10 things you need to know about the 5.5in iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhablet exists, and we've got all the facts right here
Alongside the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, Apple also revealed the iPhone 6 Plus, a 5.5-inch monster previously rumoured to be called the iPhone 6L. It’s the first ‘phablet’ the Cupertino giant has produced.
The iPhone 6 Plus matches its smaller sibling in many ways, but betters it in others. So let’s jump right in!
READ MORE: 10 things you need to know about the 4.7in iPhone 6
1. It’s the biggest iPhone ever
This is quite literally the case. Although the new iPhone 6 Plus resembles its smaller sibling, it pretty much dwarfs the iPhone 5s. It’s an iPad mini mini.
2. The iPhone 6 Plus has a 1080p display
The rumour mill was right that the larger iPhone would boast a 5.5-inch display, but what we didn’t know was the resolution. It’s 1920 x 1080, with a ppi of 401 – that’s over two million pixels. By comparison, the iPhone 6 resolution is 1334 x 750 at 326ppi and the iPhone 5s is 1136 x 640 at 326ppi.
That noise you can hear is developers quietly weeping.
3. It’s surprisingly thin
Despite its gargantuan dimensions, the iPhone 6 Plus is only 7.1mm thick – a mere 0.2 mm thicker than the iPhone 6, and half a cm thinner than the iPhone 5s.
4. There’s a new landscape mode
The iPhone 6 Plus will particularly enable you to take advantage of the new iPhone landscape mode for apps, two-column views that resemble those on the iPad. There’s also an extended keyboard, with handy shortcuts to useful commands and keys.
5. The iPhone 6 Plus has a ‘Reachability’ gesture
Apple wanted to make its giant phones usable in one hand, and so there’s a new gesture. Joining leftwards swiping for back is ‘Reachability’. Double-tap the TouchID button and the display slides down so you can reach things at the top.
No, we’re not kidding.
6. There’s a huge battery
Break apart an iPhone and most of what’s inside is battery. The iPhone 6 Plus’ larger frame provides more space for power, and that should result in a decent boost in time between charges. At worst, the iPhone 6 Plus will match the iPhone 5s, despite the much larger, power-hungry display. Mostly, though, it goes for longer. For example, you get 12 hours of 3G browsing, versus ten on the iPhone 6 and just eight on the 5s.
7. The iPhone 6 Plus has OIS
Optical Image Stabilisation is a unique feature of the iPhone 6 Plus. The lens can move, making for a more stable image, especially in low light.
8. But it’s otherwise an iPhone 6 embiggened
What we haven’t mentioned so far is the many great things about the iPhone 6 Plus that it shares with the iPhone 6. The new form factor is comfortable and beautiful; the A8 chip is insanely powerful, especially for games; the FaceTime camera has been improved, for sharper images; and LTE capabilities have been upgraded.
9. The iPhone 6 Plus is expensive
US pricing has been revealed to be $100 more than the equivalent iPhone 6 for each of the available models. Expect that to translate into £80 in the UK.
10. It’s available very soon
The iPhone 6 Plus will be on sale on September 19, with pre-orders starting on September 12. Judging by previous iPhone sales frenzies, if you don’t order one right away, your delivery estimate will be weeks away at best.
Update: UK SIM-free pricing info
16GB – £620
64GB – £700
128GB – £790
Craig Grannell
Contributor 
