Many rumors surrounding the next iPhone centered around the device's size; the majority of iPhone models have used small, 3.5-inch displays—which are smaller than screens used by flagship phones from competitors. The last change in size for the iPhone series came with the iPhone 5 (continued with the iPhone 5C and 5S), which featured a display that was taller, but the same width as prior models, measuring 4 inches diagonally. Following Apple's loss in smartphone market share to companies producing phones with larger displays (such as Samsung, whose popular Galaxy S4 model featured a 5-inch screen),[15] reports as early as January 2014 suggested that Apple was preparing to launch new iPhone models with larger, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays.[15][16][17]
Reports prior to its unveiling also speculated the possibility that Apple would use a new iPhone model to introduce a mobile payments platform using near-field communications—a technology that has been incorporated into many Android phones, but has a low adoption rate among users.[18]
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were officially unveiled during a press event at the Flint Center for Performing Arts in Cupertino, California on September 9, 2014. The event featured other previously-rumored product announcements by Apple alongside the new iPhone models, including the Apple Pay mobile payment platform, and the company's entry into the wearable computing market with the Apple Watch smartwatch.[19]
Shortly after its public release, it was reported that the iPhone 6 Plus chassis was susceptible to bending under pressure, such as when carried tightly in a user's pocket; the iPhone 6 appears to also be affected by the issue. [38] While such issues are not exclusive to the iPhone 6 Plus, the design flaw came to be known among social media users as "bendgate".[39][40]
Apple responded to the bending allegations, stating that they had only received nine complaints of bent devices, and that the damage occurring due to regular use is "extremely rare". While Apple has not responded to an open letter from "One of the Nine" it maintains that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus went through durability testing to ensure they would stand up to daily use.[41] The company offered to replace phones that were bent, if it is determined that the bending was unintentional.[39]
A study by Consumer Reports found the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were slightly more durable than the HTC One, but considerably less durable than the other phones tested.[42]
On October 1, 2014, it was reported by Axel Telzerowm, editor-in-chief of the German technology magazine Computer Bild, that following a post of a video where a presenter was able to bend an iPhone 6 Plus, an Apple Germany representative informed the publication that it had been banned from future Apple events and that it would no longer receive devices directly from Apple for testing. Telzerowm responded by saying that "we congratulate you to your fine new generation of iPhones, even if one of them has a minor weakness with its casing. But we are deeply disappointed about the lack of respect of your company".[43]
As of November 19, 2014, 461 bent iPhone 6 have reported by an independent website.[44]Both iPhone 6 models have received generally positive reviews. Re/code called it "the best smartphone you can buy".[35] TechRadar praised the iPhone 6's "brilliant" design, improved battery life over the 5S, iOS 8 for being "smarter and more intuitive than ever", along with the quality of its camera. However, the plastic antenna strips on the rear of the phone were criticized for resulting in poor aesthetics, the display for having lower resolution and pixel density in comparison to other recent smartphones - including those with the same physical screen size as the iPhone 6, such as the HTC One, and for not having a sufficient justification for its significantly higher price in comparison to similar devices running Android or Windows Phone.[36] The Verge considered the iPhone 6 to be "simply and cleanly designed" in comparison to the 5S, noting that the phone still felt usable despite its larger size, but criticized the antenna plastic, the protruding camera lens (which prevents the device from sitting flat without a case), and the lack of additional optimization in the operating system for the bigger screen. Improvements such as performance, battery life, VoLTE support, and other tweaks were also noted. In conclusion, the iPhone 6 was considered "good, even great, but there’s little about it that’s truly ambitious or truly moving the needle. It’s just a refinement of a lot of existing ideas into a much more pleasant package".[37]
In regards to the 6 Plus, Engadget panned the device's d
The new camera has a new sensor that allows 81% more light, which helps and is essential for face detection. A supplement element to the new sensor is the new burst effect, capable of taking up to 10 photos per second. Another feature is the focus pixels "designed to speed up autofocusing by providing the sensor with more information about an image, while improved auto image stabilization will compensate for slight amounts of motion blur and hand shakiness".[25] Additionally, the new ability to control exposure will enable users to improve picture quality.
While still 8 megapixels in size, the iPhone 6's rear-facing camera includes a new sensor which, like the camera in the iPhone 5S, has 1.5 micron pixels, an f/2.2 aperture lens, and the ability to shoot 1080p video at either 30 or 60 frames per second. The camera also includes phase detection autofocus.[26] It can also record slow-motion video at either 120 or 240 frames per second. The iPhone 6 Plus camera is nearly identical, but also includes optical image stabilization[11][12] The front-facing camera was also updated with a new sensor and f/2.2 aperture, along with support for burst and HDR modes.[11][12] EDIT NOTE: This section previously was located in Connectivity.
WATCH THIS