KEY FEATURES
- 4.7-inch screen
- Apple A8 processor
- Up to 128GB storage
- NFC (Apple Pay only)
- Touch ID fingerprint scanner
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Review Price: £539.00
The 2014 iPhone 6 has been superseded by the iPhone 6S and the new iPhone 7 is not far off the horizon.
If you're looking at this review now the chances are you're considering buying a second-hand or refurbished iPhone 6 and want to know how it stacks up to the current model and to other competitors.
While the iPhone 6 looks just like the 6S what's inside is totally different. The iPhone 6 is a little slower, battery life a little worse and the camera isn't quite as sharp as the newer model. It's also missing a couple of new features like the cool animated Live Photos and the pressure sensitive screen input called 3D Touch.
While you're not missing a lot at the moment with 3D Touch, the lack of Live Photos on the iPhone 6 will be a shame for anyone who loves taking mobile snaps. The quality of the iPhone 6 camera is still decent by today's standards, but it's not as good as the camera on its successor.
Related: iPhone 7 release date
Currently prices for the iPhone 6 range from £430 for a brand new and unboxed 16GB model to £250 for something that has had a few knocks and scrapes and is network locked. I'd strongly recommend going for the 64GB version, however, which only costs a few notes more these days. This will provide you ample storage for music, apps and videos and so you won't have to keep deleting things just to have a little spare space.
The other thing to consider is that battery life is affected the more a phone has been recharged. The iPhone 6 was never the longest-lasting phone so this could mean that you're reaching for the plug before the day is out. That's no fun at all and replacing the battery on an iPhone 6 is a very tricky task that requires special tools.
So what are your other options? Well you could opt to go Android instead of iOS and Apple. Assuming you don't want to shell out major bucks on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 or HTC 10 then the OnePlus 3 is a solid option. The problem with it is that the latter is quite a large phone, similar in size to the iPhone 6 Plus. There aren't many good smaller-screened Android phones we'd happily recommend, but Apple itself has a great little phone that might do the job.
Rather than buying an iPhone 6 I'd recommend opting for the iPhone SE. This has the same design as the iPhone 5 and 5S so is smaller than the the iPhone 6, but in all other respects superior. It has all the same gubbins as the iPhone 6S but costs at lot less – just £359 for the 16GB model. I know I'd rather have a new iPhone SE under Apple's warranty and with all the latest features than a used iPhone 6.
Read the iPhone SE review or watch the video below
Read on for the original iPhone 6 review
WHAT IS THE IPHONE 6?
When it was released in 2014 the iPhone 6 was one of the hottest smartphone on the market.
Featuring a completely rethought design, Apple loaded the iPhone 6 with a wealth of custom software and hardware features.
The combination of hardware and software features made the iPhone 6 one of the most innovative and powerful smartphones ever seen.
However, one year on Apple’s competitors have come out swinging releasing their own wave of top-end innovative handsets.
Chief among these have been LG with its stellar G4 handset and Samsung with its Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+ range of smartphones.
Each featuring a similarly impressive array of custom technologies the phones have made many buyers justifiably question if the iPhone 6’s time in the sun has ended and they’d be better off waiting for Apple’s next iPhone.
However, having used the iPhone 6 solidly since it’s launch, we’re happy to report even though it’s beginning to show its age, there is still plenty to like about Apple's 2014 flagship.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S6
IPHONE 6: DESIGN – APPLE'S ON TO A WINNER
The iPhone 6 opts for soft curves and seamless joins between the screen and the back. It's a very different look from the iPhone 5S, which has shiny machined edges. Barring some plastic detailing on the rear it’s all glass and metal, and looks great for it.
It’s not as striking as its predecessor. The angular design of the iPhone 5S made it stand out amore. It’s the same with the iPad mini and iPad Air, although they marry the diamond cut edges with rounded metal sides.
It may not be as instantly arresting, but the iPhone 6 looks like it’s been hewn from a single piece of metal and glass and fused seamlessly together. The effect is particularly strong in the space grey finish and with the screen turned off. It is a beautiful slab of black glass and anodised aluminium. We feel the design is safe rather than ground-breaking, though. The white bezel on the silver version ruins the seamless effect a little – we’d go for space grey every time.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 5S, left, next to the iPhone 6
As always with Apple’s phones the iPhone 6 has superb balance, it just feels right in your hand. The comfy edges are also a lot easier on the palm than the sharper ones on the iPhone 5S and the 6.9mm thickness makes it feel sleek yet strong.
