Apple iPhone 6 Plus camera review

Introduction

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are Apple's latest contributions to the smartphone world and joint successors to the iPhone 5S. On the surface, both new models are very similar in terms of specification and differ only in screen size and the addition of an optical image stabilization system in the larger Plus model. The latter, which is the subject of this review, comes with a 5.5-inch IPS screen and a 1080p full-HD resolution. The screen is protected by what Apple calls "Ion-strengthened glass". Apple's iOS 8 operating system is powered by the new A8 chipset which offers 25% more power than the A7 predecessor in the iPhone 5S.
In terms of camera specification Apple sticks with the 8MP resolution that dates back to the iPhone 4S. The F2.2 aperture remains the same as on the iPhone 5S. However, autofocus performance has been improved with the addition of on-sensor phase detection which Apple calls "focus pixels". Apple claims this makes the AF on the new models twice as fast as the previous generation. The iPhone 6 Plus is also the first Apple smartphone to offer an optical image stabilization system.

Other camera feature highlights include a panorama mode that produces images up to 43MP large, 1080p video at 60fps and a 240 fps slow-motion mode at 720p resolution. Overall though the latest iPhone's camera specification has not changed too much compared to the predecessor. Read our comprehensive review to find out what impact the refinements have on image quality and camera operation.

Key Photographic / Video Specifications:

• 8MP camera
• F2.2 maximum aperture
• Five elements lens
• Optical Image Stabilization
• 1080p video
• 120/240 fps slow motion
• 1.2MP / F2.2 front camera

Other Specifications:

• Apple A8 SoC, dual-core 1.4 GHz
• 1GB of RAM
• iOS 8
• 16, 64 or 128 GB storage
• 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, 1080p (401 ppi) 
• 2915 mAh battery

Our 11-page review

We've considered every aspect of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus camera, with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes. Click any of the links below for more information of specific functions and continue to our conclusion for a final summary of our findings.