Should you buy the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus?

When Apple finally released larger iPhones the company also introduced a new problem for its customers: is a larger or smaller phone better? Some Apple customers have had a tough time wrestling with the issue of whether they should buy the iPhone 6s with its 4.7-inch screen [ Find it on Amazon – *What’s this?* ], or the iPhone 6s Plus with its 5.5-inch screen [ Find it on Amazon ].

At first glance it might seem like an easy question to answer, but many people have found it very difficult to choose between the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It’s a particularly tough problem for folks that are coming from smaller phones like the iPhone 4s or 5s models.

I’ll share my thoughts below, but the topic came up in the MacRumors forum and the folks there weren’t shy about sharing their opinions about which size iPhone was the best buy:

RadioGaGa1984: ”…6S as I already have an iPad Air 2. The 6S+ is just ridiculous for a phone. The additional features don’t come close to making it worth the size nor the weight. ”

Medz1: ”Had the 6 Plus and now the 6s Plus. Best iPhones ever. Wouldn’t buy a smaller phone again now. Perfect! ”

Nfl46: ”I wouldn’t have gotten the 5.5″ if the 4.7″ version had the same battery life. But, I prefer the 5.5″ iPhone because the battery life is much better.”

Skiltrip: ”I like them both the same. The 6s happens to work a lot better for my lifestyle so that’s what I’ve decided on. The Plus is awesome though. If I had money to burn, if have both.”

Absolutc: ”Had a 6 and wanted the Plus after I played with it. Couldn’t find anyone to trade so I waited for the 6S Plus and bought it. I love it! Its a perfect size for me and anything else feels too small. You get used to it pretty fast honestly.”

Shanghaichica: ”The plus. Because it has a bigger, higher resolution screen and a better battery life. It also has OIS. The 6S is too small and too low resolution for me even if I could get around the poor battery life with a case.”

Nj1266: ”I used to make fun of all large phones. I teased people who had them asking if they were talking to their shoe.

When the 6s Plus became available and some of my students had it and allowed me to play with it, I was intrigued. I am 6 foot tall and I can use it one handed.

Finally, I treated myself to a 6s Plus after thanksgiving. I have to say I am impressed. The large screen make a lot of things better, especially typing. I can tell a difference in screen quality on my 6 750p screen and 6s Plus 1080p screen. The battery life is fantastic. I almost always get 10+ hours of usage time. I am averaging 6-7 hours SOT per 24 hour period.

If Apple can manage to shrink the bezels and keep the 5.5 inch screen that would make the phone smaller and easier to use one handed.”

Hieveryone: ”I would have to say the 6s because it just feels better in the hand. I had the 6 plus and I loved it but I never got use to holding it.”

Steve31: ”I got both 6s and 6s+. Use the plus at home. If I had to choose it would be the 6s. I prefer the more pocketable phone. Much easier to fit in to every day life.”

Edge1978: ”I started out with the iPhone 6S then went to the 6S Plus, but it was such a pain as I am a big fan of 1 handed text, so I went back to the 6S and Im perfectly happy.”

More at the MacRumors Forum

As you can tell from the comments, the folks in the forum had some passionate thoughts about which size iPhone was better than the other. But I found the poll results on the first page of the the thread particularly interesting. As I write this post the iPhone 6s Plus has 69.8 percent vs. 30.2 percent for the iPhone 6s. So the larger phone is certainly proving to be popular among the forum participants.

Should you buy the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus? I’ve owned both…

I’ve actually owned the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, and I found both models to be terrific phones. Both phones have 2GB of RAM and a super-fast A9 processor. Eventually though I ended up giving my iPhone 6s to a friend of mine who was languishing in phone hell with an iPhone 4s.

Why did I pick the iPhone 6s Plus over the iPhone 6s? I went with the larger size for two main reasons:

1. The iPhone 6s Plus’ larger screen.

2. The much better battery life of the iPhone 6s Plus.

My eyes aren’t what they used to be, and I’ve found that Zoom mode on the iPhone 6s Plus is far, far more comfortable for me than using the iPhone 6s. It’s just flat out easier for me to see things without having to put on a pair of reading glasses while using my phone. Of course not everybody has the same eyes, so ease of viewing might not matter as much to others.

The battery on the iPhone 6s Plus is also terrific. I’ve found that I can go two days and sometimes even three without needing to charge it. So if you need increased battery life then the iPhone 6s Plus might be a better bet for you than the iPhone 6s. The larger battery really does make a big difference in everyday usage.

There’s a cost when you choose the iPhone 6s Plus

Just to be fair to the iPhone 6s, the larger screen and bigger battery of the iPhone 6s Plus come at a cost. Nothing is free in life and that includes the choice of a larger or smaller phone. The iPhone 6s Plus is significantly larger than the iPhone 6s and it’s also heavier. So bear that in mind if portability and one-handed use really matter to you.

For some folks the iPhone 6s Plus is simply going to be too big and too heavy for comfortable use. Those users would definitely be better off with an iPhone 6s instead of the larger phone.

If you aren’t sure about the weight and size of the iPhone 6s Plus, visit your local Apple store and hold both models in your hand before you make a final decision on which one to buy.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are both great iPhones

One thing is for sure, Apple has come up with two great phones in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. For the most part, I don’t think you can really go wrong regardless of which one you buy. But remember that Apple has a 14 day return window, so if you find that one model doesn’t work for you then you can still return it and get the other phone (or a full refund).

I’m very glad that I had a chance to own the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus. While I enjoyed the smaller phone’s portability, pocketability and lower weight, I really needed the larger screen of the iPhone 6s Plus. But your mileage may vary, so check both of them out in person at the Apple store before you decide which one to buy.

Did you miss a post? Check the Eye On Apple home page to get caught up with the latest news, discussions and rumors about Apple.