that the module is so weak that it is not able to provide sufficient data transfer rate for everyday tasks. However, this does not matter, since NFC in the iPhone 6 Plus is used only for payments through the Apple Pay system. In other words, we can assume that the new iPhones do not have full-fledged NFC.
The iPhone 6 Plus display is a different story
As mentioned above, the iPhone 6 Plus received a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The density is 401 pixels per inch. This is not the highest on the market, but it is higher than the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s, which have a dpi of 326 pixels.Apple calls the new screen Retina HD, but I can assure you, the increased resolution is not what surprises the display at all. It is so thin that even with a close look it is difficult to see the glass between your finger and the icon on the springboard. It creates an amazing impression that all the elements of the iOS interface seem to stick to your finger.
The iPhone 6 Plus' display contrast ratio is 1300:1, resulting in blacks approaching what we see on Amoled matrices, and whites are almost flawless even when the phone is tilted a lot. Retina HD is 99% compliant with the sRGB color standard.
There is no need to talk about viewing angles, they are impeccable. The polarizer has also been improved, the display is now not so afraid of bright light.
I would like to note that the display on the iPhone 6 is a little better than on the iPhone 6 Plus. It displays whites and blacks better at obtuse viewing angles. This can only be seen in absolute darkness, and then if you keep both phones nearby.
Either way, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have some of the best displays on the market. Even DisplayMate, one of the world's most respected experts, has come to the conclusion that Apple's new phones have the best mobile LCD display they've ever tested.
Experts point out that it is wrong to say that the display of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or other Android flagship is better than the iPhone 6 Plus or vice versa, as they both strive for ideal in "different weight categories." The Note 4's display strives to be ideal in the Adobe RGB color palette, which is most commonly used in print, while the new iPhone's display is designed for the sRGB palette, which is more in line with the colors we see in Everyday life.
iPhone 6 Plus battery life
It must be admitted that the iPhone has not demonstrated outstanding battery life compared to competitors from the Android camp for a long time and the reason was the small dimensions of Apple phones, which did not allow the use of a physically large and capacious battery. Unlike the iPad and Macbook, their battery life has always been amazing, and with the advent of the big iPhone 6 Plus, Apple was able to use a very capacious battery.Let's compare the official figures:
- iPhone 6 Plus
- Capacity 2915 mAh
- Talk time: up to 24h
- Standby: up to 384h
- Video: up to 14h
- Music: up to 80h
- Internet 3G: up to 12h
- Internet LTE: up to 12h
- Internet Wi-Fi: up to 12h
- iPhone 6
- Capacity 1810 mAh
- Talk time: up to 14h
- Standby: up to 250h
- Video: up to 11h
- Music: up to 50h
- Internet 3G: up to 10h
- Internet LTE: up to 10h
- Internet Wi-Fi: until 11h
- iPhone 5
- Capacity 1570 mAh
- Talk time: up to 10h
- Standby: up to 250h
- Video: up to 10h
- Music: up to 40h
- Internet 3G: up to 8h
- Internet LTE: up to 10h
- Internet Wi-Fi: up to 10h
In practice, the phone can really work for a very long time, so long that I have never managed to completely land it. If you only make calls and occasionally surf the Internet, then the battery charge may well be enough for you for two full working days.
And no need to look towards the Android camp, where phones have a more capacious battery. The iPhone 6 Plus achieves this by optimizing iOS and using more energy efficient hardware. One GX6450 is worth something...
Photo and video camera iPhone 6 Plus
The new iPhones have an 8-megapixel iSight camera with a 1.5µ pixel size. Since the iPhone 5s, it has undergone a few changes, but they are.Focus Pixels technology has appeared, which allows the camera to autofocus faster. Do not think that this technology is something super new and incredible, competitors have analogues, but they have different names.
Some examples of photos taken on the iPhone 6 Plus
Among other things, I would like to note the increased resolution of the panoramic image to 43 megapixels.
The iPhone 6 Plus has got optical image stabilization, which the iPhone 6 does not have. And some even complain about it, claiming that it creates the effect of motion sickness if you stare at the phone screen for a long time. No matter how I tried to feel such a curious effect, I did not succeed. Perhaps something can be noticed, but it is difficult to call it a minus or a disadvantage.
Also worth noting is the True Tone dual flash, which was there before, but in the new iPhones it has received a round and more compact shape. True Tone allows you to take better pictures in poor visibility conditions.
Sample photo in low light conditions without flash and with flash
Otherwise, the camera in the iPhone remains the same as in the iPhone 5s, it is a five-element lens protected by sapphire crystal, with an ƒ / 2.2 aperture, a light sensor on the rear panel and a hybrid IR filter.
8 megapixels - is it not enough or their number is completely unimportant? On mobile-review.com, there was a small camera comparison between the iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S5, which has a 16 megapixel camera. I decided to cut out the same fragment of photos and reduced them to the same size, resulting in a visual comparison of the cameras of the two flagships. I suggest you check out the results.
iPhone 6 Plus on the left, Galaxy S5 on the right. Photo mobile-review.com
As you can see, in most cases, the iPhone 6 Plus camera shoots better than the Galaxy S5 camera. But in low light conditions, the Samsung phone takes better pictures.
The camcorder has also been updated. The camera was able to shoot video at 240 frames per second. This means that we can shoot video and view it 8 times slower, although its quality leaves much to be desired.
Youtube has plenty of great 240fps Slomo videos shot on the iPhone 6, but I haven't been able to make a single video that's great. The resolution in this mode is lower, and if the room is slightly dimmed, the quality will be simply disgusting.
But the same cannot be said for shooting HD video at 1080p. The video quality is excellent, and given that the new iPhone 6 uses tracking autofocus technology, even dynamic scenes in trembling hands look good on video. This is great.
iPhone 6 Plus bends, beats, pulls out hair, fights and swears...
Does the iPhone 6 Plus bend? Yes, it bends. And it still burns and beats. My glass of beer also breaks, and the laptop does not survive after hitting the wall.For many years, all and sundry different ways testing the iPhone for durability. Even the iPhone 4 was able to be bent by some, but that means the phone can be bent under normal use. Yes, this trick is much easier to do with the iPhone 6 Plus. You can, of course, say that Apple screwed up and any child can bend their new product, but also any child can break any other smartphone. The question is not in the quality of materials and construction, but in the strength and desire to break something.
I used iPhone 6 Plus for three weeks. I walk through 1-2 ladders, sleep on the phone when I can’t find the strength to get up for work and calmly crouch in order to pick up something from the floor or tie my shoelaces even in tight jeans, while the device rests quite strongly on leg... I responsibly declare that the iPhone 6 Plus is almost impossible to bend in everyday use. This can be done only on purpose, tensing up.
