The big screen on the iPhone 6 Plus is not a feature that everyone loves, but in China, the phone is a hot commodity. This is according to data from AppLovin, which has been monitoring the iPhone’s usage through its advertising platform, which also indicates that the smaller 4.7 inch version is a bit more popular, but usage levels likely to be at par with those of the bigger model in a few months.
Comparing the ratios between Chinese users and their American counterparts, they are currently at 60/40 and 75/25 respectively, with the higher figure being in favour of the smaller phone. The U.S ratio in November last year stood at 80/20. With China currently being one of the biggest international markets for American tech products, analysts had predicted strong iPhone 6 Plus sales in the country given that it is also the largest market for “phablets” or generally phones featuring screens larger than 5.5 inches.
Not surprisingly, as many as a dozen local mobile phone companies have joined the bandwagon and are currently manufacturing phones similar to the Samsung's Galaxy Note, but featuring significantly lower prices. This is in contrast to the U.S market where there are fewer large screen models and when available come with a premium price tag.
For those wondering about the cause of the Chinese iPhone 6 Plus craze phenomenon, it can be traced back to last October when Chinese consumers queuing to get their hands on the new device cited preference due to the larger screen suitable for watching movies. To help find out if there are other factors as to why consumers prefer one version over the other, it is important to check out their differences and similarities. Starting with the similarities, the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 both come in the same colours – space grey, gold and silver, have Touch ID, are powered by A8 and M8 processors, available with 16, 64, and 128GB storage sizes, and have NFC, which is Apple’s mobile payment service.
On to the differences, with the exception of size, the iPhone 6 plus comes with a bigger price tag than the 6, but the screen, design, and battery life offer more differences. Starting with the display, the iPhone 6 has a display resolution of 1334×750 pixels at 326 ppi, while the larger version features a 1920×1080 resolution with a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. Although the bigger iPhone seems to have nailed the smaller model in the pixel shootout, the same cannot be said of the contrast ration as the iPhone 6 boasts a slightly better contrast ration of 1300 to 1. When it comes to weight, the 6 is noticeably lighter than the bigger iPhone at 129gms, with the 6 Plus weighing in at 172 grams. On battery performance, the iPhone 6 Plus seems to have slightly better battery efficiency from independent tests and when it comes to the cameras, the bigger phone also gets an edge as it features image stabilisation, while the other does not.
Evidently, there isn’t much to choose between the two when it comes to features, so the Chinese customers may be right – it’s just that a bigger screen is great for watching movies.