Some owners are claiming that it may not be quite as robust as Apple hopes. Reports of the iPhone 6 bending in pockets have surfaced. We’ve had it in the front pocket of jeans and have not experienced any issues for the months we've been using it or the iPhone 6 Plus. We're not talking super skinny jeans, but we've been cycling with it in tight pockets and there's not been a bend in sight. In fact since the initial furore we've heard very little about it. We've hear similar reports surfacing about the Samsung Galaxy S6 but unless you intend to use your iPhone 6 as a see-saw we wouldn't worry about it at all.
We do suggest you fork out for a case, though. Like all phones you run the risk of smashing the screen if you drop it and iPhone 6 repairs don't come cheap. Check out our selection of the best iPhone 6 cases before you buy.
It’s big, but not too big
While the iPhone 6 is bigger, it doesn't feel too big. Aside from being much thinner and lighter at just 129g it’s very similar in size to the original HTC One, one of our favourite phones of 2013. If you have small hands you might struggle to get to the top corners of the screen, but we've not experienced these problems.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5
There is some help if you do find the screen of the iPhone 6 too big. Clunky one-handed use features are available on some Android phones, but they’ve never felt particularly intuitive. They often just shrink the whole screen diagonally down. Apple has come up with a typically elegant solution. Tap twice on the home button and the entire top of the screen jumps down bringing all the hard to reach areas into your thumbs range. It works on every app that works in portrait mode too, so you can easily get to the address bar or a browser without a problem.
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Realising a power button at the top of the phone of this size doesn’t work Apple has moved it. The power button is at the right edge, above the nanoSIM tray. This makes it easy to access with your thumb, if you’re right -anded or with your index finger if you’re a lefty. It works a lot better than the top power button on the HTC One M8 which requires a little juggling to get to if you’re not ET.
In all other respects the layout of the iPhone 6 is the same as previous versions. The slightly recessed volume buttons sit on the left just under the mute toggle. The 3.5mm headphone jack resides at the bottom, with the lightning port and six handsome holes for the speaker.
SEE ALSO: iOS 8 Tips, Tricks and Secrets
There’s only one area where the iPhone 6 deviates from the principles of smooth, seamless design and that’s with the rear camera. To ensure no compromise on image quality due to the slimness of the phone, Apple has had to raise the camera slightly from the body. But it isn't anywhere near as severe as some other phones. Put a case on and you won’t notice this at all, but you will feel it when holding the phone in landscape. Helpfully, the edges are lightly chamfered, which means it slips into pockets without snagging at all.
All-in-all the iPhone 6 has an accomplished design. It doesn't scream 'look at me', instead it’s refined, elegant and ergonomic, great for long hours of use, whether you’re gaming or visiting your favourite sites. Do we like it more than the HTC One M8’s design? The jury’s still deliberating; we have mixed views at the TrustedReviews' offices.
There’s one final thing to talk about. The iPhone 6 is not water or dust resistant unlike the Galaxy S5 or Sony Xperia Z3. If that’s important for you then you’ll need to either opt for a waterproof case or go for one of the Android phones.
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/iphone-6-review#PB51VMsk6Yq7g8Cj.99
IPHONE 6: SCREEN
If you’ve never heard of Retina before it’s a term trademarked by Apple. It refers to the resolution of the screen — that's the pixels per inch (ppi) a display has and the viewing distance you would typically use it from. It means that even if you have perfect vision you won’t be able to spot pixels in normal use.
For the 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 6 that’s 326ppi, the same as every iPhone from the iPhone 4 onwards barring the iPhone 6 Plus, which packs 401ppi.
There’s no denying that the iPhone 6’s screen lags behind the competition if you look at numbers alone. It won't win at Top Trumps. The resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels pales when compared to the QHD 5.5-inch display on the LG G3. But just like a camera sensor’s megapixel count this only tells part of the story.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5S
The screen on the iPhone 6 is great, possibly only behind the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the upcoming Note 4 for visual quality.
Colour accuracy is outstanding. Regardless of whether you’re watching a movie or flicking through your holiday snaps, the iPhone 6’s screen displays colours exactly as it should. Incredibly, there’s also no colour shift when you tilt the screen. It’s impressive although the benefits are arguable, you don’t often hold your phone at obscure viewing angles.
