iPhone 6 Plus Review - iPhone 6 Plus: iOS 8 Review

iPhone 6 Plus: iOS 8

The iPhone 6 Plus is identical to the iPhone 6 in use with one noteworthy exception, it supports screen rotation, just like the iPad Air. This means that you can use it in landscape mode at all times, not just in apps.

You won’t notice many differences between iOS 7 and iOS 8 at first glance but there are many new features that add to the experience. No it’s not anywhere near as customisable as Android. But iOS has never been about customisation, it’s about doing the things iPhone owners do most with ease.

To find out every in and out of Apple’s new operating system read our exhaustive iOS 8 review or read on to find out about the key new features.

iOS 8

Interactive Notifications
iOS 8 lets control certain features of some apps from the lock screen. You can now control your music without having to go into the music app.

You can also respond to emails, invites, texts and more from certain apps like Facebook without having to leave the app.

Choice of Keyboard
Apple has opened up the keyboard on iOS 8 for the first time which means you can pick from third-party app makers. If you’re an Android user going to the iPhone you can now have your favourite keyboard on your new phone. 

Apple’s own iOS keyboard is also a little different. The larger screen of the iPhone 6 Plus means you can get additional functions on screen and Apple has added cut, paste undo and bold keys when typing in landscape.

Notification Centre “Widgets”
A light form of the widget feature that Android has had for ages is now available on iOS 8. Instead of appearing on the home screens, widgets are set up in the Notification Centre where they bring up some information without having to go into the app. 

Recently Called Shortcut
Press the Home button twice and the currently open apps appear so you can scroll through them. This existed on iOS 7 but Apple has now added bubbles with your most recently called contacts at the top so you can get to them with ease.

Health
Health is a hub for all the data relating to your body and health — it can store everything from your blood type to your diet. It’s more of a repository of information you have to input yourself at the moment, but the most recent iOS 8 update has seen apps begin to add Health app support. We’ll be exploring this in greater detail soon.

Battery Monitor
The battery life of the iPhone 6 Plus is great, but you can find out which apps are causing it to go down quickly. If you want to find out more tips about keeping you iPhone’s battery tip top then read: iOS 8 Battery Problems: Extend your iPhone’s Battery.

Apple Pay
As we’ve already mentioned, Apple has finally added NFC to the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple Pay adds the ability to pay for products using contactless technology and Touch ID. We’ve not been able to test this feature yet as it won’t be coming out until October and even then it will initially be limited to the US.

Continuity
Continuity lets you take calls from your iPhone 6 Plus to any other Apple product running iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite as long as they’re on the same Wi-Fi network.

Hey Siri
You can now activate Siri by voice alone. As long as your iPhone 6 Plus is plugged in you can shout ‘Hey Siri’ and ask your question. Siri has now also been integrated with Shazam so it can tell you which song is playing and make it easy for you to buy it via the iTunes store.

Family Sharing
You can now share apps, video, audio and books can  among the family. Parents can create Apple IDs for their children and they can include the option to send an approval request for purchases so big.

This is just a selection of the most important and useful features in iOS 8, but (one or two early bugs aside) it’s an excellent update that adds some powerful new features. You need to be an Apple user through and through to get the most of all of them, particularly the Continuity feature, but if you are then iOS 8 connects your devices in a more meaningful way then ever before.

Next: iPhone 6 Plus Camera