Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Full Specs, Features

True to what was confidently disclosed by seasoned 'Apple insiders' and 'industry experts' many months ago, Apple indeed launched its first ever legit flagship phablet at its exclusive media event held in California earlier this morning.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines

Practically just a stretched-out, larger version of the smaller co-flagship Apple iPhone 6, the metal-clad Apple iPhone 6 Plus comes with a number of cool new features here and there -- apart from flaunting a larger 5.5-inch Full HD Retina Display.

TP Tidbit: Contrary to what we had expected, both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus do not have a shatter-proof ultra-durable Sapphire crystal touchscreen. If you remember, many months ago, Apple signed a $578 million deal with touchscreen-maker GT Advanced Technologies for the purchase of 'sapphire goods'. We thought Apple would already be using them on the next-generation 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone variants but, as it turned out, the material merely debuted on the Apple Watch.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines

The two 2014 smartphones by the Cupertino company share the same Apple A8 processor, M8 co-processor, Fingerprint Sensor on top of the home button, and Apple iOS8 operating system that comes replete with a simpler and more intuitive user experience as well as refreshed Messages and Photos applications, QuickType keyboard, Family Sharing, a new Health App, and iCloud Drive.

As I've shared, the second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture Apple A8 chip offers faster performance and is more energy efficient, delivering higher sustained performance with great battery life compared to the Apple A7 processor powering the iPhone 5S from last year. The M8 co-processor, on the other hand, gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and the new barometer, which senses air pressure to provide relative elevation, and continuously measures your motion data, even when the device is asleep, saving battery life for fitness apps that use the sensors all day.

According to Apple "With iOS 8, motion data from M8 appears in the Health app so you can see how many flights of stairs you've climbed, or how far you've walked or run. Developers can use CoreMotion APIs that take advantage of M8 and HealthKit to create apps that help you take better care of your health and fitness."

Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines

Like the regular iPhone 6, the Plus version is equipped with the new 8 MegaPixel iSight camera with improved sensor that now comes with 'Focus Pixels' for faster autofocus in addition to its large 1.5-micron pixels and Æ’/2.2 aperture. But what makes Apple iPhone 6 Plus' main camera module even more special is that it features Optical Image Stabilization, which lets you capture crisp and clear shots even when you're walking or your hand is shaking as it compensates for movement while you're taking photos.

As for video capture, you can enjoy higher frame rates up to 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slow-motion clips, as well as continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilization and time-lapse video. On the other hand, the FaceTime HD front cam - with all-new burst mode and HDR video - is now capable of capturing over 80 percent more light with its more powerful sensor and larger f/2.2 aperture for brighter and more vibrant selfies.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines
Apple iPhone 6 Plus may have larger display and a bigger battery - non-removable 2,915 mAh Li-Ion pack - than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 but it's almost as thin -- measuring only 7.1 millimeters.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6 Plus Philippines
2-year Contract Prices of Apple's 2014 Smartphone Line-up in the United States

When will it be available in the Philippines and how much will it cost? Apple's network partners in the Philippines - Smart Communications and Globe Telecom - have yet to announce the availability of both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in their roster of devices bundled with postpaid LTE plans. Nonetheless, I believe the handsets will arrive locally within October or November 2014. As for the retail prices of Plus phablet's three variants, our guesstimates are Php 43,999 for the 16 GB version, Php 49,599 for the 64 GB, and Php 55,899 for the 128 GB model; These figures are based on the devices' official SRPs in the United Kingdom. Quite hefty, right? Well, it's Apple.

Update as of September 19, 2014: Kimstore, the most trusted online store in the Philippines, has just posted its price schedule for the Apple iPhone 6 Plus; 16GB - Php 89,999, 64GB - Php 96,999, 128GB - Php 98,999. Note that these are only introductory prices and they are expected to drop slowly within the next few weeks.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category High-end (Flagship Level)
Dimensions158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm
Weight 172 grams
Available Colors Gold, White, Space Gray
Operating System iOS 8
Display Retina display, 5.5 inches (~401 ppi pixel density) widescreen, 1080 x 1920 pixels, LED-backlit IPS Display, Multi-Touch display, 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, Dual-domain pixels for wider viewing angles, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front, Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Processor Apple A8 Processor, M8 Motion coprocessor
RAM TBA
Memory 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options, non-expandable
Camera Main iSight: 8 MegaPixels, 2364x2448 resolution, Autofocus with Focus Pixels and True Tone Dual LED flash, Features: Æ’/2.2 aperture, LED flash, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens, Burst Mode, Hybrid IR filter, Panorama (up to 43 megapixels), Optical Image Stabilizaton
Front FaceTime HD camera: 2.1 MP photos, Æ’/2.2 aperture, Auto HDR for photos and videos, Improved Face Detection, Burst mode, Backside illumination sensor
Video Capture Main: 1080p Full HD @ 60 frames per second, 720p @ 240fps Features: Cinematic video stabilization, Continuous autofocus video Take still photo while recording video, Improed Face Detection
Front: 720p up to 30 frames per second, Facetime over Wifi or Cellular, Auto HDR for photos and videos
Audio and Video Playback Video: AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p
AirPlay video streaming to Apple TV (3rd generation) at up to 1080p and Apple TV (2nd generation) at up to 720p
Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
Ports 3.5 mm audio jack, new 9-pin Lightning dock connector
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, LTE, NFC
Network GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Barometer, 3-axis Gyroscope, Fingerprint identity sensor
SIM Card Type Single NanoSIM
Battery Built-in Rechargeable Non-removable 2,915 mAh Li-Ion
Uptime Talk time: Up to 24 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 384 hours
Internet use: Up to 12 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on LTE, up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 14 hours
Audio playback: Up to 80 hours
Notable Features Larger Display, New Design, VoiceOverLTE, Improved Front and Main Cameras, OIS, Apple A8 Chipset
Announcement September 10, 2014 (1:30 AM Manila Time)
Availability September 19, 2014 in Key Territories including US, Canada, Hong Kong, etc.
TP Guesstimate: October-November 2014 via Smart and Globe
Price $299 for the 16GB, $399 for the 64GB, and $499 for the 128GB variant, all on a 2-year contract in the United States

Official Retail Price in the UK: 619 GBP for the 16GB, 699 GBP for 64GB, 789 GBP for 128GB

TP Retail Price Guesstimate:
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB w/o contract - around Php 43,999
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB w/o contract - around Php 49,599
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB w/o contract - around Php 55,899

Kimstore as of September 19, 2014:
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB - Php 89,999
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB - Php 96,999
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB - Php 98,999