O+ Air vs. Apple iPhone 6 Quick Comparative Review: Design, Specs, and Features
I was playing with my Apple iPhone 6 and O+ Air smartphones while having my 'merienda' yesterday afternoon when my younger brother (Val of BallersPinas) - who was sitting beside me - blurted out, "They look alike!"
So I placed the two handsets - face up, side by side each other - on the place mat in front of me and tried to confirm what my bro pointed out by looking for some design similarities.
Well, for one, the two phones have the same 'square with rounded sides' footprint with O+ Air looking like a slightly taller version of Apple's flagship handset. The iPhone 6 has dimensions (height x width) of 138.1 x 67 mm while the other American company's top-of-the-line release measures 143 x 70 mm.
Flipping the two devices over, we see more design parallels. Both have a real metal shell albeit Apple iPhone 6 has these white bands while the O+ Air has plastic caps to improve signal reception.
Finally, these two share an ultra-thin and super lightweight build and construction. Apple iPhone 6 only measures 6.9 millimeters at its thickest point while O+ Air is even thinner at 6.8 millimeters. In terms of weight, the O+ Air - totally worthy of its name - is way lighter at only 115 grams while Apple's flagship weighs 129 grams. And that's just about it.
Specs Fight
Since I've already gone out of my way to take photos of these stellar releases beside one another, I thought, "Why not go further and compare their technical specifications as well?" So here you go:
It's clearly a mixed bag in terms of specs.
Android 4.4 KitKat powered O+ Air has a bigger display, higher resolution front and back cameras, has expandable storage, comes with Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, and is equipped with a larger battery pack.
On the other hand, Apple iPhone 6 running iOS 8 has a more powerful processor, more connectivity support including LTE and NFC, and has better camera sensors.
Obviously, when we compare these devices, we can't help but also revisit that 'Google vs. Apple' rivalry in the mobile arena and pit Android and iOS - yet again - against each other.
Which platform is better? For me, that depends on the user.
As someone who's been fortunate enough to own many iPhone and Android smartphone and tablet models through the years, here's what I think are the strengths of each operating system from a consumer point of view:
Android:
1. More customizable when it comes to themes, launchers, and even keyboards.
2. Has better social networking and third-party app integration.
iOS:
1. Tends to have more 'mature' apps and games in its market
2. Has a more fluid user interface (Side Note: Android has become more fluid and buttery smooth since Android 4.1 Jelly Bean but for me, it's still not yet on the level of iOS in this department. But that's just me.)
I'm sure you can add more to these lists so feel free to leave your comments below.
To be honest, though, I'm starting to feel that this whole iOS vs. Android battle is becoming moot and academic as almost all popular or key apps and games are now available on the two platform unlike way back in 2010 until 2011.
To wrap this up, let me give you my quick description of these two stunning flagship models.
O+ Air: Currently priced at only Php 13,995, O+ Air is the very first Octa Core device in the Philippines to run Android 4.4 KitKat right out of the box and is inarguably the lightest 5-inch smartphone in the world today. Weighing just 115 grams, this handset features a number of unique innovations from the American company including the new Lumi display technology, which combines the wide color gamut and brightness of SuperAMOLED with the 'easy on the eyes' readability and energy-efficiency of ePaper. It also comes with O+'s patented Air Shuffle technology that allows you to take photos simply by waving your hand in front of the phone's display and the new O+ Air Share cloud storage service, which lets you quickly share photos, videos, and other content with fellow O+ phone users.
Apple iPhone 6: The natural follow-up to the widely popular and very successful Apple iPhone 5S, 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 its new 4.7-inch 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. It is equipped with a powerful Apple A8 chipset and features an enhanced 8 MegaPixel main camera with Focus Pixels and f/2,2 aperture for an even better low-light performance.
So I placed the two handsets - face up, side by side each other - on the place mat in front of me and tried to confirm what my bro pointed out by looking for some design similarities.
Side note: O+ Air hit store shelves across the Philippines last June 2014 while the iPhone 6 was released in key markets globally just last month, September 2014.
Well, for one, the two phones have the same 'square with rounded sides' footprint with O+ Air looking like a slightly taller version of Apple's flagship handset. The iPhone 6 has dimensions (height x width) of 138.1 x 67 mm while the other American company's top-of-the-line release measures 143 x 70 mm.
Flipping the two devices over, we see more design parallels. Both have a real metal shell albeit Apple iPhone 6 has these white bands while the O+ Air has plastic caps to improve signal reception.
Even the position of the camera module with LED flash is identical on this duo. I have to note, though, that the one on O+ Air doesn't protrude so it's not much of an 'impact point' that's prone to dents and scratches.
Finally, these two share an ultra-thin and super lightweight build and construction. Apple iPhone 6 only measures 6.9 millimeters at its thickest point while O+ Air is even thinner at 6.8 millimeters. In terms of weight, the O+ Air - totally worthy of its name - is way lighter at only 115 grams while Apple's flagship weighs 129 grams. And that's just about it.