And I am also very amused by this topic with torn hair. Someone somehow manages to make sure that the hair of the beard falls into the practically sealed gaps between the elements of the case. And then, all of a sudden, the hair gets stuck there and pulled out. I love a beard, 70% of the time I go with a beard and not once in 3 weeks did the iPhone 6 Plus pluck a single hair from me. Brad, and only.
The iPhone 6 Plus is beating, you have to put up with it. It all depends on how it falls and on what. But smashing an iPhone isn't as easy as it sounds. My iPhone 4 has survived so many drops on a variety of surfaces that it should have crashed a long time ago, but it did not happen. And this is nothing but a coincidence. The same can happen with any other phone. Afraid to break - wear a case.
Pros and Benefits of iPhone 6 Plus
Let's sum up and list all the pros and cons of the new Apple flagship.- iPhone 6 Plus is thin. It is really very thin, which is good for how it sits in the hand. Its thickness is only 7.1 mm, while the Nexus 6 is 10.06 mm, and the Galaxy Note 4 is 8.5 mm.
- The body of the phone makes a good impression. We see a really coherent and precise product, and the first-class build quality gives you another reason to be impressed with the design of the iPhone 6 Plus.
- The body of the phone is incredibly ergonomic. It is very easy to get used to and with sufficient finger length, it is easy to use with one hand. The sloping edges give the impression of softness, and the moderate width helps to more or less confidently hold the phone in your hand.
- Whatever they say, the iPhone 6 Plus has a great screen and its magic lies not only in the large viewing angles, but also in the incredible proximity of the image to the front of the phone. If you don't like the harsh colors of Amoled displays and want to see the most realistic color reproduction, then the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will satisfy you 100%.
- iPhone 6 Plus has a good camera, which takes not the number of megapixels, but the quality of the pictures. You do not have to try to hold the phone as evenly as possible and “aim” for a long time, the camera will do most of the work for you.
- Huge battery life. Although the iPhone 6 Plus is far from the most capacious battery, it allows you to work without recharging for a very long time. Sometimes the phone can withstand two days and I will not say that I have to save battery power.
Cons and disadvantages of the iPhone 6 Plus
We must not forget about the shortcomings. I tried to put together all the objective claims that may arise against the iPhone 6 Plus and each of them is fair in its own way.- High price. And it is not necessary to say that it is high in Russia, on the contrary, this year the Russians found themselves in a rather advantageous position. Prices for new iPhones are not much higher, if not cheaper, than in other countries. The phone itself is more expensive than its competitors, among which I see the Nexus 6, Note 4 and LG G3.
- The useful space of the front panel is smaller compared to competitors. As a result, other flagships, with the same dimensions, have a much larger display diagonal.
- Wide frames. And it's not even about the possibility of increasing the display, but about the excessive width, which creates inconvenience when printing text in horizontal orientation.
- The camera pops out. The disadvantage is insignificant, because after a few minutes you don’t pay attention to it at all, but the risk of damaging the protective glass of the lens increases.
- Plastic inserts. The minus is very doubtful, since the live strips do not look so bad. By the way, the first scratches I got were on them, and not on an apple or on an anodized surface.
- Unusual location of the Power button. It's comfortable to use, but when taking photos or changing the volume, you'll accidentally press it until you get used to it.
- iPhone 6 Plus is not much more productive than the old iPhone 5s. But it happened because Apple in 5s used a very powerful processor for its time and it was impossible to make a leap in a year.
- Small amount of RAM. By modern standards, 1024 megabytes of RAM is very little. Most users will not notice this, but if you are actively using a lot of programs, you will be faced with the fact that programs will be unloaded from RAM too quickly. The problem doesn't show up very often, but it does exist.
- Defective NFC module. In the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it is so limited that it is completely unfair to talk about it. NFC here serves only for ApplePay, it is not capable of receiving and sending files and making a wireless connection with accessories.
- No 4K video shooting. The camera is good, really good, but video lovers will be disappointed by the lack of 4K shooting. Whatever they say, 4K video is really better quality than Full HD.
- Unadapted applications. The minus is temporary, but it has a place to be. Almost a month has passed since the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, and most of the most popular games and programs stupidly stretch under the large display, look unclear and foreign. The magic of the chic screen dissipates.
- Comes with a 5W power adapter. It's a pity that for such a price we get such a simple adapter, and this despite the fact that the iPhone 6 Plus can be infected from a 12W adapter.
What to choose: iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and how they differ from each other
In addition to a larger battery, longer battery life and the presence of optical camera stabilization, the iPhone 6 Plus has a few other differences that Apple did not talk about at the presentation.
Both phones have a great display, but the iPhone 6 has a higher contrast ratio for more realistic blacks and whites.
- iPhone 6 Plus
- 1920x1080 pixels
- 401 pixels/inch
- Diagonal 5.5 inches
- Contrast 1300:1
- iPhone 6
- 1334x750 pixels
- 326 ppi
- Diagonal 4.7 inches
- Contrast 1400:1
What to choose - iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? This is a difficult question to which there is no single answer. On the one hand, we have a huge phone with an impressive display on our favorite mobile operating system, on the other hand, everything is the same, but just smaller.
The dimensions of the iPhone 6 Plus are its undeniable advantage over its younger brother and at the same time are its main drawback. And if you are not afraid of large dimensions and you are not at all embarrassed by the price, then the iPhone 6 Plus is 100% your choice, in otherwise It is worth looking at the 4.7 inch model. But it should be remembered that when buying an iPhone 6 Plus, you are not getting the most powerful and technologically advanced phone, but the most expensive one, and it is important to understand this so that you do not regret your purchase later.
