A 5.5-inch iPhone. That might not seem so unusual now, but when it first appeared it was something which would have sent a shudder down the spines of a collective of die-hard Apple fans, as it was a handset some thought we'd never see from the Cupertino-based outfit.
It arrived alongside the iPhone 6 – Apple's 2014 flagship smartphone – which measures 4.7 inches, making it more welcoming to a wider array of palms than the supersized iPhone 6 Plus.
Many of you, especially those of an Android persuasion, may be wondering what all the fuss is about – after all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 turned up with a 5.5-inch display years ago.
- Compare: all the bset iPhone 6 Plus deals
Take a moment to glance at the history of the iPhone though, and you'll see why the iPhone 6 Plus is such a big deal.
Previously Apple has only dealt in two screen sizes: a 3.5-inch display graced the first five generations of iPhone, and just three have had the pleasure of a larger 4-inch display.
5.5 inches then is a huge leap forward for Apple, moving its iPhone range into the uncharted waters of the phablet market currently dominated by Samsung and other Android devices.
It's less impressive now, with the launch of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus reinforcing Apple's commitment to the larger screen sizes, and current rumors point towards more of the same with the iPhone 7.
Apple is looking to reach a previously untapped audience of smartphone users – those who demand a large screen – with 'productivity' the main buzzword being thrown around. A key market for the iPhone 6 Plus is Asia, where the general consensus seems to be bigger is better when it comes to smartphone screens.
In terms of specs and design there isn't a huge amount of difference between the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6, apart from the obvious size.
The iPhone 6 Plus does boast a couple of unique features however. It was the first iPhone to pack a full HD display, plus its bigger body means it houses a larger battery than its 4.7-inch brother.
Both sport A8 64-bit processors, 1GB of RAM, M8 motion coprocessors and 8MP rear-facing cameras – although the snapper on the iPhone 6 Plus benefits from OIS (optical image stabilisation), while the iPhone 6 makes do with EIS (electronic image stabilisation).
As with all Apple products the iPhone 6 Plus doesn't come cheap, and you may want to brace yourself because it's still one of the most expensive handsets around.
The iPhone 6 Plus has seen a price cut since the launch of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus , but SIM-free the 16GB version still carries a lofty price tag of US$649 (£539, AU$1,079) – and that's just the start.
Apple has ditched the 32GB variant for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with the next storage level coming in at 64GB, and for the 5.5-inch iPhone that equals $749 (£619, AU$1229).
There was also a 128GB model, but that's been discontinued, so if you need a boatload of storage you'll have to opt for the newer iPhone 6S Plus.
Even with price drops that makes the iPhone 6 Plus comfortably more expensive than rival phablets including the LG G4, OnePlus 2, Nexus 6P and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It even rivals the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 for price.
It's big, it's expensive and it's inevitably played second fiddle to the iPhone 6 – so is the iPhone 6 Plus worth considering? Read on to find out.
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