Specs Fight
Since I've already gone out of my way to take photos of these stellar releases beside one another, I thought, "Why not go further and compare their technical specifications as well?" So here you go:
| Name | Apple iPhone 6 | O+ Air |
| Type | Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen) | Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen) |
| Price Category | High End (Flagship Level) | High-End (Flagship Level) |
| Dimensions | 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm | 143 x 70 x 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 129 grams | 115 grams |
| Available Colors | Anodized Aluminum Unibody ShellMetal Shell: Black | Anodized Aluminum Unibody Shell: White, Black |
| Operating System upon launch | iOS 8 | Android KitKat 4.4.2 KitKat |
| 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 | Lumi Display, 5-inch 720 x 1280 pixels HD, Capacitive Touchscreen 16 Million Colors |
| Processor | Apple A8 Processor, M8 Motion coprocessor | 1.7 GHz Octa Core ARM Cortex A7 CPU, Mali 450-MP4 GPU, MediaTek MT6592 Chipset |
| RAM | 1 GB LPDDR3 | 1 GB LPDDR3 |
| Internal Storage | Non-expandable 16, 64, 128 GB options | 8GB, Expandable via microSD card slot supporting up to 128 GB, Free 8GB Sandisk microSD card |
| 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 | Main: 13 MegaPixels 4x Digital Zoom Continuous Shot/HDR/Timer/Autofocus/Smile Detection/ Flash/Face Beauty/ Live Photo / EIS Full HD Video Recording Taking picture while shooting a video Take pictures using volume keys Main: 5 MegaPixels |
| 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 | Main: 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) Digital image stabilization Front: 720p 30fps (TBC) |
| 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 | MP3, MIDI, AAC,AMR, OGG, 3GPP, MP4 3GP, AVI, RMVB FM Radio with Recording |
| Ports | 9-pin Lightning Port, 3.5 mm Audio Jack | microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm Audio Jack |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, LTE, NFC | 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, 3G HSPA+ |
| GPS | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Barometer, 3-axis Gyroscope, Fingerprint identity sensor | Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, 3-axis Gyroscope, Light Sensor |
| 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) | GSM model (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); (TBD) |
| SIM Card Type | Nano SIM | Dual microSIM |
| Battery | Built-in Rechargeable Non-removable 1,810 mAh Li-Ion | Lithium Polymer 2,000 mAh non-removable battery |
| 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 | Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 3G Standby time: Up to 350 hours Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 12 hours Audio playback: Up to 50 hours |
| Announcement | September 10, 2014 (1:30 AM Manila Time) | Philippines: May 28, 2014 (via TechPinas) |
| Availability | TP Guesstimate: Official - December 2014 Out now at Kimstore | Philippines: June 2014 |
| Retail Price | 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 | Official SRP as of October 12, 2014: Php 13,995 |
It's clearly a mixed bag in terms of specs.
Android 4.4 KitKat powered O+ Air has a bigger display, higher resolution front and back cameras, has expandable storage, comes with Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, and is equipped with a larger battery pack.
On the other hand, Apple iPhone 6 running iOS 8 has a more powerful processor, more connectivity support including LTE and NFC, and has better camera sensors.
Obviously, when we compare these devices, we can't help but also revisit that 'Google vs. Apple' rivalry in the mobile arena and pit Android and iOS - yet again - against each other.
Which platform is better? For me, that depends on the user.
As someone who's been fortunate enough to own many iPhone and Android smartphone and tablet models through the years, here's what I think are the strengths of each operating system from a consumer point of view:
Android:
1. More customizable when it comes to themes, launchers, and even keyboards.
2. Has better social networking and third-party app integration.
iOS:
1. Tends to have more 'mature' apps and games in its market
2. Has a more fluid user interface (Side Note: Android has become more fluid and buttery smooth since Android 4.1 Jelly Bean but for me, it's still not yet on the level of iOS in this department. But that's just me.)
I'm sure you can add more to these lists so feel free to leave your comments below.
To be honest, though, I'm starting to feel that this whole iOS vs. Android battle is becoming moot and academic as almost all popular or key apps and games are now available on the two platform unlike way back in 2010 until 2011.
Apple iPhone 6's 4.7 inch HD Retina Display vs. O+ Air's 5 inch Lumi Display at 0% Brightness.
To wrap this up, let me give you my quick description of these two stunning flagship models.
O+ Air: Currently priced at only Php 13,995, O+ Air is the very first Octa Core device in the Philippines to run Android 4.4 KitKat right out of the box and is inarguably the lightest 5-inch smartphone in the world today. Weighing just 115 grams, this handset features a number of unique innovations from the American company including the new Lumi display technology, which combines the wide color gamut and brightness of SuperAMOLED with the 'easy on the eyes' readability and energy-efficiency of ePaper. It also comes with O+'s patented Air Shuffle technology that allows you to take photos simply by waving your hand in front of the phone's display and the new O+ Air Share cloud storage service, which lets you quickly share photos, videos, and other content with fellow O+ phone users.
Apple iPhone 6: The natural follow-up to the widely popular and very successful Apple iPhone 5S, 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 its new 4.7-inch 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. It is equipped with a powerful Apple A8 chipset and features an enhanced 8 MegaPixel main camera with Focus Pixels and f/2,2 aperture for an even better low-light performance.
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