The iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus | Which iPhone is Better?

With Apple releasing two versions of the next gen iPhone, consumers now have a choice between either buying the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus. With two options now, a question that often arises is whether the iPhone 6 is worth the buy or the iPhone 6 Plus. Although the obvious difference between the two seems to be screen size, the iPhone 6 Plus varies from the 6 in some other key factors as well. We'll round off the differences for you.

Screen:

iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 LCD

iPhone 6: 4.7 inch 'Retina HD' 1334 x 750 LCD

The iPhone 6 Plus' screen is 0.8 inches larger than its brother and 0.8 inches is a huge difference. The iPhone 6 Plus along with the bigger screen has a comparatively better screen resolution as well which is 401 PPI compared to the iPhone 6's 321 PPI screen. The iPhone 6 Plus' screen also seems to be brighter than the 6's. Although there are some minor differences between the screens apart from the size, you won't notice them as much unless you get up close and personal with your phone or like to watch HD movies regularly during long flights or stays. The iPhone 6 Plus was also particularly made to be used in landscape mode similar to the iPad Mini 2.

We can't really choose a winner between the two in terms of screen size because it depends on the users preferences. If you prefer bigger screens that allow you more space, then the Plus would be your choice but if you're more of a person who chooses the 4.7 inch screen because of its much easier handling and the fact it fits easily into your pocket, the 6 may be the better choice.

Camera:

Many users take their phones' cameras to be a key factor in determining which phone they want. The following are the differences between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cameras;

iPhone 6 Plus:  8MP camera, 1/3.06-inch sensor, true-tone flash,f/2.2 aperture dual-LED flash, phase detection, OIS.
iPhone 6: 8MP camera, 1/3.06-inch sensor, true-tone flash,f/2.2 aperture dual-LED flash, phase detection.

There isn't much of a difference between the two cameras. Both have their 8 megapixel cameras with identical front facing cameras which work pretty well in low light and in general compared to the iPhones' rivals. Taking selfies and video calling isn't much different than the previous iPhone models and that is perfectly fine considering they are already good enough. 

The only difference between the two cameras is the OIS feature in the iPhone 6 Plus. OIS is the optical image stabilization. Although you won't feel much of a difference in well lit conditions, in low light the iPhone 6 Plus easily wins the battle because of OIS. The image appears to be much sharper and the colors are also adjusted to make the image feel less dull.

Both cameras are great, but the OIS makes the iPhone 6 Plus one step ahead of the 6.

Performance:

iPhone 6 Plus: Apple A8 64-bit and M8 co-processor, iOS 8

iPhone 6: Apple A8 64-bit and M8 co-processor, iOS 8

Both the processors are the same, but this time Apple has included a co processor as well. The M8 co processor deals with the side features such as sensors and some data management. This increases the phones performance by a great deal along with the battery life. 

The processors are great in all aspects. the A8 64-bit chip is a great new addition and works perfectly. It's dual core, 1.4 GHz CPU with a PowerVR GX6450 quad core graphics chip along with a 1 GB RAM. That's great news if you're a gamer! Games do not lag or stutter at all and it runs very smoothly. 

Both include the new iOS 8 which has improved the previous iOS 7 which we have discussed in another article. iOS 8 runs smoothly as well but there are barely any differences between the two iPhones. Both show you a maximum of 20 apps on one screen. The widgets, keyboard, etc. are the same. The only difference is that the iPhone 6 Plus gives you some extra shortcuts only in landscape mode. 

As the performance is basically the same, we'll call it a draw.

Battery Life:

iPhone 6 Plus: 2,915 mAh battery, 14 hours video, 12 hours browsing

iPhone 6: 1,810 mAh battery, 11 hours video, 11 hours browsing

Although the iPhone 6 has a smaller screen and consumes less battery, the iPhone 6 Plus beats its brother in stamina by a long long margin. The iPhone 6 Plus is a good competitor to the other Samsung and HTC flagships and a mediocre user can get 2 full days out of the phone easily. Whereas the iPhone 6 is a phone that you will need to charge daily. We're not saying the iPhone 6 battery is bad, but it comes no where close to the iPhone 6 Plus.

Design:

iPhone 6 Plus: Curved aluminium, gold or light/dark silver 7.1mm thick, 172g

iPhone 6: Curved aluminium, gold or light/dark silver, 6.8mm thick, 129g

Both phones look identical aside from the screen size and the overall design is beautiful. The glass curves at the edges into the aluminium chassis and is generally very slick and stylish. The two colors look perfect on both phones.

As the iPhone 6 Plus is larger than the 6, it is also thicker and heavier. Although you won't feel the difference too much, you will feel that the iPhone 6 is much more comfortable to hold compared to the 6 Plus. The large 6 Plus sometimes makes it difficult using the phone with one hand and typing with your thumb. Although you will get used to it, in the beginning you would most probably have to use both your hands. Reaching the notification bar may also cause issues to those with small hands.

Both iPhones have great grips and you won't risk your 6 Plus from sliding down your hand while trying to reach for something at the top of the screen. If you put the Apple case on, the iPhone 6 Plus gets much more difficult to use because of the increment in size but it works seamlessly with the iPhone 6. 

Price:

Price is one of the biggest factor in choosing which iPhone you want. Both phones are made by Apple ( obviously ) and therefore are going to be expensive. Apple has also raised the price compared to the previous generations.

iPhone 6 Plus: 16 GB  ( $749 ), 64 GB ( $849 ), 128 GB ( $949 )

iPhone 6: 16 GB ( $649 ), 64 GB ( $749 ), 128 GB ( $849 )

The iPhone 6 is a $100 less than the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple has also chosen not to release any 32 GB version but haven't exactly given a reason for it. We would suggest you get the 64 GB one because the iPhone does not have an SD card slot and you wouldn't want to be low on memory. 

Verdict:

We can't really decide between the two ourselves. It depends from user to user. Although the iPhone 6 Plus wins in specs, it loses in two key factors: Price and Screen Size.

We would say decide between which screen size suits you. If you don't mind using a screen that's close to a phablet if not already then go for the iPhone 6 Plus but if you feel uncomfortable with the 5.5 inch screen  then the iPhone 6 is the choice for you.