Apple iPhone 6 Plus

The phone 6 Plus is a great phone, but it isn't for each person. I hate the word hamlet (literally, phone plus tablet), but you can't deny that's exactly what the 6 Plus is. Its 5.5-inch, 1080p IPS LCD deftly straddles the chasm that existed between the former 4-inch cell phone 5S and the 7.9-inch pad Mini. 

While the new 4.7-inch phone 6 fits in the same gap, the 6 Plus sits right in the sweet spot for those who'd like a little tablet in their smart phone.

Of course, you also pay more for the experience. Available in the US on two-year contracts from AT&T, Sprint and Venison, the 16GB version will set you back $299, with 64GB at $399 and the top-end 128GB costing $499. Contract-free on T-Mobile, it costs $749, $849 or $949 respectively.

In the grand scheme of phone dimensions, the 6 Plus is on the large side, measuring 6.22 inches high by 3.06 inches wide (158.1mm by 77.8mm), nearly a half-inch (12mm) taller than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, though slightly narrower. At 6.07 ounces (172 grams) it does come in just a touch lighter, and it's noticeably thinner -- just 7.1mm in thickness, compared with the Note 3's 9.6mm.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus  Apple iPhone 6          LG G3            Samsung Galaxy Note 3

US base price (with 2-year agreement)       $299    $199    $199    $99

UK base price (unlocked)     £619    £539    £360    £410

Australia base price (unlocked)       AU$999          AU$869          AU$630          AU$880.

Display size/resolution:           5.5-inch 1,920x1,080 IPS (401ppi)   4.7-inch 1,344x750 IPS (326 ppi)     5.5-inch Quad HD 2,560x1,440 IPS (538 ppi)           5.7-inch 1,920x1,080 Super AMOLED (386 ppi).

Processor:        1.38GHz Apple A8 (64-bit)   1.39GHz Apple A8 (64-bit)   2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (Krait 400)     2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (Krait 400)

RAM  1GB    1GB    3GB    2GB

Internal storage         16GB, 64GB, and 128GB     16GB, 64GB, and 128GB     32GB  32GB, 64GB.

Expandable storage:  No       No       Yes (microSD)           Yes (microSD)

Networking    802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC        802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC        802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC            802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC.

Operating system :      iOS 8   iOS 8   Android 4.4.2 Android 4.3