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

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 5.5in giant isn't for everyone, but for some the iPhone 6 Plus may be the perfect midpoint between an iPad and iPhone. Read the review.

The iPhone 6 Plus is perhaps the iPhone as a phablet. But the iPhone 6 is better being an iPhone. As with all things Apple, though it may not matter for most people taking a glimpse at the iPhone 6 Plus, because the 6 Plus is simpler.

Excellent camera, especially in low light; Super premium feel, and easy to use OS

It's really big; Phone calling performance is just okay

I only found 128 gb internel memory as a plus point in dis phone otherwise nothing iz good in dis phone.

10

90

Apple fans, the new iPhone is here, and you need it now. Google fans, you might want to check it out first, and not dive in head first right away. Apple has done some truly amazing things with the new iPhone, stepping outside of its comfort zone, that's for sure.

The New Best Display; Amazing Build Quality; Excellent Camera; Screen Turns On For Notifications; [Ride the] Lightning; All-Day Battery Life

iOS 8; Too Much Wasted Physical Space; PRICING; United States; Apple iPhone 6 Plus 16GB (5.5-inch) 4G LTE Factory Unlocked GSM Dual-Core Smartphone Gold retails for $909.00 at Amazon

Apple offers up another great iPhone but it falls short of surpassing Android handsets with poor iOS software, build quality and design

Battery; Display; LTE improvements

Software; Build Quality; Design

Half a year after its arrival, it's clear the effect the iPhone 6 Plus has had: It's not just a smartphone , it's the iPad Mini Mini. Yes, some people use the 6 Plus as a large iPhone; it's especially favored for its long battery life.

Works on all four U.S; networks; Excellent camera, especially in low light; Premium feel; Terrific third-party apps

It's really big; especially if you're coming from an older iPhone

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

The iPhone 6 Plus is the biggest iPhone ever, with the sharpest screen of any iOS device in history. It's a record breaker, but is it worth the money? And is it too big for its own good, or too big for the average person to use one-handed?

Clever Reachability feature may solve one-handed use problems; Superb high-res screen; Beautiful design

Expensive; Apple Pay feature not available in UK yet; Could still be too big for the small-handed; Rear camera sticks out a tiny bit