# Canonical recap data for iPhone 6 Launch (2014)
# Source: https://recap.at/2014/2014-iphone-6-launch
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 2014-iphone-6-launch
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2014/2014-iphone-6-launch"
title: iPhone 6 Launch
aliases:
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch
- iPhone 6 keynote
- Apple's September 2014 event
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2014-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2014
decade: 2010
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 9, 2014, marking the company's first major screen size increase and introducing mobile payments via Apple Pay.
summaryLong: |-
  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.
lede: "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."
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/IPhone_6_Space_Gray.svg/1280px-IPhone_6_Space_Gray.svg.png"
heroImageCredit: "\"Subway Time\" by MTAPhotos is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/."
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: iPhone 6 screen size
  value: 4.7 inches
- label: iPhone 6 Plus screen size
  value: 5.5 inches
- label: Event date
  value: September 9, 2014
- label: Event location
  value: Flint Center, Cupertino, California
- label: Processor
  value: Apple A8
- label: Combined shipments by end of 2014
  value: Approximately 39–50 million units.
- label: iPhone revenue growth in following year
  value: 25 percent year-over-year
- label: Apple Pay wireless technology
  value: NFC (Near Field Communication)
timeline:
- date: 2014-09-09
  title: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus announced
  description: 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.
- date: 2014-09-09
  title: Apple Pay officially announced
  description: 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.
- date: 2014-09-19
  title: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus available for purchase
  description: Both devices launch in stores across the United States and select international markets. Initial demand is strong, with some carriers reporting sellouts within days.
- date: 2014-09-24
  title: "\"Bendgate\" reports emerge"
  description: 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.
- date: 2014-12-31
  title: End of year sales milestone
  description: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus combined shipments reached approximately 75 million units by the end of 2014
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: iphone-launch
  type: evolved_from
  confidence: 95
  evidence: 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.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: youtube-founded
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 72
  evidence: 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.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: revolutions-of-1848
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "Revolutions across Europe" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: 2016-us-presidential-election
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "2016 United States Presidential Election" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: us-presidential-election-2020
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "iPhone 6 Launch" references "2020 United States Presidential Election" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://live.staticflickr.com/8084/8319192330_014b9911f5_b.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/8084/8319192330_014b9911f5_b.jpg"
  caption: (Previous hero, demoted by topical-relevance swap)
  credit: ""
  width: 0
  height: 0
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Shake It Off
  artist: Taylor Swift
  year: 2014
  note: Dominant pop single during launch week; Swift's cultural ubiquity that year
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: All About That Bass
  artist: Meghan Trainor
  year: 2014
  note: Chart-topper in September 2014, defining sound of summer/early fall
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: Uptown Special
  artist: Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
  year: 2014
  note: Released August 2014; Ronson's resurgence coincided with tech optimism
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
topFilms:
- title: The Fault in Our Stars
  year: 2014
  note: Summer 2014 box office juggernaut; dominated pre-iPhone 6 cultural conversation
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: Guardians of the Galaxy
  year: 2014
  note: August 2014 release; MCU's breakout film, defining the summer blockbuster moment
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: Interstellar
  year: 2014
