Tried 6s Plus for a week...I give up!!!

[spinedoc77]

Unfortunately in unfamiliar with one handed mode on the nite since I've literally never used one (I don't think even the display lol). Do display models have the festure? How do I activate? I'll give it a go next time I'm in Best Buy.

It's pretty awesome. You just slide in from one side of the screen and slide out, a very minimal gesture. It shrinks down the entire screen, but keeps the height/width proportions correct, and you can even move around the window to where you want it.

The issue I have with APple's method is that it's still a pain to stretch mythumb all the way to the left when in one hand mode.

 

[D.T.]

Here's 2 pretty popular apps that don't take advantage of the larger screen specifically the landscape view.

Why even enable landscape view?

I have my + in landscape using the stock apps which are able to be viewed in landscape. Tap on FB or Instagram, you cannot view these apps in landscape so turn the phone around. Press the home button and switch back to landscape. Hopping back and forth from safari to fb/ig and your constantly flipping your phone around.

Some do, some don't, congrats, you figured that out

I responded to "no apps use the additional space [of the Plus model]", clearly that's not the case, however, I didn't even mention portrait vs. landscape, that's a whole separate discussion ... and I agree with your point, but even more generally, I'm surprised several popular apps don't support landscape _at_all_. Not just in the case of the Plus (where it could be better leveraged), but on all devices just to avoid orientation shuffle.

 

[spinedoc77]

Video please as most can't handle one handed.

Why the disbelief? I can handle my plus one handed just fine. The onlycaveats that stick out in my mind are when I'm typing and have to reach my thumb all the way to the left to hit the number/symbol key.

 

[D.T.]

Why the disbelief? I can handle my plus one handed just fine. The onlycaveats that stick out in my mind are when I'm typing and have to reach my thumb all the way to the left to hit the number/symbol key.

Yeah, but some people have pretty large hands, I recall you posted this pic of you holding a beer:

 

[phillytim]

Why the disbelief? I can handle my plus one handed just fine. The onlycaveats that stick out in my mind are when I'm typing and have to reach my thumb all the way to the left to hit the number/symbol key.

I can pretty much do that too, but it's a struggle to his that number/symbol or shift keys. I don't think I could walk and do that, but definitely if I'm still and try doing it.

I haven't even tried my SwiftKey keyboard, with swiping, yet. I'm afraid it's going to be rather futile. But I will try.

I used to could type while riding on my bike with my 5S, but certainly not with this 6s+.

Although it's for sure that the 6s+ camera is certainly a marvel of modern technology, with those pictures it puts out. I just love my pix now, and the OIS really helps at night.

 

[spinedoc77]

I can pretty much do that too, but it's a struggle to his that number/symbol or shift keys. I don't think I could walk and do that, but definitely if I'm still and try doing it.

I haven't even tried my SwiftKey keyboard, with swiping, yet. I'm afraid it's going to be rather futile. But I will try.

I used to could type while riding on my bike with my 5S, but certainly not with this 6s+.

Yeah I have to balance my phone on my palm while I reach over, it pisses me off endlessly. Fleksy keyboard has a cool feature where you swipe a key and it does punctuation, it's too bad fleksy is such a complete piece of crap app on iOS. I also dig windows keyboard where the top row of letter keys can be swiped upwards and give you numbers if you swipe instead of press.

Maybe with 3d touch Apple will improve the keyboard, but in comparison to almost every other first and third party keyboard it's terrible for one handed use.

 

[mooninite]

You bring up completely valid and legitimate points!

I have giant hands so the Plus works great for me! I can totally see how someone with even average sized man hands would have a difficult time.

My hands are huge so for me it feels natural!

 

[eyeseeyou]

Some do, some don't, congrats, you figured that out

I responded to "no apps use the additional space [of the Plus model]", clearly that's not the case, however, I didn't even mention portrait vs. landscape, that's a whole separate discussion ... and I agree with your point, but even more generally, I'm surprised several popular apps don't support landscape _at_all_. Not just in the case of the Plus (where it could be better leveraged), but on all devices just to avoid orientation shuffle.

My main issue is that Apple did a "half ass" effort into making the 6+ usable from a ux/UI perspective.

Why even enable landscape view for the icon layout if it's not going to be a consistent user experience.

Landscape view for icon layout, 2 column email view in landscape and the weak attempt at a one handed assist mode.

They could do better

 

[lordofthereef]

It's pretty awesome. You just slide in from one side of the screen and slide out, a very minimal gesture. It shrinks down the entire screen, but keeps the height/width proportions correct, and you can even move around the window to where you want it.

The issue I have with APple's method is that it's still a pain to stretch mythumb all the way to the left when in one hand mode.

so is it the same gesture as swiping forward or back in safari, for example?

 

[AppleRobert]

Why the disbelief? I can handle my plus one handed just fine. The onlycaveats that stick out in my mind are when I'm typing and have to reach my thumb all the way to the left to hit the number/symbol key.

I think the one handed reachability feature comes in handy. I think folks pretty much resign and give up in using the Plus one handed. One guy on another thread said he tried the reachability feature and turned it off cause it was a nuisance.