Specifications iPhone 6 Plus
| Display | IPS 5.5" (16:9), oleophobic coating Resolution 1920 x 1080 px (401 ppi) |
 |
||
| CPU | Apple A8 (2 cores, 20nm, 64-bit) Frequency 1.39 GHz, Apple M8 Coprocessor |
|||
| GPU | PowerVR GX6450 | |||
| Memory | 1GB DRAM DDR3 | |||
| Drive capacity | 16/64/128 Gb | |||
| Camera | iSight 8 Mpx/1.5µ, f/2.2 lens, dual LED flash Full HD 1080p/30-60fps, HD 720p/120-240fps recording. Optical stabilization. |
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| Front-camera | 1.2Mpx/2.2µ, f/2.2 HD video recording 720p/30fps |
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| Sensors, modules Other |
Biometric fingerprint recognition sensor, GPS, Glonass, proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer Nano-SIM, digital compass, 3 microphones, hotspot, wireless printing, AirPlay Mirroring, dual flash, continuous shooting, slo-mo, NFC, barometer |
Battery (hours) | ||
| Music Video Talk Internet 3G Internet LTE Internet WiFi Expectation |
up to 80 up to 14 up to 24 up to 12 up to 12 up to 12 up to 384 |
2.915 mAh | ||
| iOS version Start of sales |
iOS 8.0 19.09.2014 |
Dimensions (mm) |
||
| Length Width Thickness |
158.1 77.8 7.1 |
172 grams | ||
| Communication standards | GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS/HSUPA/HSDPA (3G), CDMA, LTE (4G), Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0 | |||
Official prices for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in Russia
- iPhone 6 Plus
- 16 GB - 36 990 rubles
- 64 GB - 41 990 rubles
- 128 GB - 46 990 rubles
- iPhone 6
- 16 GB - 31 990 rubles
- 64 GB - 36 990 rubles
- 128 GB - 41 990 rubles
Conclusion
iPhone 6 Plus exceeded my expectations. I can not call myself a selfless fan of Apple technology, but I have been using their phones for many years and this is the first time I have experienced such strong satisfaction from a purchase. Moreover, you really get to know this phone not immediately, but only after a week or more ... iPhone 6 Plus is not just a "big iPhone", it is a real "tablet phone" in which there is as much from the iPad as from the usual iPhone. This is something in between and this is its undeniable advantage. Most likely, after buying 6 Plus, you will completely refuse to use the iPad, and this is not bad ...The iPhone 6 Plus has a lot of flaws, but as always, you will remember them with a smirk only when Android smartphone fans point them out to you. The phone has too many pluses to pay attention to the minuses.
Join us on
The long-awaited Apple iPhone 6 Plus has arrived. Just a couple of seconds of delay at the start of the pre-order on apple.com cost me weeks of waiting for delivery. The demand for a large iPhone was such, and the first batch of devices was so small, that there was a terrible shortage, especially on models with 64/128 GB of memory.
In advance, I tried to imagine how big and heavy it would be by looking at numerous reviews on the net, and even cut out a one-to-one scale layout from paper. I brought the parcel home, tore open the package, opened the box and realized that all attempts to imagine the dimensions and weight were doomed from the very beginning, the iPhone 6 Plus turned out to be large and very heavy. The same OnePlus One with the same screen size now seems pretty compact smartphone. And it is impossible to say unambiguously a disadvantage or an advantage. The next day - the first day of the test - I put on the original dark blue leather clip case and went to the office at the main place of work. Whilst away the time in the subway car, I fiddled with a new thing in my hands. Out of habit, I checked twitter and read the latest news in the browser, and at some point I caught myself thinking that I was holding Vertu in my hands: metal, glass, leather and pleasant heaviness created such an illusion. But after a couple of seconds, I pulled myself together saying to myself: “Ilyas, it’s just a big iPhone, calm down!”
Packaging and equipment
The packaging and delivery set is identical to those of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S. The box just got bigger, and like the iPhone 6, it doesn't have an image of the smartphone on it. This packaging design is no worse and no better than it was before, it's just different.
Inside the box are: the device itself, an envelope with instructions, stickers and a paper clip, a headset, a power adapter and a lightning cable. There are no additional accessories included in the package. The EarPods are packaged in a plastic case. Despite the greatly increased battery capacity, the iPhone 6 Plus is equipped with a power adapter with an output current of 1 Ampere.
Appearance and ergonomics
The design of the iPhone 6 Plus, except for the dimensions, is completely identical to that of the iPhone 6. As for me, both models look interesting, but not as good as previous iPhone models. The main body materials are aluminum alloy and Gorilla Glass 3. Like many users, I like the fact that the glass covering the screen bends around the edges and smoothly flows into the body.
The dimensions of the device are 158.1 * 77.8 * 7.1 mm, weight - 172 grams, which is much more than in the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. Despite the fact that I constantly test various smartphones and seem to be ready for anything , I was surprised by the size and weight of the iPhone 6 Plus, it is not so much big as it is heavy. Particularly unusual against the background of such impressive dimensions is a small thickness of the case. Although a smartphone fits in the pocket of men's trousers, it is inconvenient to carry it there at all, it most likely will not fit into women's trousers. Using a smartphone with one hand is difficult, I can hardly reach the lower left corner with my long fingers, you can reach the top of the display only by lowering it down with a double tap on the Home button or intercepting the device.
The entire front surface is occupied by a protective glass Gorilla Glass of the third generation. Under it are located: a screen, a speaker, sensors, a front camera, and a Home button. On the left side are the volume buttons and the mute switch. The top end is empty, and the Power button has been moved to the right end, here it is adjacent to the nanoSIM card tray. Dedicated camera button or any additional elements there is no control in the iPhone 6 Plus. At the bottom are: headset jack, lightning interface, speaker speakerphone and main microphone. By the way, this arrangement of interface connectors seems to me the most successful. I usually put the phone in my trouser pocket or in my bag with the speaker up so that I'm more likely to hear a ringing signal, in this situation it is more convenient to connect the headphones from the bottom. In addition, when talking on the phone during light rain, water will not get into the 3.5 mm jack.
On the rear surface in the upper left corner are: an additional microphone, a Truetone LED flash and a camera protruding from the body. The protruding camera eye is probably the only objective flaw in the design of the iPhone 6 Plus. I get the feeling that the peephole will quickly become scratched despite the fact that it is covered with sapphire crystal. In fairness, it should be noted that the protruding eye of the camera does not affect the usability of the device.
Screen
Compared to previous models, the IPS screen in the iPhone 6 Plus has increased from 4 to 5.5 inches. The resolution has also increased to 1920 * 1080 pixels and the dot density to 401 dots per inch. Evolutionarily, other image indicators have been improved. Contrast increased to 1300:1 versus 800:1 in the iPhone 5S and only slightly inferior to that of the iPhone 6, the brightness retained its nominal value of 500 cd/m², but was slightly increased in practice.
Subjectively, the screen has become better, though not dramatically. The perception of the picture has improved mainly due to the reduction in the thickness of the protective glass and the reduction in the number of screen layers. The increase in PPI is not noticeable to the eye, even if you peer. But the way the picture looks when you look at the screen at an angle, I was pleasantly surprised, compared to the iPhone 5S, the contrast drops less and the colors are less distorted. The touch screen can process up to 10 touches at the same time.
The screen has the maximum possible viewing angles for LCD and excellent contrast ratio, there is a very effective anti-glare filter, the screen of the iPhone 6 Plus does not give up even in direct sunlight. There is an automatic backlight adjustment, it works flawlessly. Operation with gloves on the touch screen and using foreign objects is not provided, in this respect there are no changes and are not expected.
