iPhone 6 Review Roundup: Size Attracts, Software Satisfies
Apple's new iPhones aren't due to hit consumers' hands until Friday, but the verdicts are in. Apple has hit a home run, even if it is a bit late and a bit overzealous.
What's not to love? Buyers have flocked to Apple's ecosystem ever since the Cupertino giant began its current run, and the addition of better hardware can't be a thing, right?
Correct, but in a slowly-evolving Apple way.
The iPhone 6 (with a 4.7-inch display) and the iPhone 6 Plus (with a 5.5-inch display) will be available for purchase Friday, Sept. 19. Prices vary, but one thing is clear across the board: this will probably be the biggest iPhone launch ever.
And for good reason too. Early reviews are in and veritable connoisseurs have an overwhelming consensus: size does matter and so does what's inside. The only issue is that Apple may have stifled itself.
For starters, the new iPhones are gathering market momentum mostly off the caveat of a larger screens. Previous iPhones have never passed the 4-inch mark, but the question "Did Apple get the size right?" remains. For the most part, the iPhone 6, with its smaller screen, seems to have good feedback.
"The iPhone 6 delivers a bigger screen while remaining easy to handle, with plenty of features to satisfy everyone," writes CNET in its iPhone 6 review.
The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, is perfect for those looking for a larger device, but not for everyone (phablets don't mix well with a lot of pockets and they are hard to handle with one hand for many). Bear in mind there are many software tweaks that the iPhone 6 Plus has that the iPhone 6 doesn't -- the hardware inside is essentially the same, but Apple has paid more attention to providing more functionality inside the larger iPhone 6 Plus.
CNET's iPhone 6 Plus review, however, states, "The iPhone 6 Plus is too big for everyone to love it, but it's Apple's best phone this year."
"The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 features a respectable display size and a comfortable in-hand fit; it's also my personal favorite after using both for several days," Engadget's Brad Molen writes. "The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, on the flipside, isn't as easy to hold in one hand, but you'll want it if you're hoping to get an iPad-like phone with great battery life and a lot more screen real estate."
Did Apple focus too much on the size? Although the new design and hardware push the smartphone to the next available horizon, it doesn't seem to have opened up any new frontiers.
"The latest iPhones could have been a chance for Apple to really re-examine what smartphone hardware should be, but Apple just built a bigger iPhone. Because that's what people wanted," says The Verge in its review.
"But after almost a week of trying the phones, it became clear that the hardware was not the best part of the package. In its quest to deliver bigger phones to a market clamoring for them, Apple has made one phone that is actually a little too small and one that's a little too big," reads a New York Times review of the new iPhones.
In fact, Apple's biggest improvement may be the new iOS 8 that released for earlier Apple devices Wednesday and comes pre-installed on the new iPhones.
"The best part of the new phones is actually the new software inside," says Molly Wood from the New York Times. "The software, iOS 8, combines some of the advanced features of Android with Apple's ease of use and reliability."
There are plenty of other features the iPhone brings, such as an improved camera, performance, and enhanced interactivity through NFC -- a.k.a Apple's new Pay service -- and software like Health and Home Kit. In the end, however, if you're looking for an innovative smartphone, the new iPhones may not satisfy you. If you are looking for the next step in Apple's evolution, however, the iPhones will quench definitely quench the thirst.
You can find out more about the new iPhones here.