With every launch of the iPhone, Apple seems to have everything to lose and not much to gain. Apple’s iPhone line accounts for the majority of profits in the smartphone space, and as the smartphone market marches towards maturity it seems inevitable that companies like Xiaomi will be able to deliver largely similar experiences at much lower prices. The same once happened with Apple in the days of the PC industry where Apple approached irrelevance. Yet generation after generation, Apple seems to be able to hold on to a majority of profit share, and they’ve managed to tenaciously hold on to their first-mover advantage.

This brings us to the iPhone 6. This is now the eighth generation of the iPhone, and the fifth generation of the iPhone’s industrial and material design. We should note right now that this review is specifically for the iPhone 6; for the iPhone 6 Plus, please see our iPhone 6 Plus companion review. At this point, it’s not really possible to revolutionize the smartphone, and on the surface, the iPhone 6 seems to be directly inspired by the iPod Touch. However, instead of the chamfered edge where the display meets the metal unibody we see a continuous curve from the sloping glass to the metal unibody that looks and feels great. While the M8 was one of the best phones for in-hand feel, the iPhone 6 goes a step further due to the reduced weight and rounded side. I've always felt like the HTC 8X had one of the most compelling shapes for a phone, and the incredibly thin feel of the iPhone 6 definitely reminds me of that.

Along the left side, we see the standard volume buttons and mute switch that continue to have the same solid feel and clean clicking action. As I discuss in the iPhone 6 Plus review, going by Consumer Reports' data it seems that there is a weak point near the bottom of the volume rocker, although it's far less likely to be an issue on the iPhone 6 due to its smaller size. Along the top, there isn’t a power button because it’s been moved to the right side of the phone so there’s nothing notable on the top.

On the right side, we see the previously mentioned power button and also the SIM tray, which is ejected by inserting a pin into the eject hole. Similarly to the volume buttons, the power button has a solid feel that gives a distinct click when triggered and continues to be quite unique when compared to phones other than recent iPhones.

The bottom has the Lightning connector, speaker, a microphone, and 3.5mm headset jack. The placement and design of all these elements are largely similar if not shared directly with the iPod Touch.

The back of the phone continues to share elements from the iPod Touch. The camera, microphone, and LED flash are almost identical in their appearance, even down to the camera hump’s design. The LED flash does look different to accommodate the second amber flash, but the shape is identical. The only real difference is that the antennas of the iPhone 6 are the metal pieces on the top and bottom, with the associated plastic lines instead of a plastic RF window.

The front of the phone is decidedly more similar to the iPhone 5s though, with the Touch ID home button. While the earpiece hasn’t moved, it seems that the front facing camera has been moved back to the left side of the earpiece, and the sensors for light and proximity are now above the earpiece. For the most part, there’s not much to comment on here but after using the iPhone 6 for an extended amount of time I’m definitely sure that the home button is relatively closer to the surface of the display glass than before. In addition, the home button has a dramatically improved feel, with short travel, clean actuation, and a reassuring click in most cases.

Overall, while I was undecided at the launch of the iPhone 6 I definitely think the look of the new iPhone has grown on me. The camera hump’s accent serves as an interesting design touch, and the feel of the design is definitely much more comfortable and ergonomic than before. I’m not really sure that the extra reduction in thickness was necessary, but it does make for a better first impression. In the launch article I was a bit surprised that Apple chose to have a camera hump but given the fact that the iPod Touch has the same design it seems that there is precedent for such a move. I personally feel that the design wouldn’t be worse by increasing thickness to eliminate the hump and improve battery life as a result.

Apple has also introduced a new silicone case, which brings a lower price point than the leather cases. Surprisingly, this is a rather high quality case, and as far as I can tell it doesn’t carry any of the issues that silicone cases traditionally have. There’s a nice lip to make sure that the display glass doesn’t touch a surface if the phone is put face down, and the material doesn’t seem to stretch or attract pocket lint the way most silicone cases do.

There’s definitely a lot more to talk about though, and to get a sense of the major differences I’ve put together our usual spec table below.

