--- title: "iPhone 6 Launch" year: 2014 country: "United States" canonical: "https://recap.at/2014/2014-iphone-6-launch" slug: "2014-iphone-6-launch" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "2014-01-01" --- # iPhone 6 Launch On September 9, 2014, Apple released the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus-its largest phones yet-signaling that the company had finally accepted that bigger screens were what customers wanted. The launch also introduced Apple Pay, a mobile payment system that positioned Apple as a contender in the fintech space. The event marked a turning point: after years of incremental improvements, Apple was playing catch-up on screen size but leveraging its ecosystem advantage to compete. ## Summary Apple's September 9, 2014 event at the Flint Center in Cupertino introduced two devices that would reshape the smartphone market: the iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch display and the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch screen. For years, Steve Jobs had famously resisted larger phones, but Tim Cook's Apple recognized that competitors like Samsung were winning customers with bigger displays. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus arrived with thinner designs, faster A8 processors, and improved battery life-but the real story was the screen. At 4.7 inches, the standard iPhone 6 finally competed with Android flagships on real estate without feeling unwieldy. The iPhone 6 Plus represented Apple's boldest gamble in years. At 5.5 inches, it was genuinely large for 2014, splitting the difference between a phone and a tablet. Early reviewers worried it was too big; early adopters proved otherwise. The Plus line would eventually become a massive revenue driver, though not before the device gained notoriety for a design flaw: "Bendgate," where some units bent under pressure in back pockets. Apple addressed the issue with revised manufacturing, but the controversy briefly overshadowed the launch. Apple Pay, announced alongside the hardware, represented the company's pivot toward mobile payments. Using NFC technology embedded in the iPhone 6, users could pay at terminals with a touch of their phone and a fingerprint. Major retailers like Whole Foods and Walgreens committed support at launch, though adoption was slower than Apple had hoped-many merchants hadn't upgraded their terminals to accept NFC payments. The iPhone 6 launch proved pivotal for Apple's financial performance. In the fiscal year following launch, iPhone revenue grew significantly, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus driving substantial year-over-year gains and cementing the product line's position as Apple's primary revenue engine. The larger screens captured market share from customers who'd previously bought Android phones out of necessity rather than preference. By the end of 2014, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus had shipped approximately 39–50 million units combined.-a testament to pent-up demand for bigger iPhones. ## Key facts - **iPhone 6 screen size**: 4.7 inches - **iPhone 6 Plus screen size**: 5.5 inches - **Event date**: September 9, 2014 - **Event location**: Flint Center, Cupertino, California - **Processor**: Apple A8 - **Combined shipments by end of 2014**: Approximately 39–50 million units. - **iPhone revenue growth in following year**: 25 percent year-over-year - **Apple Pay wireless technology**: NFC (Near Field Communication) ## Timeline - **2014-09-09** - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus announced Tim Cook presents the two new iPhones at Flint Center. Apple positions the larger screens as a response to customer demand and competitor offerings. The A8 processor and improved battery life are highlighted alongside the thinner design. - **2014-09-09** - Apple Pay officially announced Apple introduces its mobile payment system using NFC technology. Whole Foods, Walgreens, and other major retailers commit to accepting Apple Pay at launch. The service integrates with Touch ID for security. - **2014-09-19** - iPhone 6 and 6 Plus available for purchase Both devices launch in stores across the United States and select international markets. Initial demand is strong, with some carriers reporting sellouts within days. - **2014-09-24** - "Bendgate" reports emerge Some users report that iPhone 6 Plus units bend when placed in back pockets or under pressure. Complaints gain traction on social media and tech forums. Apple later confirms it will address the issue through revised manufacturing processes. - **2014-12-31** - End of year sales milestone iPhone 6 and 6 Plus combined shipments reached approximately 75 million units by the end of 2014 ## Relationships - **evolved from**: iphone-launch - The iPhone 6 directly inherited the iOS platform, form-factor language, and market positioning established by the original 2007 iPhone; this launch represents generational evolution of that product line. - **happened during**: youtube-founded - YouTube's 2005 founding and subsequent platform growth enabled massive video consumption on phones; the larger iPhone 6 screen made YouTube and video apps materially more enjoyable, creating symbiotic product adoption. - **caused by**: revolutions-of-1848 - Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "Revolutions across Europe" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor). - **caused**: 2016-us-presidential-election - Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "2016 United States Presidential Election" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor). - **caused**: us-presidential-election-2020 - Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "2020 United States Presidential Election" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor). ## Consequences - **2014 - Phablet category becomes mainstream**: The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus demonstrated that a major OEM would bet serious resources on larger screens, validating what Android manufacturers had been testing for two years and accelerating the industry-wide shift away from sub-5-inch flagships. - **2015 - Screen size becomes primary differentiator**: By 2015, screen diagonal became a leading marketing spec across all brands. The iPhone 6 Plus' commercial success proved size was a feature, not a compromise, reshaping product segmentation. - **2015 - Design language influenced subsequent flagships**: The iPhone 6's curved edges and thinner profile became the template for premium phones across manufacturers, with Samsung Galaxy S6 and others adopting similar aesthetic language within months. - **2014 - One-handed usability debates emerge**: The 6 Plus' size reignited public discussion about ergonomics that continues today, forcing designers to reckon with accessibility trade-offs alongside screen real estate. - **2015 - Display tech investment accelerates**: Apple's bet on larger screens drove increased R&D spending across the supply chain. Sharp, LG Display, and Samsung ramped production of larger LCD and OLED panels specifically for flagship phones. ## Then vs now - **Average flagship screen size**: 2014: 4.7 inches (iPhone 6) → 2023: 6.1 inches (iPhone 15 Pro) - Apple's subsequent flagships have consistently grown; the 6 was the inflection point. - **Tablets as smartphone replacements**: 2014: iPad mini (7.9 inches) still considered distinct category → 2023: iPhone 15 Plus (6.7 inches) now often replaces iPad for basic tasks - The 6 Plus initiated erosion of the gap between phones and small tablets. - **Premium positioning of larger phones**: 2014: iPhone 6 Plus priced $100 higher than iPhone 6 → 2023: iPhone 15 Plus priced only $100 higher; parity is norm - Size went from luxury add-on to baseline expectation across tiers. ## Impact Apple's September 9, 2014 unveiling of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus marked a decisive shift toward larger screens in smartphones, a feature the market had been demanding for years. The move legitimized the phablet category and forced the entire industry to recalibrate screen-size expectations, cementing Apple's continued dominance even as Samsung and others had already proven the appetite for devices over 5 inches. --- Canonical: https://recap.at/2014/2014-iphone-6-launch