So I finally got my shining new iPhone 6 plus last Thursday. Softbank staff at the Yokohama branch went out of their way to help with the transition, but they were not able to beat their predecessors: again, the whole procedure took exactly two hours, but I have to concede that I went there too early. The official pre-order notifications were to be sent out to customers the next day.
Anyhow, first impression: it's big.
L-to-r: iPhone4s, 5, 6 plus
Also, it's round, it's light, it's slim and as expensive as never before. The 5.5-inch screen ("Retina HD") does make a difference, especially if you use the new zoom feature which enlarges the fonts and the controls. With the zoom function enabled you won't be able to use the home screen in landscape mode though. Installing the last backup from my PC was a breeze, all of my 84 apps seem to be working flawlessly.
The Touch ID allows you to quickly access your phone; upgrading from iPhone 5, I found this particularly useful (I believe iPhone 5S already came with that feature). iPhone 6 and 6 plus allow you to register multiple fingerprints (probably I should grant my wife access, too, just in case). Due to its size, I had difficulties using it with only one hand on the train, although there's a new "reachability feature" that helps you slide content and controls towards the bottom of the screen.
Does it bend? I have no idea. Given it's astronomic price, I'm handling it with kid gloves.
The camera specs: still 8 megapixels pixels and ƒ/2.2. A test shot taken through the fence this morning doesn't show significant improvement over the iPhone 5 camera, but I need to play more with it. It's been reported that the autofocus has been improved and optical image stabilisation added. The camera protrudes from the back of the phone which I do not find aesthetically pleasing. I might stick to my Canon S120 for snapshots.
The little white blot in the background is Mt. Fuji (click to enlarge).
Some buttons have been relocated, the lock button is now on the side of the device and no longer on the top.
Conclusion: while certainly a beauty, it's - as far as I can tell - not revolutionary. Hadn't my old phone exploded (not literally, see below) I would not have acquired it.
In case you are using an iPhone 5: I finally understand what happened to my device.
The screen developed a bulge that would keep expanding over the last weeks of summer. In the end, the device was no longer operational. When I opened it last week I noticed that the battery wrap was inflated, obviously not uncommon in iPhone5:
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iPhone 5 screen bulge - Apple Community
If you think about switching to iPhone 6 plus I'd recommend you to find out whether you really need a 5.5" screen. iPhone 6 (the "minus" model) features a still remarkable 4.7" screen that can easily be operated with one hand.
Oh, and so far I have never used the new phone for what it's actually intended: making phone calls.