Guess maybe I didn't stick with it long enough trying one handed. By seeing a video hands on how folks use the Plus one handed maybe that would help.

 

[Scarphac3]

I used to have a 6 and every time I went to the store and saw the plus I would think its humongous but I always wanted to try it. I eventually ended up getting the 6+ and now the 6s+. The other day I picked up my old iPhone 6 case and it felt like a toy. I can use my plus one handed especially with reachability. The screen real estate and the battery life are unbeatable for me. I couldn't image going back to a 6s.

 

[eyeseeyou]

One UI change for the 6 plus to help with one handed usability. swipe up from the middle of the screen to pull up notifications instead of reaching all the way at the top to pull down notifications.

You'd really have to have shaq like hands to be able to pull down notifications in one motion.

Instead of double tapping to bring the top half down and then pull down for notifications. AND THEN double tap to clear the top notification. Or just use two hands

 

[dlondon]

I totally understand where the OP is coming from. I had the 6 previously. I bought the 6S and the 6S+ this time as I wanted to try a larger phone but I wasn't convinced by the size.

I have been using the 6S+ for the last week and have felt it was a little too big to hold, difficult to use with one hand (even when not typing) and I was concerned I would drop the device (possibly more concerned because I knew I might want to take it back).

I opened the 6S today and the screen just seemed really small. However, when using the 6S I noticed I generally use two hands. Sure, I browse many apps with one hand but I generally use two hands when typing (one to hold the phone and the other to type) so perhaps my concern about the 6S+ is unwarranted.

I bought a case for the 6S+ but I haven't used it yet. The surface of the iPhone is rather slippy so I think I will try using with the case for the next few days before making my final decision which device to keep. It would be nice to have both sizes (perhaps using one for work and one for personal) but I think it would be a bit of a waste. Perhaps when the 7 comes out I will keep the 6S/6S+ as a secondary device.

 

[spinedoc77]

so is it the same gesture as swiping forward or back in safari, for example?

No, you just slightly swipe in then out, it's a very small gesture. It's a tiny learning curve, but once you do it 2 or 3 times you get it.

 

[spinedoc77]

I agree with others the only thing I lament on the iPhone pluses (besides the crappy one handed mode) is that they didn't provide any optimizations for the larger screen. Having more information on screen would be awesome. Viewing maps and navigation on the Note series is awesome because they fit much more info on screen. Multi screen apps would be awesome as well and a great use of the larger screen.

 

[Abazigal]

Is it weird that I am actually beginning to enjoy and appreciate Reachability when using my iPhone 6S+ one-handed?

 

[lordofthereef]

Is it weird that I am actually beginning to enjoy and appreciate Reachability when using my iPhone 6S+ one-handed?

Not really. We all have different needs and wants. If it works for you that's great. In sure plenty of people use it.

 

[Zune55]

So I bought a 6s Plus last week, but I just can't get used to the size. The phone is simply too big and clumsy in the hand - trying to whip it out quickly and use with one hand requires constant balancing and hand readjustments to reach the entire screen. I end up balancing the phone on my fingers which is a sure fire recipe for drops. When I need to reach the upper 25% of the screen I kinda slide/bounce the phone down in my hand...then slide/bounce it up when I'm done. The reach-ability thing feels like an extra step I'd rather not do - and it just doesn't feel natural on a touchscreen where my thumb wants to reach out and touch what I want without thinking. It's almost impossible to hold the phone up and use it one handed while laying down (like in the recliner while I'm watching TV). Using one hand to check something quickly in the car or messing with maps is just annoying!

Another issue I have is that pulling out the plus is almost a public event rather than a personal matter. The phone is so big that I feel like anyone near me can see what I'm doing. With the 6s you can sorta cuff it in your hand with a secure grip like the easy-to-one-hand 4 or 4s - it's really not that much bigger feeling to me (0.9" taller/0.33" wider/.09" slimmer). The 4.7" has that natural extension of the hand feeling which I feel is essential for a phone. It doesn't feel like it could get away from me. I can't see the 6s being hard to one hand for anyone with at least an average size woman hand.

And what about cases? I'm one of those that like to keep my expensive phone in pristine condition - how do you folks use a 6 plus with a case that adds say 1/4"+ to the width? I only used the plus without a case, but I can't imagine how bulky it must feel with a case that offers decent protection.

I can understand the plus being a tablet substitute for some, but I just don't see it happening for me. I don't have a tablet, but instead of using the plus like one, I'd rather get on my laptop. Phone on the go/killing time and laptop for when I want to get stuff done (like typing up this post). I NEVER used landscape on the plus or any other phone - granted I'm not a gamer.

The 6s takes good enough pictures for me and I'm guessing 90% would never see a difference. I can't see a difference based on what I've seen.

The screens look the same to me.

IMO, the 6s would be the perfect phone if it had a slightly bigger battery. Relative to the Plus, in test I've seen online, the 6s and 6s plus are separated by only an hour or less. That's not really game changing...especially if you always carry a charger in your car.

