Apple iPhone 6: First Impressions | TechTree.com

Apple iPhone 6: First Impressions

A look at Apple's latest and greatest handset.

 
Apple iPhone 6: First Impressions

In the iPhone 5 review, I remember writing that, "As Android manufacturers continue to flood the market with absurdly large phones, it's good to see Apple Think Different." Not any more though, as Apple has changed. It's no more a company under Steve Job's leadership, that did things differently. It's not bold enough to tell the world again that the bigger phones are stupid (which is a fact). Apple has increased its flagship phone's screen size to 4.7-inch insread. Moreover, to attract the "phablet" lovers, the Cupertino company went on to unveil the iPhone 6 Plus with a large 5.5-inch screen. So is bigger the better in Apple's case?

Aesthetics
iPhone has finally received a long due design overhaul. While the iPhone 5s was all about the sharp edges and straight lines, the 6 flaunts rounded corners. The screen glass has a slight convex curve near the edges. That's similar to what we've seeing on the high-end Nokia handsets such as the Lumia 925. These are one of those nice touches that enrich the user experience. So we do appreciate the Cupertino-based company's attention to detail.

As you would expect from Apple, the materials used in the construction are top-notch. The unibody is seamless, save for the ports, buttons, and a nano-SIM slot. Be it the rounded corners or speaker grilles, everything is crafted to perfection. There's no denying that very few companies in the world can match Apple's build quality.

Despite sporting a bigger screen, the iPhone 6 is thinner than its predecessor. In fact, at 6.9 mm, it's too thin for its own good (*cough* bentgate *cough*). Undoubtedly, the anorexic body looks impressive, but it's quite slippery to hold.

On Apple's website, You can find a lot of images showing just how amazingly slim the new phone is. However, what they don't show you is the camera protrusion. Because of this, the iPhone 6 doesn't rest flat on a table. There's hardly any groove for the lens protection, so you better buy a bumper case, unless you want to get scratches on the iSight camera.

The iPhone 6 is a great looking device, but I still prefer the 5s over it. The HTC One esque Antenna stripes on the back of the phone are a big turn-off. They are eyesores on a beautifully crafted aluminium body.

The iconic Home button features a fingerprint scanner. A 3.5 mm jack, lightning port, and speaker grille are placed at the bottom side of the device. The lock button has been placed on the right hand side. This makes sense considering the iPhone's size has significantly increased in the latest iteration. On the other side, you get volume buttons and a silent switch.

Screen
The 4.7-inch IPS screen comes with 1334x750 pixels. Many are complaining about the lack of Full HD screen on the iPhone 6. However, after using it for good time, I can tell that the iPhone packs in more than enough pixels. The resolution bump keeps the pixel density at 326. To put things in perspective, that's exactly the pixel density of the iPhone 5s. You can't spot a stray pixel with naked eye, so I have no complain regarding the sharpness of the screen. There's no point in jumping on to the Full HD or Quad HD screen bandwagon, just because some Korean companies are going it.

Compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 6's screen is a lot brighter. Much like Nokia's ClearBlack tech, the Cupertino-based company has used a polarisation filter to reduce the glare. The only thing we didn't like about this display is its ability to produce blacks. Maybe, Apple will decide to use AMOLED some day to get rid off this issue. Overall though, it's one of the best LCD in the market.

Key Specifications
The iPhone 6 is not just about a big screen. It has got significant hardware upgrade under-the-hood as well. The phone comes with a new 1.4 GHz dual-core A8 64-bit chipset along with the M8 motion coprocessor. For gaming, you get the quad-core PowerVR GX6450 GPU. The 8 megapixel camera features digital image stabilisation. Other specs include 1 GB RAM, 16/64/128 GB internal storage, Wi-Fi, NFC, A-GPS, lightning port, barometer (to measure elevation), 1.2 megapixel front-facing snapper, and 1810 mAh battery. There's no FM-radio and microSD card slot. Apple will probably not add in near future.

Software
The iPhone 6 ships with iOS 8. The latest operating system continues Apple's quest for flat design that begun with the iOS 7. The version 8 does not bring major changes, but looks a lot more refined now. Apple has also scaled up the OS for the relatively bigger screen. The colour schemes, icons, and transition animations look exactly like what we have seen on the iOS 7.

The notification menu has been streamlined now. Plus, there are more usability options. For instance, you can reply messages right from the pop-up notifications. Similarly, you can comment on social networks right from the notification bar.

The control center that provides access to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, media controls, and brightness controls has been slightly redesigned. However, it still doesn't gel with the rest of the UI design. We will shed more light on software and other aspects of the phone in the review. So keep an eye out.


Tags : Mobile Phones, Apple, iOS, iPhone, iPhone 6

 
News Corner