Apple’s jumbo sized smartphone may be the best smartphone of them all
What makes the iPhone 6 stand out; its larger screen and increased battery life over the standard iPhone being two factors. Why a used 6 Plus represents good value.
Apple’s iconic iPhone is the most popular smartphone on the market, and has become the single biggest selling product from the company who came to prominence with their stylish range of computers and the huge popularity off their iPod personal music players.
When the iPhone 6 was released in 2014, a super size version with a 5.5 inch screen – the Plus – was added to complement the standard 4.7 inch screen model, and has proved a huge hit.
Apple’s marketing savvy
Many thought Apple were entering the lion’s den when they decided to compete in the heavily competitive mobile phone market, but the iPhone has been a game changer since its original release in 2007 and the development costs have subsequently been dwarfed by enormous revenues from iPhone sales.
Apple does a great job of knowing what the market wants and delivering it in a stylish and appealing fashion through products that are both easy to use and instil a desire of ownership in hordes of people.
They were aware larger screens were gaining popularity, and gradually upped the size of their smartphone’s screen from the 4 inch of the original model to the 4.7 of the standard iPhone – but it was offering a larger overall phone with increased screen real estate in the iPhone 6 Plus that moved the game on.
Bigger means better?
Of course not everyone wants bigger screens; some people much prefer a compact phone that can be easily stored in a pocket, but with the trend for more people using their phones to consume content and stay in touch on the move, and effectively use their smartphones as mobile computers the market for larger screened phones was opening up.
Bigger screens inevitably means bigger prices, but if you’re buying used such as with a refurbished iPhone 6 Plus then the premium a Plus costs over an already hardly cheap standard iPhone is mitigated; it’s possible to bag a reconditioned phone with a warranty for around £200 – a huge saving on a current model Plus.
Apple weren’t first with larger phones; other makers such as Samsung already offered larger screens, but Apple soon realised a significant trend had developed and jumped aboard in 2014 with the first iPhone Plus.
The case for the iPhone 6 Plus
While up against some formidable competition from the likes of Samsung, HTC and more the iPhone Plus has a lot to offer and could be considered the complete smartphone.
Reasons why:
It’s Apple – this is reason enough for many; the combination of design, build quality, ease of use (Apple’s mobile operating system is very intuitive) and brand appeal makes the Plus a desirable device.
iOS – Apple’s operating system is only found on the iPhone and the iPad tablet, unlike the Android platform which is used by several other smartphone and mobile device makers, so if you want iOS you have to have an iPhone. Apple iOS is highly thought of by many – for a while it was considered in a class of its own although Android has arguably caught up now in the looks and ease of use stakes.
Build quality – from the start the iPhone has always had a premium product feel thanks to a high standard of construction.
Upgradeability – Apple ensures new versions of iOS are downloadable immediately to the iPhones and iPads capable of running it, and also make it backward compatible with older devices stretching back at least a few generations. The iPhone 6 Plus can run iOS 11 – the latest version of Apple’s mobile platform.
Power – because it’s physically larger than the standard iPhone, the Plus has a larger battery so battery life, the Achilles heel of many smartphone, is less of a problem as the Plus lasts longer between charges.
Camera – model for model the camera on the iPhone Plus has a higher specification than the standard iPhone; on the 6 Plus the camera offers optical image stabilisation (OIS). This makes for better pictures in low light conditions; when the shutter has to stay open longer to allow more light in there’s a risk of camera shake – OIS corrects this.
Screen – while not necessarily at the cutting edge in terms of specifications compared to rivals, iPhone screens are generally of a very high quality and the company’s sound deployment of the technology usually sees iPhone screens measure up well to the competition; the larger one in the 6 Plus takes this to new levels.
Built to last
As explained above, Apple makes its phones to be compatible with the latest software releases, so downloading the most recent gives you many of the features of a new iPhone on older models. The iPhone 6 Plus and its successors offer many benefits and are, for many, the best smartphones on the market.
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