it’s been a couple of months now, feedback on iphone 6 use in the backcountry? 6 vs 6 plus?

I just took my iPhone 6 (Verizon) on its first outing, a couple of weeks in the Grand Canyon. Battery life and GPS performance seem to be similar to iPhone 5 – I get well over a week of battery life, principally using for photos, reading Audobon guides, very occasional GPS usage (once per day), wake-up alarm.

I like the slightly larger screen size for negligible weight gain, and the slightly larger size still fits easily in all the pockets where I like to carry it. I though the 6-Plus would be too bulky though, I have the regular 6.

I missed having the Lifeproof Nuud case that I used with iPhone 5. Pricey but awesome. Nothing covering the screen, but completely waterproof – I dropped my iPhone 5 in a river in Costa Rica, where it sat for 15 minutes underwater until I found it.
Nuud for 6 has not yet been released, I'm waiting for it.

I used the same battery-life conservation measures as with iPhone 5, i.e.
– lock the SIM to disable cell functions while allowing GPS usage
– engage flight mode when not using GPS (estimate battery life around 24 hours with continuous GPS usage)
Also:
– WiFi = OFF
Bluetooth = OFF
Cellular > Cellular Data = OFF
General > Background App Refresh = OFF
Privacy > Location Services = ON, but disable all nonessential Apps (the GPS mapping App must be on, of course)
Privacy > Location Services > [at bottom] System Services > everything OFF
[note that some of these services, e.g. "Find My iPhone", cannot now be switched off without a cell connection! But it probably makes no difference if they are left on when the cell service is disabled locking the SIM, switching them off was a "belt and braces" measure ]

I've had a 6+ since release and it's great. Came from a 5. For a 5' 4" guy with small hands it's not that bad to use.
Battery life is awesome!**Assuming you've adjusted all the proper settings.

I use Gaia GPS and love it! There are some features I'd like, but they are working on them. I tested tracking a short afternoon hike in September and dropped <10% battery in 2 hours of constant tracking while taking some photos. *(With sim disabled)
https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/ac1f75c74ce8eb0fffe0fe348e0db1e3/

The day after Christmas I plan to do a 4 day winter trip with some friends on the Art Loeb Trail West of Brevard, NC I plan to bring a battery pack with me, but hoping I don't need it. *Usually did with my Iphone 5.

I'll get back to you afterwards on battery performance if you would like.

IMO, Android phones are much better than iPhones for backcountry.
Let me try to convince you.
* Android phones are cheaper.
* You can add more storage space easily (http://amzn.com/B00GMG2GEO)
* You can add, edit, share offline maps without hassle.
* Battery is way better. my LG G2 with 6000mAh external battery lasted 7 days on the PCT, while I was using it for blog writing everyday, music, lot of navigation, primary camera and more. my friends iPhone 5 died in 3 days in almost same conditions.
* I don't know if it changed or not on iPhone, but Android let you use GPS on Airplane mode.
* Android has Oruxmaps. free alternative to GaiaGPS Backcountry Navigator.
* Bluetooth is much more straight forward. share those pictures and music easily.
* Many high end Android phones are IP66 certified. I think it's 1.5 m deep for 30 min. means they are pretty waterproof and more impotent – more dustproof. think about all those cool underwater photos..

I didn't even talk about crucial things like CPU, camera etc etc, because those things say nothing to most people.

And again – more bang for the buck. IMO it's the most important thing.

Ralph, does it have to be the Nuud? Lifeproof has the fre as well, which is available for the 6 and which also claims to be waterproof/dustproof/etc. To be honest, I have no idea what the difference is between the two, but they seem to do the same thing.

Doug, as I understand it, the Fre covers the screen.
The great thing that I liked about the Nuud is that the screen is open – you see and touch the unprotected screen the way Apple designed it. A gasket around the edge seals it for waterproofing.

I generally dislike the use of any case at all for everyday use. I think a major attraction of the iPhone is the beauty of its design, and it's designed to be robust enough for everyday use for anyone over the age of 18, so for everday use, I go caseless. Of course, backpacking is a different story – and the Nuud was a great solution for me. My iPhone 5 didn't have a scratch on it after 2 years.

[Edit: I offered my old Nuud for iphone5 – no longer available, somebody has taken it]

Ralph- sounds like your results are pretty good :)

Rocco- most definitely let me know what your results are!

I'm not 100% on the iphone, sounds like I better look into android as well- my main purpose for getting a smart phone is use in the backcountry.

thanks

>"I missed having the Lifeproof Nuud case that I used with iPhone 5. Pricey but awesome. Nothing covering the screen, but completely waterproof – I dropped my iPhone 5 in a river in Costa Rica, where it sat for 15 minutes underwater until I found it."

I inadvertently gave a VERY thorough test to a Lifeproof case for my iPad. The boat sunk in Cook Inlet, Alaska (we made it to shore and got rescued), but it was 4 days before I charter a boat to retrieve the gear, rifles, bear, etc. 4 days on a salt-water beach (albeit in a daypack) and it was fine. Since then, I haven't hesitated to use it in the hot tub, bath tub, etc. The only downsides are the protected iPad is heavier (duh) and the charging port doesn't take a lot of the after-market chargers which are slightly larger than factory ones. I like that the iPad is less slippery for having those rubbery edges now, and it also seems more shock-resistant for the same reason.

I'm tempted to get one for my iPhone 6. Until then, I boat and backpack with my phone in a generic little dry box or dry bag and only take it out in safe places.

I will be getting the iPhone 6 Plus with an eye towards backpacking as well as my work needs. I have played with the Plus and like the larger screen, better camera and the much longer battery life. I currently have an iPhone 5 and have used iPhones on all of my hikes the last few years. With proper settings management, I have been fine with my iPhone 5's battery life using the following apps at least once a day: Topo Maps (occasionally using GPS to check my location on the map), Voice Memos (nightly audio journal), Hold'em (playing a couple of rounds of Texas Hold'em before bed), and for photos. When I arrive back at the trailhead, there is always enough juice to make calls, check my texts, email, etc.

Idan Y,

You are right about Android letting you use GPS while in Airplane mode. I still don't understand why the Iphone can't do it, even with a Jailbreak I wasn't able to find a way.

Androids are cheaper, but wouldn't recommend going too cheap. Worth paying a little more for the better ones.

As for Iphone vs. Android, it really does come down to what works best for you. Don't let price be a factor in something you are going to be using daily for at least 2 years.

Gaiagps is on Android and Iphone. Currently I think it's a little more developed on Iphone, but they are pretty much the same. Completely worth the $20. You can use Gaia Cloud sync to choose trails from the online map and then they'll automatically sync to your phone.

In terms of battery life that comparison isn't fair at all. You are comparing a phone with a 6000mha battery vs. one with a 1500mah batter. If the Iphone would had had a 6000mah battery it would have lasted almost 2 weeks.

Phones in terms of being weather resistant. Only a few number of Android phones are "Waterproof" I wouldn't put the GS5 under water. My friend has a Sony z3 and it's meant for that. There was an unboxing of it underwater, no special case needed.
Down side with the Iphone, you'll want a case for it. If you want water proof, don't get an off brand case, or knock off. It'll be rain proof and maybe dust proof, but don't expect them to keep your phone dry underwater. You shouldn't really trust cases like the Lifeproof to do that either. The bright side to the iphone is that because it's the same, companies can make a wide variety of cases for it, so you do have many to choose from.

Also, please don't let things like 2.6ghz quad core, 16 Mega Pixel camera, etc persuade you.
Just because the numbers are higher doesn't mean it's better. The iphone's camera might be only 8MP, but is one of the best if not the best Camera phone out currently. That was one of the main reasons I got mine. The video stabilization is insane. (I like taking video as I hike.)

I'll leave you this review to explain. One of the best reviews out there for it. Tons of video and picture comparisons vs. other phones as well with a quick Google search.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/5

Edit: The iphone has a 1.4ghz dual core by the way. Apple just has way more control over the software and hardware so can get more performance out of a slower cpu.

how do you turn the sim off on the iphone?

and then if I understand it correctly, keep it airplane mode- then when you want to check gps location, turn airplane mode off and then remember to put it back when done- is this correct?

I'm assuming you can look at the topo maps and use the camera in airplane mode?

also is the gps component compatible w/ the topo map app, ie it will show your position directly on the topo map?

the 6 + even w/ it's bigger screen (which take more juice according to tests done w/ video apps/etc)) will definitely have longer battery life in the backcountry w/ the appropriate settings?

In iOS8 (I think earlier OS's are similar) it's under
Phone > Settings > SIM PIN
Then, so far as I know, you must power cycle the phone to lock it.
You will get a prompt with an option to unlock the SIM by entering your PIN when the phone powers up, or any time you switch off flight mode.

With the SIM locked, cell services are always off, so flight mode ON/OFF now just toggles the GPS chip OFF/ON.
Flight mode ON does not inhibit anything else – you can use the camera & browse maps without GPS.

re your other questions:

There are various mapping apps. The $10 "Offline Topo Maps" is basic and efficient – with GPS on it shows your current position with an arrow on the map, or of course you can just browse the map with GPS off. You can download relevant chunks of USGS Topo (or several other maps) onto your phone for freee – obviously you want to do this over a good WiFi connection before you leave. In fact, this has been a motivation for me to get a lot more memory on this phone for the first time. I have half the country just sitting ready on my phone, no need to mess around.

Gaia is the slightly more expensive full-function version of Offline Topo Maps, where you can do the usual GPS stuff – waypoints, tracking, etc. There are other apps too.

I don't have any data for the 6+, but experience would suggest that it's powering the cell & GPS functions that drains most of the power, whereas intermittent powering the screen for camera or map browsing consumes relatively little. So, provided you're not watching movies, I don't think that screen size would be a dominant determinant of battery life.

thank you Sir! :)

Thanks for your answer Rocco.

