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iPhone 6: 10 Features This iPhone 5s Owner Wants

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I use the iPhone 5s daily, but I also use the best Android phones which leaves me with a lengthy list of iPhone 6 features I want to see on a new iPhone.

Unlike my colleague who only upgrades to new iPhones every few years I upgrade to the new iPhone each year to get the latest features. As the iPhone 6 release date draws near I’m already looking forward to what Apple plans to offer.

There are many iPhone 6 features that iPhone 5s owners want from a new iPhone this year. Even though many iPhone 5S owners are locked into a contract the promise of a bigger, better display and an all new design is enough to convince coms users to upgrade to the iPhone 6 even at a premium price.

Thanks to new sales options more iPhone 5s owners than ever are able to upgrade at 12 months instead of waiting for the end of a two-year contract or paying full price.

Here's what an iPhone 5s owner wants from Apple's iPhone 6.

Here’s what an iPhone 5s owner wants from Apple’s iPhone 6.

As far back as the iPhone 5 release Apple knew consumers wanted more from the iPhone, and Apple’s iPhone 6 to do list and this iPhone 6 upgrader wish list share a few items like better battery life, a bigger screen and more durability.

My experience with the LG G3, HTC One M8, Galaxy S5 and other top smartphones show that as good as the iPhone 5s is, there is a lot of room for improvement. I can’t speak for all iPhone 5s owners, but my experience with these Android phones gives me a good perspective on separating the amazing features from the gimmicks.

The latest iPhone 6 rumors tell us that some of these iPhone 6 features will arrive on the new iPhone, but for some we’ll need to wait for Apple to make an iPhone 6 announcement and show all the details.

I don’t need all of these iPhone 6 features to convince me to buy a new iPhone this year, but the more Apple delivers the easier the decision will be.

Bigger Display

After using the LG G3 and the Galaxy S5 it’s clear that I need a big display on the iPhone 6. a four-inch display just doesn’t deliver the great viewing experience that a 5-inch display can offer. A 4.7 to 5-inch display delivers much more room for reading, working, playing and watching. Everything I can do on the iPhone 5s will be better on an iPhone 6 display that is bigger.

I can say this for a fact because I’ve carried a 4.7-inch to 5.5-inch smartphone in my other pocket for the last two years. There are definite advantages to bigger smartphone screens and you don’t need to trade-off one-handed use to get them thanks to smaller bezels and smart software.

The great news is Apple is reportedly prepping two iPhone 6 screen sizes for release this year. A 4.7-inch iPhone 6 to compete with the Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 to compete with the LG G3 and the Galaxy Note 4. Apple is also going to boost the resolution to 1,704 x 960 according to leaks. This is not as high as most top Android phones, but it will offer a higher pixel density which should mean a nice viewing experience.

iOS 8 Optimized for Big Display

Apple already announced iOS 8 and thanks to the iOS 8 beta we know it will bring a lot of handy new features, but we don’t know what it will look like on a big iPhone 6 screen.

Read: iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough

I don’t want to see  the same five rows and four columns on the home screen of an iPhone 6 running iOS 8. I would rather see more room to keep my apps on the home screen.

I'm ready for iOS 8 that fits a big screen, not just a blown up version of what the iPhone 5s runs.

I’m ready for iOS 8 that fits a big screen, not just a blown up version of what the iPhone 5s runs.

Apple already made major changes in iOS 7 to make using iOS on a large screen easier with pull down access to the Notification Center and Spotlight, swipe back gesture controls and swipe up to use the Control Center.

More Durable Design

The iPhone 5s is more durable than you’d expect, but it still is worth putting in a case most of the time. I am hoping the iPhone 6 design is more durable in two key areas.

I want the phone to handle a drop better. It looks like we’ll get a Sapphire screen or some mix of Sapphire and glass that will be stronger, but the aluminum edges that we see on the iPhone 6 mock-ups may be just as easy to scuff and scratch with a drop.

I also want to see an iPhone 6 that is water-resistant or waterproof. The Galaxy S5 is water-resistant so I can take it in the rain or in the hot tub without worry. I need a bulky case to do that with the iPhone 5s. The Sony Xperia Z2 tablet is incredibly thin and it is waterproof up to 5 feet for 30 minutes.

It’s not clear if Apple will be able to deliver all these upgrades, but a stronger display is a start.

Better Camera

The iPhone 5s camera is good and I like the new Time Lapse option in iOS 8, but I really like the laser focus on the LG G3 and the selective focus options on many Android phones are fun to use when they work.

Here's hoping for a better iPhone 6 camera.

Here’s hoping for a better iPhone 6 camera.

A perfect iPhone 6 camera would focus and take photos faster, so I don’t end up with blurry pictures of pets and kids and it would also take low light photos that aren’t full of noise.

Rumors hint at a better sensor that could help deliver better looking iPhone photos in low light and some type of image stabilization but it’s still too early to know what we can expect.

Talk and Data on Verizon

The Verizon iPhone 5s does not let users talk and use data at the same time, although the AT&T model does. I can’t count how often a call kicked me off of a personal hotspot connection or the number of times I’ve had to hang up to look up a phone number or directions and then call someone back while using the Verizon iPhone 5s.

Verizon plans to launch VoLTE later this year and it looks like iOS 8 will support this, which means the Verizon iPhone 6 will very likely support this feature. The iPhone 5s may also get this option through a software update.

Better Speakers

The small LG G3 speaker shows what one well designed speaker can do.

