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Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are two of the most hotly anticipated smartphones of 2014. They're both bigger, faster and have plenty of upgraded features over the outgoing iPhone 5s, but which one should you buy come launch day? We've put both phones to the test to see which one is the superior handset.
This is purely a specification comparison, which can only tell part of the story. We've highlighted the differences as they appear on paper, but until we get hold of an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for review it's not possible to judge screen quality, battery life and camera performance. In the meantime, however, you can decide whether it's worth your money, or whether you'd be better off seeing out your current contract and waiting for prices to drop.
DESIGN
Dimensions: The iPhone 6 is a big handset compared to previous iPhones, measuring 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm. The iPhone 6 Plus is even bigger, but its dimensions aren't actually that different from its smaller cousin. Measuring 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm, the iPhone 6 Plus is only 0.2mm thicker, 10.8mm wider and 20mm taller.
That's impressively thin for such a large handset, but the iPhone 6 Plus is considerably heavier, weighing 172g compared to the iPhone 6's more feather-like 129g. While we've yet to hold either phone in our hand, we fear the iPhone 6 Plus will feel rather hefty, as other 5.5in handsets such as the LG G3 only weigh 149g by comparison.
Materials: The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will both have an anodised aluminium rear panel, a curved glass front and a stainless steel Apple logo on the back of the phone. They're practically identical in this respect, and Apple says that each phone should feel like one continuous surface. The fact that it's made of metal will no doubt contribute to the weight of each phone as well, as these higher quality materials are much heavier than cheap plastic chassis on other handsets.
DISPLAY
Screen size: The iPhone 6 has a large 4.7in screen. We feel this is one of the best and most practical screen sizes currently available, as it's easy to reach all parts of the screen no matter how big or small your hands are.
The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, has a huge 5.5in screen, which just edges it into phablet territory. We've had problems with phablets in the past as their large screens make them difficult to use one-handed, particularly when typing and reaching across the other side of the display.
However, Apple has included its brand new Reachability feature in both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This new gesture control makes the entire screen slide down to the lower half of the display, so you'll always have the top of the screen within reach at all times. We're not sure this is necessary on a 4.7in device, but it could make all the difference on the iPhone 6 Plus.
Screen resolution: The iPhone 6 has a 1,334x750 resolution while the iPhone 6 Plus has a Full HD 1,920x1,080 resolution. Resolution doesn't necessarily make a better screen, though, as the iPhone 6's pixel density of 326ppi (pixels per inch) is still classed as one of Apple's Retina displays. This means you can no longer see individual pixels when viewed from a normal distance.
The iPhone 6 Plus, meanwhile, has a huge pixel density of 401ppi, which is way above this figure. Apple also refers to it as a Retina HD display, so both phones should be as equally clear and crisp as the other. We'll have to wait until we can see both phones in the flesh before we can deliver a final judgment, though.
Screen technology: Apple has traditionally always used LCD screens for its iPhones, but the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will have an IPS display instead. IPS offers several advantages over LCD, as this type of panel technology can produce more accurate colours and better viewing angles.
This seems to be the case in Apple's initial screen stats, as it's said the iPhone 6 should have a typical contrast ratio of 1,400:1 compared to the iPhone 5s's contrast ratio of 800:1. The iPhone 6 Plus also has a high contrast ratio, but Apple have said it will "only" measure 1,300:1. We'll have to test both phones with our colour calibrator to see whether there's any truth in these figures, though. Contrast aside, both phones should be as equally bright, as Apple has said they'll each have a typical brightness level of 500cd/m2.
Apple has also said the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will have a "dual-domain" pixel structure, which is meant to improve viewing angles even further. This essentially means the subpixels in the display have a slightly skewed arrangement so they can deal with uneven lighting more efficiently. However, according to AnandTech, this skewed structure can lead to blacks appearing slightly purple, so we'll have to wait and see whether Apple's display will fall into the same problem.
