Going into the summer of 2014, there was a lot of hype about the release of the rumored iPhone 6. On September 9, Apple hosted a release event for the iPhone 6, and its bigger brother the iPhone 6 plus. Apple announced that the two new phones, offered in three colors (gold, silver, and space grey) would be available to the public on September 19.

I was fortunate enough to be able to get my iPhone on the release date, and am so far very happy with it.

First Impression: When I first opened the box to reveal the highly anticipated product, I was immediately surprised by how big the phone was. The iPhone 6 has a bigger 4.7 inch retina display, compared to the previous iPhone 5 models at 4 inches.  On paper this seems like a minor difference, but once in your hand, its a whole other story. The phone is both taller and wider than its predecessors, which gives Apple’s iPhone a whole different feel.  And thats just the 6- the 6 plus has a 5.5 inch display.

Software: With the release of the two new iPhones came a new operating system, iOS 8, dubbed by Apple as “the biggest release since the App Store.” After having my new phone  for about three days, I have noticed that the features of iOS 8 were built for the iPhone 6. The new operating system works flawlessly in unison with the new hardware. One of my favorite features is the quick reply, which allows you to easily reply to messages by swiping down on the notification. Another cool feature is the availability of third party keyboard. In other words you can customize your keyboard to have different colors and different features, like swiping and a gold metallic keyboard.  One of best new features is a new Apple developed application called “Health.” This program lets you track all of your health related app in one place, from walking, to heartrate. The “Health” application works seamlessly with third party apps to provide a cohesive and minimalist user interface.

Hardware: The iPhone 6 is not only bigger than the older models, but is the thinnest iPhone that Apple has produced at 6.9 mm in width. This allows the phone to be almost unnoticeable when in your pocket. The one drawback to the iPhone’s new, thinner profile is that it is not as substantial as the iPhone 5 or previous models. This can be frustrating if you are looking for a more durable or rugged phone. The new width it also means the camera protrudes from the phone by about  . 7mm. That may not seem like much, but it makes the phone unable to sit flat on a table with the screen facing up.  The other minor adjustment is that the new iPhone has the power button is on the side of the phone rather than the top right corner. This adjustment was made because the phone is now taller and having the button on the side creates easier access.

 Applications: The only thing that bothers me about the new size of the iPhone is how applications look on the bigger screen. Many apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat didn’t take the time to design an update for the new specs of the iPhone, but rather just enlarged the current application. This leaves the resolution being slightly grainy and unfocused.

Overall: Personally, I think that the iPhone 6 is worth the extra cost, the bigger screen and thinner profile,  make it the hottest phone on the market. For $199 (with a two year contract) it is a great buy with a lot to offer over the previous models.