Hardware platform and performance
Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are powered by Apple's proprietary A8 SoC, which is not a big.LITTLE system. The system-on-a-chip is manufactured using a 20nm process technology, it consists of: a 64-bit CPU, which includes two Typhoon cores (ARMv8-A architecture) operating at frequencies up to 1.4 GHz; quad-core GPU - IMG PowerVR GX6450 supporting OpenGL ES 3.1 and Direct3D 10.0; and the M8 coprocessor responsible for background tracking of physical activity. The only noticeable difference from the M7 is that the iPhone 6 Plus can track the number of flights as you walk up the stairs, while the iPhone 5S can't.
From a technical point of view, the only bottleneck of the A8 platform is the amount of DDR3 RAM equal to 1GB. In practice, in most situations this does not cause inconvenience, problems arise only when opening a large number of heavy tabs in the browser. Permanent memory can be 16/64/128 GB. Traditionally, the device does not have a slot for microSD cards. The review involves the iPhone 6 Plus with 64GB of memory on board, of which 55.6 GB is available to the user.
The iPhone 6 Plus is the most powerful iOS device to date. Antutu smartphone scored 55921 points, leaving the iPad Air far behind. It is not completely clear why Plus scores more points than the “simple” six, perhaps the problem is that AnTuTu has not yet been updated for new models, the application starts in compatibility mode with old devices, and even the resolution shows 640 * 1136. Probably when the application is updated, AnTuTu will show the same result on both devices, plus this result will be expected to be less. Despite some iOS8 stability issues, there are no lags or stutters in everyday work, and there is no difference in performance from the iPhone 5S. In terms of performance in 3D games, the iPhone is still the best solution. Games adapted for Metal look more interesting, but so far there are not enough of them. The updated Real Racing 3 looks amazing on such a big screen!
Cellular and interfaces
Unlike the iPhone 5S, which came in five different versions with different communication modules, the iPhone 6 Plus has only two versions and both will work in Russian LTE networks- these are A1522 and A1524, the latter is also intended for official sales in the Russian Federation. There is only one slot for SIM-cards in the device, the type is nano. The smartphone has a Qualcomm MDM9626M modem, which firstly means support for all possible LTE frequencies, and secondly, that the theoretical downstream data transfer rate can reach 150 Mbps.
Of the wireless interfaces in the iPhone 6 Plus, there are Bluetooth 4.0, and dual-band Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac standards. There is a GPS/GLONASS receiver with A-GPS support. The device has an NFC module, but it is proprietary and can only be used to make Apple Pay payments.
Battery and autonomy
The iPhone 6 Plus has a 2915 mAh battery, compared to 1810 mAh in the iPhone 6 and 1560 mAh in the iPhone 5S. The package includes a power adapter with an output current of 5V / 1A, with which the time to fully charge the smartphone is about 3.5 hours. For the sake of interest, I decided to try to charge the iPhone 6 Plus with a charger from the iPad Air kit at 5V / 2.4A (12W), the charging time was noticeably reduced: the smartphone was charged up to 75% in 1 hour and 10 minutes, up to 100% - 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The manufacturer claims an almost 1.5-fold increase in autonomy in various modes compared to the iPhone 5S. In real conditions, the autonomy of the iPhone 6 Plus was a pleasant surprise! Testing showed the following results:
- in the mode of listening to music in headphones at maximum volume with the screen off, the smartphone worked for about 70 hours;
- watching video from the device's memory at 50% backlight brightness and maximum sound volume in headphones - a little more than 15 hours;
- active browsing (constant opening of new tabs, active page scrolling, etc.) via Wi-Fi at 50% backlight brightness - a little less than 9 hours;
- 3D games (Asphalt 8) at 50% backlight brightness - 5 hours and 40 minutes.
In a mixed mode of operation (calls, SMS, browsing, installing and testing applications, some 3D games) and active LTE, the smartphone is able to last from early morning until the end of the next day with 8-9 hours of screen operation. It should be borne in mind that the quality of the cellular network coverage and the brightness of the screen backlight greatly affect the autonomy of the device.
Cameras, photo and video quality
The main camera, like in the iPhone 6, is built on an 8-megapixel sensor (the sensor manufacturer is probably Sony). The lens consists of five elements, has an equivalent focal length of 29 mm and an aperture of F / 2.2. The iPhone 6 Plus has optical stabilization, while it is the only smartphone from Apple with this feature. HDR is supported in hardware, the maximum possible ISO is 2000.
Compared to the iPhone 5S, the face detection system has been improved and the focusing speed has been increased. The system camera does not have the ability to manually adjust any shooting parameters other than exposure compensation. But the corresponding APIs in iOS8 allow third-party apps to adjust everything: shutter speed, ISO, white balance (choose from presets), focus. The flash consists of two LEDs of different color temperature (Truetone).
Comparing the iPhone 6 Plus with its predecessor, I did not see much difference in the quality of the photos received. The test photos show that, all other things being equal, the iPhone 6 Plus shots look more contrasting and there is no white veil on them. CLICKABLE! On the left is the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, on the right is the Apple iPhone 5S:
The algorithm for creating HDR photos in the iPhone 6 Plus is the same as in previous models, namely, there is a slight compression of tones. CLICKABLE! On the left is the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, on the right is the Apple iPhone 5S:
In low-light conditions, the iPhone 6 Plus's camera didn't offer any surprises either. In almost no light conditions, the iPhone 6 Plus was able to pull out more details, and in general the picture looks nicer, probably due to optical stabilization, the camera increased the shutter speed. CLICKABLE! On the left is the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, on the right is the Apple iPhone 5S:
Macro shooting has practically remained at the same level. The minimum focusing distance has not changed either. CLICKABLE! On the left is the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, on the right is the Apple iPhone 5S:
The quality of panoramic shooting in the iPhone 5S has been and remains one of the best among smartphones, it could only compete with the 5S in this parameter with its circular panorama. In the iPhone 6 Plus, panoramic shooting has been evolutionarily improved, increasing the resolution of the final image from ~ 26MP to 43MP, while leaving the angular width and aspect ratio of the frame, in my opinion, slightly compressed tones like in HDR. CLICKABLE!!! top Apple iPhone 6 Plus - bottom iPhone 5S:
The 1.2 MP front camera is equipped with a lens with an equivalent focal length of 31 mm and an aperture of F / 2.2. Video is recorded with a maximum resolution of 1280 * 720 pixels @ 30 fps and a bit rate of 10.4 Mbps, mono sound 44.1 kHz / 64 Kbps.
The resolution of the front camera module in the iPhone has not changed for several generations of devices, Apple only slightly improves the quality of image processing, which, unfortunately, still does not look so hot. The iPhone 6 Plus slightly increased the aperture from f / 2.4 to f / 2.2. CLICKABLE:
The smartphone writes video at a maximum resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels @ 60 fps and a bit rate of 25.4 Mbps for FullHD mode. There is no 4K video shooting mode in the device. Sound is recorded in mono with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and a bit rate of 64 Kbps. The quality of the final picture is above average, subjectively shoots better video quality.
