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iPhone 6 Plus

473 'iPhone 6 Plus' stories September 2014
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The iPhone 6 Plus ($299 and up from the Apple Store) is Apple’s flagship phone, and one of its most popular products, period. Equipped with a 5.5″ Retina HD display, the iPhone 6 Plus boasts full 1080p HD resolution (1920 x 1080) at 401 PPI, the sharpest-looking screen on any Apple device. It’s also color-accurate, with a full sRGB color gamut and a wider viewing angle than prior screens. Three capacities (16/64/128GB) and three colors (gold/silver/space gray) are available.

Due to its larger screen, the iPhone 6 Plus has the ability to display the Home screen in landscape mode for the first time. It also has the best virtual keyboard yet offered in an iPhone, making accurate typing a lot easier for people with larger hands. Video viewing is dramatically better than older iPhones, as well.

Apple has upgraded the 6 Plus with a second-generation 64-bit A8 chip, delivering 25% faster CPU performance and up to 50% faster graphics than the iPhone 5s. Despite the superior processing and thinner body, 6 Plus blows away other iPhones in battery life, typically running for at least a full day without requiring a recharge. iPhone 6 Plus includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, Voice over LTE with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others abroad, and Wi-Fi calling using T-Mobile in the US. It also has a Touch ID sensor with full support for secure Apple Pay transactions, both in retail stores and online.

The 8MP iSight camera has been improved. Although the 1.5µ pixels and ƒ/2.2 aperture aren’t hugely different from before, there’s an all-new sensor that improves focus, face detection, and image stabilization. The iPhone 6 Plus also includes an “optical image stabilization” feature that isn’t present on the iPhone 6. Video can be recorded in 1080p at 30 or 60fps, with slo-mo video at 120 or 240 fps. Small hardware improvements to the front-facing camera come from a new sensor and a larger ƒ/2.2 aperture, as well as H.265 video support for much smoother FaceTime calls.

Even with a big screen and improved hardware, the iPhone 6 Plus measures only 7.1mm thick, versus the iPhone 5s’s 7.5mm. The only question is whether it will fit in your pocket or purse. If it will, go with the Plus, which is our top iPhone pick.

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Apple says some bent iPhone 6/Plus phones will be replaced under warranty

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 25 2014 - 5:01 am PT
47 Comments

An Apple support representative has told TNW that iPhone 6/Plus phones that have experienced warping in normal use would qualify for replacement under warranty if they pass a test known as “a visual mechanical inspection.” It should be noted that this is simply one AppleCare rep speaking, and not an official statement by Apple.

That is 100 percent up to the Genius you speak with at the store. There is a test called a Visual Mechanical Inspection that the device will have to pass. If it is within the guidelines, they will be able to cover it. If not, the replacement would be a paid one.

Apple was not able to provide any information on what the test involves, though one commentator below suggests that it is simply comparing the phone to a set of reference photos used to distinguish phones damaged by misuse from those considered faulty. In some rather Steve-like phrasing, the representative said that support chatroom comments revealed that “we’re looking into this with an insane amount of detail.”

Photos of the iPhone 6 and, especially, 6 Plus bending whilst in pockets starting emerging a couple of days ago. Video tests, though, do seem to indicate that a substantial degree of force is required.

Our own poll suggested that around 30 percent of readers are concerned about the issue, with 11.5 percent saying that they already own an iPhone 6 and are worried about damaging it, and 18 percent stating that they are delaying purchase until the issue is resolved.

iDevice warranty specialists SquareTrade found that the iPhone 6 passed all its breakability tests, describing it as the “toughest iPhone yet” and noting that it beat all other phones in its drop tests.

Apple publishes new support article with instructions on downgrading from iOS 8.0.1, says update coming soon

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 24 2014 - 9:46 pm PT
36 Comments
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Earlier today Apple released what would quickly be revealed to be an extremely broken update for iOS 8 that resulted in a complete loss of cellular connectivity and Touch ID support on its newest line of iPhones. Now, nearly twelve hours after the update went live, the company has published a new help document for users stranded on the faulty operating system.

The document lists the steps for restoring a device back to iOS 8.0 with links to download the appropriate IPSW file. Interestingly, the page notes that the Health application will stop working, likely due to changes that were made in 8.0.1 and cannot be reverted to work on the older firmware. The notice also points out that it is crucial to back up your device in the iTunes app for Mac or PC rather than to iCloud, as iCloud-based backups will not restore to the older version.


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iPhone 6 (and 5s) found less bendy than iPhone 6 Plus

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 24 2014 - 2:23 pm PT
48 Comments
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Earlier this week it was revealed that if you bend your iPhone 6 Plus, it will bend. This shocking news took the world by storm, but left some people wondering if other phones would also flex under pressure. To answer the question, YouTuber Unbox Therapy attempted to repeat his earlier experiment with iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, HTC One M8, newest Moto X, and Nokia Lumia.