  note: November 2014 release; Nolan's epic released weeks after iPhone 6, both showcases for premium hardware
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
topTVShows:
- title: Game of Thrones
  year: 2014
  note: Season 4 aired April–June 2014; cultural apex of the series before later decline
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: Breaking Bad
  year: 2014
  note: Final episodes aired September 2014, same month as iPhone 6; cultural phenomenon at peak
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
- title: The Leftovers
  year: 2014
  note: Premiered June 2014; HBO's prestige drama slate during the era of premium mobile devices
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T08:22:16.107Z"
zeitgeistNote: "2014 was the year premium smartphones transitioned from aspirational luxury to expected standard. Breaking Bad's finale and Interstellar's release both released within weeks of the iPhone 6, epitomizing a culture ready to invest in high-end consumer experiences. The larger iPhone validated what Samsung had proven with the Galaxy Note series: bigger screens were no longer a niche, but the future."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Average flagship screen size
  thenValue: 4.7 inches (iPhone 6)
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: 6.1 inches (iPhone 15 Pro)
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Apple's subsequent flagships have consistently grown; the 6 was the inflection point.
- metric: Tablets as smartphone replacements
  thenValue: iPad mini (7.9 inches) still considered distinct category
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: iPhone 15 Plus (6.7 inches) now often replaces iPad for basic tasks
  nowYear: 2023
  note: The 6 Plus initiated erosion of the gap between phones and small tablets.
- metric: Premium positioning of larger phones
  thenValue: iPhone 6 Plus priced $100 higher than iPhone 6
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: iPhone 15 Plus priced only $100 higher; parity is norm
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Size went from luxury add-on to baseline expectation across tiers.
impactStatement: 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.
consequences:
- title: Phablet category becomes mainstream
  year: 2014
  description: 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.
- title: Screen size becomes primary differentiator
  year: 2015
  description: 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.
- title: Design language influenced subsequent flagships
  year: 2015
  description: 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.
- title: One-handed usability debates emerge
  year: 2014
  description: The 6 Plus' size reignited public discussion about ergonomics that continues today, forcing designers to reckon with accessibility trade-offs alongside screen real estate.
- title: Display tech investment accelerates
  year: 2015
  description: 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.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: Apple finally listened. Larger screens, thinner design, and a chip that actually mattered. The iPhone 6 wasn't revolutionary-it was overdue.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:2014-iphone-6-launch"
translations:
es:
lede: "El 9 de septiembre de 2014, Apple lanzó el iPhone 6 e iPhone 6 Plus -sus teléfonos más grandes hasta entonces- señalando que la empresa finalmente había aceptado que los clientes querían pantallas más grandes. El lanzamiento también introdujo Apple Pay, un sistema de pago móvil que posicionó a Apple como competidor en el espacio fintech. El evento marcó un punto de inflexión: después de años de mejoras incrementales, Apple estaba alcanzando a la competencia en tamaño de pantalla pero aprovechando su ventaja de ecosistema para competir."
summaryShort: Apple presentó el iPhone 6 e iPhone 6 Plus el 9 de septiembre de 2014, marcando el primer aumento importante del tamaño de pantalla de la empresa e introduciendo pagos móviles a través de Apple Pay.
summaryLong: |-
  El evento de Apple del 9 de septiembre de 2014 en el Flint Center en Cupertino presentó dos dispositivos que remodelarían el mercado de smartphones: el iPhone 6 con pantalla de 4,7 pulgadas e iPhone 6 Plus con pantalla de 5,5 pulgadas. Durante años, Steve Jobs había resistido famosamente los teléfonos más grandes, pero Apple bajo Tim Cook reconoció que competidores como Samsung estaban ganando clientes con pantallas más grandes. El iPhone 6 y 6 Plus llegaron con diseños más delgados, procesadores A8 más rápidos y mayor duración de batería, pero la verdadera historia era la pantalla. Con 4,7 pulgadas, el iPhone 6 estándar finalmente competía con los buques insignia Android en espacio sin resultar incómodo.