Extremely interesting to me seemed the possibility of shooting video at a speed of 240 frames per second, though only in HD resolution. The total bitrate in this case is 40 Mbps.
Sound quality
The external speaker is traditionally located at the bottom end. The speaker has a good volume reserve, in comparison with the iPhone 5S, the volume has increased by about a third without losing sound quality. Increasing the volume margin in the headphones is not so obvious, but it is. I did not notice the difference between the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S in terms of the sound quality of music in headphones. The smartphone has an equalizer, but you can configure it only by selecting one of the presets, FM radio does not.
Operating system features
The smartphone came with iOS 8.0 pre-installed from the factory, after unpacking, I immediately updated it to iOS 8.0.2. For the most part, this operating system looks the same on all supported devices and has similar functionality, but there are elements that are specific only to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The first thing that caught my eye was the appearance of an additional row of icons in the Standard interface display mode, then for the vast majority of applications there is no optimization for the increased screen size. This is expressed in a ridiculous-looking keyboard and overly large fonts, I did not notice any pixelation or outright soapiness. I think that within two or three months the most popular applications from major developers will be adapted for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Below is an example of what an adapted Tweetbot application and a non-adapted VK application look like.
The system now has the ability to move the upper half of the screen down by double tapping the home button. In the Camera app, in Slow mode, you can choose between two shooting options 120 fps and 240 fps. Video recording in standard mode is by default in FullHD resolution at 30 fps, but in the Settings you can switch the shooting speed to 60 fps. In almost all native applications and in some third-party applications, a landscape view mode has appeared, which, by its logic, resembles that of the iPad. For example, in mail and messages, the screen in this orientation is divided into two parts, one of which displays a list of dialogues, and the second - the current dialogue or letter.
As in the case of the iPhone 6, during several days of intensive testing of the smartphone, I did not find any serious problems in its operation. All native applications work as they should and without glitches, some third-party applications occasionally crash, yet iOS is currently not quite stable. Among the shortcomings of the iPhone 6 Plus, in addition to the protruding camera, I will attribute the huge size and decent weight, it is inconvenient to carry a smartphone in a trouser or shirt pocket, and it is difficult to use it with one hand. But on the other hand, we managed to shove a larger battery into a large body and this had a positive effect on autonomy, 8-9 hours of screen in mixed mode is very cool, especially after the iPhone 5S. I really liked the screen - it is large, contrasting and behaves well in the sun. Another non-obvious advantage, which in fact is reverse side The main drawback of the phone is that the iPhone 6 Plus looks and feels very solid in the hands.
At the time of publication of this review, the situation with the availability of the PCT iPhone 6 Plus is exactly the same as with the iPhone 6: most modifications are very difficult to get. You can buy it with an overpayment from gray sellers. A few months later, and if the ruble wins back its positions against the dollar, the gray price for the junior modification will drop to 29-30 thousand rubles. Against the backdrop of a cheaper regular 6-ki, the big iPhone will have a hard time, most likely the iPhone 6 Plus will occupy its small niche, losing the laurels of the sales leader to its “younger” brother. For those who want to change their iPhone 5S to iPhone 6 Plus, I advise you to think carefully, ideally ask your friends to “drive” a smartphone for a day. As for me, I have already decided that I will sell a review copy, and with the proceeds I will order an iPhone 6 with 64 GB of memory.
On October 16, the new generation of Apple iPhone became officially available in Russia. We told you in detail about the iPhone 6s immediately after the start of global sales, but now we have a reason to get acquainted with the older model of the line - iPhone 6s Plus. Moreover, we tested the smartphone not only in laboratory conditions, but also in real life, using it instead of the iPhone 6, trying to get used to the 3D Touch function and other novelty innovations. You will learn about our impressions from this article.
Video review
To get started, we offer you to watch our video review of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus smartphone:
Now let's look at the characteristics of new items.
Specifications for Apple iPhone 6s Plus
- SoC Apple A9 1.8 GHz (2 64-bit cores, architecture based on ARMv8-A)
- Apple M9 motion co-processor including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
- RAM 2 GB
- Flash memory 16 / 64 / 128 GB
- No memory card support
- Operating system iOS 9.0
- Touch display IPS, 5.5″, 1920 × 1080 (401 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch, support for 3D Touch technology
- Cameras: front (5 MP, video 1080p 30 fps, 720p 240 fps) and rear (12 MP, video shooting 4K)
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
- Cellular: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41
- Bluetooth 4.2 A2DPLE
- Fingerprint scanner Touch ID version 2
- NFC (Apple Pay only)
- 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock connector
- Lithium polymer battery 2750 mAh, non-removable
- GPS / A-GPS, Glonass
- Dimensions 158×78×7.3 mm
- Weight 190 g (our measurement)
For clarity, let's compare the characteristics of the novelty with the iPhone 6 Plus, as well as with the most serious competitors: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Sony Xperia Z5 expected in November.
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus | Apple iPhone 6 Plus | Samsung Galaxy Note 5 | Sony Xperia Z5 | |
| Screen | 5.5″, IPS, 1920×1080, 401 ppi | 5.7″, Super AMOLED, 2560×1440, 518 ppi | 5.2″, 1920×1080, 424ppi | |
| SoC (processor) | Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) | Apple A8 (2 cores @1.4 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) | Samsung Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (8x Cortex-A57 @2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.55GHz) |
| GPU | PowerVR GX6450 | Mali-T760 | Adreno 430 | |
| Flash memory | 16/64/128 GB | 16/64/128 GB | 32/64 GB | 32 GB |
| Connectors | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headphone jack | Micro-USB with OTG support, 3.5mm headset jack | Micro-USB with OTG and MHL 3 support, 3.5mm headset jack |
| Memory card support | No | No | No | microSD (up to 200 GB) |
| RAM | 2 GB | 1 GB | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| cameras | main (12 MP; shooting 4K video) and front (5 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video) | rear (8 MP; 1080p video shooting) and front (1.2 MP; 720p video shooting and transmission) | main (16 MP, 4K video shooting) and front (5 MP, Full HD video) | main (23 MP, 4K video shooting) and front (5.1 MP, Full HD video) |
| Internet | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz + 5GHz), 3G / 4G LTE | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz + 5GHz), 3G / 4G LTE+ (LTE-Advanced) | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz + 5GHz), 3G / 4G LTE+ (LTE-Advanced) | |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 2750 | 2915 | 3000 | 2900 |
| Operating system | Apple iOS 9 | Apple iOS 8 (there is an update to iOS 9) | Google Android 5.1 | Google Android 5.1 |
| Dimensions (mm)* | 158×78×7.3 | 158×78×7.1 | 153×76×7.6 | 146×72×7.3 |
| Weight (g)** | 190 | 172 | 168 | 154 |
| average price | T-12858631 | T-11031637 | T-12788838 | T-12741399 |
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus (16 GB) deals | L-12858631-5 | |||
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus (64 GB) deals | L-12859250-5 | |||
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus (128 GB) deals | L-12859252-5 | |||
*according to the manufacturer
**our measurement
The difference between iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus is the same as between iPhone 6s and iPhone 6. Just a few details to note. The battery has lost a little in capacity - let's see how this affects battery life! The dimensions have changed a little, and not in favor of the novelty, but very minimally.
