Head-To-Head: iPhone 6 Vs. iPhone 6 Plus

Not That Much Alike After All

As you may have heard, the iPhone 6 hit stores a couple weeks ago and has been the talk of the mobile world. When considering buying the iPhone 6, or when simply hearing a friend is going to buy one, the natural question is, "Which will you get?"

There are two different models in the smaller (but larger than the iPhone 5S) iPhone 6, and the larger phablet model iPhone 6 Plus.

When choosing between the two, it is important to know all the major differences, and it's not just the size of the screens.

Here are the 6 biggest differences between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Display

The most obvious difference of the two devices has a little more detail to it.

The smaller iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display corner-to-corner, with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 pixels (326 PPI).

The larger iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display, and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (401 PPI).

This means the bigger screen of the iPhone 6 Plus also comes in at a little bit better quality, with more pixels covering a wider space. Everything on the screen, including text, pictures and videos, will come in sharper and easier to view from further away.

The display of the iPhone 6 Plus isn't just bigger, it also offers a better quality picture.

Camera

Don't be fooled by both cameras remaining at 8 MP from the iPhone 5S; they’ve undergone a major upgrade and both iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cameras are two of the best of any smartphone.

Having said that, there is a difference between the two cameras. The iPhone 6 Plus does have a slightly better camera thanks to its Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature, meaning it is better at taking pictures, while eliminating motion blur, or blur from having a shaky hand holding the phone. It also takes better pictures in low lighting, leading to better pictures indoors, at night and better videos. The iPhone 6 has regular image stabilization, but OIS on the 6 Plus makes for better pictures and videos.

And, of course, a bigger screen on the 6 Plus means more viewfinder screen space.

Battery Life

A bigger device means a bigger battery, meaning more battery life, so it should come as no surprise that the iPhone 6 Plus has a longer-lasting battery than the smaller iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6 Plus has an impressive 14 hours of battery life during video playback. This compares to 11 hours of video playback on the iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6 has 14 hours of 3G talk time while the 6 Plus has an impressive 24 hours.

The 6 Plus has 80 hours of audio playback while the iPhone 6 has 50 hours.

Despite being stocked full of more features, both iPhone 6 models offer more battery life than the iPhone 5S.

Dimensions

While both devices have incredibly powerful processors, running on an A8 chip inside a thin casing, the 6 Plus is just a bit thicker than the 6.

The iPhone 6 is 6.5mm while the iPhone 6 Plus measures at 7.1mm. These are both down from 7.6mm on the iPhone 5S.

Thickness is the smallest difference between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as the latter is over a half inch taller and almost a half inch wider.

The 6 Plus measures at 6.22 inches tall and 3.06 inches wide. The 6 is 5.44 inches tall and 2.64 inches wide.

Not surprising, the 6 Plus is a bit heavier than the smaller iPhone 6, weighing 6.07 ounces compared to the iPhone 6 weighing 4.55 ounces.

If you don’t mind a much bigger phone, go with the Plus. If you do, then the Plus might not be for you.

Comfort

The smaller iPhone 6 is more comfortable to hold and fit inside a pocket. It also is easier to navigate with one hand, especially those with smaller hands. The camera on the 6 Plus may be better, but those who have tested out both say it is harder to hold the 6 Plus when taking pictures.

Having said that, iOS 8 does offer a one-handed mode to alleviate some of the discomfort when holding the 6 Plus, and it offers a landscape mode for apps that takes advantage of having a bigger screen when holding the phone horizontally.

Price

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are available under all major carriers.

Buying the iPhone 6 Plus with a contract will cost $100 more than the smaller 6.

The iPhone 6 with 16 GB of internal storage costs $199, while the 6 Plus costs $299. For 64 GB, the 6 is $299; the 6 Plus is $399. For 128 GB, the iPhone 6 is $399; the iPhone 6 Plus is $499.

There is no 32-GB model for either device, and neither have a MicroSD card slot for upgrading storage.

Choose wisely.