iPhone 6 Plus Release Date & News: Specs & Prices of 5.5-inch Model vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Apple has announced a bigger smartphone during the September 9 event but how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

Called the iPhone 6 Plus, the device is Apple's counterpart to rival Samsung's latest Note model. Will Apple's new phablet take the reins from the Samsung Galaxy Note 4? See for yourself below.

Body Make

It won't be a plastic-versus-metal case anymore-as both Apple and Samsung roll out devices made out of what's regarded as "premium material." The iPhone 6 Plus boasts of an aluminum unibody which comes in silver, gold and space gray color choices. According to Forbes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will come in a "premium version" which has a metal back. The standard version, however, makes use of metal accents in the frame and in the phablet's edges.

Measurements & Weight

Both the iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 measure about 6 inches by 3 inches-with the Apple device slightly longer at 6.22 inches compared to the Note 4's 6.04-inch length. The iPhone 6 Plus is thinner at 0.28 inches compared to the slightly bulkier 0.33-inch Note 4.

In terms of weight, the two phablets fair off with a meager 4-gram difference. Apple's largest smartphone is slightly lighter on the pocket at 172 grams.

Display & Resolution

The Galaxy Note 4 stuns with a QHD-offering users 2560 x 1440 pixels, 550 ppi in resolution. Samsung made use of Gorilla Glass 3 for the Note 4's 5.7-inch screen.

Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, does not sport the same 2k display as Samsung's. Instead, the 5.5-inch smartphone has 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Although widely rumored, the iPhone 6 Plus does not have sapphire display. Users will be staring at "ion-strengthened glass" instead, said Forbes in another report.

Camera

On to the snappers, the Note 4 comes with a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). OIS "stabilises the camera sensor when taking an image resulting in less blurred shots and smoother video," explained Forbes. Samsung was also quite generous with the phablet's front camera which is 3.7MP.

Users of the iPhone 6 Plus will have to make do with the same 8MP camera as all other iPhones since the iPhone 4S. Its front-facing camera also stays the same at 1.2MP. However, the Cupertino tech giant offers iPhone 6 Plus users some consolation with an f/2.2 aperture, an upped True Tone flash, Focus Pixels and OIS.

Price

So which phablet will be costlier? It seems that the two will be priced more or less the same. Forbes said that the iPhone 6 Plus will cost about $199 for the 16GB model with a two-year contract. Those interested to own a Note 4 will also more likely fork out $199 for the device-with a two-year contract as well.

Preorders for the iPhone 6 Plus start Sept. 12 with a release date of Sept. 19 in the United States. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has no specific release date yet, said Tech Radar. The outlet said that the South Korean company's phablet could make it to the United States in Sept. or even Oct.

Which phablet are you getting?