As for the comparison with Android competitors, everything is not so simple here. In almost all characteristics, the iPhone 6s Plus lags behind, but, as we have already found out when iPhone testing 6s, this may not directly affect real performance and other user qualities. So let's get straight to testing.
Packaging and equipment
The packaging of the iPhone 6s Plus is traditional for Apple smartphones and practically does not differ from the packaging of the previous generation smartphone. Unless you want to highlight a beautiful picture on the packaging of the device.
As for the bundle, there are no surprises here either: EarPods in a beautiful box, flyers, charger (5 V 1 A), Lightning cable, stickers and a key to remove the SIM card cradle.
Accessories
Simultaneously with the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple launched accessories for new smartphones on the market. We were able to get to know them and try them out. So, the line includes two types of covers and a docking station. Let's start with her. Its appearance is made in the usual minimalist style for Apple.
The docking station is a small aluminum bar with a Lightning plug protruding from it. Under the plug there is a small silicone insert, thanks to which you can install a smartphone on the docking station even in a case. Without a case, a small gap is visible between the smartphone and the surface of the docking station - this raises concerns that one day the smartphone’s plug or connector may be damaged, since the entire mass of the smartphone is held, in fact, by this small plug, but I want to believe that everything is carefully at Apple checked.
At the back is a Lightning connector to which you need to connect a cable (alas, it is not included in the delivery of the docking station), and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset or audio system. This is very important, since a similar socket on the smartphone itself is located at the bottom, so you won’t be able to connect the headphones directly to the smartphone when it is on the docking station.
The back of the docking station is covered with white silicone with an apple icon. When the docking station is on a table or any other flat surface, the silicone part of the case is completely invisible, but thanks to it, the docking station does not scratch the surface and does not slip. The docking station is available in the same colors as the smartphone.
As for cases, there is a choice between silicone and leather options. In this case, for each option, you can choose a color. In the case of a leather case, a choice of five colors is available (navy blue, golden brown, nude, black and brown). We had a skin-colored case.
Frankly speaking, a rather strange color. Under different lighting, it appears a shade of pink (this can also be seen in the photographs). Probably for pink iPhone versions 6s Plus, this option would be optimal. And for golden, perhaps, too (although brown or golden brown is more suitable for golden). On the silver version of the smartphone, it looks rather strange.
The material itself also makes an ambiguous impression. Apple says that the outer side of the case is made of genuine leather, but it doesn't look very leathery. We have no doubt that this is leather, and there is a specific leather smell, but since the typical leather texture is not visible here and is not felt to the touch, the first thought is that we have some other material in front of us. At least, everyone to whom we showed the cover and said that it was genuine leather looked at it and felt it for a long time and with doubt.
But the silicone case causes a purely positive impression: it is very pleasant to the touch, it is easier to put on a smartphone and sits more tightly on it. On top of that, not five colors are available here, but eleven (among them are such interesting ones as turquoise and marble white), so you can choose the perfect option. We settled on dark blue, which turned out to be a great choice for a silver iPhone 6s Plus (although it would seem that we should have chosen something light).
Now about the sad - about the prices. The docking station will cost 4090 rubles, the leather case costs the same, and they ask for 3290 rubles for the silicone case. The price of Apple accessories has always been high, and the new line is no exception. However, talking about the justification or unjustification of such a price is just as useless as talking about the prices of fashion houses (Hermes, Chanel, etc.).
Design
Now let's look at the design of the iPhone 6s Plus itself. Outwardly, it practically does not differ from the iPhone 6 Plus. As a matter of fact, the differences here are the same as those of the iPhone 6s compared to the iPhone 6: the thickness has slightly increased (due to the 3D Touch layer), the weight has increased slightly more noticeably (190 versus the previous 172 grams). The shape of the case and the location of the connectors remained unchanged.
However, according to Apple, the new iPhones use more durable aluminum - 7000-series alloy. Therefore, the case must be more resistant to external influences. Recall the scandal with the bending of the iPhone 6 Plus in the back pocket of your trousers. Apparently new material was intended to solve this problem in the first place.
Of course, we did not conduct crash tests, and outwardly there are no differences between the new case material and the old one. But, let's hope that now it will become really more difficult to bend the smartphone.
Apple also talks about the special strength of the screen, although the manufacturer is not reported. “The new iPhone 6s glass uses a unique two-step ion exchange process. The glass is strengthened at the molecular level, making it the most durable glass ever developed for a smartphone."- reported on the official website. Again, it is problematic to check this, but indirectly it will be clear in a few months according to the statistics of repair shops - have they begun to bring iPhone 6s / 6s Plus more often than models of previous generations?
Something else is curious: on a completely new copy, which we had for about a week, several shallow and thin scratches already appeared on the glass, although we did not carry a smartphone along with keys or something similar and used it quite carefully. You can notice these scratches only when the screen is off, at a certain angle of incidence of light on it, that is, they do not affect the user experience. And yet it would be wrong to keep silent about it. The photo below clearly shows one of these scratches. We emphasize that this does not at all mean that the smartphone will be less resistant to shocks / falls, since the strength of the glass may not be identical to its hardness.
The last detail that I would like to note is the wonderful work of the Touch ID sensor. We were able to get acquainted with the second generation of the sensor while testing the iPhone 6s, but now, having tried to use it in real life, we were doubly amazed by the improvements made. Previously, to unlock the smartphone, you had to first press the round button (so that the screen turned on), and then hold your finger on it for a second or a half, so that the sensor recognized your fingerprint. Now, all you need to do is to quickly press the round button - without any holding. That is, if you press exactly with the finger whose fingerprint you saved, then you don’t feel Touch ID at all when unlocking – as if the smartphone is not protected in any way. And most importantly - for a week of use, the number of successful recognitions is 100%. There has never been such a thing that the sensor did not recognize the print! Amazing result!
In general, I would like to praise the design: this is just the case when outwardly everything remains the same, but a number of subtle improvements can really improve the interaction with the smartphone. It is also worth noting the appearance of a new color - "rose gold". Although we tested the more traditional silver variant, the pink iPhone 6s Plus also happened to be held in our hands. I must say that he makes a very good impression and does not look at all vulgar. Interesting color. However, all the same, this is a purely feminine version, and it is impossible to imagine it in the hands of a man.
