The "Next Big Thing"

What is the “Next Big Thing?” Recently, it has been Apple’s new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. These eighth-generation iPhones were made available to the public on September 19 and, according to Apple, sold 10 million models on their opening weekend, topping its predecessors, the iPhone 5s and 5c, which only sold a total of 9 million models on their opening weekends. These numbers are quite impressive, as the iPhone’s “rival,” the Samsung Galaxy S5, took 25 days to sell as much. From these statistics, one could argue that the iPhone is much more popular than its rivalling phone models. But does most popular necessarily mean best on the market?

There is an array of flawed features in the iPhone 6, ranging from its ugly protruding camera lens to its bending capabilities that permanently change the phone’s shape. These design flaws are a bother to some, but they do not take away from the 6’s overall purpose and popularity as a smart phone.

There are two aspects of the iPhone 6 to discuss here: the aesthetics and the functionality. By popular belief, the iPhone is the “best looking” and “easiest to use” phone on the market. Ever since iOS 7, the interfaces of the iPhones have had vibrant colors and a refreshing feel to them. Although it’s hardly customizable compared to a phone OS such as an Android’s, many people prefer the look of the iPhone. The iPhone 6 has a 5.44 inch by 2.64 inch screen and the Plus boasts dimensions of 6.22 inches by 3.06 inches. These numbers may not seem like much at first, but the sizes of these phones are actually quite large. In fact, the iPhone 6 Plus rivals Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, which is infamous for its enormous size. Do people see the increase in size as a good thing? Many people do not like it, some do like it and Samsung themselves have called out Apple in an ad about the size of their new phones. To get a better idea of the iPhone 6’s size, here is a size comparison with (from left to right) the iPhone 5, iPhone 6, a banana, and the iPhone 6 Plus.

Among the iPhone’s many specs are the camera’s quality, the phone’s processing speed, and the screen’s picture quality. Both phones carry an 8 megapixel camera and dual-core processors; the iPhone 6 has a 750 x 1334 resolution and the Plus has a 1080 x 1920 resolution—sounds impressive, right? The dual-core processors, 8 megapixel cameras and high resolutions are nothing to laugh about, but in comparison to the phones of Apple’s rival, Samsung, the iPhones fall short. Samsung’s Galaxy S5 overshadows the iPhone 6 with a quad-core processor, megapixel processor and 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. The Galaxy Note 3 that came out a year ago boasts a quad-core processor, 13 megapixel camera and a resolution of 1080 x 1920, still shadowing the Plus. The battery life of the S5 is also longer than the iPhone 6’s by at least six hours. Perhaps Samsung and other Androids really are “ahead of [their] time” while Apple phones are lagging behind.

Surely the iPhone should have lower prices with its lower quality specs, right? Wrong. A Samsung Galaxy S5 is generally around $150 while the iPhone 6 is $200. The Note 3 is only $100 while the Plus is $300. Apple is falling behind even in affordability.

The iPhone 6 and the Plus sound like great and trendy phones to have in this day and age, but are they really worth it? It depends. Although getting a Samsung phone or any other Android is more economical, the iPhone still has its merits. To many, the iPhone is simply a comfort choice as it is easier to use in comparison to the “complex” OS of the Android. To others, the iPhone is too basic and limits control over the internal storage of the device. As for the verdict, the iPhone has great features all-around, but the other phones such as Android phones are simply better choices because they overshadow many aspects of Apple’s “Next Big Thing.”

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