Five ways the Apple iPhone 6 Plus excels as a traveling companion

Matthew Miller
Updated

I have been on seven business trips since the Apple iPhone 6 Plus launched in September (check out my one month with the iPhone article) and am well qualified to talk about which phone works best for me.

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While I have tested a number of amazing smartphones, I keep going back to the iPhone 6 Plus for a number of reasons and it is clearly the best traveling smartphone I have ever used.

As I always state in articles like this, we all have our preferences and needs. However, the differences between iOS, Android, and Windows Phone have shrunk so I think it is fair to pick a best device.

I still use my Xperia Z3 when I need a waterproof device or want to download and transfer files, my BlackBerry Passport when I want to focus on communications, and my Lumia 1520 when I want to take pictures that require high quality.

Here are the top five reasons that the iPhone 6 Plus is my favorite phone for traveling:

  1. Battery life: Most of my days on the road are spent away from a wall plug. I do carry portable battery packs just in case I need to top off, but it has been a real joy to carry the iPhone 6 Plus and easily get through a full, long work day. No other iPhone could take me through a full day, until now.

  2. Large display: I still get comments that the iPhone 6 Plus is a big phone, but using it as a data device has been fantastic. It is easy to read content on the display, landscape-optimized apps are useful, and I no longer carry an iPad mini.

  3. Application support: One reason for buying this iPhone was to get all the latest apps first and I am thrilled by the work developers have done to roll out iPhone 6 Plus support for their apps. Having access to every app you could want is a major bonus for owning an iPhone.

  4. Camera quality and usability: Nokia Lumias may have the best quality camera hardware and Android may have extensive camera capture options, but nothing beats the ease-of-use of the iPhone 6 Plus. Slow motion, time-lapse, still image, and video capture are fun and the quality is stunning. When I can only carry one phone, the iPhone 6 Plus is it for the camera.

  5. Media experience: The iPhone 6 Plus only has a mono speaker, but it is loud enough for me to enjoy podcasts in my car. The audio output through the headphone jack is loud and clear. I rent a movie or two to enjoy on the plane and Apple makes it easy through iTunes. I can also access just about every audio and video app available on the iPhone 6 Plus.

Other phones can do some of these things well, but in my opinion the iPhone 6 Plus offers the complete package without compromise.