iPhone 6 Plus vs iPad Mini 3 review
Tech companies have been blurring the lines between device categories for the past few years. Traditionally the lines have been most blurred between the tablet and laptop categories, as the arrival of Windows 8 spurred a wave of convertible 'all-in-one' devices.
However, thanks to the ongoing trend to create increasingly big screen 'phablet' handsets, the category definitions between what constitutes a smartphone and a tablet have also become blurred.
This is neatly demonstrated with the release of Apple's first phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus, which led many buyers to question whether they still needed to invest in a separate tablet.
With this in mind we've compared the two devices head to head to see whether Apple's latest phablet can truly remove the need for a separate iPad.
Design and build
The iPhone 6 Plus is significantly smaller and lighter than the iPad Mini 3, measuring 158x78x7.1mm and weighing 172g. By comparison the iPad Mini 3 measures 200x135x7.5mm and weighs 331g (WiFi-only model).
The iPhone 6 Plus also has a more up to date design than the iPad Mini 3, which looks all but identical to its predecessor, the iPad Mini 2.
The updated design makes the iPhone 6 Plus feel more cutting edge than the iPad Mini 3, the only noticeable change to past models being the inclusion of Apple's TouchID fingerprint scanner.
The TouchID scanner is an enterprise-friendly security feature debuted on the iPhone 5S and also featured in the iPhone 6 Plus. The scanner lets users set an iOS device to unlock only with a valid fingerprint swipe, adding an extra layer of protection to data on lost or stolen devices.
Winner: The iPhone 6 Plus
Display
In one of his rare moments on the wrong side of history, Steve Jobs famously claimed that smartphone users don't want big screens. This statement has been proved wrong by the wave of people who rushed to buy devices with screens larger than 5in.
Aware of this, Apple finally delivered its own big-screen handset, equipping the iPhone 6 Plus with a sizeable 5.5in 1920x1080, 401ppi Retina HD display.
Testing the iPhone 6 Plus display against past smartphones we found the handset performs very well and, featuring great colour vibrancy, contrast and brightness levels, is one of the best screens currently on the market.
This remained true when we compared the iPhone 6 Plus screen with the iPad Mini 3's 7.9in, 2048x1536, 326ppi, IPS Retina display.
We struggled to notice a difference in colour vibrancy and contrast levels, but we did find the iPhone 6 Plus screen slightly sharper and brighter than the iPad Mini 3's. However, the iPad 3's extra screen real estate goes a long way to counteract the minor sharpness and brightness difference between the two displays. The extra screen space makes the iPad Mini 3 better for productivity as well as media consumption.
For example, typing an email or editing a document is possible on the iPhone 6 Plus, but it's fiddly and much more convenient to do this on the iPad Mini 3.
The iPad Mini 3's extra screen space won't be too much of a factor for people looking for a basic device to keep them connected to email and social media on the move, but it will be an important factor for businesses looking for a true mobile productivity aid.
Winner: Tie
Next: Operating system
Operating system
The iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Mini both come with iOS 8 and have an optional upgrade to Apple's latest iOS 8.1.1 available.
iOS 8 is a big selling point for both devices. While the early versions of iOS 8 were undeniably buggy, the problems have generally been fixed in iOS 8.1.1, which means users are finally free to take advantage of the improved productivity and security features, of which there are many.
Key business additions in iOS 8 include improved password security, S/MIME features and VIP threads, support for Microsoft Exchange out of office replies and OS X Continuity.
Continuity is the latest stage in Apple's ongoing work to bring together the iOS and Mac OS X operating systems and offers a variety of synchronisation features. One of the most useful is the ability to AirDrop files between iOS and Mac OS devices.
With the iPhone 6 Plus, Continuity also lets you take calls or answer texts from a smartphone on a computer.
With a more consumer focus, iOS 8 adds HealthKit and HomeKit services. HealthKit is designed to track calorie intake and exercise routines, while HomeKit is an designed to allow the control of household devices using an iPhone.
We found the Continuity phone service a big selling point for the iPhone 6 Plus, making it easier to take and make calls when working in non-traditional office environments such as with hot desking.
That said, we once again found the iPad Mini 3's increased screen space a key differentiator. Typing, highlighting text and copying and pasting sections of text is a slightly awkward experience on the iPhone 6 Plus.