  Apple iPhone 5s Apple iPhone 6 Apple iPhone 6 Plus
SoC Apple A7 Apple A8 Apple A8
Display 4-inch 1136 x 640 LCD 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 LCD 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD
WiFi 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, single stream, BT 4.0, NFC
Storage 16GB/32GB/64GB 16GB/64GB/128GB 16GB/64GB/128GB
I/O Lightning connector, 3.5mm headset
Size / Mass 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm, 129 grams 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm, 172 grams
Camera 8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash
1.2MP f/2.4 Front Facing
8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash
1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing
8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash + OIS
1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing
Price $99 (16GB), $149 (32GB) on 2 year contract $199 (16GB), $299 (64GB), $399 (128GB) on 2 year contract $299 (16GB), $399 (64GB), $499 (128GB) on 2 year contract

As you can see, this is a major release even at a high level. While the design might take some inspiration from the iPod Touch, the hardware is a completely different beast. There’s a new SoC, the A8; the iPhone 6 also includes a bigger and better display, newer WiFi module, bigger battery, and a better camera. Of course, there’s a lot more to the story of the iPhone 6 than a spec sheet. The first major difference that we’ll talk about is the SoC.

A8: Apple’s First 20nm SoC
Comments Locked

531 Comments

View All Comments

  • annah_souls - Tuesday, October 28, 2014 - link

    Yes, it's my money and I have a lot of them to buy as much as iPhone as I like. If you don't satisfy Apple product, you may not but $2000 handbag also. Pity you to yell Apple "The world is not fair!" LOL
  • Donkey2008 - Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - link

    People with intelligence don't buy purely on specs, which it seems 100% of Android owners do. I can just picture you like the many Android fanboys I have met....."Deeeerp, it has foure cores witch iz twice as mony as en iPhone so itz twice as fast, Deeeerrp".

    Enjoy your clunky, resource-hog, half-baked Google OS, your extremely inefficient hot-and-crispy quad-core space heater SOC (which has to be throttled by Android so the phone doesn't melt LULZ) and premium plastic-wrapped junk.
  • leonhk1 - Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - link

    Hi,
    I have stock of Brand New Apple iPhone 6 - 64GB Unlocked phones for sale at $650 only, sealed in box with 1 year warranty. Available in Gold , silver and space grey colors

    Interested buyer should E-mail me at: megas83@yahoo.co.uk
  • iphone 3 - Friday, October 31, 2014 - link

    I am wondering if you guys have similar analysis for ipad air 2 A8x
  • odedia - Tuesday, November 4, 2014 - link

    Please check the NAND differences between the 64gb model and the 128gb model. It appears the 128gb model uses TLC and not MLC.
  • curiosity - Thursday, November 6, 2014 - link

    output power / voltage: per channel or combined?
  • sellcheapli - Monday, November 24, 2014 - link

    Apple iPhone 6 - Plus 4G 16GB , 64GB , 128GB (Grey,Silver,Gold) ... $600
  • sellcheapli - Monday, November 24, 2014 - link

    Apple iPhone 6 - Plus 4G 16GB , 64GB , 128GB (Grey,Silver,Gold) ... $600

    Apple iPhone 6 - 16GB , 64GB , 128GB (Grey,Silver,Gold) ... $500

    Message : sellcheaplimited@gmail.com
  • Apple_iPhone_Service - Thursday, April 30, 2015 - link

