iPhone 6

[blairharrington]

Figured we might as well have a dedicated thread for the iPhone 6.

I'll start with my feelings. I left my iPhone after 5 years to try a larger screen with the S4 Active. I really preferred the larger screen (though I felt it was a touch too large at 5"). I've since used the HTC First, Nexus 5, and now the Moto X.

At this point I'm happy using both Android and iOS. I personally feel iOS apps are more polished and I am open to returning to an iPhone now that the larger screen is finally coming.

I have no desire to pay $600+ for a phone again but if Verizon's $60/2GB plan is still available next month then I'll seriously consider an iPhone 6 on-contract.

Sadly I do expect the iPhone 6 to be taller and wider than my Moto X (which I find perfect ergonomically). Apple's continued use of a physical home button really hinders how thin that lower bezel can be.

I do expect a crazy thin device which should in turn make the phone very light. How this will affect battery life remains to be seen.

I'm happy they will most likely also be releasing a 5.5" model. I don't want an iPhone this large but I'm confident millions do. Both 4.7" and 5.5" models should be huge hits for Apple. How they round-out the rest of their iPhone lineup will be interesting.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm looking forward to it. Went back to Android to give the Nexus a shot as I wanted a larger screen. Really enjoyed the screen but was not a huge fan of the poor battery life and the instability (relative to what I had been used to in iOS). Switched back to iOS and am of course missing the bigger screen. Soon that should not be an issue...

 

[vi edit]

Scary how similar I am to the OP. Was on iPhone 4 for several years. Traded up to a Note II for a larger screen size. Backed down recently to a MotoX. Love the format size of the MotoX. Also love the active display.

But I remain interested in the Iphone6. I get horrible cellular reception where I'm at (part of the reason I ditched the Note and it's horrible radios) and appreciate iMessage function with my wife who's on an iPhone 5s. Also looking forward to the alluded VoIP functionality baked into iOS 8.

I've also recently moved to the $50/1 gig a month plan from Verizon and have an upgrade available to me. Interested to see the differences between the iPhone6 and the new MotoX+1.

 

[Imported]

I left Apple and the 3GS years ago for the SGS2. Been using an HTC One M7 since release and patiently waiting to see if the 6 will be enough to sway me back. My fiancée has held out of upgrading and is still using a 4S so she's eagerly awaiting it too.

I'll have to get a Nexus tablet if I go back to the iPhone. Too many paid apps to just leave behind.

 

[vi edit]

Some other things that have my interest back in Apple too...

- Obvious camera upgrade over my MotoX. It takes pictures, yes, but not great ones by any means.

- Addition of Swype/alternate keyboards in iOS 8

- Further integration into OSX. The call handoff to a Macbook or iMac is cool. I've got an iMac and a Macbook in the house and would appreciate that function for conference calls while working from home

 

[dawheat]

My wife is looking forward to the 4.7" version. Really the only thing she wants is a larger screen (but not very large) and better battery life. While initially pretty good, after 1 year her battery life is pretty bad under moderate use. Even if everything else was the same, she'd be happy.

I'm not looking forward to paying $750 + tax for a 32GB phone, but that's life. I will say I don't believe the leaks/renders are accurate b/c frankly I think they look terrible. Apple has always had great industrial designs, I can't see them screwing up here.

 

[vi edit]

I will say I don't believe the leaks/renders are accurate b/c frankly I think they look terrible. Apple has always had great industrial designs, I can't see them screwing up here.

I think the camera bump will there. I do not think the white bands will be. I really believe they will be replaced with some sort of liquid metal that either compliments or adds a contrast to the rest of the shell color.

 

[Red Storm]

I am glad to see Apple doing a 180 from their previous ads regarding screen size, I think a good number of iPhone users want a larger screen but with iOS, so it's always good to see options open up. I won't be getting one though.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I was a Android only user up until last year when the iPhone 5s came out and none of the Android offerings at the time could match. After my year of using iOS I've pretty much realized that all phones are pretty much the same. I'm actually glad that I don't have to root and ROM to get a great performing phone anymore. The only thing I had to complain about my iPhone is that I had to replace it 3 times due to software and physical issues but Apple took care of that effortlessly.

I feel that the 5s is too small while the Android trend of going 5in + is too big. I'll be getting that 4.7 model. All Android had to do was make a flagship 4.7in and I would have bought it but every company refused.

 

[Red Storm]

I feel that the 5s is too small while the Android trend of going 5in + is too big. I'll be getting that 4.7 model. All Android had to do was make a flagship 4.7in and I would have bought it but every company refused.

Screen size isn't everything though, actual device size is what matters. A phone that has a (for example) 4.7" display but large bezels may be the same as a phone with a 5" display that has thin bezels.

 

[jacktesterson]

My hands are huge.

5.5 inch phone may feel like a 4.5 inch to you.

 

[vi edit]

I feel that the 5s is too small while the Android trend of going 5in + is too big. I'll be getting that 4.7 model. All Android had to do was make a flagship 4.7in and I would have bought it but every company refused.

I guess that depends on what you consider "Flagship". I have no complaints on the Moto X other than the camera isn't anything to brag about. But by most accounts the HTC One M8 isn't exactly a great shooter either and it's considered "flagship".