After applying roughly the same force to each of these handsets, he discovered that the iPhone 6 Plus was in fact more flexible than the rest. The Moto X ended up coming out top of the pack, with next to no flexibility at all. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 was also found to be much less “bendy” than the larger model, though it did get a very small curve with enough force.

You can check out the video of all five phones being tested below:


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Poll: Does the malleability [#bendgate] of Apple’s iPhone 6/Plus concern you?

Avatar for Dom Esposito Sep 24 2014 - 8:34 am PT
128 Comments

The Internet recently exploded with reports of the iPhone 6 Plus’ bendable body. Unofficially dubbed “Bendgate” this problem seems to occur when the device is in pockets and other tight areas that apply pressure on the chassis of the iPhone 6 Plus. This is probably a small issue when you look at the big picture and ones that other metal phones including previous iPhones also experience. Over 10 million iPhones have been sold since its Sept. 19 launch, but we’ve only seen a handful of legit Bendgate issues in the wild. The question is, does this actually bother you?


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iPhone 6/Plus cameras ranked joint 1st in highly-respected DxOMark Mobile tests

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 24 2014 - 7:22 am PT
19 Comments
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The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cameras have taken joint first place in the influential DxOMark Mobile ranking of smartphone cameras – three points ahead of the two Android smartphones which previously headed the list, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z3.

DxO Labs tests the image quality of literally thousands of cameras from entry-level smartphones to professional DSLRs, and is considered by many in the photography field to be the definitive database. The company said that Apple has “set the gold standard for smartphone image quality” … 
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Hack test shows Apple improved security and reliability of (still not perfect) Touch ID sensor in iPhone 6

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 24 2014 - 6:50 am PT
15 Comments
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You may recall that the Touch ID sensor was successfully hacked last year, using a technique where fingerprints were lifted from the phone’s casing followed by sophisticated lab techniques used to create artificial copies of the print to activate the sensor.

The bad news is that the sensor in the iPhone 6 is vulnerable to the same methods – the good news is that security researcher Marc Rogers found the iPhone 6 version to be both more secure and more reliable … 
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iPhone 6 “toughest iPhone yet” as it passes all SquareTrade’s breakability tests

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 24 2014 - 4:58 am PT
8 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpx6r5FVXPo]

If anyone has more interest than its owner in how well a phone survives accidents, it’s the insurance companies that have to fork out afterwards. iDevice warranty specialists SquareTrade put the iPhone 6 through a series of breakability tests, and found that it was the toughest iPhone yet.

The tests began with ‘grippability’ – how likely you are to drop the phone in the first place – then ran through slide tests, submersion in water and a series of six drops from a height of four feet … 
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The cost difference to Apple between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus: $15.50

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 24 2014 - 4:02 am PT
11 Comments

Apple may be struggling to meet demand for the iPhone 6 Plus, but the effort will be worthwhile according to some number-crunching by IHS cited by Bloomberg: it makes an extra $84.50 in profit on the larger model.

It costs an additional $15.50 to make the larger iPhones, according to a breakdown by researchers at IHS, but the sticker price is $100 higher than the iPhone 6 […] The main difference in cost between the two phones comes from the supersize screen, which adds $7.50 to Apple’s production cost. The camera and battery subsystems also cost slightly more.

While everyone doing these analyses seems to come up with a different set of numbers (none of them having access to the actual deals negotiated by Apple so having to rely on a whole bunch of assumptions), everyone seems to agree that margins are significantly higher on the iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung is said to be so worried by record sales of the new iPhones that it has brought forward the planned launch of the Galaxy Note 4 to September 26th, the same day Apple puts the iPhone 6/Plus on sale in 20 more countries.

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Apple debuts new iPhone 6 print ads featuring actual-size images of the phones

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 23 2014 - 8:01 pm PT
8 Comments

via The Mac Observer

Apple is continuing the new round of advertising it kicked off with last night’s new iPhone 6 TV spots, this time making the jump to print media. The new ad was first detailed by The Mac Observer and features full-size images of both the iPhone 6 and its 5.5-inch “Plus” counterpart.

Though the two new handsets sold over 10 million units in the first weekend of availability, there are certainly still customers out there wondering which device will fit them better. The ad is a clever way to let people go “hands on” with the phones without even having to drive to an Apple Store.


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iPhone 6 camera compared to all previous iPhones (Gallery)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 3:04 pm PT
5 Comments

The makers of camera app Camera+ have put together a great comparison of the new iPhone 6 camera vs almost all previous generation iPhones including the first iPhone, the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, and 5S.