  El iPhone 6 Plus representó la apuesta más audaz de Apple en años. Con 5,5 pulgadas, era genuinamente grande para 2014, dividiendo la diferencia entre un teléfono y una tableta. Los primeros críticos se preocupaban de que fuera demasiado grande; los primeros adoptantes probaron lo contrario. La línea Plus eventualmente se convertiría en un generador de ingresos masivo, aunque no antes de que el dispositivo ganara notoriedad por un defecto de diseño: "Bendgate", donde algunas unidades se doblaban bajo presión en bolsillos traseros. Apple abordó el problema con manufactura revisada, pero la controversia brevemente opacó el lanzamiento.

  Apple Pay, anunciado junto con el hardware, representó el giro de Apple hacia pagos móviles. Utilizando tecnología NFC integrada en el iPhone 6, los usuarios podían pagar en terminales con un toque de su teléfono y una huella digital. Grandes minoristas como Whole Foods y Walgreens comprometieron apoyo en el lanzamiento, aunque la adopción fue más lenta de lo que Apple había esperado -muchos comerciantes no habían actualizado sus terminales para aceptar pagos NFC.

  El lanzamiento del iPhone 6 resultó decisivo para el desempeño financiero de Apple. En el año fiscal siguiente al lanzamiento, los ingresos de iPhone crecieron significativamente, con el iPhone 6 y 6 Plus impulsando ganancias sustanciales año a año y consolidando la posición de la línea de productos como el motor de ingresos principal de Apple. Las pantallas más grandes capturaron cuota de mercado de clientes que anteriormente habían comprado teléfonos Android por necesidad más que por preferencia. Para finales de 2014, el iPhone 6 y 6 Plus habían enviado aproximadamente 39–50 millones de unidades combinadas, un testimonio de la demanda reprimida de iPhones más grandes.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T21:21:53.104Z"
fr:
lede: "Le 9 septembre 2014, Apple a lancé l'iPhone 6 et l'iPhone 6 Plus-ses plus grands téléphones à ce jour-signalant que l'entreprise avait finalement accepté que les écrans plus grands étaient ce que les clients désiraient. Le lancement a également présenté Apple Pay, un système de paiement mobile qui positionnait Apple comme acteur dans le secteur fintech. L'événement marquait un tournant : après des années d'améliorations progressives, Apple rattrapait son retard sur la taille de l'écran tout en tirant parti de son avantage écosystémique pour concurrencer."
summaryShort: Apple a dévoilé l'iPhone 6 et l'iPhone 6 Plus le 9 septembre 2014, marquant la première augmentation majeure de la taille d'écran de l'entreprise et introduisant les paiements mobiles via Apple Pay.
summaryLong: |-
  L'événement du 9 septembre 2014 d'Apple au Flint Center à Cupertino a présenté deux appareils qui redessineraient le marché des smartphones : l'iPhone 6 avec un écran de 4,7 pouces et l'iPhone 6 Plus avec un écran de 5,5 pouces. Pendant des années, Steve Jobs avait famously résisté aux téléphones plus grands, mais l'Apple de Tim Cook a reconnu que des concurrents comme Samsung gagnaient des clients avec des écrans plus larges. L'iPhone 6 et le 6 Plus arrivaient avec des designs plus minces, des processeurs A8 plus rapides et une autonomie améliorée-mais la véritable histoire était l'écran. À 4,7 pouces, l'iPhone 6 standard concurrençait finalement les phares Android en termes d'espace sans paraître encombrant.

  L'iPhone 6 Plus représentait le pari le plus audacieux d'Apple depuis des années. À 5,5 pouces, il était véritablement grand pour 2014, s'inscrivant entre un téléphone et une tablette. Les premiers critiques s'inquiétaient qu'il soit trop volumineux ; les premiers adoptants ont prouvé le contraire. La gamme Plus deviendrait finalement un moteur de revenus massif, mais pas avant que l'appareil ne gagne en notoriété pour un défaut de conception : « Bendgate », où certaines unités se pliaient sous la pression dans les poches arrière. Apple a abordé le problème avec une fabrication révisée, mais la controverse a brièvement éclipsé le lancement.

  Apple Pay, annoncé parallèlement au matériel, représentait le pivot d'Apple vers les paiements mobiles. Utilisant la technologie NFC intégrée à l'iPhone 6, les utilisateurs pouvaient payer aux terminaux avec une touche de leur téléphone et une empreinte digitale. Des détaillants majeurs comme Whole Foods et Walgreens ont engagé leur soutien au lancement, bien que l'adoption ait été plus lente que prévu-de nombreux commerçants n'avaient pas mis à niveau leurs terminaux pour accepter les paiements NFC.

  Le lancement de l'iPhone 6 s'est avéré pivot pour la performance financière d'Apple. Au cours de l'année fiscale suivant le lancement, les revenus d'iPhone ont augmenté considérablement, l'iPhone 6 et le 6 Plus entraînant des gains importants d'une année à l'autre et cimentant la position de la gamme de produits en tant que moteur de revenus primaire d'Apple. Les écrans plus larges ont capturé des parts de marché auprès de clients qui avaient précédemment acheté des téléphones Android par nécessité plutôt que par préférence. À la fin de 2014, l'iPhone 6 et le 6 Plus avaient expédié environ 39–50 millions d'unités au total-un témoignage de la demande accumulée pour les plus grands iPhones.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T21:22:00.669Z"
geo:
lat: 39.7837304
lng: -100.445882
place: United States
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
