The 2014 iPhone 6 has been superseded by the iPhone 6S and the new iPhone 7 is not far off the horizon.
If you're looking at this review now the chances are you're considering buying a second-hand or refurbished iPhone 6 and want to know how it stacks up to the current model and to other competitors.
While the iPhone 6 looks just like the 6S what's inside is totally different. The iPhone 6 is a little slower, battery life a little worse and the camera isn't quite as sharp as the newer model. It's also missing a couple of new features like the cool animated Live Photos and the pressure sensitive screen input called 3D Touch.
While you're not missing a lot at the moment with 3D Touch, the lack of Live Photos on the iPhone 6 will be a shame for anyone who loves taking mobile snaps. The quality of the iPhone 6 camera is still decent by today's standards, but it's not as good as the camera on its successor.
Currently prices for the iPhone 6 range from £430 for a brand new and unboxed 16GB model to £250 for something that has had a few knocks and scrapes and is network locked. I'd strongly recommend going for the 64GB version, however, which only costs a few notes more these days. This will provide you ample storage for music, apps and videos and so you won't have to keep deleting things just to have a little spare space.
The other thing to consider is that battery life is affected the more a phone has been recharged. The iPhone 6 was never the longest-lasting phone so this could mean that you're reaching for the plug before the day is out. That's no fun at all and replacing the battery on an iPhone 6 is a very tricky task that requires special tools.
So what are your other options? Well you could opt to go Android instead of iOS and Apple. Assuming you don't want to shell out major bucks on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 or HTC 10 then the OnePlus 3 is a solid option. The problem with it is that the latter is quite a large phone, similar in size to the iPhone 6 Plus. There aren't many good smaller-screened Android phones we'd happily recommend, but Apple itself has a great little phone that might do the job.
Rather than buying an iPhone 6 I'd recommend opting for the iPhone SE. This has the same design as the iPhone 5 and 5S so is smaller than the the iPhone 6, but in all other respects superior. It has all the same gubbins as the iPhone 6S but costs at lot less – just £359 for the 16GB model. I know I'd rather have a new iPhone SE under Apple's warranty and with all the latest features than a used iPhone 6.
WHAT IS THE IPHONE 6?
When it was released in 2014 the iPhone 6 was one of the hottest smartphone on the market.
Featuring a completely rethought design, Apple loaded the iPhone 6 with a wealth of custom software and hardware features.
The combination of hardware and software features made the iPhone 6 one of the most innovative and powerful smartphones ever seen.
However, one year on Apple’s competitors have come out swinging releasing their own wave of top-end innovative handsets.
Chief among these have been LG with its stellar G4 handset and Samsung with its Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+ range of smartphones.
Each featuring a similarly impressive array of custom technologies the phones have made many buyers justifiably question if the iPhone 6’s time in the sun has ended and they’d be better off waiting for Apple’s next iPhone.
However, having used the iPhone 6 solidly since it’s launch, we’re happy to report even though it’s beginning to show its age, there is still plenty to like about Apple's 2014 flagship.
IPHONE 6: DESIGN – APPLE'S ON TO A WINNER
The iPhone 6 opts for soft curves and seamless joins between the screen and the back. It's a very different look from the iPhone 5S, which has shiny machined edges. Barring some plastic detailing on the rear it’s all glass and metal, and looks great for it.
It’s not as striking as its predecessor. The angular design of the iPhone 5S made it stand out amore. It’s the same with the iPad mini and iPad Air, although they marry the diamond cut edges with rounded metal sides.
It may not be as instantly arresting, but the iPhone 6 looks like it’s been hewn from a single piece of metal and glass and fused seamlessly together. The effect is particularly strong in the space grey finish and with the screen turned off. It is a beautiful slab of black glass and anodised aluminium. We feel the design is safe rather than ground-breaking, though. The white bezel on the silver version ruins the seamless effect a little – we’d go for space grey every time.
As always with Apple’s phones the iPhone 6 has superb balance, it just feels right in your hand. The comfy edges are also a lot easier on the palm than the sharper ones on the iPhone 5S and the 6.9mm thickness makes it feel sleek yet strong.
Some owners are claiming that it may not be quite as robust as Apple hopes. Reports of the iPhone 6 bending in pockets have surfaced. We’ve had it in the front pocket of jeans and have not experienced any issues for the months we've been using it or the iPhone 6 Plus. We're not talking super skinny jeans, but we've been cycling with it in tight pockets and there's not been a bend in sight. In fact since the initial furore we've heard very little about it. We've hear similar reports surfacing about the Samsung Galaxy S6 but unless you intend to use your iPhone 6 as a see-saw we wouldn't worry about it at all.
We do suggest you fork out for a case, though. Like all phones you run the risk of smashing the screen if you drop it and iPhone 6 repairs don't come cheap. Check out our selection of the best iPhone 6 cases before you buy.
It’s big, but not too big
While the iPhone 6 is bigger, it doesn't feel too big. Aside from being much thinner and lighter at just 129g it’s very similar in size to the original HTC One, one of our favourite phones of 2013. If you have small hands you might struggle to get to the top corners of the screen, but we've not experienced these problems.
There is some help if you do find the screen of the iPhone 6 too big. Clunky one-handed use features are available on some Android phones, but they’ve never felt particularly intuitive. They often just shrink the whole screen diagonally down. Apple has come up with a typically elegant solution. Tap twice on the home button and the entire top of the screen jumps down bringing all the hard to reach areas into your thumbs range. It works on every app that works in portrait mode too, so you can easily get to the address bar or a browser without a problem.Realising a power button at the top of the phone of this size doesn’t work Apple has moved it. The power button is at the right edge, above the nanoSIM tray. This makes it easy to access with your thumb, if you’re right -anded or with your index finger if you’re a lefty. It works a lot better than the top power button on the HTC One M8 which requires a little juggling to get to if you’re not ET.
New listing iPhone 6 Plus Gold 16GB (Unlocked)
- $728.99
- Buy It Now
- +$24.65 shipping
- Sep-06 13:37
- From United States
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