The iPhone 6 Plus. If only......

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I love the design of the iPhone 6 Plus. I don't understand why some tech experts and bloggers are criticizing the two plastic antenna bands on the back of the device. For me, they just help the 6 Plus stand out from the competition. I also love the software. iOS 8 is incredibly fluid and responsive with a superior App Store to Google Play (though not by much).

But, as a Galaxy Note 3 owner, there are specific features I am very hesitant to sacrifice for a return to Apple-Land.

First the missing features I could forsake without loosing much sleep:

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Removable Battery

My wallet is home to me IDs, credit cards, Panera Reward Card and now my backup battery. The GN3 battery is the perfect size for a man's wallet. The Note 3 has a great battery by itself, but I do admit my Gear 2 Neo drains the battery faster that I would like. Having a backup makes me completely worry free. 

***One caveat though, the Galaxy Note 4's battery is very rectangular, so it cannot fit in a traditional wallet. Still, replacing the battery is far quicker than plugging in a portable charger and waiting to refill the battery.   

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Micro SD Card

I can purchase a 64GB iPhone 6 Plus on contract for $400 or I can purchase a Galaxy Note 4 with 32GB for $300 and get a 32GB micro SD card on Amazon for $15!

S-Pen

The S-Pen is one of those features you like having because it's their just in case. You don't really ever need it, but I like the idea of taking quick notes and jotting down ideas with the pen. But this feature is not blocking my iPhone return. 

These features are....

Camera

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www.theverge.com

Why Apple, why??? There is no need to make a statement saying "Pixels aren't everything." HTC is trying this and all I see is a beautifully design One M8 that I would never buy in 1,000,000,000,000 years. 

Don't get me wrong, in outdoor or well-lit areas, any modern smartphone takes great pictures. But even in 'ideal' conditions, a lack of megapixels incredibly hampers one important aspect of photography, zooming. If you're just taking pictures and immediately printing them out, more power to you, enjoy your iPhone 6 Plus. But if you plan on showing pictures on your tablet or desktop computer or want to zoom and then print, then you need pixels. This became apparent in a recent CNET article comparing the cameras of the Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6 Plus and the LG G3.

The section of this article titled "100 Percent Crop" directly demonstrates the weakness of an 8 megapixel sensor. Maybe I'm just spoiled by a 13 megapixel camera on the Galaxy Note 3, but looking at 6 Plus photos in review articles, I can almost 'feel' the lack of pixels. There is an extra degree of sharpness missing which I do not think I can sacrifice for top tier design.

Quad HD

This is very much a subtle point, but it really grinds my gears. I have wholeheartedly enjoyed a 1080p screen for almost a year. Now, as Quad HD smartphone displays begin their rise, Apple's breakout phablet is staying with 1080p (as is Sony's Xperia Z3, for that matter).  I don't like that. I don't like that one bit. Particularly because Apple will create their own Quad HD display by next year!

www.cnet.com

Conclusion

Even with these concerns, I did not dive head first and pre-order the Galaxy Note 4. I need to feel the device in my hand and see the software features. I have already made several trips to the Apple Store to hold the 6 Plus (and a few more trips to come). I'm going to take my time making a decision that affects my next two years of life, and you should too.