    http://www.iphoneservicecenterchennai.co

    Find the best Iphone Service center in your area in Chennai & Bangalore

    iphone service center in Anna Nagar | iphone service center in Mogappair | iphone service center in Thirumangalam | iphone service center in Perambur | iphone service center in Egmore | iphone service center in Kilpauk | iphone service center in Aminjikarai | iphone service center in Koyambedu | iphone service center in Kodambakkam | iphone service center in Nungambakkam | iphone service center in TNagar | iphone service center in Royepettah | iphone service center in Mylapore | iphone service center in Teynampet | iphone service center in Saidapet | iphone service center in Guindy | iphone service center in Ashok Nagar | iphone service center in KK Nagar | iphone service center in Saligramam | iphone service center in Virugambakkam | iphone service center in Chrompet | iphone service center in Pallavaram | iphone service center in Tambaram | iphone service center in Velachery | iphone service center in Thiruvanmiyur | iphone service center in Adyar | iphone service center in OMR | iphone service center in ECR | iphone service center in Medavakkam | iphone service center in Madipakkam | iphone service center in Perumbakkam | iphone service center in Pallikaranai | iphone service center in Sholinganallur | iphone service center in Gopalapuram | iphone service center in Besant Nagar | iphone service center in Washermenpet | iphone service center in Broadway | iphone service center in Purusawalkam
    iphone service center in koramangala | iphone service center in jayanagar | iphone service center in jp nagar|iphone service center in btm | iphone service center in ulsoor | iphone service center in kammanahali | iphone service center in cox town \ iphone service center in frazer town | iphone service center in mathikere | iPhone Service Center in kempapura | iphone service center in marathalli | iphone service center in hsr | iphone service center in electronic city | iphone service center in sg playa | iphone service center in Bellandur | iphone service center in Domlur | iphone service center in Malleswaram | iphone service center in Rajajinagar | iphone service center in majestic | iphone service center in forum mall | iphone service center in Sony world signal | iphone service center in echo space | iphone service center in forum mall | iphone service center in Whitefield

    We provide wide-range of Hardware & Software services for all branded smartphones and tablets including brands like APPLE, SAMSUNG, HTC, SONY, LG, MOTOROLA, MICROMAX, LENOVO etc. can recover the smartphone devices from any sort of problems like physical damage, Water lock and replacing the core components like Display , IC's, Front and Rear Camera components and other hardware/software issues.
    Training
    Topics Discus under Training Program:
    Soldering, De-soldering of components, Check of voltages in a battery of a mobile phone, Use of SMD reworks station, Triggering of batteries, Assembling & disassembling of mobile phones, Chip level servicing of components: Power amplifiers (pf), audio IC (Cobba), CPU (Mad), Power supply IC (Cont), Charging Control IC (Chaps). Rf Signal Processor IC (Hagar). Also well versed with SMD components replacement (Capacitors, Diodes Resistors, and LED’s). Rebelling & repair of ball grade array ICs (BGA).
    Hardware Complaint Service Training:
    Mobile Complaints: Dead, network, display problem, keypad problem, display light problem, keypad light problem, touchpad problem, sensor problem, head phone jack problem, speaker problem, mic problem, ringer problem, charging problem, Bluetooth problem, wifi problem, camera problem, volume button problem, camera button problem, on off switch problem, strip problem, fm problem, network problem, dead, water lock, hanging problem, handset off problem, restart issue
    Software Complaint Service Training:
    Phone unlock, pattern lock, vibrator problem, navigation key problem, Contact service, hanging, partial dead, network, unlocking, Flashing various software like USR, twister, tornado, griffin, UFS, Uni Box for color, camera, blue tooth, infrared enabled mobile phones of Nokia, Samsung, Panasonic, Ericson, Sony, Siemens, LG, Motorola and many more
    Motherboard Complaint Service Training:
    Ic (integrated circuit), Smd ic (leg type), bga ic (ball type)capacitor, Resister ,transistor, filter, fuse, diode, power crystal, clock crystal connector, battery connector ,usb jack, charging jack, head phone chack, inner key pad, vibrator ,speaker, mic, ringer

    Koramangala 5th block
    no 75/8,kristal prestige 4th floor, idea show room upstairs,opp to bhima jewellers,
    koramangala industrial layout, 5th block, 7026604420/ 7026604423

    Koramangala 7th block
    no 340, maruthi plaza,1st b cross,koramangala 7th block
    opp to forum road,behind A2B, 08041521112

    Koramangala 1st Block
    no 16,vijith plaza,80ft road,koramangala 1st block
    opp to reliance fresh, 08041521115

    jayanagar 4th block
    Diamond Arcade,no 21,east 11th main,32nd d cross,jayanagar 4th block
    opp to kalamandir & mom and me,near cool joint signal
    08041521113

    jayanagar 9th block
    no 1339,41st cross,25th main,jayanagar 9th block
    opp to central mall road,behind jain college,next to himalaya store
    08041521110/

