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ApplePhy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 7, 2013
321
157
when can we expect the initial wave of reviews for the new iPhones? I would've expected a few key websites/journals to already have their initial reviews in (particularly WSJ, CNET, iMore, the Verge, Engadget, techcrunch, etc...)
 

TJ82

macrumors 65816
Mar 8, 2012
1,262
908
'Initial reviews' are really adverts from carefully selected Apple shills :cool:
 

recklesslife85

Cancelled
Sep 17, 2012
462
170
Independent - UK

iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has unveiled two new phones. Much of what’s said in the iPhone 6 review is relevant here, so please check that out. Here I’ll concentrate on what the iPhone 6 Plus offers above the iPhone 6.

The trend for bigger phones has led to the creation of phone/tablet hybrids: so big they work just fine as tablet substitutes, even if you feel a bit of a noodle holding one to your ear.

Apple’s aim with the iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch display is to get the balance right, to offer the benefits of a screen sizeable enough for extensive video playback and easy email composing on a far-from-cramped keyboard but still fit your jeans pocket.

The iPhone 6 Plus succeeds, though even a whisper bigger would make it just too big. As it is, it’s important you try it in your hand first as it won’t suit all mitts.

When you do, you’ll see that the display is even richer than on the smaller handset. This is a Full HD screen, that is one with 1920 x 1080 pixels, which at this size works out at 401 pixels per inch. There are phones with higher-resolution screens, but the subtle colours, the great viewing angles and the laser-sharpness here are outstanding. I’d say this is the best screen I’ve seen on a mobile phone.

Turn the phone on its side and the home screen turns with you – the iPad has this capability too, but not the iPhone until now. And that’s a clue – this is really more like a little iPad that makes calls than anything else. So when you’re reading emails in landscape orientation you have a list of mails on the left and one message displayed on the right, like on the iPad. Messages has a similarly optimised landscape view – expect other apps to be improved in this way for the bigger-screened iPhone.

So how is it held to the ear? It’s big. It’s noticeably heavier than other iPhones. And for smaller faces it may feel too much, but this is all about personal taste and for many this won’t be an issue.

The iPhone 6 Plus has a great camera, as does the 6, though stills and video playback look even better on this high-res real estate. And the eight-megapixel snapper has an extra feature here – optical image stabilisation which is more sophisticated and effective than the digital version on the iPhone 6.

It allows the camera lenses to move in response to camera shake, to counteract it. In low light this is especially important as the camera shutter needs to be open longer. I’ve tried the camera in reduced light and it seemed to deliver more forgiving, sharper images than before. Apple’s imaging has in recent years worked so well through a combination of an efficient sensor and good-taste image processing. This is Apple’s best camera.

Smartphones are dogged by poor battery life, especially as more features are added to tempt us to use our phones more. One of the disadvantages of a bigger, higher-resolution display is that it consumes more power. One of the advantages is a bigger phone has room for a bigger battery. The iPhone 6 Plus just keeps going. I found it seriously capable of going strong even when I didn’t charge it for two successive nights.

After years of rigorously, anxiously plugging a phone in every single night and probably most afternoons, I cannot tell you how intensely liberating this is. The iPhone 6 is a big step forward in battery life and the Plus is even better.

Both phones offer great features, like the sublimely easy Touch ID to launch the screen and (one day) become a useful contactless payment system. For my digits the iPhone 6 is the ideal size. But for bigger mitts or greedier eyes, this will be the optimum.
 

ApplePhy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 7, 2013
321
157
This 'review' from The Independent sheds no more light on the iphone 6/6+ than what's already ben described last Tuesday from 'initial impressions' from those in attendance at the Apple event.

I always look forward to (much to the chagrin of many here on this forum) Walt Mossberg's in depth personalized review. He tells it like it is, how many times he had to charge the phone during the day, how many hours of video play back he was able to accomplish (vs Apple's purported numbers), if there was ever hand fatigue from holding the device, how portable the device is op during his daily commute, etc...

The Verge (despite them being highly Apple biased) also has great insight and impeccable video production qualities.
 

sk1wbw

Suspended
May 28, 2011
3,483
1,010
Williamsburg, Virginia
This 'review' from The Independent sheds no more light on the iphone 6/6+ than what's already ben described last Tuesday from 'initial impressions' from those in attendance at the Apple event.