Skin tones look brighter and more true to life with the iPhone 6 in this portrait series. Although the iPhone 6 photo has a higher level of detail, I’m finding it slightly pixelated and blotchy-looking. Apple altered their local tone-mapping algorithm for better exposure and contrast using the new A8 processor, but it looks like it might be causing some issues with the skin tones in these shots. Additionally, their new noise reduction algorithm seems a bit heavy handed causing pixelation.

The full comparison on the company’s site lets you view full-sized shots for a number of different shooting scenarios including daylight, backlit, macro, lowlight, and portrait shots. Here’s an example from the portrait comparison (click below for full size):

Earlier today we published our own review of the iPhone 6 camera’s improved video shooting capabilities, which now includes the ability to shoot 1080p video at 30/60 frames per second and Slo-Mo video in 720p up to 240 frames per second.

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Skype update for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus coming next month

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 23 2014 - 9:08 am PT
3 Comments

Yesterday, Skype released an update for its iOS app to include iOS 8-optimized notifications and other goodies. However, it has no support for the higher-resolution iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus displays. That will change next month, per a Skype spokesperson:

We’re currently working on an update to Skype for iPhone that scales for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screen sizes, which we plan to release in the next month.

Unfortunately, that sounds like quite a while. Hopefully the updated version isn’t just bigger, but more optimized for the larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch panels.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6/6 Plus quick chargers, Sony 50″ WiFi HDTV $700, Retina MBP $200 off w/ .edu, more

Avatar for Sep 23 2014 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Faster 2.1A car/chargers/batteries/surge protectors for iPhone 6/Plus quick charging (roundup)

Sony 50-inch 1080p 3D WiFi HDTV w/ PlayStation Now: $700 shipped (orig. $1,200)

Apple deals:

Amazon Goldbox: Corsair gaming accessories up to 55% off – Headset: $55, Mouse $34, Keyboard $33, more

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways

Other new deals:


More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

Research firm IHS says Samsung supplying 40% of iPhone 6 A8 chips despite move to TSMC

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 23 2014 - 9:00 am PT
7 Comments
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A product teardown of both the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus devices last week confirmed earlier reports that Apple is indeed opting for TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) to produce the 20nm, second generation 64-bit A8 chip that drives the new iPhones. Research firm IHS, however, has shared a teardown analysis report with Re/code that claims Samsung is still responsible for a fraction of Apple’s A8 chips produced.

Rassweiler said the processor he saw during the teardown was manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the massive chip-factory-for-hire based in Taipei. […] Rassweiler says TSMC is manufacturing about 60 percent of the chips for Apple, while Samsung is still turning about about 40 percent.


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Samsung moves up Galaxy Note 4 launch in response to strong iPhone 6/Plus sales

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 8:31 am PT
82 Comments
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Samsung has reportedly decided to move up the launch of its new Galaxy Note 4 smartphone following a positive reaction and strong first week sales from Apple’s new larger iPhones 6 models. The KoreaTimes cited an unnamed employee in Samsung’s marketing department who said “the positive reaction from consumers to those two Apple devices prompted us to launch the Note 4 earlier than previously scheduled.”
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Black market iPhone 6 prices fall as Chinese regulators say final approvals are coming soon

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 6:37 am PT
6 Comments
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iPhone smuggling into China is nothing new, but this year it has perhaps been even more of a problem as Apple awaits regulatory approvals to begin selling its new iPhone models in the country. The good news is that a report from CNBC notes that regulators in the country said today that final reviews of licenses for the new iPhones would be “completed soon”. 
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Epic iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cinematic camera demo (Video)

Avatar for Dom Esposito Sep 23 2014 - 6:02 am PT
32 Comments

With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple made several improvements to the camera quality. It’s still packing an 8-megapixel sensor (f2.2 aperture), but there are a few new features that make the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus camera stand out. There’s a certain level of quality that most people expect when shooting video or photos with an iPhone, but this cinematic camera demo takes it to another level…


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Apple airs new iPhone 6 ads “Huge” and “Cameras” featuring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 22 2014 - 8:13 pm PT
27 Comments
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3uAoeQBpcQ]

Apple has started airing two new iPhone 6 ads starring the duo of Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Tim Cook unveiled two ads starring the pair during the iPhone 6 announcement earlier this month with ads that focused on the Health application and size of the phone.

The new ads, dubbed “Huge” (above) and “Cameras” (below) started hitting airwaves tonight and focus once again on the size of the display and the upgraded cameras with enhanced image stabilization, slow-motion and time-lapse capabilities.