The Moto X is one of the best form factors I've held, gets incredible battery life, has much better reception than my Samsung Galaxy Note ever did, and has some very useful features(voice activated Google Now, bluetooth "safe lists", chrome extensions, active display, ect). It's a brilliant little device.

[EDIT] I think sony had an experian device in the lineup that was also smaller form factor that had no compromise in power/performance.

 

[dawheat]

Screen size isn't everything though, actual device size is what matters. A phone that has a (for example) 4.7" display but large bezels may be the same as a phone with a 5" display that has thin bezels.

Yeah pretty much it's going to equal a normal 5" phone in size. Lots of reasons to want the iPhone 6, but compact isn't really going to be the top reason.

 

[vi edit]

Yep, physical home button is really starting to limit their physical dimensions. My wife's 5s is barely smaller than my MotoX when we have cases on them. I'll be interested to see how the 6 compares. The 5.5" could be downright awkward proportioned.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The Galaxy S4 was the perfect size for me. So with the iPhone 6 bezel hopefully it will be about the same.

 

[Commodus]

I switch between devices regularly, and recently went back to the iPhone 5. I actually like the iOS experience quite a bit -- it's fast and easy to use -- but yes, it definitely needs a bigger screen.

I suspect that one simple move is going to do a lot for Apple, because it suddenly eliminates one of the biggest hesitations about getting the device (along with third-party keyboards and some widget-like features). Every thread I've seen discussing this on a general tech site has a surprising number of Android users who are willing to give the iPhone a shot -- I haven't heard that in a couple of years or more.

As for product shots? There are some renders out there which, to me, suggest what the iPhone will look like: most of those lines will be covered up by back panels that look like those on the iPhone 5/5s. Definitely don't assume that what you see now is what you'll get on launch.

 

[Mopetar]

I do expect a crazy thin device which should in turn make the phone very light. How this will affect battery life remains to be seen.

My guess is that it will get about the same battery life as the current iPhone, or perhaps an hour more at most. One of the things I dislike about Apple is that they will always choose to make their devices thinner rather than using extra space to include a larger battery.

It's not as though the battery life is bad, it's just that I'd rather have an extra 2 hours of battery life than a device that's slightly thinner than the last model. I think they're probably really close to the point where making it thinner makes it feel worse to hold.

 

[s44]

I will say I don't believe the leaks/renders are accurate b/c frankly I think they look terrible.

They really do. Especially the beige one. So 70s in the worst way.

All Android had to do was make a flagship 4.7in and I would have bought it but every company refused.

Moto X, Galaxy Alpha? (Not sure if the latter is getting released here.)

 

[boomhower]

I'll definitely be getting one. The battery on my 5 is on it's last legs plus I really want a larger screen. I'd like the 5.5" variant (if it exists) but with the physical home button I think it's going to be a massive device. I'll likely end up with a 32GB 4.7. I'm really hoping they finally move the base model to 32GB and ditch the 16GB madness. I've been with iOS since the 4S and don't see myself moving away in the forceable future.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Moto X, Galaxy Alpha? (Not sure if the latter is getting released here.)

The Moto X to me always felt like it was a downgrade vs. the S4.

The Alpha looks like an iPhone clone.

 

[MrSquished]

Scary how similar I am to the OP. Was on iPhone 4 for several years. Traded up to a Note II for a larger screen size. Backed down recently to a MotoX. Love the format size of the MotoX. Also love the active display.

But I remain interested in the Iphone6. I get horrible cellular reception where I'm at (part of the reason I ditched the Note and it's horrible radios) and appreciate iMessage function with my wife who's on an iPhone 5s. Also looking forward to the alluded VoIP functionality baked into iOS 8.

I've also recently moved to the $50/1 gig a month plan from Verizon and have an upgrade available to me. Interested to see the differences between the iPhone6 and the new MotoX+1.

motorola was generally considered as having very good radios. not sure if the google purchase changed that. if you are having poor reception with a moto it's probably not the phone.

 

[sgrinavi]

I'm still a little skeptical that they're going to release a 5.5" phone, I just remember the months leading up to iP5 release - everyone was certain that they would go back to the tapered edge, reduce the bezels and get rid of the front hardware button - there were even cases being sold.

I think Apple has an entire team dedicated to ghost warfare.

 

[QueBert]

Not interested unless they release a version with the same size screen as the 5S. I already have an HTC One I don't need a large screen thanks. My iPhone 4 has the perfect size screen for me. I don't want 4'5, I don't want 4'7 and I damn sure don't want 5'5.

 

[zerocool84]

Yeah pretty much it's going to equal a normal 5" phone in size. Lots of reasons to want the iPhone 6, but compact isn't really going to be the top reason.

Also people forget about the hard edges of the iPhone. That makes it feel larger as well so a 4.7" iPhone with the huge bezels are hard corners could feel even larger than a 5"phone phone. They need to taper all the edges for it to be easier to handle.

 

[Eug]

Also people forget about the hard edges of the iPhone. That makes it feel larger as well so a 4.7" iPhone with the huge bezels are hard corners could feel even larger than a 5"phone phone. They need to taper all the edges for it to be easier to handle.

All the recent iPhone 6 rumours have it with curved edges.