Sunday, January 4, 2015

iPhone 6 or 6+ ?

This is my experience with the iPhone 6/6+ :

I have owned the original iPhone, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 5, Nexus 5, and Galaxy S5.

This is the best phone I have ever owned. The next best would be the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Which iPhone 6 should you buy? That depends on your needs. The iPhone 6+ has bigger screen, better battery life, and better camera (optical image stabilization). But it also comes in a bigger form factor which might be too large for many. It is worth noting that iPhone 6+ is bigger than the LG G3 (iPhone 6+ is thinner), which has the same screen size (5.5 inches) and I think LG G3 is just about the biggest phone that will fit into my pocket. To me, the iPhone 6+ is too big.

The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch screen which is very functionally useful. I think it could be tad bigger (about 4.8 to 5 inches). In my opinion, the 4.7 inch screen size should be satisfactory to most, especially those who are used to the 4 inch screen size of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S. I am used to using Galaxy S5 (5.1 inches) and I don't find the 4.7 inch screen to be too small.

So what makes the iPhone 6 so special? It's the form factor (thin and light), the awesome camera, and the touch id (fingerprint sensor).

First and foremost, this is a beautiful phone to see and hold. I thought iPhone 5 was beautiful, but the iPhone 6 definitely is better looking! Everyone who has seen my phone in the last 3 days wanted to buy one. The Galaxy S5 is also a thin and beautiful phone. But it is also plastic and has an ugly protruding camera in the back that makes it look like a huge wart. I didn't think I would mind it at first, but the ugliness of the huge square protruding camera really bothered me, especially because, in my view, the S5 camera picture quality was average at best.

Second, the camera on the iPhone 6 is just awesome, especially compared to the Galaxy S5. I thought the Galaxy S5 would take better pictures because it is 13 megapixels. Wrong. I have had more blurry pictures with the Galaxy S5 in 4 months than I had with my iPhone 5 in 20 months. Plus, the Galaxy S5 pictures came out very grainy. They looked like they were taken with a smartphone camera. Whereas the pictures taken by the iPhone 6 looked like pictures from a dedicated digital camera. I was especially impressed with its low-light photography and surprisingly powerful flash. Even when taking pictures in low-light, the iPhone 6 camera takes wonderful pictures.

Third, the Touch ID (fingerprint sensor) feature is a huge plus for me. I was initially worried that it may take too long to process my fingerprints. Wrong. It takes less than a second to identify my fingerprints. It beats punching my secret code on the screen hands down.

The Samsung Galaxy S5, however, still trumps the iPhone 6 in certain areas.

The first and foremost is the battery life. Although the iPhone 6 (about 24 hours with normal usage for me) lasts about 20% longer than my iPhone 5, it still can't hold a candle to my Galaxy S5 which can last over 36 hours. If a long battery life is your main need, then I would either get the S5 or get the iPhone 6 with a protective battery case.

Second, the Galaxy S5 still has the superior screen. It is not only significantly bigger (5.1 inches), but it is also a full HD (1080p) screen compared to the 720p screen of the iPhone 6. Four months ago, independent tests showed that the Galaxy S5 had the best screen on a smartphone, and I believe it. Seeing them side-by-side, I have to say that I prefer the screen on the Galaxy S5 over the iPhone 6.

Lastly, I think the Android platform is well on its way of trouncing Apple in both the number and the variety of apps. Android simply has stronger marketshare and Android programming skills are more widely available. This is especially true if you don't use English as your primary language. If you are looking for apps in Chinese or Spanish, for example, you are more likely to find them in Android than in the iPhone.

Pros:
1)Beautiful form factor. Thin and light. Even the ever-slightly protruding camera looks beautiful
2)Awesome camera that takes superior pictures over Android phones such as the Galaxy S5 and Nexus 5. I was especially impressed with the low-light photography.
3)Touch ID (fingerprint sensor). It is fast and easy. It makes securing your iPhone 6 very breezy and convenient. I will never use the punching passcodes again.
4)Seamless integration of hardware and software that is hard to beat.
5)Compatible with most car audio systems. Most Android and Windows phones are not compatible (meaning you can't play music via the USB) with car audio systems. Your Android device can, however, still play music via blutooth if your car audio system supports it. But the music quality is often sub-par.
6)Internal storage is much faster than the Micro-SD cards. All iPhone storage are internal, which makes iPhone storage non-expandable but it also enables them to have faster I/O.
7)Seamless integration with iTunes. I didn't think this was important until I had to sync my iTunes music with my Android phones. It was a pain.

Cons:
1)Very average battery life. I still can get 24 hours with normal usage (20 min talk, 20 text, facebook, emails etc.). The lack of battery life is especially apparent when compared to the Galaxy S5, which I can use for little over 36 hours with normal usage.
2)Very average screen. The screen size (4.7 inches) was very acceptable. But it is only 720p. Mind you, it is still an excellent screen, but it is also very average by today's smartphone standards.
3)Only 1GB of RAM. Most of the top-end Android phones have 2GB or more. The iPhone 6 is a definite laggard in this area. You would need to kill apps (double click on the round button and swipe the apps) on a regular basis to save memory.
4)Not waterproof like the Samsung Galaxy S5. I took my Galaxy S5 to outdoor sports and I never had to worry about it getting wet. But I can't do the same with the iPhone 6.
5)Many Non-English apps are more widely available in Android than the iPhone.
6)Expensive. Android Phones with similar specs would be around $200 lower in price.
  Apple iPhone 6, Gold, 16 GB (Unlocked)