Now that the two new iPhone 6 have been confirmed, and we’ve been seeing a lot of phone announcements over the past few weeks, how do all of these devices stack up against one another? We’ve compiled the specifications of new and existing flagship smartphones in the market – Apple and Android, into one big table for easy comparison.
The new iPhone 6 smartphones are now bigger than before and features a brand new curved design (around the edges, not the screen). Apart from that, the insides have also been refreshed with a new processor and coprocessor, packing NFC capability, and a whole lot more under its 4.7” and 5.5” hood. So how much better are the new iPhone 6 variants compared to the older iPhones? Here’s a comparison between the existing iPhones still available in the Malaysian market – iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c:
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The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are without a doubt a lot more powerful than its predecessors – that’s a given. Not only are they bigger in size, they feature a precision unibody enclosure made of anodized aluminium that conforms seamlessly with the shaped glass of the display, giving a completely smooth and continuous surface. While the company managed to pack a whole lot more in these devices, they are significantly slimmer than before measuring at 6.9mm and 7.1mm respectively.
On the inside, both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are powered by an Apple A8 chip, a second generation 64-bit desktop-class processor for blazing fast performance and power efficiency. Together with the M8 motion coprocessor and various sensors including accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and a new barometer, the new iPhones can detect your every movement (even your steps up that flight of stairs). Together with the new Health app, fitness tracking has just gotten a whole lot easier – developers can use the CoreMotion API that takes advantage of the M8 and HealthKit to create apps that help you keep track of your health and fitness levels.
Both iPhones also comes with Apple Pay and a brand new NFC chip to facilitate payments. Together with Touch ID, paying for merchants is just a touch away and with tight security, Apple claims that it’s even safer than having cards in your wallet. Unfortunately, Apple Pay is only available in the U.S. and we can only keep our fingers crossed for the Cupertino company to bring it to Malaysia.
As for the camera, while it may still pack a 8MP camera while other smartphones have camera sensors up to 41MP, the new iSight camera has also been improved. It features Focus Pixels for faster autofocus, and the iPhone 6 Plus even has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on board, making it the perfect shooter even in low light. Other improved camera features include high-definition video with continuous autofocus, chinematic video stabilization and time-lapse video. The front FaceTIme HD camera now captures 80% more light with a new sensor with a larger f/2.2 aperture and advanced new features including burst mode and HDR video.
That’s a whole load of improvements. But how does the new iPhones stack up to new and existing Android flagship smartphones in the market, and even Nokia’s flagship Windows Phones? Here’s our ultimate comparison:
Click on image to view the table
That’s a lot of phones, and that’s due to the fact that we’ve added the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, Motorola Moto X, Nokia Lumia 830 and Huawei Ascend Mate 7 that was announced over the last week or so, as well as the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro that was announced last month. We’ve also included existing flagships in the market like OnePlus One, Oppo Find 7, Xiaomi Mi 4, LG G3 Samsung Galaxy S5 and Nokia Lumia 930.
I know, I know, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have the specs of a 2012 Android phone but Apple (and the iPhone) has never been about the specs, right? I use and love both my Xiaomi Mi 3 and iPhone, but there’s just something about the iPhone that makes it almost impossible for me to leave the iOS platform. The App Store? The user experience? Well, both. However, does the huge app selection and user experience justify a retail price that we think will hit as high as RM3,500? That’s solely up to your wallet’s capability.
As for wearables, yes, who could forget the Apple Watch, Apple’s first smartwatch. How does the watch stack up against other players in the market like the ever so beautiful Motorola Moto 360? Here’s a specs comparison between the brand new Apple Watch, Sony SmartWatch 3 that was announced just last week, LG G Watch R the first rounded smartwatch from LG, the Moto 360, and the Samsung Galaxy Gear S.
You know what’s so frustrating with the Apple Watch? Despite all the extended demo and videos, Apple has not revealed any information on the specs at all. How large is the display diagonally? What exactly is an S1 SiP? Is it heavy? How long will the battery last? No one knows, yet. The video looks promising, but will the Apple Watch live up to expectations? Only time will tell – the watch is not scheduled for release until early 2015, so Apple has a good few months to refine things.
Let us know what you think of these new Apple products – iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, when compared to others. The new iPhones are without a doubt the best iPhones yet, but they face the toughest Android competition ever – you know, with all the QHD displays out there, processors that are more powerful than ever, cheap prices offered by China brands, and such. As for the Apple Watch, without more information, it still remains a wearable that merely promises a lot.
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