Head to head to head, the smartphone contenders march into the Thunderdome to take on the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Except, y'know, I don't really have a Thunderdome, or even Tina Turner's phone number.

Here's the best way to start an iPhone review: Goddamn do I love Android. I love its flexibility and efficiency. I love the way it bends to my will. And I've spent the past couple years loving that I can get a phone that isn't made for someone with doll hands .

Excellent camera quality produces amazing images; Almost impossible to shoot blurry video, even of uncooperative toddlers; Battery life will keep you going all day and well into the night; Glorious, vivid, roomy display will make you want to throw out your iPad.

You call these widgets, iOS 8? I want to be able to read my email right on my home screen; It scratches; It bends

Is Apple's first step into the phablet fray a success? Let's find out. We've already covered iOS 8 in its own review here , and having the same A8 and M8 processors as the iPhone 6 means performance from the Plus is pretty much identical.

Premium look and feel; Gorgeous display; Fast and powerful

Very big and sometimes difficult to hold; iOS 8 does little to take advantage of extra space; Expensive; No stylus support

Six years ago, I sat on my girlfriend's couch, casually flipping her new iPhone 3G end over end. I was pondering why anyone would buy an iPhone over my clearly superior T-Mobile G1 handset.

Apple's 5.5in giant isn't for everyone, but for some it may prove the perfect mid-point between an iPad and iPhone

Apple's first foray into the phablet business is largely successful, but we do have a few quibbles with the UI. We were hoping Apple could do something innovative with the extra screen real estate, something beyond Reachability.

Gorgeous 1080p display; A8 chip and efficient communications package boosts battery life; Optical image stabilization for iSight camera

Large form factor limits pocketability; Apple could have done more with the extra screen real estate; Gorgeous 1080p display; A8 chip and efficient communications package boosts battery life; Optical image stabilization for iSight camera

They said they'd never do it, but Apple has busted a triumphant, unapolagetic u-turn by knocking out a phablet ...

Great camera

It's January of 2012 and I'm in Las Vegas to cover the annual Consumer Electronics Show. I'm stuck in traffic with a colleague of mine when our taxi driver points to an advertisement for a new smartphone and asks if we know anything about it.

Beautiful, bright and color-accurate HD display; A8 SoC performs on par or faster than competing chips; Improvements to the camera hardware and battery life; Finally makes iOS an option for anyone interested in a phablet; Thin body and the tapered edges of the front panel glass look stunning

Protruding camera lens takes away from the overall design; Few iOS apps are optimized for the new form factor (though this will change over time); Price -- Apple added a new 'premium' tier to the iPhone lineup

This is a lightweight and slim device, which benefits from beautiful build quality and a massive HD display, but the iPhone 6 Plus is not the fabulous phablet we'd hoped for. While the Galaxy Note range has created a niche market, Apple appears to have gone for the safe option and ended up selling...

Quality design and feel; Fabulous display; Speedy and powerful

Large and hard to hold; iOS 8 doesn't really make the most of extra space; Pricey; Lacks stylus support

The iPhone 6 has been with me since it was released 10 days ago and as I've already covered in my hands on, the 4.7 inch screen size is perfect for one handed usability. However, ...