As a result, even without the addition of a bluetooth keyboard or keyboard case, the iPad Mini 3's screen made it more convenient to use a variety of applications including Pages for documents, Numbers for spreadsheets and Keynote for presentations.
The disappointment is that Apple could have gone a long way to fix this problem had it included support for a stylus, like the S Pen on Samsung's Galaxy Note series of phablets. Hopefully the firm will see fit to add something like this in its next big-screen phone.
Winner: Tie
Next: Performance and camera
Performance
This is one area in which the iPhone 6 Plus has a clear lead on the iPad Mini 3, thanks to its use of Apple's latest A8 64-bit processor. Apple claims that the A8 offers 25 percent faster CPU performance and 50 percent faster graphics performance than the A7 processor used in the iPad Mini 3.
With real-world testing we found the A8 chip made the iPhone 6 Plus feel a fraction of a second faster and smoother to use than the iPad Mini 3. That said, both devices are still very fast and the iPad Mini 3 is more than powerful enough for everyday tasks.
It will only be after prolonged use that you would notice any serious difference in performance between the iPad Mini 3 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Winner: The iPhone 6 Plus
Camera
We've never been fans of taking photos on tablets. This is mainly due to their large size, which makes the process of taking a photo slightly cumbersome and awkward, but it's also down to the poor camera technology in most tablets.
The iPad Mini 3's 5MP iSight rear and 1.2MP front cameras did little to change our opinion. Images taken on the iPad Mini 3 are slightly better than those on older iPad Mini tablets, thanks to iOS 8's improved imaging software, but they still are nowhere near as good as those taken on most smartphones.
Comparing images taken on the iPad Mini 3 to the iPhone 6 Plus, which features an 8MP with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) rear and 1.2MP front camera, the difference in quality is clear.
Taken on the iPhone 6 Plus
Shots taken on the iPhone 6 Plus have better contrast levels, more realistic colours and are noticeably sharper, especially when you zoom in, than those taken on the iPad Mini 3.
Taken on the iPad Mini 3
Thanks to the inclusion of OIS, the iPhone 6 Plus camera also performed significantly better when shooting in low light.
OIS improves photo quality by compensating in real time for shaking and vibrating while shooting. The compensation means there are no alterations or light degradations on captured images.
Winner: The iPhone 6 Plus
Next: Storage, battery, price and overall winner
Storage
When it comes to internal storage the iPad Mini 3 and iPhone 6 Plus are evenly matched and Apple is currently offering both with 16GB, 64GB or 128GB of space. Neither have upgradable storage options.
Winner: Tie
Battery
The unspecified battery in the iPhone 6 Plus is listed as offering 14 hours of video play, while the iPad Mini 3's 23.8-watt-hour battery carries a 10-hour predicted life.
When we battery burned the iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Mini 3, the phablet made it to around 12 hours before running out of juice, compared to nine hours on the tablet. The battery test involved looping a video stored on the device with the screen brightness set to automatic.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Price
The iPad Mini 3 is noticeably cheaper than the iPhone 6 Plus. Prices for the basic 16GB WiFi-only Mini 3 start at £320 and the more expensive 4G version is £420.
By comparison the most basic 16GB iPhone 6 Plus currently retails on the Apple Store for a hefty £620.
Winner: The iPad Mini 3
Overall winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Having won four rounds to the iPad Mini 3's one, the iPhone 6 Plus is the clear winner of this head-to-head review. Featuring a crisper display, more up to date design, improved A8 processor and reworked camera sensor, the iPhone 6 Plus is an excellent device.
However, it's important to note that many of the rounds resulted as draws owing to the two devices' inherently different uses. The iPhone 6 Plus is definitely a phablet, unlike devices such as the Asus Fonepad, but it doesn't function as a full-on tablet replacement.
Those looking to the iPhone 6 Plus as a tablet replacement will not be satisfied as, despite having a sizeable 5.5in display, it is still too small to be used comfortably for productivity purposes, such as document editing, for prolonged periods.
As a result, while we'd recommend sticking to the iPhone 6 Plus if you can afford only one device, we'd still highlight a tablet and smartphone combo as the best recipe for improved productivity.
~Kris M.
Posted by: Just Murray <krismurray@gmail.com>
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