Apple iPhone 6 Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Complete Specs, Features
After months of redundant rumors and borderline suspect 'insider information' (that had now turned out highly accurate), Apple iPhone 6 - the smaller of the two 2014 flagship smartphone releases by the Cupertino company - is finally official.
While it's nothing we haven't seen before, the iPhone 6 - along with the iPhone 6 Plus 5.5-inch phablet, which I'll talk about in a separate post - represent what Apple calls 'the biggest advancements in iPhone history.'
"The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry," shared Tim Cook, Apple CEO. "And we are making it much better in every way. Only Apple can combine the best hardware, software and services at this unprecedented level and we think customers are going to love it."
Flaunting a re-imagined ultra-slim aluminum enclosure with rounded edges, Apple iPhone 6 is equipped with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38 percent more viewing area than its beautiful predecessor, the iPhone 5s.
Actually, apart from that and the improved processor and camera, most functionality are largely the same between the two phones -- including the fingerprint scanner atop the home button, LTE connectivity support (though the fresher release gives you VoiceOverLTE), sensor set (with additional Barometer on iPhone 6), and - of course - the Apple iOS 8 operating system, which is now officially coming to all supported previous iPhone models.
Apple iPhone 6 is powered by a second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture Apple A8 chip that - according to the company - offers faster performance and is more energy efficient, delivering higher sustained performance with great battery life. "With Metal, a new graphics technology in iOS 8, developers can take performance of the A8 chip even further to bring console-class 3D games to iPhone. The A8 chip also includes a new, powerful Apple-designed image signal processor that enables advanced camera and video features."
The device also has an M8 motion co-processor that's there to gather motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and the new barometer that senses air pressure to provide relative elevation. This unique co-processor is capable of continuously measuring your motion data, even when the phone is inactive or asleep, saving battery life for fitness apps that use sensors all day. With Apple iOS 8, motion data gathered by M8 appears in the Health app (and other upcoming similar applications) so users can see how many flights of stairs they've climbed, or how far they've walked or run.
As for the phone's imaging capabilities, there's the new iSight camera with an improved sensor featuring Focus Pixels for faster autofocus, letting you capture any moment really fast. High-definition video capture on iPhone 6 has been improved and now has higher frame rates up to 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slow-motion clips, as well as continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilization and time-lapse video. The FaceTime HD camera in front now captures over 80 percent more light with a new sensor and larger f/2.2 aperture delivering clearer and brighter selfies plus it comes with advanced new features including burst mode and HDR video.
In a nutshell, "The Apple iPhone 6 isn’t simply bigger -- it’s also better in every way. Larger, yet dramatically thinner. More powerful, but remarkably power efficient. With a smooth metal surface that seamlessly curves to meet the new Retina HD display. It’s one continuous form where hardware and software function in perfect unison, creating a new generation of smartphone by the American company that’s better by any measure." I have to admit, however, (and this is obvious) that in terms of internal specifications and overall hardware features, it's a tad inferior to some 2014 flagship models by Apple's main rivals that are already out in the market.
When will iPhone 6 be available in the Philippines and how much will it cost? Based on the last two iPhone releases in the country, I'm expecting the 4.7-inch 2014 flagship to land here via official carriers by mid-December this year (But like you, I'm also wishing it arrives earlier.) Since the iPhone 6 supports LTE, it is almost certain that both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications will offer the handset as a bundled device with their LTE postpaid plans just like the iPhone 5S. Now, as for its retail price or its price without any contract, the TP Guesstimate is Php 38,199 for the 16GB variant, Php 43,999 for 64GB, and Php 49,599 for the 128GB version -- and I'm basing that on the variants' freshly announced official SRPs in the United Kingdom. Here's hoping they'd be more affordable when they land here -- but really, I'm not holding my breath for it. Come on. It's Apple.
Update as of September 19, 2014: Kimstore, the most trusted online store in the Philippines, has just posted its price schedule for the Apple iPhone 6; 16GB - Php 49,999, 64GB - Php 54,999, 128GB - Php 56,999. Note that these are but introductory prices and they are expected to drop slowly within the next few weeks.
While it's nothing we haven't seen before, the iPhone 6 - along with the iPhone 6 Plus 5.5-inch phablet, which I'll talk about in a separate post - represent what Apple calls 'the biggest advancements in iPhone history.'
"The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry," shared Tim Cook, Apple CEO. "And we are making it much better in every way. Only Apple can combine the best hardware, software and services at this unprecedented level and we think customers are going to love it."
Flaunting a re-imagined ultra-slim aluminum enclosure with rounded edges, Apple iPhone 6 is equipped with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38 percent more viewing area than its beautiful predecessor, the iPhone 5s.
Actually, apart from that and the improved processor and camera, most functionality are largely the same between the two phones -- including the fingerprint scanner atop the home button, LTE connectivity support (though the fresher release gives you VoiceOverLTE), sensor set (with additional Barometer on iPhone 6), and - of course - the Apple iOS 8 operating system, which is now officially coming to all supported previous iPhone models.
Apple iPhone 6 is powered by a second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture Apple A8 chip that - according to the company - offers faster performance and is more energy efficient, delivering higher sustained performance with great battery life. "With Metal, a new graphics technology in iOS 8, developers can take performance of the A8 chip even further to bring console-class 3D games to iPhone. The A8 chip also includes a new, powerful Apple-designed image signal processor that enables advanced camera and video features."
