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Torn between 6S and 6S+

ShiggyMiyamoto

ShiggyMiyamoto

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 29, 2004
620
31
Just outside Boston, MA.
Okay guys, based on the thread title I don't want it to come across as "one of THOSE" threads, but I just got paid and I have enough money for a 6S (non plus) 64 GB. The $299 one. Currently I have a Nexus 5, of which its screen is only a tad larger than that of the 6S' 4.7" at 4.96" (marketed as 5"). As I'm used to the 5" form factor since I've had my Nexus 5 since launch in 2013, would I have any difficulty using a screen that's ever so slightly smaller?

I've always admired the Plus line of devices since they were announced/introduced last year, but from what I've been reading about "pocket-ability" I'm having second thoughts.

Another question is, since the 6S doesn't have OIS in its camera, how good is the software equivalent when recording video? Also, on the Plus' camera does it have digital zoom or optical zoom when zooming in on a subject to photograph? I'd almost rather not give in, but I had these concerns I wanted to voice here.

Thanks in advance,
ShiggyMiyamoto
 
You are right, this is one of those threads. There's seemingly a gazlllion of 6 vs 6+ and now 6s vs. 6+.

Both phones have their advantages/disadvantages. I suggestion you rate what's important to you and see how both line up. Do you want the larger size with the OIS and better battery but seemingly slower performance or do you want the smaller phone?

My $.02 is I find the larger size of the plus to be a bit awkward and if I have a chance I'll be going to the smaller version.
 
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If you can you need to hold them both in your hands. Either a friend of the Apple store needs to be visited so you can check the size out in your hand. If you are used to smaller iPhones the 6+ is a bit of a shock at first. It took me a while to get used to it but would never go back to a smaller phone. The 6+ camera has been great and I expect the 6S+ to be better but will not be a giant leap!

Good luck on your choice, worst comes to worst you can always return for the other model.
 
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Thanks for the responses so far guys. The one thing that's not been answered so far is whether or not the zoom on the Plus is digital or optical, or if the optical stuff is only for video related stuff.

Also @maflyn I really don't feel this is a typical "one of those threads" type threads, because I had specific things to ask, like how it compares to what I have at the moment, and so on. Granted , I've not read the others similar to this, so I could be on that level after all. lol. It's just that I have the money and it's itchingly tempting to just pull the trigger and get the mid-range 6S. lol. I guess I'll decide by the end of the day, unless a friend of mine with an Apple Business Account and its awesome and godly discounts can get me a top tier 6S+ for cheap.... I guess we'll see what happens.
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Thanks for the responses so far guys. The one thing that's not been answered so far is whether or not the zoom on the Plus is digital or optical, or if the optical stuff is only for video related stuff.

Also @maflyn I really don't feel this is a typical "one of those threads" type threads, because I had specific things to ask, like how it compares to what I have at the moment, and so on. Granted , I've not read the others similar to this, so I could be on that level after all. lol. It's just that I have the money and it's itchingly tempting to just pull the trigger and get the mid-range 6S. lol. I guess I'll decide by the end of the day, unless a friend of mine with an Apple Business Account and its awesome and godly discounts can get me a top tier 6S+ for cheap.... I guess we'll see what happens.
Click to expand...
The zoom on the 6S and 6S+ are digital only for photo and video. The 6S+ has optical image stabilization for photo and video, whereas the 6S does not; last year's 6+ only used OIS for photos.
 
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bhayes444 said:
The zoom on the 6S and 6S+ are digital only for photo and video. The 6S+ has optical image stabilization for photo and video, whereas the 6S does not; last year's 6+ only used OIS for photos.
Click to expand...

Interesting... Thanks for that bit of info... Another question not answered is how does the software do in terms of OIS on the 6S?
 
The zoom is digital. Sounds like you're better off with the smaller 6s. It's quicker than the 6s+, more pocketable and easier to use with one hand. The 6s+ is more akin to the Nexus 6.

You're not going to miss OIS. When I was going back and forth between the 6 and 6+, I found the pictures taken by the 6 to be perfectly acceptable. They looked nicer and snapped quicker than the ones on my old Galaxy S4 ever did.
 
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bchreng said:
The zoom is digital. Sounds like you're better off with the smaller 6s. It's quicker than the 6s+, more pocketable and easier to use with one hand. The 6s+ is more akin to the Nexus 6.

You're not going to miss OIS. When I was going back and forth between the 6 and 6+, I found the pictures taken by the 6 to be perfectly acceptable. They looked nicer and snapped quicker than the ones on my old Galaxy S4 ever did.
Click to expand...


^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^ finally answers what I was asking in the OP. Thank you! @bchreng so the software "OIS" on the 6S does a good enough job?
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^ finally answers what I was asking in the OP. Thank you! @bchreng so the software "OIS" on the 6S does a good enough job?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it works really well. The only difference you'll see is some more noise and maybe a little more blur for photos in low light conditions. Most phones struggle in that department anyways and you'd really have to zoom in and look hard to see the difference.

