All Sections

6 things seriously wrong with Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has just launched its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, its biggest and supposedly best iPhone handsets to date, but it isn’t all shiny roses. Here’s six things we hate about the new iPhone 6 models…

1. The iPhone 6 looks like an Android phone

The old iPhones were distinctive slabs of metallic gorgeousness, with sleek flat edging and style in buckets. Sadly the new iPhone 6 looks to have borrowed heavily from the likes of HTC, with its new rounded frame.

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus why they suck vs Android
Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus why they suck vs Android

The stretched design means the iPhone 6 isn’t as comfortable to use one-handed as the likes of Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact, although it’s undoubtedly an attractive finish (if you ignore those antenna bars ’round the back). Our main complaint is that the iPhone in its latest iteration is no longer unique, content to simply blend in with existing Android phones, while lacking some of the best features of recent Android handsets, such as water resistance.

In fact…

2. The iPhone 6’s best features have been on Android for ages, and a few of Android’s best bits are still absent

We can’t really get excited about the majority of the iPhone 6’s new spangly features, because they’ve existed on Android for ages. Custom keyboards, bigger screens, video chat, NFC…. Seen it all before, Apple, no matter how excited Tim Cook gets over one-touch payments. And you can’t even use NFC to hook up to your other compatible peripherals.

Much like the iPhone 5 before it, there’s not a massive amount here to get proper geek chills over. The closest Apple comes is Optical Image Stabilisation, and even that’s only available on the biggest, most expensive device. Meanwhile, the likes of Nokia’s Lumia 830 are emerging with OIS built in at a fraction of the cost.

Apple IPhone 6 features stolen from Android
Apple IPhone 6 features stolen from Android

Look familiar, Android fans?

Also consider features such as wireless charging, which have existed in Android handsets for donkeys already. Their absence in the iPhone 6 is all too conspicuous. Not to mention the complete lack of Cat 6 LTE support, found in big Android phones such as the LG G3. The iPhone 6 only goes up to Cat 4, which hits maximum speeds of 150 Mbps, while the LG G3 tops off at 300 Mbps.

Speaking of which…

3. No High-Res Audio support

Why do we still not have High-Res Audio support on an iPhone? The Sony Xperia Z3‘s support for High-Res and upscaling of older tracks immediately makes it a better mobile for music lovers, while the noise cancellation feature helps to drown out the annoying yammering of the general public.

That’s not the only thing that’s missing from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, though…

4. Still no memory card slot either

Seriously, Apple, how many iterations do we have to go through before you finally give us expandable storage? Not everyone has £700 to spunk on a 64GB handset, so just stick a bloody slot in now that your phones are finally massive, and allow us to carry 128GB of crap around for just a tenner extra. And how about a removeable battery while you’re at it, eh?

Read next: Why the Sony Xperia Z2 is already better than Apple’s iPhone 6

 

iPhone 6 screen specs and resolution
iPhone 6 screen specs and resolution

iPhone 6 screen specs and resolution

5. The iPhone 6’s screen is a bit ‘meh’

We’re really glad that the iPhone 6 Plus sports Full HD, but the iPhone 6 standard edition is still just 326ppi and both screens lack the insane sharpness of the LG G3 and many other rival handsets. We’d put it on par with the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – check out our full iPhone 6 vs Xperia Z3 Compact feature for more info.

6. The iPhone 6 is far too bloody expensive

While UK pricing was still to be announced at time of writing, the cheapest iPhone 6 will set you back a considerable $199 even with a two-year contract in the States. Here in Blighty, the most basic iPhone 6 will cost a whopping £539, while the most premium 128GB iPhone 6 Plus costs a frankly insane £789.

UPDATE: And now we’ve heard that the cheapest contracts start at an eye-watering £41 a month.

Time to pawn our gran’s furniture again…

Read next: Why the iPhone 6 is make-or-break time for Apple

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *