Aside from a few journalists, the US market hasn’t even had a month with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones from Apple. I chose the 6 Plus model for particular reasons, so the question of which model to buy isn’t a “one size fits all” answer. The unique thing about this year’s iPhone lineup, however, is the choice itself. By now everyone who cares is aware of the sizes, colors, and specifications of these devices. I won’t be saying anything that hasn’t already been said, just providing my own perspective in the event someone else has a similar situation and finds this helpful.
Of course, the obvious feature about the 6 Plus is the phone’s size. And it is big! But I was well aware of that before the purchase. I had a brief relationship with a Samsung Note 2 a couple years ago which didn’t end well. I just didn’t care for the Android OS or the Samsung services. Thankfully, someone on Craigslist was unsatisfied with her iPhone 5 (some people just don’t want to be happy) and was searching to find someone willing to swap it for a Note 2. I was happy to oblige. We met a couple days later and it didn’t take long to know we were both doing the right thing.
The iPhone 6 Plus marries the larger size I liked about the Note 2 and the reliability of Apple’s iOS. I initially thought the 6 Plus would replace my iPad Mini that I enjoy so much. I have the first generation (non-retina display) iPad Mini with Verizon’s cellular service and have been paying $20 per month for their data plan. Replacing the Mini with the 6 Plus would save me $480 over the 2 year contract (nearly the price of my 128GB 6 Plus model). I facilitated a process improvement event this week and used the phone paired to a Bluetooth keyboard for note-taking. The improved camera (compared to the iPad’s) captured the work beautifully within the Evernote app. I don’t believe I’ll be getting rid of my iPad, however. Due to a cracked screen, the iPad doesn’t have much resale value. I still find it useful for certain tasks. But having the 6 Plus eliminates the desire to upgrade the Mini and does allow me to discontinue the monthly data service. Although the 6 Plus is significantly smaller than an iPad Mini, in most cases it is big enough to do the job.
I am fortunate enough, however, that my employer provides me with a corporate cellphone. This is a somewhat restricted, 16 GB iPhone 5C. Thanks to Google Voice, my personal calls also ring on that device so I can be reached regardless which phone I decide to carry. This is nice because I carry the 5C while I go jogging. I ran with the 6 Plus once and felt a bit self conscious. So far, that’s the only situation where I have felt the 6 Plus was too big (nothing an Apple Watch can’t fix!).
I’m sure there will be times when I’ll think the 4.7″ iPhone 6 would have been the better choice for a particular situation, but for the majority of my requirements, the 5.5″ size of the 6 Plus has proven to be useful and the preferred option.
