Apple iPhones are for the simple-minded

Triska Hamid reviews the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and finds that, for all of Apple's marketing power, the phones are actually a bit rubbish.

The iPhone 6 has an 8 megapixel camera compared to the Sony Xperia's 20.7 megapixels. Pictured, Tim Cook shows off the iPhone 6 at its launch. Monica Davey/ EPA

I can sense the backlash already, but I shan’t hold back. iPhones are for the simple-minded.

It is the Zac Efron of phones, the all-singing, all-dancing, all-acting pretty face that appeals to everyone. Clean cut, American fun.

Android phones on the other hand, from Samsung’s Galaxy range to the HTC One or Sony’s Xperia range are for the more adventurous. They are the Justin Bieber of phones, temperamental at times, but far more interesting and fun to watch.

Android requires its users to experiment, it was Android users that first experienced NFC, slow-motion video shooting capabilities in 4K, image stabilisation, larger screens, and mobile wallet among others.

Apple on the other hand caters to the traditional users, who like to simply tap into an application and tap out. It is not for the multi-tasking mind, it is for the mind that wants to be told what to think.

No doubt the iPhone 6 will do well, while the 5.5-inch Plus has already sold out. They are in essence beautiful devices. Thanks to JadoPado’s limited stock currently on sale, I had a fiddle around with both and they are comfortable to hold, with a bright screen and all the wizardry of Apple’s operating software. But neither phone offers anything ground-breaking.

The camera, at just 8 megapixels is rubbish. Sony is pushing 20.7 megapixels in its latest Xperia Z3 and the lowlight shots are stunning. Apple has not bothered with offering its selfie-obsessed fanbase much improvement here.

In terms of volume sales of all mobile phone devices (not just smartphones) IHS Technology predicts that Apple will come second around the world, after Samsung this year.

So let me tell you, by owning an iPhone you are not unique. You join the millions of others across the world that own one. You have merely been duped by the marketing prowess of Apple, fooled into thinking that you’re somehow better than everyone else because your phone has a logo of the forbidden fruit on the back. It doesn’t make you better, it just makes you a sheep, a simple-minded sheep.

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