Apple iPhone 6 Unboxing in the Philippines, Initial Impressions, Packaging Design and Accessories Check
The Cupertino company's 2014 flagship smartphone - Apple iPhone 6 - is not yet officially available in the Philippines but local online sellers have already started offering the very popular device to interested buyers.
I got this unit from Kimstore, my trusted online store. From offering the handset at Php 49,999 last September 19 -- when it was freshly launched in the US and in other key markets for Apple, my friend Kim Lato now sells iPhone 6 16GB variant for Php 38,900; That's a price drop of more than Php 10,000 in just a span of 10 days -- bring it closer to the TP Price Guesstimate for this particular version
Now, on to the much-awaited handset itself.
"The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry. 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," shared Tim Cook, Apple CEO.
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've seen all the press photos and I've watched quite a number of unboxing and even a couple of iPhone 6 bending videos on Youtube -- but all that never prepared me enough for how svelte and visually attractive the device is in the flesh.
As an Apple iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPhone 5S owner, I was instantly impressed by how large the iPhone 6's display is and by the phone's ultra-slim design and gentle curves. All of my previous iPhones have a very structured and 'heavily-cornered' look and feel in the hand so the rounded sides were a breath of fresh air and hence, totally appealed to me.
Will it bend?! I know some of you are requesting that I try bending this unit just to check if the Bendgate rumors are for real. Of course, I won't do that. You know how much I love gadgets - in fact, just seeing a scratch on any of them is enough to break my heart - so bending an iPhone with my bare hands or otherwise might prove too much for me. Nonetheless, I want to tell you this: I don't think I'd find it awfully hard to bend this phone out of shape using my hands if I really tried. As I've said in a previous post, the phone's body is made of metal, which is malleable and measuring only 6.9 millimeters at its thickest point, the Apple iPhone 6 - I believe - is just too thin to fully resist bending.
That said, if you're getting the Apple iPhone 6, I'd really advise you to avoid putting the device inside your jeans' front or back pockets if they're too tight. Also, I'd imagine that - for many users - the handset might become prone to being accidentally dropped because of its very thin design, rounded sides, and the rather slippery finish of the metal enclosure. Personally, I'll definitely get an Otterbox or Tech21 high impact protective case for the Apple iPhone 6 as soon as such accessories become available. I mean, almost all gadgets are fragile anyway (except for a few 'rugged' ones) so we really have to take good care of them.
I got this unit from Kimstore, my trusted online store. From offering the handset at Php 49,999 last September 19 -- when it was freshly launched in the US and in other key markets for Apple, my friend Kim Lato now sells iPhone 6 16GB variant for Php 38,900; That's a price drop of more than Php 10,000 in just a span of 10 days -- bring it closer to the TP Price Guesstimate for this particular version
This is the official packaging. As you can see, it looks fairly similar to that of Apple iPhone 5 and 5S but - of course - it has a wider footprint as the Apple iPhone 6 features a larger screen than those two previous releases.
The outer case of iPhone 6's box has an embossed design mimicking the look and feel of the handset's glass touchscreen, which gently curves down its sides. Notice that, unlike iPhone 5S' box, the one housing the current release doesn't anymore have a printed design showing the phone's interface.
Simply the Apple logo and "iPhone" with no numeric suffix on this side
All the contents of the box are listed at the bottom of the packaging so you know exactly what you're getting.
I tell you, it's hard not to fall in love with the Apple iPhone 6 as soon as you lift the outer case to expose it. I'd say it looks better in the flesh than it does on press photos.
Just like previous iPhones, the iPhone 6 has this tray inside the box cradling it...
...but what makes it unique is that it has a small hole on top for the protruding camera module.
Lifting the sleeve containing the iPhone 6 quick start guide, device info sheet, and two matte Apple stickers, you'll be greeted the other accessories included in the pack.
The Apple Earpods with Remote and Mic
The Travel Charger
And the 9-Pin Lightning Port to USB connector cable
Now, on to the much-awaited handset itself.
"The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry. 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," shared Tim Cook, Apple CEO.
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 here the Apple iPhone 6 16 GB Slate Gray Variant.
I've seen all the press photos and I've watched quite a number of unboxing and even a couple of iPhone 6 bending videos on Youtube -- but all that never prepared me enough for how svelte and visually attractive the device is in the flesh.
As an Apple iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPhone 5S owner, I was instantly impressed by how large the iPhone 6's display is and by the phone's ultra-slim design and gentle curves. All of my previous iPhones have a very structured and 'heavily-cornered' look and feel in the hand so the rounded sides were a breath of fresh air and hence, totally appealed to me.
The glass touchscreen perfectly hugs and kisses the rim of the aluminum unibody shell. Such manufacturing precision reminds me of what I usually see on Nokia Lumia handsets - especially Nokia Lumia 1020 and 720 - which is saying a lot about how much Apple has improved in this department.
If there's anything about the iPhone 6's design and construction that I immediately didn't like the first time I held the phone, it's definitely the protruding camera module at the back.
The loud speaker, Lightning port, and 3.5 mm audio jack are all still located at the rear of the device -- which I like since the wires won't be in the way when I use the handset while it's plugged to an outlet or while I'm using the Apple Earpods to listen to music.
Will it bend?! I know some of you are requesting that I try bending this unit just to check if the Bendgate rumors are for real. Of course, I won't do that. You know how much I love gadgets - in fact, just seeing a scratch on any of them is enough to break my heart - so bending an iPhone with my bare hands or otherwise might prove too much for me. Nonetheless, I want to tell you this: I don't think I'd find it awfully hard to bend this phone out of shape using my hands if I really tried. As I've said in a previous post, the phone's body is made of metal, which is malleable and measuring only 6.9 millimeters at its thickest point, the Apple iPhone 6 - I believe - is just too thin to fully resist bending.
That said, if you're getting the Apple iPhone 6, I'd really advise you to avoid putting the device inside your jeans' front or back pockets if they're too tight. Also, I'd imagine that - for many users - the handset might become prone to being accidentally dropped because of its very thin design, rounded sides, and the rather slippery finish of the metal enclosure. Personally, I'll definitely get an Otterbox or Tech21 high impact protective case for the Apple iPhone 6 as soon as such accessories become available. I mean, almost all gadgets are fragile anyway (except for a few 'rugged' ones) so we really have to take good care of them.
| 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 29, 2014: Apple iPhone 6 16GB - Php 38,900 Apple iPhone 6 64GB - Php 44,900 Apple iPhone 6 128GB - Php 49,990 |
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