Sibling Rivalry: Should You Buy The iPhone 6 Or iPhone 6+?

Apple’s recently released flagship smartphones – the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ – are making millions of Apple fans (and even non-fans) swoon worldwide. Both iPhone models are high-end products meant to lure customers away from the other popular smartphones in the market, like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8.

From the positive reception the new iPhones have received, we think Apple appears to have struck gold this time – and perhaps for a good reason. The new iPhones are, from our perspective, among the best products that Apple has come up with in a while. Coupled with the release of the Apple Watch, it’s wearable gadget, they may cement the company’s place as a leading tech manufacturer for a long time to come.

If you are planning to buy the iPhone 6, you will have to choose between the standard iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 +. While both phones have a similar design and give you the same processing power, there are some significant differences between the two. The iPhone 6+ is bigger than the iPhone 6, for example, and it appears to have a better camera. But is bigger always better? We bring you the key differentiators that’ll help you decide whether you should buy the iPhone 6 Or iPhone 6+?

The Design

Like we mentioned before, both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ have been designed in a similar fashion. We think the newest iPhones look more like the iPad than the previous versions of the iPhone. They have sleek, aluminum bodies with rounded edges that you find on the iPad. They are also thin and very light. Both models are available in gold, silver and space grey.

The biggest difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ in terms of design is the size. The iPhone 6 has a width of 2.64 inches and a length of 4.87 inches, while the iPhone 6+ is significantly bigger at 3.06 inches and 6.22 inches. The iPhone 6 is marginally thinner at 6.9mm than the iPhone 6 plus at 7.1mm. The iPhone 6 is lighter at 129g compared to the iPhone 6 + at 172g.

Both phones appear sleek and aesthetically pleasing. We think people with big hands will especially love the bigger iPhone 6 +.

The Screen

The screen is markedly different in both devices. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch screen with Apple’s Retina HD technology. It has a resolution of 1334 x 750 at 326 ppi. The iPhone 6+, on the other hand, has a much bigger screen measuring 5.5 inches. This screen is comparable to the one found in Samsung’s high end models. The screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels at 401 ppi.

The iPhone 6+ wins out over the iPhone 6 when it comes to screen size. We think a bigger screen makes the iPhone 6+ much easier to use.

The Processing Power

Both phones have identical processing power. You would think that iPhone 6 + should have more processing power, considering the bigger display, but that’s not the case. However, that doesn’t impact its performance in the slightest.

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6+ run on Apple’s newA8 chip with 64 bit architecture and they have Apple’s latest M8 motion processor.Compared to the iPhone 5, the newer models have 20% more processing power and a GPU that works 50% more efficiently.

The processor on both devices may only be dual core, but the iPhones are actually doing better than models with quad core and even octa core processors on performance tests.

The Storage

Again, nothing differentiates the two phones when it comes to storage capacity. Both models are available with 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB of inbuilt storage.

Apple fans may be disappointed to know that neither phone offers SD card support.

The Camera

When it comes to the camera, the iPhone 6+ trumps the iPhone 6 – but not by much. The camera on the iPhone 6+ has optical image stabilization (OIS) technology, while the camera on the iPhone 6 doesn’t. This enables the iPhone 6+ to take better pictures (or videos) in low light settings, but the difference isn’t big enough to be a deal breaker, according to us.

Both the iPhone 6+and the iPhone 6 have an 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture with features like True Tone flash and Panorama.

Battery Life

The battery life on the iPhone 6 is shorter than on the iPhone 6+. The iPhone 6 has a (official) talk time of 14 hours on 3G, a standby time of 250 hours, up to 11 hours of internet use, video playback of 11 hours and audio playback of 50 hours. The iPhone 6 +, on the other hand, gives you 24 hours on 3G calling, 384 hours of standby time, internet use of up to 12 hours, video playback of 14 hours and audio playback of 80 hours.

Apple’s newest phones are by no means at the top when it comes to battery life. If you are a power user, you will want the iPhone 6+ over the iPhone 6.

The Apps

Both models are running Apple’s latest – iOS 8. The iPhone 6 has a standard screen, so apps don’t have to be scaled up for it. The iPhone 6+ is larger, so some apps appear somewhat strange on it. However, this problem will be fixed pretty soon as developers adjust future content for the bigger screen.

The Verdict

The iPhone 6 is priced at $199 with a two year contract, while the iPhone 6+ is priced a $100 higher at $299 (in the US). Is it worth spending an additional $100 to get the iPhone 6+?

We think it might not be a bad idea. The iPhone 6+ may not be faster than the iPhone 6, but it does have a bigger screen and a slightly better camera. The clincher for us, however, is the much improved battery life the iPhone 6+ offers. It’s worth paying the extra money for the battery alone.

If battery life isn’t your primary concern and you don’t particularly have large hands, we’d say go for the iPhone 6. The larger sibling is also tough to maneuver with one hand despite Reachability – Apple’s dedicated one-handed usage mode.

While the jury is still out on how these two siblings would fare in times to come. We hope this review makes you buying decision easier. Leave us your take on which is a better bet of the two. We’d love to hear from you.