‘Bigger than bigger’ says Apple about the new iPhone 6 and its even bigger brother iPhone 6 Plus. The manufacturer that once lauded thumb-friendly phones has gone big… too big?
Before the 4’’ iPhone 5 came out, I wrote about how this measurement was uncharted territory for Apple. The Cupertino-based brand had previously stuck to the tried and tested 3.5’’ for the iPhone.
I then spoke of my HTC Incredible S, which sported a 4’’ screen, and how it was in the goldilocks zone. ‘Any bigger and my little hands might struggle to hold on,’ I spouted. And Apple agreed, as in this iPhone 5 ad:
Well, Apple and I have changed our tune. I now own the 4.7’’ Nexus 4, and Apple has announced the 4.7’’ iPhone 6 and the even bigger 5.5’’ iPhone 6 Plus.
iPhone 6 size: the thumb test
Yes, my Nexus 4 can be a bit awkward to use one-handed, and it certainly doesn’t pass the one-handed ‘thumb test’. That’s where you can reach the opposite corner of the screen with your thumb. And my iPhone-owning friends generally mock how big my phone is compared to their ‘perfectly formed’ handset. We’re not going to be so different very soon.
Apple has said it has made some changes to ensure that the iPhone 6’s size won’t limit its usability, such as sliding the display half-way down the screen with a double-tap of the home button. Everything should be within reach.
Still, I do think that the iPhone 6 Plus is ridiculously big. That’s not to say it won’t be a popular buy, but I’ll happily mock owners without a care in the world. Oh how the tables have turned.
iPhone 6: better battery life
There does appear to be a silver lining to a bigger iPhone. Battery life. Here’s where Apple earns some brownie points. Apple claims that the iPhone 6 will give you 50 hours of audio listening, up from 40 hours on the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 6 Plus will apparently reach an impressive 80 hours. You’ll get 11 hours to browse over wi-fi, with 12 hours on the Plus (up from 10 hours). And talking over 3G is up from 10 hours to 14 hours, with 24 hours on the Plus. Those numbers should hopefully stop the twice daily charging that many of us suffer from.
Of course, you’ll have to wait until we get both of the new iPhones into the Which? test lab before you know the truth about their battery performance.
So what do you think about the size of the latest iPhone? On our Facebook page Daryl told his friend Dan: ‘6 is too big. 5s big enough.’ But Dan replied, ‘bigger is better’.
On Reddit, Dz1262 said:
‘I have no interest in a bigger phone. I like that my phone lets me easily use it with one hand without any “one hand mode” tricks.’
What do you think? How big is too big?
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