So you are not sure whether to buy the iPhone SE or iPhone 6s Plus right? Our writer, Rex, will take you along with his journey to find the perfect device.
On the heels of the iPhone SE release, I find myself tempted to switch over to the SE for a while and give the new phone a shot. After all, the iPhone 5s design, which Apple stuck with for the SE, is my favorite iPhone design Apple has ever released. The draw to nostalgia is strong, however, once the event was over I took off my rose colored glasses and realized the switch would be impractical for me and would severely hinder the workflow I’ve become accustomed to.
Since Apple released a 5.5” iPhone a few years ago, I’ve been using the larger device. The iPhone 6s Plus is currently in my pocket, and I can easily say I am more productive using it than I have been using any other mobile device I’ve tried. It didn’t take too much time to decide I’m going to stick with the 6s Plus for the foreseeable future.
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Let’s talk about sizes
I’ve become an advocate for larger iPhone, but I realize the size a person prefers all comes down to their usage. For the average iPhone user, the 6s Plus is simply too big. Many people still primarily use a laptop, iPad or even a desktop to do a majority of their computing and their phone mostly remains a device for phone calls, text messaging and periodically checking email. For those users, a smaller phone makes sense.
However, there is a growing trend of iPhone users who don’t fall into those categories. I would even argue a majority of people use their iPhone significantly more for activities beyond just calling and text messaging. The massive popularity of the App Store is a good indication that more people than ever are transitioning their everyday activities over to an iPhone.
Big screen vs. Small screen
For me, I’ve spent hours consuming news, reading ebooks, writing stories and watching Netflix and YouTube all on my iPhone. The 5.5” display on the 6s Plus makes these activities miles better than using a smaller screen. I believe there are loads of people who would prefer the larger iPhone if they only gave the device a chance.
Too many times, I’ve heard people dismiss using such a large device for reasons that are outdated. I admit when more major smartphones began gaining popularity in the Android world, I dismissed them as too impractical and ridiculous looking, especially when I saw people talking on the phone and holding up what might as well have been a brick to their ear.
As I mentioned, I do very little talking on my iPhone nowadays and over time larger phones have become more socially normal, so the risk of looking like a buffoon holding a massive phone up to my ear is no longer a concern. Furthermore, I’ve found the benefits of the larger size to be well worth the tradeoffs.
Sure, there are times when I wish I could simply type something out with one hand while I’m carrying my one-year-old around the house, but a majority of the time I enjoy the extra real estate. I’m to the point where over 90 percent of what I do on my iPhone is beyond phone calls and texting, and if you are in the same boat I highly recommend you give the larger iPhone a chance if you haven’t already.
What about Battery Life?
Another major benefit of the iPhone 6s Plus is battery life.
It’s no surprise that Apple can stuff a significantly larger battery in its larger phones. Again, whether this is a real benefit all comes down to your usage, but I think it’s safe to say most everyone would prefer better battery life given the option. For those users who rarely use their phone and find themselves still above 50 percent at the end of the day it may not matter, but for me battery life is paramount. During my iPhone 5s days, I always found myself reaching for a charger around 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon. With the iPhone 6s Plus, this is no longer the case.
I’ve trained myself to keep my screen brightness fairly low (it’s usually around 50 percent), and I also keep app notifications and background refresh to a minimum, which are both great battery saving tips. Coupled with the larger battery of the iPhone 6s Plus, I have yet to run through a full 100 percent charge during the day, which is impressive considering I am continuously using the device. The battery life alone on the larger iPhone is justification enough for making the switch.
Over to you
Again, I realize the larger size is not for everyone. In fact, there is, of course, remains a huge market for a 4” iPhone. Apple stated during their recent event they sold a remarkable 30 million 4” iPhones in 2015.
If you don’t consider yourself a “power user” or if the smaller size is simply something you can’t live without, I think you will be euphoric with the new iPhone SE. But for those of you who find yourself transitioning more and more of your activities over to your iPhone, I highly recommend the iPhone 6s Plus.
Let us know in the comments whether you plan to purchase the new iPhone SE and why. If not, let us know why you are sticking with a larger screen size.