Of more benefit is the peak brightness, which maxes out at 558 nits. That’s more than enough to make it viewable in bright sunlight. The screen isn’t reflective either, which helps even more in this respect.
So where does it fall short compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5? Quite simply when it comes down to contrast ratios. The iPhone 6’s LCD screen has twice as high a contrast ratio as the one on the 5S, but it is still an LCD. This means it struggles to display deep blacks. Light bleeds behind pixels in dark scenes and this makes blacks look a little grey. What’s more there is plenty of shift in the grey if you tilt the screen.
We whacked up the sensitivity of the camera and took a picture of the iPhone 6 (left) and Galaxy S5 in a very dark room playing a video of pure black. The iPhone 6 seeps light, though it's nowhere near as apparent as this to the naked eye
The Galaxy S5 has the edge here with pitch black scenes and fantastic screen performance in low-light conditions. We still like the colours on the iPhone 6 better, but the contrast prowess of AMOLED is hard to beat.
Give us the choice between the QHD LG G3 and the iPhone 6, however, and we'd take the iPhone every time. It just goes to show that the race for a higher pixel count doesn’t necessarily provide a better experience.
Sound Quality
One area where the iPhone 6 has the Galaxy S5 and LG G3 licked is the speaker. It manages to be louder and clearer than both and is surprisingly good for listening to movies or music if you haven’t got your headphones handy. The speaker grille sits at the bottom, which means you can accidentally muffle the sound with your hand. Other than that Apple has done an impressive job — only the HTC One M8 surpasses it in the phone speaker department.
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/iphone-6-review-screen-page-2#ggsLV2E2eeL2DBZX.99
IPHONE 6: SCREEN
If you’ve never heard of Retina before it’s a term trademarked by Apple. It refers to the resolution of the screen — that's the pixels per inch (ppi) a display has and the viewing distance you would typically use it from. It means that even if you have perfect vision you won’t be able to spot pixels in normal use.
For the 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 6 that’s 326ppi, the same as every iPhone from the iPhone 4 onwards barring the iPhone 6 Plus, which packs 401ppi.
There’s no denying that the iPhone 6’s screen lags behind the competition if you look at numbers alone. It won't win at Top Trumps. The resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels pales when compared to the QHD 5.5-inch display on the LG G3. But just like a camera sensor’s megapixel count this only tells part of the story.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5S
The screen on the iPhone 6 is great, possibly only behind the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the upcoming Note 4 for visual quality.
Colour accuracy is outstanding. Regardless of whether you’re watching a movie or flicking through your holiday snaps, the iPhone 6’s screen displays colours exactly as it should. Incredibly, there’s also no colour shift when you tilt the screen. It’s impressive although the benefits are arguable, you don’t often hold your phone at obscure viewing angles.
Of more benefit is the peak brightness, which maxes out at 558 nits. That’s more than enough to make it viewable in bright sunlight. The screen isn’t reflective either, which helps even more in this respect.
So where does it fall short compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5? Quite simply when it comes down to contrast ratios. The iPhone 6’s LCD screen has twice as high a contrast ratio as the one on the 5S, but it is still an LCD. This means it struggles to display deep blacks. Light bleeds behind pixels in dark scenes and this makes blacks look a little grey. What’s more there is plenty of shift in the grey if you tilt the screen.
We whacked up the sensitivity of the camera and took a picture of the iPhone 6 (left) and Galaxy S5 in a very dark room playing a video of pure black. The iPhone 6 seeps light, though it's nowhere near as apparent as this to the naked eye
The Galaxy S5 has the edge here with pitch black scenes and fantastic screen performance in low-light conditions. We still like the colours on the iPhone 6 better, but the contrast prowess of AMOLED is hard to beat.
Give us the choice between the QHD LG G3 and the iPhone 6, however, and we'd take the iPhone every time. It just goes to show that the race for a higher pixel count doesn’t necessarily provide a better experience.
Sound Quality
One area where the iPhone 6 has the Galaxy S5 and LG G3 licked is the speaker. It manages to be louder and clearer than both and is surprisingly good for listening to movies or music if you haven’t got your headphones handy. The speaker grille sits at the bottom, which means you can accidentally muffle the sound with your hand. Other than that Apple has done an impressive job — only the HTC One M8 surpasses it in the phone speaker department.
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/iphone-6-review-screen-page-2#ggsLV2E2eeL2DBZX.99
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