PERFORMANCE
Processor: The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will use one of Apple's brand new 64-bit A8 chips, so both phones should have equally fast performance. Apple says the A8 chip will have a 20% faster CPU and 50% faster graphics than the current A7 chip in the iPhone 5s. For instance, the iPhone 5s scored a super fast 416ms in our SunSpider JavaScript benchmarks, so the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus should be even faster.
Battery: Apple has never revealed the mAh ratings for its phone batteries, but it's promised around 11 hours of continuous video playback and 14 hours of 3G talk time for the iPhone 6 and 14 hours of continuous video playback and 24 hours of 3G talk time for the iPhone 6 Plus.
There's every chance Apple's figures may be a bit conservative, though, as the iPhone 5s was rated for up to 10 hours of video playback but lasted 14 hours and 31 minutes in our continuous video playback testing, so both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus may well last a lot longer than their advertised battery lives. We'll have to wait and see whether our tests confirm this.
Storage: The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB models. Strangely there's no 32GB version, and the phones won't support microSD cards either, so you're stuck with the amount of storage you buy at purchase.
CAMERA
Both phones have the same 8-megapixel camera and True Tone flash as the iPhone 5s, but there's one crucial difference between each one. The iPhone 6 Plus has built-in optical image stabilisation, which adjusts the lens to take account of hand shake. It's the first iPhone to use this feature, as the iPhone 6 only has digital image stabilisation. DIS will still reduce hand shake, but OIS should produce much clearer photos.
Otherwise, both cameras are largely identical. They both have a sapphire crystal lens cover, providing plenty of protection from scratches, and Apple's brand new phase-detection autofocus comes as standard. This uses the same dedicated focus site technology as DSLR cameras, allowing you to focus much quicker than your average smartphone camera.
Each phone's video capabilities are also the same. Both will be able to shoot video in Full HD using several different frame rates, including 30fps and 60fps, as well as slow-mo video in 120fps and 240fps.
FEATURES
Much like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will have a built-in fingerprint sensor in the form of its TouchID sensor. This allows you to unlock the phone in less than a second using your finger, as well as confirm payments on the App Store.
Both phones also have an accelerometer to keep track of the number of steps you take each day and a barometer so it can take account of elevation, giving you more accurate results in Apple's new Health app for iOS 8.
As you'd expect from an Apple device, Siri comes as standard, so you can use both phones hands-free. Siri's voice control also lets you use your voice to send messages, set reminders and identify songs.
Each phone is also compatible with Apple's brand new Apple Watch. This smartwatch will only work with iOS devices, ruling out any crossover with Android phones. The Apple Watch will be available in two sizes, three finishes and six different straps, making it one of the most customisable smartwatches we've seen so far.
A smartwatch is also a practical accessory for anyone with a large screen phone, as it means you won't have to continually fish it out of your bag each time you want to respond to a message or email. Instead, you can use Siri to reply to messages using your voice and read your notifications straight on your wrist. It can also be used a remote viewfinder for a paired iPhone camera. The Apple Watch won't be released until next year, but in the mean time you can read all about Apple's smartwatch in our in-depth Apple Watch article.
CONCLUSION
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are incredibly similar phones, both in terms of design, features, performance and storage. However, the iPhone 6 Plus's improved camera and larger screen could just inch it in front of its smaller counterpart, particularly if it will last longer as well.
That large screen comes at a significant premium, though, as the 16GB version of the iPhone 6 Plus alone costs £619 SIM-free, while the 64GB and 128GB versions cost a wallet-breaking £699 and £789 respectively.
The iPhone 6, by comparison, costs £539 for the 16GB version and goes right up to £699 for the 128GB version. You can read all about the best deals for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus here, but we suspect the iPhone 6 will probably be the best value handset out of the two once we get our hands on review samples. We should have a full review of both phones in the next few weeks, so we'll update this article with our final verdict, complete with photo shootout, benchmark scores and screen tests to see which phone comes out on top.
