5 reasons why I bought the Apple iPhone 6
I have been writing about technology for more than five years and for the last two years my primary smartphone has been the iPhone. This year, like the last two years, I bought the latest iPhone. I may sound like an Apple fan boy, but the truth is that at least in the last two years, first the iPhone 5 and then the iPhone 5S, both have retained its throne as the best phone in the world, despite Android phones coming close to it with regards to design and functionality.
On the face of it, the iPhone 6 is just an evolution compared to the iPhone 5S, and is no better than most Android phones in the market, but still I chose the iPhone over a comparable Android device like the Sony Xperia Z3 compact.
Despite this, I feel there is more to it than the brand or flaunt value.
1. The camera on the iPhone 5S still manages to outclass most top-of-the-line Android smartphones. I am personally very passionate about mobile photography and I need a reliable camera all the time. Even if the camera on the iPhone 6 is a minor upgrade, I am ensured a consistent and reliable camera, which will deliver in most lighting conditions.
Even the best Android camera phones don’t deliver such consistent results. The Samsung Galaxy S5 fails in low-light, the HTC One (M8) fails in terms of resolution and the Sony Xperia Z3 compact fails in terms of usability. The LG G3 comes close, but I do not like the design of the phone.
2. Yes, the design. The iPhone 6 is crazy thin at 6.9mm. Like most Apple products, it looks beautiful despite the hideous plastic inserts for the antenna on the back. The antenna lining is a minor blemish. Besides the antenna lining the iPhone 6 has a super sexy design, and this is a fact. No other smartphone vendor blends design with performance and this remains true even in 2014.
3. After testing hundreds of Android phones and Windows Phones, the four-inch screen of my iPhone 5S started feeling small. A person like me who writes a lot on his phone, needs a larger screen, for both the sake of typing as well as reading.
The 4.7-inch screen strikes the perfect balance between portability and usability. Most Android phones anyways have larger displays than the iPhone 6. The increased resolutions of these phones often do not convert to a superior user experience. For me, the screen resolution of the iPhone 6 is more than adequate.
4. Over the years, I have invested in a number of paid apps or apps with in-app purchases. My investment is worth a lot of money, perhaps more than the cost of the phone itself. Some of these apps are simply not available on Android. There is simply no reason for me to switch to Android if my apps will not be available on my new phone. Hence, the iPhone 6.
5. As I intend to buy the Apple Watch, the iPhone 6 was the perfect choice for a new phone. The Apple Watch will only work with a handful of Apple products, so the iPhone 6 became the default choice.
My major concern
Battery life is perhaps my biggest concern with the iPhone 6. Android phones are much better than the current iPhone 5S in terms of battery life. The gulf between Android phones and the iPhone for battery life is not small. The difference in battery life is massive.
While my iPhone 5S struggles to get through the day, I have tested Android smartphones that last almost two days on a single charge. The iPhone 6 will be an upgrade over the iPhone 5S in terms of battery life, but I do not expect it to be a big improvement. For this, I considered buying the iPhone 6 Plus which has a large battery, but then I deemed it to be too large.
I will be reviewing both the new iPhones soon, so watch out for my reviews on India Today Tech (http://indiatod