Sept. 29, 2014
Brandon Applehans
[email protected]
This year Apple did Steve Jobs proud. Sept. 19 marked the release of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The new iPhone 6 base model runs between $199 and $399 and the iPhone 6 Plus base model starts at $299 and runs to $499.
If someone in Colorado Springs wanted to own an iPhone on the release date, you had to show up early and wait your turn. After staying in line for 22 hours, I still wonder how I got my phone.
Was it worth waiting in line with people I did not know for that long? Yes, it was.
I bought the iPhone 6 Plus 128 GB model not because of the maximum capacity for storage, but because that was the only model the Apple Store had at 8 a.m. Apple suckered me into spending the extra $100, which did not sit well with me. However, the overall features of the phone made the extra money worthwhile.
The iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s best phone yet. The 5.5-inch screen is massive and if you’re a tablet user or wanting to be one, there is no going back.
I’m not going to bore you with the exact amount of pixels in the screen, but what I can tell you is that at first glance you can see a dramatic difference in quality. The background feels as if it comes to life.
It was easy to set up my phone after receiving it. They give you an option to stay in the store and transfer your photos, information and data to your new device. It’s simple to transfer from another iPhone. Back up iCloud, know your username and password and all is smooth sailing.
I wanted a faster and smarter phone. Apple installed an A8 chip to accommodate for this demand. The performance is improved and the graphics are outstanding.
Apple upgraded one of the most important features for the new iPhone: the battery life. If you have an iPhone 5, you will know when I tell you that my iPhone 5 would last a day at maximum. With the iPhone 6 Plus the battery has lasted two days, even though I constantly checked my email, sent texts and played games.
However, Apple has yet to make the iPhone more customizable. The 6 Plus cannot add widgets, which allow you to designate one screen exclusively for interactive programs such as weather or calendar applications. Androids are capable of this but Apple is not, which is disappointing.
When buying a new iPhone the store will recycle and buy your old iPhone. They performed a 5-minute inspection of my iPhone 5 and gave me store credit toward an iPhone 6 Plus.
For iPhone lovers out there with an upgrade on their contract, I advise you to preorder the next iPhone and try it out for yourself.