In the years since Apple has been releasing the iPhone, it has had a good track record. Each release has provided an update or feature which (arguably) warranted a new purchase.
The newest iteration, the iPhone 6, and its Plus variant, seemingly continued this trend. This was true until a number of cases of weak construction and software problems.
The problems with the iOS 8 update were not solely in new phones, and things like Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth connectivity issues, performance problems and battery life complications are all easily reproducible problems.
Apple should have been able to beta-test the OS on countless test devices and easily avoid most of these problems.
There should be no excuse as to why one of the most reputable tech firms in the world would be able to overlook such glaring issues.
This is a most unforgivable offense. Apple has managed to fix this problem since, but many are rather disappointed.
The worst problem of the new iPhone, however, lies in its construction.
The iPhone 6, and especially the large Plus model are remarkably thin. The Plus model is a huge 5.5 inches diagonally, one of the largest phones on the market, and having ultra-modest depth is a dangerous situation.
The Plus model is 7.1mm thick, as opposed to my new smartphone, the HTC One M8, which is 9.4mm thick.
That thickness for phones which are similar in size for length/height is a godsend, and it feels remarkable sturdy. The lack of thickness of the iPhone is a design idea which is liable to cause future problems.
If Apple had decided to include an extra millimeter of thickness, either in creating more space for the phone or increasing the thickness of the metal surrounding the phone, they both would have increased structural integrity. Sure, Apple and all of the other tech companies can continue to produce increasingly smaller devices, but only to a certain point.
Until there is some cheap, indestructible metal which phones can be built out of, phone manufacturers should focus on increasing the features and capabilities of the their devices in the sizes they already produce. Not everything needs to get bigger, but it can still get better.