The small LG G3 speaker shows what one well designed speaker can do.

The iPhone 5 speaker isn’t even worth comparing to the front-facing HTC One M8 speakers that are loud and clear. While it doesn’t look like Apple plans to put speakers on the front of the iPhone 6 there are still improvements to be made. The LG G3 speaker sits on the back of the device yet it is vastly better than the iPhone 5s, filling up a room with music and enough volume to be heard even when in a shower.

Great iPhone Battery Life

I own three iPhone 5s battery cases, and countless battery backup packs that I need to keep with me when I travel or plan a day of heavy iPhone use. I really want better iPhone battery life so I don’t need to worry about making calls and using my iPhone throughout the day.

Apple may boost the battery capacity for the iPhone 6, but it looks like we’ll need to count on iOS 8 and a more efficient processor to deliver any major iPhone battery life improvements.

I hope I don’t need to buy an iPhone 6 battery case, but I’m not sure Apple can deliver that this year.

Mobile Payments

Apple does not support NFC, like most Android phones, which means I cannot use the iPhone 5s to make a payment at a store by tapping the phone to a credit card reader.

Android phones make mobile -payments simple, it's time for the iPhone 6 to support it as well.

Android phones make mobile -payments simple, it’s time for the iPhone 6 to support it as well.

When I buy groceries I can tap the Galaxy S5, LG G3, HTC One M8 or Nexus 5 on the register to pay with my personal debit card, a business card or a credit card. This uses NFC to send the card details to the reader and authenticate. It’s very convenient and something I really want to see on the iPhone 6.

Some rumors point to NFC support and mobile payments, but we hear this rumor about the iPhone every year and so far NFC is still missing.

Incredible Reception & Call Quality

Far too often I cannot make phone calls on the iPhone 5s or I lose a good data connection to get booted to an Extended network or 1x coverage. I realize that part of this is due to carrier coverage, but the HTC One M8 on Verizon performs better in the same areas.

I hope the iPhone 6 signals an end to failed calls.

I hope the iPhone 6 signals an end to failed calls.

I’m hoping Apple is able to improve the antenna design to deliver better reception on the iPhone 6. I also hope that calls sound better, which is something that VoLTE should help with.

Better Storage Options

As an iPhone 5s owner with a lot of apps and photos I am sick of paying $100 more for each jump in storage with no other benefits. The extra storage between the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 5s costs Apple an estimated $10, which they mark up $100. The same goes for the 32GB to 64GB boost in storage.

I would love to see an iPhone 6 with Micro SD card support, or at least reasonable prices for more storage.

I would love to see an iPhone 6 with Micro SD card support, or at least reasonable prices for more storage.

With growing app sizes and HD movies it would be great to see Apple make the 32GB iPhone 6 the smallest capacity offered, but that may not happen.

Instead of charging $200 more just so I can get $20 worth of storage that I need I would rather see Apple add a Micro SD card so I can add 64GB of storage for $25 when I need it. This seems unlikely.

iOS 8 delivers iCloud improvements to make it possible to keep all your photos in iCloud without paying an arm and a leg. This would remove the need to keep a 40GB photo library on the iPhone and help some users buy a cheaper iPhone 6, but I still want better local storage options.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Alex

    08/14/2014 at 3:23 pm

    Wake up from that dream! Don’t forget that Apple makes two phones per year and they may only add minimum features!

  2. JonGarrett

    08/14/2014 at 5:50 pm

    just like every other iDiot, year after year “wishing” for the iPhone to have features (hardware and software) that have been available for years on other devices.

  3. Dei

    08/14/2014 at 7:54 pm

    Why don’t you just put your Iphone away? Because it sounds like you don’t like it anyway. What you didn’t say is that those OTHER phones get viruses and break so fast it is pathetic. Like you mentioned, when those features actually work. I for one would never store my credit card info in a hackable phone! Granted, I would like to have external storage and better speakers but I don’t think that a larger screen is necessary. I personally like the current phone size, I hate those big stupid “tablets” or “laptops” that I see people running around with. Which is why they risk going deaf keeping those headphones in.

  4. jay

    08/14/2014 at 10:37 pm

    Sorry. Apple is making a 4.7 inch phone and the 5 incher is following.

  5. Daniel Prdr

    08/16/2014 at 9:44 am

    Wow!!! Am I happy I bought my Iphone through AT&T!!! I never realized how much Verizon sucked!

  6. Lac

    08/16/2014 at 10:43 pm

    I would like to see graphics that are easier to read. I never upgraded from my 4S because the text, keyboard, calendar and email graphics were all so multicolored and really hard to read on this tiny screen. I prefer BLACK AND WHITE for reading and writing. Pictures, ads and videos are one thing. That’s great. Trying to write the many emails and texts I have to send every day was impossible on 5. I was going blind. I went back to my 4. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Better camera – great. Longer battery life – great. More storage – great. Apple has always prided itself in being “use friendly”. Not everyone has eagle eyes and the variegated colors and shades of print on the small screen did nothing but give me a headache. It is not “user friendly” if you cannot read it easily.

  7. what

    08/16/2014 at 11:43 pm

    Wow, this is a really stupid article. Looks like it took absolutely no effort to write. This article is supposed to be about things you want from the iPhone 6, yet you simply complain about every single aspect of any cellphone ever and spend half of it bashing the completely unrelated Verizon network.

  8. Marian Zaremba

    08/21/2014 at 12:58 pm

    No SwiftKey equivalency ??? Seriously…

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