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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support faster charging, but ship with slower power adapter

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 22 2014 - 3:01 pm PT
52 Comments
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Update: We’ve rounded up some nice 2.1A AC/Car charger and battery upgrade options for the iPhone 6/Plus

Apple has apparently enabled much faster battery charging in the newest iPhone models, but you’d never know it if you only use the included power adapter. According to a change in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus discovered by iLounge, both of the new smartphones are equipped with the hardware to support 2.1A charging.

The problem? Apple only includes a 1A charger in the box. If you’ve been using that AC power adapter to recharge your phone, there’s a much faster way to do it. Since the iPad has long supported 2.1A charging, you can grab a charger for the Apple tablet and use that to achieve a much quicker charge.

Another way to benefit from this new capability is to plug your iPhone directly into a newer-model Mac, which will charge it at the appropriate speed. iLounge noted that the Macs tested for this feature were running Yosemite with no mention of OS X Mavericks, so it’s possible that the change may require the upcoming OS, which is currently is public beta.
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Apple engineers apparently already testing the Apple Watch in the wild

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 22 2014 - 10:28 am PT
5 Comments

*Actors, not actual Apple employees

The Apple Watch is only shipping early next year, after being announced earlier this month, and Apple engineers are reportedly already sporting the wearable in the wild. According to reports on Twitter, Apple engineers have been spotted with the sport model at their usual bus stops en route to work:

https://twitter.com/rohitjenveja/status/514102142802489344

Of course, they were carrying the new iPhones, too. We’ll know how the battery life is if they’re still wearing the watches when they return to the bus stop tonight. Another reader spotted the Raffi model last week:

https://twitter.com/natechiger/status/510603395527622656

 


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iOS 8 adoption hits 30% after first weekend of iPhone 6 sales, iPhone 6 usage outpaces 6 Plus

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 22 2014 - 9:51 am PT
13 Comments
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While iOS 8 adoption was lagging behind last year’s release at just 15% before the official launch of the new iPhones on Friday, it’s now hovering at approximately 30% after record first weekend sales for the new iPhones. That stat, which comes from research and analytics firms Fiksu, Mixpanel, Appsee, & Chitika is below the almost 50% of users iOS 7 had this many days into launch last year.

Fiksu and Mixpanel also offered data on iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus adoption following the first weekend of sales. Both show that iPhone 6 is outpacing iPhone 6 Plus quite significantly after the first few days in customers’ hands, but it’s quite likely that could be due to a much tighter supply of iPhone 6 Plus.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad 4 WiFi + AT&T LTE 128GB $499, iOS wireless storage, 2x Chromecast $50, more

Avatar for Sep 22 2014 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple iPad w/ Retina display 128GB AT&T LTE $499 shipped (orig. $929), more

Couldn’t score a 128GB iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? Add storage to any iPhone with a wireless drive

Google Chromecast media player (refurb) $25 or two (new) for $50 (orig. $35 each)

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways


Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

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Sprint says iPhone 6 debut was its most successful iPhone launch yet

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 22 2014 - 8:51 am PT
12 Comments

via <a href="http://www.apple.com">Apple.com</a>

Sprint’s newly appointed CEO Marcelo Claure shared on Twitter over the weekend that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus debut marked the most successful iPhone launch in Sprint’s history.

[tweet https://twitter.com/marceloclaure/status/513172979078156288]

The announcement fits right with Apple’s announcement that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus broke previous preorder sales records and today’s news that Apple sold over 10 million iPhones 6 from preorder and launch weekend sales.
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The best Time-lapse, 240-fps Slow-mo, & 60-fps HD videos from the first weekend of iPhone 6

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 22 2014 - 7:55 am PT
25 Comments
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With the release of iOS 8 and the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, a ton of new video shooting features are now available to iPhonographers including Time-lapse mode, 240-fps Slow-mo mode, 60-fps HD capture, and Cinematic Video Stabilization. Apple demoed some of these video shooting features earlier this month at the September event, and the iPhone 6 camera microsite includes sample videos of each mode.

With Apple selling over 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets from pre-sales and launch weekend, we’re likely to see a more and more incredible videos shot on Apple’s new devices, and below we’ve put together a collection of some of the best videos shot in each mode from early iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus adopters.
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iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus vs iPhone 5s: Full comparison (Video)

Avatar for Dom Esposito Sep 22 2014 - 6:51 am PT
26 Comments

It’s iPhone season once again and most of us are faced with a tough decision. Should you upgrade or wait around another year for a better device? That may be a tough decision, but it’s always easier to see the pros and cons of both sides with a good old-fashioned comparison.

We’re taking a look at Apple’s new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and last year’s iPhone 5s and going over the details and specifications for each device. Knowing the facts is half of the battle, but hopefully this will help you see the benefits from each side…


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