Screen
The screen parameters of the iPhone 6s Plus do not differ from those of the iPhone 6 Plus: it is a 5.5-inch diagonal, IPS-matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080. By modern standards - not record parameters, however, looking like a golden mean. Aleksey Kudryavtsev, editor of the "Projectors and TV" section, will tell you about the quality of the display.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). At the same time, some shade of reflection in the surface of the screen suggests that some kind of anti-reflective coating is applied in the case of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus. For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Apple iPhone 6s Plus, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen on the Apple iPhone 6s Plus is slightly darker (brightness in photos is 102 versus 109 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, slightly better than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.
With manual brightness control and with a white field displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 560 cd / m², the minimum was 4.8 cd / m². The maximum brightness is very high, and given the excellent anti-reflective properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a high level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by light sensor (located above the slot of the front speaker). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - the user sets the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If in the conditions of an office lit by artificial light (about 400 lux) the slider is moved to the maximum (we will assume that it is 100%), then only in complete darkness the brightness drops to 44 cd / m² (acceptable), while in the "office" and "outdoor day" brightness rises to 575 cd / m², which is higher than with manual adjustment. Brightness slider in the "office" by 50% - in complete darkness, the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 44 cd / m² (will do), in the "office" the brightness rises to 130-150 cd / m² (normal), in a very bright environment ( corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) is set to 460-500 cd/m² (this is sufficient). The brightness slider in the "office" at 0% - 4.8, 4.8 and 50-70 cd / m² (the last two values \u200b\u200bare dark). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works more or less adequately, and it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.
This smartphone uses an IPS type matrix. Micrographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
Traditionally for the iPhone, a lot of dust particles are found in the filler adhesive layer between the outer glass and the matrix:
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even at large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens is initially set to about 200 cd / m² (on a white field in full screen, on the Apple iPhone 6s Plus this corresponds to a value of 62% brightness when using third-party programs), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. A white field is perpendicular to the screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:
The color balance is slightly different, the color saturation is normal. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens and the contrast remained at a high level. And the white box:
The brightness at an angle at the screens decreased (at least 4 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus, the brightness drop is less. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is highlighted to an average degree and acquires a purple hue. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is very good (but the white plastic front panel is slightly visible outside the screen):
Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1200:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 20ms (11ms on + 9ms off). The transition between grayscales of 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back in total takes the same 20 ms (9 ms on + 11 ms off). Such an unusual ratio of response times is explained by the fact that for transitions between halftones, a small overclocking of the matrix works - bursts of brightness are clearly visible at the fronts of some transitions. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with an equal interval according to the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.21, which is very close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence:
The color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:
Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components to each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:
As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature and ΔE change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, high black stability to deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen plane, excellent black field uniformity, high contrast, as well as sRGB color gamut and good color balance. There are no significant shortcomings. At the moment, this is perhaps the best display among smartphones with a large screen.
Performance
The iPhone 6s Plus runs on the same Apple A9 SoC as the iPhone 6s. We outlined the details about the SoC in the article about the iPhone 6s, so we will not repeat ourselves and immediately proceed to testing. In addition to the main hero of testing, we included the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 in the table.
Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark and Kraken Benchmark. We will also add to our standard set - a new browser benchmark recommended by the creators of SunSpider as a replacement for it. On iOS devices, we used the Safari browser, on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 - Chrome.
In browser tests, the Apple iPhone 6s Plus outperforms its predecessor by an average of two times, and the Android competitor simply does not leave a chance (note the almost four times difference in Kraken Benchmark!). A comparison with the iPhone 6s shows that there is almost no difference (more precisely, it fits into the error), which is quite logical, given the identical hardware stuffing of the devices.
Now let's see how the iPhone 6s Plus performs in Geekbench 3, a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance.
But here is a different layout. In multi-core mode, it was the Samsung smartphone that turned out to be the leader (although its lead over the iPhone 6s Plus and 6s is not so great), and in single-core mode, both Apple smartphones are ahead, and the iPhone 6s Plus overtakes the iPhone 6 Plus by about one and a half times.
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench, as well as the new Basemark Metal benchmark, created specifically for Metal-enabled devices. In the case of the iPhone 6s Plus and 6s, GFXBench Metal was used (a benchmark option optimized for Metal devices), on iPhone smartphones 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 are the regular version of GFXBench 3.
Recall that Offscreen tests are a display of a 1080p image on the screen, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests are the output of the picture in the resolution that corresponds to the screen resolution of the device. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative in terms of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative of the comfort of the game on a specific device.
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus |
Apple iPhone 6s |
Apple iPhone 6 Plus (Apple A8) |
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (Exynos 7420) |
|
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (Onscreen) | 37.0 fps | 44.3 fps | 20.7 fps | 15 fps |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (1080p Offscreen) | 40.6 fps | 40.4 fps | 20.6 fps | 25 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen) | 39.9 fps | 39.9 fps | 43.2 fps | 37 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen) | 81.3 fps | 82.3 fps | 46.3 fps | 57 fps |
In the results, the value in the T-Rex Onscreen test is puzzling. For some unknown reason, it is lower than that of the iPhone 6 Plus, and in addition, more than two times less than in the Offscreen version of the same test. But even taking into account this strange result, the iPhone 6s Plus utterly smashes the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Note that even in Offscreen mode, where the screen resolution of the device does not matter (and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has more), the new Apple smartphones convincingly defeat the flagship Samsung.
Next test: 3DMark. Here we are only interested in the Unlimited mode, because in other modes these devices exceed the maximum.
Here the superiority of the iPhone 6s Plus over the flagship Samsung is preserved, and from somewhere there is a noticeable advantage over the iPhone 6s. Well, all three new items confidently overtake the non-flagship iPhone 6.
Finally - Basemark Metal. Since this benchmark is made specifically for Apple devices, there is no Samsung smartphone in the table. And there is no iPhone 6 Plus either, because this benchmark did not exist a year ago.
And here the results in points for the iPhone 6s Plus turned out to be higher than for the iPhone 6s, but the number of frames per second with which the scene was drawn, for the iPhone 6s Plus, on the contrary, was lower - about 15-16 fps. In the case of the iPhone 6s, this parameter was 30-35 fps. Obviously, it's all about image resolution. Below are screenshots of the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6s.
In summary, we admit that although the characteristics of the Apple A9 SoC do not look as impressive as those of Android competitors, and the amount of RAM in the iPhone 6s Plus is generally half that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, but the actual performance of the iPhone 6s Plus in in most cases higher than other smartphones. This is especially evident in games and web surfing. So before us is the most powerful smartphone to date.