It was fun 6s+, but tomorrow I'm switching you out for the 6s.

BTW - I'm no tech geek so take it easy on me.

That's good that you didn't try the plus while laying down on your back, it would have slipped from your hands and fall onto your face so bad that it would have reminded you of your grandma. It happened to me when I was on 6 plus last year. This year I m on 6s, I think plus version is just a competition thing. Apple doesn't want its buyers to go for Samsung etc., for big size phones. Even if that would have happened buyers have come back to Apple because the big size phones are not comfortable to use plus the lag in android.

 

[mlody]

I am in %100 agreement with the OP.; however, I wasn't as patient as the OP and I actually returned my 6S+ after only 3 days (I was coming from 5S). The phone actually hurt my hands which wasn't apparent when playing with it for 2-3 minutes at an Apple store. During those 3 days I was afraid to use the phone cause I was afraid that I would accidentally drop it (I never dropped my 4S nor 5S; however, I got a feeling that I would drop the 6S+ in the first 1-2 weeks of using it)

Overall I do not like the design of the 6S. I think it is crap compared to 4S or 5S and I am hoping that Apple will go back to its roots with the design for iPhone 7/7S. I really hope that they will focus on reducing the bezel and upgrading the base 4.7" to something like 5" while retaining the same size as 4.7".

 

[eddiehaskell]

Did a little unscientific test - fully charged the 6s and 6s+ and played a YouTube video with both phones on wifi/landscape. After 4 hours, the 6s is at

I used to have a 6 and every time I went to the store and saw the plus I would think its humongous but I always wanted to try it. I eventually ended up getting the 6+ and now the 6s+. The other day I picked up my old iPhone 6 case and it felt like a toy. I can use my plus one handed especially with reachability. The screen real estate and the battery life are unbeatable for me. I couldn't image going back to a 6s.

I guess this brings up the question...how big are people willing to go? In a year or two, will we have folks saying they couldn't imagine going smaller than 6"? What about 6.4" like the Z Ultra?

Is this the future of mobile phones? Maybe the tablet and phone will truly merge into one device.

 

[viperGTS]

I tried the 6s Plus for a week before I returned it (due to defects, I enjoyed the phone). Here are my thoughts, everyone's will differ:

• At first, I really liked the additional screen size. So much more room to view everything!
• Battery life was really good. I could actually use the phone for everything I wanted to do all day and still have charge at the end of the day.
• One handed usability was a mixed bag. At first, I thought it wasn't an issue, but I realized that it became really awkward to use the Plus one handed, which became a very big issue after I realized how important one handed use was to me. This was a huge issue for the 3D Touch multitasking gesture; using it felt really awkward because I had to stretch my thumb so far!
• Apps don't feel completely optimized to use the additional screen space, especially in landscape (not counting stock apps). I'm looking at you, Twitter. Wasted space on the left and right.
• I always use phones with cases; I purchased a Spigen Slim Armor for the Plus, and holy crap does adding a case make the phone feel so much clunkier in the pocket. Maybe it was more my shorts though, because in some pairs it wasn't as prevalent, and in others it was.

In short, the Plus was great, but the extra screen space feels sort of wasted, and I'm not really sure if I was seeing "more" content, or just "bigger" content, but it felt like I was only seeing bigger content. The battery life was really great though, but I think that the 6s can also hold its own on battery life. My sister has a 6s and is a huge social media/texting junkie, and she has had great things to say about battery life.

Definitely leaning towards getting a 6s when I go back to purchase a new phone. (Now, lets hope for no defects!)

 

[eddiehaskell]

That's good that you didn't try the plus while laying down on your back, it would have slipped from your hands and fall onto your face so bad that it would have reminded you of your grandma. It happened to me when I was on 6 plus last year. This year I m on 6s, I think plus version is just a competition thing. Apple doesn't want its buyers to go for Samsung etc., for big size phones. Even if that would have happened buyers have come back to Apple because the big size phones are not comfortable to use plus the lag in android.

Oh yeah lol - it's almost impossible to get comfy using the phone laying down...maybe weird but laying in bed on the phone helps put me to sleep. When your hand has to hold the weight of the phone up you simply can't move your thumb around much. The Plus needs to be balanced toward the ends of your fingers to give the thumb decent range of motion....just hope no one bumps into you!

 

[eddiehaskell]

Here's what I missed....easily pulling down that notification bar. With NO hand repositioning, the pad of my thumb gets everywhere except the far, far, far left upper corner...even with a case on it.

 

[dannyyankou]

Yeah, it's a little too big for me. Maybe if they reduce the bezels on the iPhone 7 I'll consider.

In fact, do we even need the home button anymore with 3D touch? A hard press from the bottom of the screen should close apps, similar to how a hard press from the left of the screen brings up multitasking.

 

[DJTaurus]

Here's what I missed....easily pulling down that notification bar. With NO hand repositioning, the pad of my thumb gets everywhere except the far, far, far left upper corner...even with a case on it.

I almost cand do that with my iPhone 6 ... but you can also use reachability and slide down the empty space.