Every other year, Apple announces its new iPhone in an all new body. Like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5, the iPhone 6 promises a new design with all the same internal upgrades that we’ve been familiar with for the last 5 years. A new processor, an updated camera, thinner design, and a bigger screen. 

But this year, Apple started something new. Historically speaking, Apple has always forced their ideal design onto customers. Aside from color, choice was a word seldom used by Apple customers. Apple always produced one device and limited options for customers for years, all under the head of Steve Jobs. 

After Jobs’s death, present-day CEO, Tim Cook, and his staff at Apple seemed glaringly hesitant. With no real direction, Apple remained stagnant, and continued to brand itself as Jobs’s company, refusing to adapt to the ever-changing market. But it’s now nearly 3 years since Job’s death and Apple has finally let go of the past. No longer is Apple religiously following the ideals and dreams that Jobs once had. Cook is making Apple his own company, and not only does Cook bring Apple a fresh breath of life, but also brings along the iPhone 6 Plus. 

And this is a good thing. It’s nice to see Apple accept Job’s death and finally see Cook and the company move on to bigger (no pun intended) and better things. The only downside of this? Which iPhone do I get?

Comparing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is like comparing a Granny Smith with a Honeycrisp. At the core of them both, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are ultimately the same phone. 

They run the same new A8 processor with the updated M8 companion chip. They both run Apple’s latest version of iOS, and they both promise a sleeker, rounder, less industrial design than the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S. 

But the key differences lie in 3 categories: the camera, battery life, and their overall size. How important these are to you will dictate which iPhone you will be picking up on September 19th.

The Camera: 

Both iterations of the new iPhone include the same 8 megapixel shooter that boasts 1080p video along with slow motion video capable of recording at 120 and 240 fps video. The difference? The iPhone 6 carries digital image stabilization (DIS) while the 6 Plus has optical image stabilization (OIS). And before I compare which of the two you should get, I should first explain exactly what this is. 

First and foremost, optical and digital image stabilization do not make a moving subject clearer. It’s actually the opposite. DIS and OIS are designed to capture a clearer picture if the photographer has a shaky hand. The way OIS works is by creating a camera housing that will seat the sensor steady, despite any unintentional hand movement. DIS creates a similar effect, except through it’s software, not hardware. 

Ultimately, is OIS on the 6 Plus a big enough deal breaker to choser over the iPhone 6? Not really. OIS is not nearly as useful as it is on DLSR’s, and the bigger design that the 6 Plus carries may make holding the phone steady a bit more difficult, thus making OIS a well-deserved feature. The iPhone 6 presumedly seems easier to hold, and therefore, it’s DIS should do it justice.

The Battery:

Like we’ve seen with Samsung’s Galaxy Note line-up, a bigger phone means  a bigger battery. And a bigger battery means more binge watching Netflix or more time in your Clash of Clans village when you should be studying for that midterm. 

Apple quotes essentially 1-2 hours of added battery life in the Plus across all functions, compared with the iPhone 6. What does this mean in real-life usage? The 6 Plus will last about a hour or two longer than the iPhone 6. Is this imperative? Not exactly. As long as your battery lasts you from the time you take it off the charger to the time you can charge it next, whether it be through your car charger on your way to work, your computer at work, or your bed side charger at home, you’ll be fine. 

As long as you have some sort of power source to give your iPhone that little extra kick it needs, an extra hour or two in battery life is more or less negligible, as the iPhone 5s’s battery alone is half decent, and the new iPhone’s only promise improved stats in this area. Again, like the camera not much of a difference unless you live life on the edge.

The Size:

Obviously, size is key. How could you possibly ignore the size difference when deciding between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus? The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch screen while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 1080p, 5.5 inch screen. So bigger is always better, right? Well, like many other hard, round objects, bigger is not better. 

There’s compromise between the iPhone 6. If you use your iPhone 6 Plus in landscape, or have vowed never to buy any sort of tablet, the iPhone 6 Plus’s tablet like features when in landscape mode can kill two birds in one stone, making it truly, a “phablet.” But, outside of that, the software on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are exactly the same. 

Is Netflix your guilty pleasure? Maybe the iPhone 6 Plus is your guy. Do you wear skinny jeans 4 days a week? Well then, the iPhone 6 may fit inside the arguably inappropriately tight pocket a bit better than it’s big brother. Are your hands big and fingers long or are they small and petite? Do you use your phone one handed or two predominantly? 

Ask yourself if you want the portability of the iPhone 6 or the multimedia experience of the 6 Plus. Once you answer this question can you truly decide which iPhone you want on launch date. 

But like all that really matter anyways. More likely than not, you probably won’t get your hands on one that Friday morning, so who are we kidding? But for those of you who are daring the lines at Best Buy the night before, I salute you. Good luck battling the crowds and anxious Apple fans that morning. You’re going to need it.