I love the huge 5.5″ 1920 x 1080 pixel display on the iPhone 6 Plus, but it’s such a large device that I wouldn’t want to stick one in my pocket and use it as my phone. The thing is huge – but there are other uses for it.
I’ve been using an iPhone 6 Plus around the house for several weeks in airplane mode. It essentially functions as a smaller iPad or iPad mini without a 4G data connection. The smaller screen has less resolution than the iPads (1920 x 1080 = 2.07 MP vs. 2048 x 1536 = 3.14 MP, so about 2/3 as many pixels) – but a nearly three times as many pixels as my iPhone 5 (1136 x 640 = 0.72 MP).
For Facebook and Safari, the bigger screen makes everything easier to read. Clash of Clans, the only game I play on my iDevices (iPhone 3GS, 4G iPod touch, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5, which is the only one I use as a phone), is just gorgeous on the 5.5″ high resolution display. The newer iPhone also has a better camera. On top of all that, the iPhone 6 is much more powerful than the iPhone 5, so I’ve got more processing power for video, games, etc.
If the iPod touch has fallen on hard times, I think I know the reason for it. There are a lot of 2-3 year old iPhones out there with plenty of power and nice screens (the 5-year-old iPhone 5 has the same screen size and resolution as the current iPod touch, although due to battery issues, I would be sure to check the manufacturing date before buying an iPhone 5) that can be had for a song.
Sure, it would be nice to have an iPad mini with its bigger screen and more pixels, but why spend $269 for a 32 GB iPad mini 2 if I can hang around the local AT&T store and offer to match what AT&T is offering on a trade-in? The iPhone 6 Plus is far more portable than the iPad mini. It seems kind of a no-brainer to me.
And if you’re looking for something to hand to younger children, an iPhone 5S or something in the iPhone 6 family in a rugged case will better fit their hands than an iPad, is great for videos, and can be fairly bulletproof.
I shudder every time I hear of someone taking that lowball $150 credit for their beautiful 2-year-old iPhone 6 Plus. You can do at least $100 better on Craigslist. Come to think of it, you could make good money buying, wiping, and reselling iPhones as long as your local mobile store doesn’t interfere. (I don’t know what the normal policy is.) As long as its in good condition, you could probably make more money reselling 6-8 iPhones a week than you would working a 40 hour week.
To top it all off, you’ll usually get a case (and maybe two) free with the used iPhone, which you can sell for additional profit. Most iPhone owners do use protective cases, and that old case isn’t going to fit an iPhone 7.
Looking forward, I can see myself moving to a nice used iPhone 6 or 6S someday, which is less huge than the Plus line. But for now, the iPhone 5 is treating me well on the go, and I have an iPhone 6 Plus to play with at home.
Does the iPod touch Have a Future?
It’s an interesting world when you can buy the following at these prices:
- iPod touch, 16 GB for $199, 32 GB for $249, 64 GB for $299, 128 GB for $399
- iPad mini 2, 32 GB for $269
- iPad mini 4, 32 GB for $399, 128 GB for $499
- iPhone SE, 16 GB for $399, 64 GB for $449
- iPhone 6S, 32 GB for $549, 128 GB for $649
- iPhone 6S Plus, 32 GB for $549, 128 GB for $649
- iPhone 7, 32 GB for $649, 128 GB for $749, 256 GB for $849
- iPhone 7 Plus, 32 GB for $769, 128 GB for $869, 256 GB for $969
What amazes me is how little people are willing to take for their old iPhones, whether on trade or online. Last year, I bought a used 32 GB iPhone 5 with a rugged case for $125 with a new battery for myself, and I bought a used 16 GB iPhone 5S with a normal case for $140 for my wife to use.
This year, the AT&T store says an iPhone 6 Plus with 64 GB is worth $150 as a trade-in. That was a $649 model two years ago, and a comparable capacity iPod touch retails for $299.
Still, there is a market for the iPod touch, even with previously owned iPhones available so inexpensively these days. Some people don’t need or want the extra features an iPhone in Airplane Mode provides. Some people are afraid to buy a second-hand iPhone from someone they don’t know. And some people want the warranty that comes with a new iDevice.
For Apple, there’s no reason not to leverage all the work its already put into the iPhone to keep the iPod touch alive. In fact, if Apple really wanted to clean up, it could offer three versions of the iPod touch – traditional 4.0″ plus 4.7″ and 5.5″ versions. Believe me, people would buy them. It could give the iPod touch a real kick in the sales department.
Compared to an iPad mini, the iPod touch is much more portable. The question comes down to this: Should Apple keep calling it an iPod touch or rename it as iPod nano and make it part of the iPad line?
What do you think?
Keywords: #iphone6plus #iphone6splus #ipadnano #ipodtouch #iphoneplus
Short link: https://goo.gl/RiQLzS
keywords: ipadnano, iphoneplus
