They said it wouldn’t be done. Late Apple founder Steve Jobs, specifically, said his company would never develop a larger smartphone like those rival Samsung and others were deploying, because, in his words, “No one’s going to buy that.”
Now four years later, Apple has introduced — finally — large-screen iPhones that are designed to, well, meet consumer demand. And, just to make sure everyone was happy, Tim Cook, Jobs’ successor as Apple CEO, introduced two new sizes: the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Ironically, some of Apple’s biggest smartphone rivals are reportedly ushering new, smaller models to market to compete with the smaller of the two new iPhone models.
While the new, bigger size is what’s grabbing the most headlines, there are some neat new photo/video related features packed into the latest iteration of Apple’s smartphone. First, Apple has added a new A8 processor in the new iPhones. This will help ensure smooth camera, browsing and app use, but the upgrade may not be too evident except under heavy use.
Like the previous iPhone, the iPhone 6 has an 8-megapixel camera, but this model features what Apple is calling “focus pixels,” a technology previously found only in professional DSLR cameras (this is very important). Enhancements include a sensor that can determine focus direction and how far to move the phone’s lens, plus the ability to lighten or darken a photo from within the preview frame, a Retina HD screen, and image stabilization technology that will reduce shake and make low-light photos better. Bottom line: This phone may stop my relentless jabbing at agents who take photos of listings with their phone, versus using a higher-quality camera.
Video-wise, the new iPhone 6’s will be able to shoot HD video in double the frames per second as the previous model, have cinematic video stabilization, continuous autofocus, improved face detection and the option to record in ultra slow motion for time-lapse videos.
For the user, the benefit is faster focus, brilliant colors, clarity of images and increased video quality, especially in low-light situations. While not revolutionizing the smartphone industry, the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus certainly offer some intriguing photography and video choices for consumers.
Stephen Schweickart is the founder and CEO of VScreen, the nation’s leading video services company within the real estate industry.
