A few days into iPhone 6S Plus ownership, and I have some thoughts to share. Let me say now that this is not meant to be an Android vs. iOS thing. For the record, I think Android phones are great, but I like what I like and I prefer iPhone overall. Further, keep in mind that I upgraded from an iPhone 5, not even the S version. While this is my 4th iPhone, the rollout of iPhone 6S and 6S Plus was the first time I have bothered to wake up in the middle of the night so I could pre-order a new phone for delivery on the day the phone hit stores (9/25). Suffice it to say, I was anxious to upgrade.
With that in mind, here are my three favorite things in no particular order after a weekend with my iPhone 6S Plus.
The Screen – I was told the “Plus” would be just too big and impractical. I dutifully tinkered with both versions of the iPhone 6, and made up my mind early on that the Plus would be the phone for me. The screen clarity is great, but the biggest thing for me is that I can see it! 🙂 Let’s face it, I’m 45. While I enjoy better than 20/20 vision at a distance, time has taken a toll on near vision. Without reading glasses handy, you’re likely to see me holding a phone at a….let’s say noticeable distance in order to read it. That’s not a problem with the iPhone 6S Plus.
Touch ID – Yes, I was that far behind. Taking the time to scan a fingerprint during setup so I could use Touch ID was a good move. Freedom from an endless litany of passwords, pin codes, etc. is without a doubt, one of my three favorite things about the new iPhone 6S Plus. It’s reportedly much faster than prior versions too.
The Camera – A professional photog I am not, but iPhone’s camera has always been a sore spot for me. Whether or not iPhone has finally caught up with Android in this regard is a matter for techies to discuss. The important thing for me, the iPhone 6S camera is noticeably better than prior iPhone cameras, and in my limited experiments so far takes much clearer pictures in other than optimal lighting conditions.
Are you an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus convert? What do you think so far?
-MJ, September 28, 2015
@Vicente, Thanks, as I’ve yet to make a final decision on a case for my new iPhone 6S Plus. Could you tell me, do both the Otterbox Symmetry and Ottherbox Defender have rough or non slipper sides, to mitigate against the phone’s slipping out of one’s hand? Also, with the Symmetry do you use separate glass screen protector and, if so, have you found one that is easy to apply
correctly?
@MJ, What case/screen protector do you use or do you go commando?
Stu, I bought the very basic silicone case from Apple. It’s as close to commando as I’ve found that still offers some protection from various levels of my clumsiness.
Travel tip for y’all regarding cases, if you use them. I use the Otterbox Symmetry for around town. It is sleek and adds little bulk. However when traveling I switch the phone into an Otterbox Defender. I do not actually LIKE the new Defender particularly the screen protector makes touches more work, but it protects the phone much better. We had an unfortunate incident once of a family phone getting dropped into water. Rendered nonfunctional it became apparent to us what a HUGE inconvenience this can be on a family trip, with small children, where family members may be floating… Read more »
Love my PLUS size phone! My nearly-50 eyes need it. I travel in REI branded pants with cargo pockets on the leg, and the 6+ fits handily there. Longer battery life as well compared to the minus-sized ones. Also with iOS9 I can switch the phone to battery-saver mode manually and squeeze a few more hours out of it, alleviating some outlet-searches.
My iPad mini has become a hangar queen after getting the 6+ as nearly everything I used to reach for the tablet for, I can do on the phone comfortably now.
@Vicente,
When I finally get around to replacing my “new iPad”, it won’t be with a Mini….. the larger phone has taken care of that for me too.
FWIW Unlike other readers, I find that the iPhone 6Plus is just too big/bulky for me. It seems to be marketed for women who can throw it in their purse. I guess it is fine in a jacket pocket, but I often carry mine in my pants or shirt pocket. Can’t argue with vision concerns, but I have no issues with text size and I’m in my 50s, I’ve just always hated the keyboard and spell checker compared to my old BlackBerry..
@Stephan,
Every once in a blue moon I will admit to being a little nostalgic for a BlackBerry too. 🙂
I just switched from the iPhone 6 Plus to the iPhone 6S Plus. If you use the phone like I do even a minor improvement makes a huge difference. I love the size and screen quality. The camera on the 6S Plus is amazing and that itself is worth the change from the 6 Plus. In a year with my 6 Plus I took over 7,000 pictures so the new camera is a major improvement.
Loving the camera too, Santastico.
As a fellow 45 year old also upgrading from a 5, I concur with your assessment. The other thing I enjoy is the iOS9 feature of creating appointments and updating contacts from emails with one click.
It is nice, Jeff.