The device also has an M8 motion co-processor that's there to gather motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and the new barometer that senses air pressure to provide relative elevation. This unique co-processor is capable of continuously measuring your motion data, even when the phone is inactive or asleep, saving battery life for fitness apps that use sensors all day. With Apple iOS 8, motion data gathered by M8 appears in the Health app (and other upcoming similar applications) so users can see how many flights of stairs they've climbed, or how far they've walked or run.
As for the phone's imaging capabilities, there's the new iSight camera with an improved sensor featuring Focus Pixels for faster autofocus, letting you capture any moment really fast. High-definition video capture on iPhone 6 has been improved and now has higher frame rates up to 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slow-motion clips, as well as continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilization and time-lapse video. The FaceTime HD camera in front now captures over 80 percent more light with a new sensor and larger f/2.2 aperture delivering clearer and brighter selfies plus it comes with advanced new features including burst mode and HDR video.
In a nutshell, "The Apple iPhone 6 isn’t simply bigger -- it’s also better in every way. Larger, yet dramatically thinner. More powerful, but remarkably power efficient. With a smooth metal surface that seamlessly curves to meet the new Retina HD display. It’s one continuous form where hardware and software function in perfect unison, creating a new generation of smartphone by the American company that’s better by any measure." I have to admit, however, (and this is obvious) that in terms of internal specifications and overall hardware features, it's a tad inferior to some 2014 flagship models by Apple's main rivals that are already out in the market.
When will iPhone 6 be available in the Philippines and how much will it cost? Based on the last two iPhone releases in the country, I'm expecting the 4.7-inch 2014 flagship to land here via official carriers by mid-December this year (But like you, I'm also wishing it arrives earlier.) Since the iPhone 6 supports LTE, it is almost certain that both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications will offer the handset as a bundled device with their LTE postpaid plans just like the iPhone 5S. Now, as for its retail price or its price without any contract, the TP Guesstimate is Php 38,199 for the 16GB variant, Php 43,999 for 64GB, and Php 49,599 for the 128GB version -- and I'm basing that on the variants' freshly announced official SRPs in the United Kingdom. Here's hoping they'd be more affordable when they land here -- but really, I'm not holding my breath for it. Come on. It's Apple.
Update as of September 19, 2014: Kimstore, the most trusted online store in the Philippines, has just posted its price schedule for the Apple iPhone 6; 16GB - Php 49,999, 64GB - Php 54,999, 128GB - Php 56,999. Note that these are but introductory prices and they are expected to drop slowly within the next few weeks.
| Name | Apple iPhone 6 |
| Type | Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen) |
| Price Category | High-end (Flagship Level) |
| Dimensions | 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm |
| Weight | 129 grams |
| Available Colors | Gold, White, Space Gray |
| Operating System | iOS 8 |
| Display | Retina display, 4.7 inches (~326 ppi pixel density) widescreen, 750 x 1334 pixels, LED-backlit IPS Display, Multi-Touch display, 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, Dual-domain pixels for wider viewing angles, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front, Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously |
| Processor | Apple A8 Processor, M8 Motion coprocessor |
| RAM | TBA |
| Memory | 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options, non-expandable |
| Camera | Main iSight: 8 MegaPixels, 2364x2448 resolution, Autofocus with Focus Pixels and True Tone Dual LED flash, Features: ƒ/2.2 aperture, LED flash, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens, Burst Mode, Hybrid IR filter, Panorama (up to 43 megapixels) Front FaceTime HD camera: 2.1 MP photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Auto HDR for photos and videos, Improved Face Detection, Burst mode, Backside illumination sensor |
| Video Capture | Main: 1080p Full HD @ 60 frames per second, 720p @ 240fps Features: Cinematic video stabilization, Continuous autofocus video Take still photo while recording video, Improed Face Detection Front: 720p up to 30 frames per second, Facetime over Wifi or Cellular, Auto HDR for photos and videos |
| Audio and Video Playback | Video: AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p AirPlay video streaming to Apple TV (3rd generation) at up to 1080p and Apple TV (2nd generation) at up to 720p Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV User-configurable maximum volume limit |
| Ports | 3.5 mm audio jack, new 9-pin Lightning dock connector |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, LTE, NFC |
| Network | GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17) CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25) GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Barometer, 3-axis Gyroscope, Fingerprint identity sensor |
| SIM Card Type | Single NanoSIM |
| Battery | Built-in Rechargeable Non-removable 1,810 mAh Li-Ion |
| Uptime | Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G Standby time: Up to 240 hours Internet use: Up to 10 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on LTE, up to 11 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 11 hours Audio playback: Up to 50 hours |
| Notable Features | Larger Display, New Design, VoiceOverLTE, Improved Front and Main Cameras, Apple A8 Chipset |
| Announcement | September 10, 2014 (1:30 AM Manila Time) |
| Availability | Q4 2014, TP Guesstimate: November-December 2014 via Smart and Globe |
| Price | $199 for the 16GB, $299 for the 64GB, and $399 for the 128GB variant, all on a 2-year contract in the United States Official Retail Price in the UK: 539 GBP for the 16GB, 619 GBP for 64GB, $699 for 128GB TP Retail Price Guesstimate: Apple iPhone 6 16GB w/o contract - around Php 38,199 Apple iPhone 6 64GB w/o contract - around Php 43,999 Apple iPhone 6 128GB w/o contract - around Php 49,599 Kimstore as of September 19, 2014: Apple iPhone 6 16GB - Php 49,999 Apple iPhone 6 64GB - Php 54,999 Apple iPhone 6 128GB - Php 56,999 |
.jpg)