Video playback
To test the display of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In tests, we used a regular video player that launches via direct links to files. The test results are summarized in the table:
| File | Uniformity | Passes |
| 4K/30p | Great | No |
| 4K/25p | Great | No |
| 4K/24p | Great | No |
| 1080/60p | Great | No |
| 1080/50p | Great | No |
| 1080/30p | Great | No |
| 1080/25p | Great | No |
| 1080/24p | Great | No |
| 720/60p | Great | No |
| 720/50p | Great | No |
| 720/30p | Great | No |
| 720/25p | Great | No |
| 720/24p | Great | No |
Note: If both columns Uniformity and Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.
According to the criteria for displaying frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is excellent, since frames (or groups of frames) are always (under the conditions of this test) displayed with even intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, 1:1 by pixels, that is, in its original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the actual range of the video file.
3D Touch and Siri Experiences
The main software features of the new generation iPhone are 3D Touch (however, there is also a hardware component here) and an updated Siri. We mentioned them already in the review of the iPhone 6s, but now we had a chance to get to know them more closely when working with the iPhone 6s Plus.
Let's start with Siri. To be honest, the author has practically never used this iPhone function, because the same problems could be solved much faster in other ways. But now that it has become possible to activate Siri with just a voice command, without touching the screen, it turned out that the voice assistant really has a place in everyday life.
The simplest example is to say before going to bed "Hey Siri! Set me an alarm clock for tomorrow at nine in the morning.(of course, you can call another time). We emphasize that for this it is not necessary to take the device in hand at all. Just speak while in the same room as your smartphone, and that's it.
Another option: before you go out, you ask if it's cold outside. And Siri responds by showing the weather forecast.
Here it must be understood that Siri could have given similar answers before, but it is the ability to contact Siri without picking up a smartphone and being relatively far away that becomes a really key factor, a kind of overcoming a psychologically important milestone. To interact with the device at any time, you do not need to touch it and approach it - just give a voice command. Imagine that in a couple of years you will be able to wake up in the morning and shout “Hey coffee maker, make me an espresso and add about a fifth of a cup of cream.”- and your command will be executed.
Now let's talk about 3D Touch technology. She also found a use - primarily in letters and messages. In letters, this is a preview of the inbox - with the ability to immediately move it from another folder. Especially useful in case of spam. If you see an Internet link (in an email or on a website), then again, with the help of a deep press, you can preview and save to your reading list or open in a new tab.
The main problem here is to make a deep press and then not to loosen it, but to swipe up. This is actually not such a simple task, so in about half of the cases we get a full-fledged opening of the letter instead of a preview. Therefore, we cannot yet say that the use of 3D Touch when working with mail and the browser has become indispensable for us.
But the same can be said about messages. If you have opened the list of messages (SMS and iMessage), now in order to select alternative way communication with the author of the message, it is enough to press with an effort on the round avatar of the addressee. A menu will appear in which you can select a call or letter. Previously, in order to call the person who wrote you a message, you had to open this message, click "Details" and only after that you saw the phone call icon.
If you click on the main part of the message, a preview window will open, and then you can answer with one of the proposed options.
As for 3D Touch when clicking on icons, this is especially useful in the case of the "Calendar" and "Clock".
With a deep press on the calendar, you can immediately choose to add a new event, and with a deep press on the Clock, you can add an alarm or start a stopwatch / timer. Moreover, the stopwatch and the timer immediately start counting (the default timer starts from 1 minute).
cameras
The iPhone 6s Plus has the same cameras as the iPhone 6s, except that the larger model has optical image stabilization. As we remember, we had complaints about the main camera of the iPhone 6s. However, an iOS update has since been released, so the situation may have changed. We tested the novelty in full, but for starters, traditional selfies on the front camera (original pictures are available by clicking on the thumbnails).
Five megapixels is definitely better than 1.2 megapixels in the previous generation iPhone. However, it is still far from ideal: as you can see, indoors under artificial lighting, the camera copes so-so. There are areas of blur, there is noticeable noise, color reproduction is also not ideal.
Now let's see what the main camera with its 12 megapixels is capable of.
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The camera does a good job of macro photography, although some details are a little off. |
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In general, the foliage is worked out well, although not too contrasting foliage merges noticeably. |
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| Video | Sound | |
| 4K video edited with iMovie on iPhone 6s Plus | 3840×2160, 29.97 fps, AVC MPEG-4 [email protected], 24.1 Mbps | AAC LC, 128 kbps, stereo |
Autonomy and heating
The battery life of the iPhone 6s Plus is one of the main advantages of the device. We were able to verify this not only with our test method, but also in real use. And here is a prime example. The smartphone, removed from charging in the morning and actively used throughout the day without recharging, was discharged up to 25% by night. At the same time, during the day we shot a 4K video, edited it (you can see the result of half an hour of work in iMovie above), actively used instant messengers, social networks, a browser, an email client, made and received phone calls (the total time of conversations was more than half an hour), listened to music through Apple Music. So it's really heavy use. Based on this, we would estimate the average duration of the iPhone 6s Plus to be at least one and a half days.
In our traditional test scenarios, the iPhone 6s Plus performed well as well. We can conclude that this is an excellent device for watching videos and playing games. Please note that with a smaller battery capacity and the same screen parameters, the new product demonstrates a significantly better result than last year's iPhone 6 Plus! Apparently, Apple did a very good job on energy efficiency.
Indirectly, this is evidenced by the fact that even under heavy loads, the heating of the iPhone 6s Plus is very moderate. Below is a thermal image of the back surface, obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in GFXBenchmark:
It can be seen that the heating is a little more localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 39 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is not very much.
findings
Based on the results of testing, we can quite confidently admit that the iPhone 6s Plus is the best (or at least one of the best) smartphone with a large screen diagonal on the market. Putting aside the ideological differences between iOS and Android and the resulting functionality features (including the impossibility of using a memory card in the iPhone, etc.), we cannot fail to note the excellent hardware of the iPhone 6s Plus, as well as a number of hardware and software features that are implemented precisely due to the fact that both software and hardware are developed by one company here.
We are talking, of course, about 3D Touch and the new features of Siri. Both are features that make the new iPhones unique in some ways. The only question is whether these functions are so valuable and useful in everyday life as to buy a top-end device for a lot of money for them (in official Russian retail - from 66 to 84 thousand rubles, depending on the amount of permanent memory).
But even if we abstract from these innovative, but still auxiliary "chips", it should be noted that the smartphone definitely deserves excellent marks in all respects. Great screen. Record performance. Impressive battery life. Flawless work with video playback. An excellent camera... Only the susceptibility of the glass to scratches can serve as a tiny fly in the ointment, which, however, does not mean that the glass is highly vulnerable to bumps/drops. In general, a real flagship - as it should be.
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