    Banashankari 1st stage
    no 5,Sln complex,80 ft road,srinivasa nagar circle,banashankari 1st stage
    near bata showroom
    08041521119

    Banashankari 2nd stage
    no31, 21st main road, near bda complex,banashankari 2nd stage
    near goli vada pav
    08049570768 / 9980090798

    Rajajinagar 6th block
    no 246,Dr.Rajkumar Road,Rajajinagar 6th block
    next to nea albek hotel & sangeetha mobile showroom
    08041521116

    Malleswaram
    no 10,2nd main,sampige main road.near mantri mall,
    opp to albek hotel,below to samsung show room
    malleswaram, 08041474313

    Mathikere
    28/3, Sai Shekar complex,H.M.T Main Road, Beside Subbaiah Hospital
    08041573366 / 9611269682

    Kempapura
    Door no-3, 21st main road, sri Rajeshwari New Colony, Hebbal,
    Kempapura Main Road, Bangalore
    08042103355 / 9611269682

    ulsoor
    no 49&50, guru gowtham complex,SV road,next to metro station,
    below to manak jewellers , ulsoor, 08041520642

    Domlur
    no 11,service road,old airport road,next to hyundai showroom,befor sony show room
    domlur in towards mg road, 08041103602

    Frazer town
    no 64/1, concord plaza, coles road, frazer town, near shanthi sagar hotel
    08041105150

    Kammanahalli
    no 17,mathu mansion,kammanahalli circle near,opp to ganesha temple
    below to liberty showroom, 08041103592

    BTM
    no 746,Tayapa towers,13th main,7th cross,near udupi garden,opp to dominas,icici,peter england
    below to mumbai kitchen , 08041500208

    HSR
    no 2580, 27th main, 13th cross,next to PHD
    08049530063

    Bellandur
    No 71/1a,opp to swarnamukhi hospital,univercell upster,sarjapura main road
    next to bellandur total mall, 08042060460

    Jp Nagar 7th Phase
    no 243, Brigate Apartment signal opposite, jp nagar 7th phase
    08040958575

    Marathahalli
    No: 35/1B, CRM SOWBHAGYA ANNEXE, Shop No.2,Varthur Main Road,
    marathahalli bridge next,Munnekolala,
    08065304422,09043888404

    VV puram

    Anna nagar
    no 18, TNSCB shopping complex,near jsp honda showroom,
    thirumangalam junction water tank,anna nagar west,
    04430069841

    Velachery
    no 25,sambantham garden,100ft road tharamani link road,opp to karaikudi hotel near TCS
    velachery, 04442139797

    OMR(thoraipakkam)
    no 64/4, sri vidhya avenue,omr ptc main road,opp to kfc restaurant
    04465668880

    Anna nagar-2
    Muva’s arcade,C52/4,anna nagar east,near chinthamani roundana circle, opp to girias
    chennai-600102
    04449539191

    T-Nagar

    No 2 ,North usman Road,Kodambakkam Road Junction ,Near Motherhood T-nagar,
    below Mallika mansion Chennai-17
    04443527474

    apple iphone service center in abu dhabi
    apple iphone service center in abu dhabi
    iphone service center in abu dhabi
    apple iphone service center in dubai
    apple iphone authorized service center in dubai
    apple iphone authorised service centre in dubai
    apple iphone service center in dubai
    apple iphone authorized service center in dubai
    apple iphone authorised service centre in dubai
    apple iphone authorized service center in dubai
    apple iphone authorised service centre in dubai
    iphone service center in bur dubai
    iphone service center in deira dubai
    iphone service dubai
    iphone service dubai
    iphone service center dubai
    iphone service in dubai
    apple iphone service center uae
    apple iphone service centre uae
    apple iphone service center uae
    apple iphone service centre uae
    apple iphone service center dubai
    apple iphone service center in uae
    apple iphone service centre in uae
  • raj parihar - Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - link

    mcf doesn't have any Multiply operations. In A8, its benefiting from a better (tuned) prefetcher possibly with negative (-3 or -1) stride.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now