I always look forward to (much to the chagrin of many here on this forum) Walt Mossberg's in depth personalized review. He tells it like it is, how many times he had to charge the phone during the day, how many hours of video play back he was able to accomplish (vs Apple's purported numbers), if there was ever hand fatigue from holding the device, how portable the device is op during his daily commute, etc...

The Verge (despite them being highly Apple biased) also has great insight and impeccable video production qualities.

I notice that ANY tech blog that likes ANY Apple device is "biased".
 

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,554
The only review I care about is Anandtech's, it's the Ars Technica of iPhone reviews. Hope it comes tonight.
 

Jman13

macrumors 68000
Aug 7, 2011
1,642
460
Columbus, OH
The Verge (which I very much like) probably won't get a review unit of the 6 and will have to buy one in the store and then review it fast. They got on Apple's 'poop' list a while back and have been cut of from review units for the past two years, I believe. (I know it was that way last year).

Maybe they were just in a long time out, though. :)
 

fmalloy

macrumors 6502
Nov 5, 2007
406
248
Whoever reviews these phones I hope will cover more than just the old standard boring screen resolution, performance, and camera photo results. Why doesn't anyone comment on something like the speaker quality and volume? This is an area which iPhones are terrible in and have needed improvement for years.
 

troop231

macrumors 603
Jan 20, 2010
5,826
560
Whoever reviews these phones I hope will cover more than just the old standard boring screen resolution, performance, and camera photo results. Why doesn't anyone comment on something like the speaker quality and volume? This is an area which iPhones are terrible in and have needed improvement for years.

Indeed. The 6 Plus has two additional speaker holes, so I'm sure it will sound 'better'. :)
 

TorontoSS

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2009
1,087
395
The Verge (which I very much like) probably won't get a review unit of the 6 and will have to buy one in the store and then review it fast. They got on Apple's 'poop' list a while back and have been cut of from review units for the past two years, I believe. (I know it was that way last year).

Maybe they were just in a long time out, though. :)

Just out of interest, as I don't know, but why? ( are they on the bad apple list).
 

webbuzz

macrumors 68020
Jul 24, 2010
2,487
7,848
The Verge (which I very much like) probably won't get a review unit of the 6 and will have to buy one in the store and then review it fast. They got on Apple's 'poop' list a while back and have been cut of from review units for the past two years, I believe. (I know it was that way last year).

Maybe they were just in a long time out, though. :)

One positive thing for many regarding a Verge review? They will know if the phone fits in the front pocket of skinny jeans.

----------

Just out of interest, as I don't know, but why? ( are they on the bad apple list).

Nobody ever said why. Nilay gave a bogus reason for the iPhone 5s review going up on launch day.
 

Zorn

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2006
1,134
796
Ohio
MacRumors said in an earlier post that they should be up tonight. I think from past experience it's usually 6PM PST on whatever night the embargo is up.
 

timotheezz

macrumors regular
Jul 6, 2007
145
1
New Jersey
The Verge (which I very much like) probably won't get a review unit of the 6 and will have to buy one in the store and then review it fast. They got on Apple's 'poop' list a while back and have been cut of from review units for the past two years, I believe. (I know it was that way last year).

Maybe they were just in a long time out, though. :)

I also love The Verge (huzzah the Vergecast is back!)... and according to a 9to5mac article, The Verge has gotten a review unit of every major iDevice since The Verge launched with the exception of the iPad Air. So maybe they did piss Apple off last year (I remember former EIC Josh Topolsky posting about iOS7's aesthetics after WWDC 2013 -- perhaps that was it). Anyways, the article is pretty interesting.

I always look forward their reviews -- especially the video production quality. I'm going to guess they're going to give the phones a 9.0 or above once again.
 

cleirac

macrumors 6502
May 7, 2014
465
0
My MacAir and I will be camping tonight on my bed for the glorious and comprehensive reviews of AnandTech then. :eek:
 

Cryates

macrumors 68040
Nov 19, 2013
3,341
5,283
The 5S embargo was lifted the Tuesday before release at 9PM EST. We could be 40 minutes away from reviews being posted.
 
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