As for video, as long as you have a moderately steady hand, the video should turn out just fine. Mounting it onto a bike while cycling through a dirt path however, is a different story.
 
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bchreng said:
Yeah, it works really well. The only difference you'll see is some more noise and maybe a little more blur for photos in low light conditions. Most phones struggle in that department anyways and you'd really have to zoom in and look hard to see the difference.

As for video, as long as you have a moderately steady hand, the video should turn out just fine. Mounting it onto a bike while cycling through a dirt path however, is a different story.
Click to expand...

What about while using a selfie-stick? lol
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
What about while using a selfie-stick? lol
Click to expand...

Basically, a video on the 6S will be more shaky than a 6S+ video. Using a selfie stick helps a little with the stabilization, but the 6S+ will always look better unless on a tripod. Nevertheless, this wouldn't change my mind to go with the plus, since it doesn't outweigh the reasons I'd go with the regular 6S.
 
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When the 6 came out, I bought the regular 6 model as I thought the 6 Plus was too big.

Some months ago I got a good deal on a used 6 Plus, and I must admit the bigger screen (and especially the larger battery) really is hard to go back from again. I sold my 6 and kept the 6 Plus, and now I'm just waiting for the 6S Plus to be released here in Denmark so I can get that as well. The battery is an absolute dealbreaker for me.
 
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Okay so I think I've made my decision to go with a top tier 6S (128 GB) using my friend's ABA, but I have one last question: will I miss my Nexus 5's 1080p display when going to the 6S' just-higher-than 720p display? Will I see much of a difference? I mean, there are QHD and 4k Android phones, but who needs such hi-res on a smartphone?

dsh3 said:
When the 6 came out, I bought the regular 6 model as I thought the 6 Plus was too big.

Some months ago I got a good deal on a used 6 Plus, and I must admit the bigger screen (and especially the larger battery) really is hard to go back from again. I sold my 6 and kept the 6 Plus, and now I'm just waiting for the 6S Plus to be released here in Denmark so I can get that as well. The battery is an absolute dealbreaker for me.
Click to expand...

You see, for me I have my current phone in my pocket "attached" to a bluetooth speaker while I work to pump out tunes to keep me motivated while doing my tasks etc. While the 6(S)+ has a slightly larger battery than the 6(S), I also have a USB battery pack I can thread my lightning cable to (by thread I mean snaking the lightning cable through the belt loops of my pants). For this reason I'm starting to feel that I'll at least give the 6S a shot before deciding whether or not I want to "upgrade" to the 6S+ for its features/feature set.
 
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Im in the same boat. Im torn between the 6s and 6s Plus. I currently have a 5, and I know that I want a larger screen, I just dont know how much larger do I want to go. I did just spend about $30 in the past week buying accessories for the 6s Plus, but I can always exchange them. Its really a tough choice, because seeing as I have to pay either $749 or $849 for the 6s and 6s Plus, its going to be my last phone for a while.
 
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The.316 said:
Im in the same boat. Im torn between the 6s and 6s Plus. I currently have a 5, and I know that I want a larger screen, I just dont know how much larger do I want to go. I did just spend about $30 in the past week buying accessories for the 6s Plus, but I can always exchange them. Its really a tough choice, because seeing as I have to pay either $749 or $849 for the 6s and 6s Plus, its going to be my last phone for a while.
Click to expand...

You don't have the choice to extend any contract you might already have to get it cheaper? That's what I'm doing most likely...
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Okay so I think I've made my decision to go with a top tier 6S (128 GB) using my friend's ABA, but I have one last question: will I miss my Nexus 5's 1080p display when going to the 6S' just-higher-than 720p display? Will I see much of a difference? I mean, there are QHD and 4k Android phones, but who needs such hi-res on a smartphone?



You see, for me I have my current phone in my pocket "attached" to a bluetooth speaker while I work to pump out tunes to keep me motivated while doing my tasks etc. While the 6(S)+ has a slightly larger battery than the 6(S), I also have a USB battery pack I can thread my lightning cable to (by thread I mean snaking the lightning cable through the belt loops of my pants). For this reason I'm starting to feel that I'll at least give the 6S a shot before deciding whether or not I want to "upgrade" to the 6S+ for its features/feature set.
Click to expand...

While it isn't as dense as on other phones, once you start using it, any difference in ppi just fades away. You're not going to miss the 1080p display. Most apps are written for the 6s display resolution so, if anything, they'll look a little weird running on a 6s+.
 
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bchreng said:
While it isn't as dense as on other phones, once you start using it, any difference in ppi just fades away. You're not going to miss the 1080p display. Most apps are written for the 6s display resolution so, if anything, they'll look a little weird running on a 6s+.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Now I wait for my friend to get back to me as to whether or not his discount can apply to 2y contract extensions.
 
get the 6s+
its the second iteration
apple's new products are always better the second time through.
pros:
no more bendgate
OIS in video
much longer battery life
better screen

6SPlus all the way
 
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