I must say that price is, and will be huge factor for everything we consume, including cellphones. especially when average person switch one after 2 years.

Personally, I think Oruxmaps is amazing open-source application. I'm totally into donating the author, who let everyone use it for free, instead to a company.
And if paying to a company, I'd buy Backcountry navigator. I had all those apps on the PCT. loved Backcountry the best (and I got it for free on Google sale)

I think the battery comparison IS fair, because it's absurd how small battery the iPhone has. if I compare LG G2 to iPhone, I get 2 times at least more battery life. I get more screen time for the weight. the whole point is that iPhone DOESN'T have a big battery. and for me – juice on trial is really important (to who isn't?)

About weatherproofness: I personally tested a GS5 underwater. I use ATM Xperia Z2 and used it underwater aswell. the Z2 seen REALLY bad times in terms of dust and water. it's miracle.
there are still at least 10 options of weatherproof android phones out there. Take a look on S5 Active – you don't think it's more suitable for trial?

I'm not saying the iPhone is NOT a good cellphone. if you'll ask me "Hey buddy, what do you think is the best cellphone?" I'll probably say iPhone. why? because of prestige. because Apple knows what humans want. but I'd say different answer if the main usage is for the backcountry.
Eventually, there is only one thing that Android will never have: User experience. on that – iPhone is the only champion. for a reason.

To summarize – iPhone a beautiful jewelry that I wouldn't want to damage. I think Android has much more to offer for a backcountry cellphone.

About prices; If I had to buy a cellphone right now, I'd buy a S5 Active for 350$. nothing beats that. in 1.5-2 years – i'll buy a new one, with all the relevant technologies. and if the S5 Active gets lost – I'd feel bad. seriously. :-)

looked at the S5 Active and after reading reviews of accidental 911 calls, camera coming on, etc- I'm going to pass on it- it's getting a little heavy to boot, BUT the the "plain jane" S5 looks to have the same battery, same IP rating, same battery saving measures (they have a "ultra battery savings" mode that evens switches the screen to black and white, amongst several other things) AND lower weight w/ no chance of accidental button pushing

when comparing batteries w/ the iphone6 1810 mAh vs 2800 mAh of the S5, is this an apple to apple comparo? if so it looks like the S5 has ~ 50% larger capacity, if not disregard :)

I did read some non-flattering things about the S5 camera, can anyone comment on the camera quality?

The thing I've noticed with Iphones is that you can get very similar battery life compared to Android if you tweak all the right settings.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/7
That link above is to battery life tests. Anandtech is the most accurate site because they test on actual screen brightness, 200nits vs. 50% brightness. The iphone has a more efficient screen when displaying brighter and whiter images.

The main advantage "IS" that the iphone has a smaller battery. I'd assume to bring a small battery pack. You could charge an Iphone twice with a 4000mah pack or less than 1.5 times for most Android phones.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00861BX7E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got that battery back and could charge my iphone 5 multiple times. I could use my phone as much as I wanted on an overnighter and not worry or even a couple day trip. I'm a little worried for this 4 day trip I'm going on, but this should be able to charge my iphone 6+ twice, but we'll see.

As for photo quality, that's one of the main reasons I chose the 6+ over the 6 to get just that much better low light performance.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/9
Compared to multiple other phones in image quality.
The GS5 has a fantastic camera, it's just when compared to the iPhone's, especially when shooting low light images, the iphone wins by far.

I know I sound like I'm really Biased towards the iphone, and I guess I am a little :P, but trying to set some information right.I've seen far to many people bash the iphone just because they didn't know how to fully utilize it and for the ones who say not being able to utilize it is the problem, well that's kind of the point of the iphone to be simple with out having as must things to choose from. If you want that just Jailbreak, it's not hard. The iphone just works better for me. I like Apple's ecosystem, I don't have to worry about crashes, as many random software glitches, etc. I used to have a Rooted Droid x, but just wasn't for me.

I'm waiting to hear how your 4 day trip goes; I have a four trip planned this spring that could pose the need for a fair bit of navigation (snow covered trails)- I'd like to bring one device vs a GPS and a camera; sounds like a smartphone could meet that need- just need to chose the right one :)

Keep this in mind. I'm going to be shooting a fair amount of video, at least I plan to. At least half hour to an hour over the course of the trip. You'll want to keep that in mind for the number I give you.

will do :)

also that charging device you linked really wouldn't work for me on a 4-5 day trip, it's 10-ish oz if I read the specs correctly, for that weight I'd just bring my camera (4.5 oz) and my GPS (4 oz)- my hope is to save a little weight w/ one device

You might also consider an Android phone with a removable battery. You can get extras that will be pretty light. That battery pack on my scale comes out to 6.4oz

yeah- in addition to the iphone, I'm looking at the Galaxy S5- good water resistance, appears to have good battery life and removable battery

And, Ive looked.into the Ipbones and have several freinds who own them,

My conclusion is that UNLESS you are heavily invested in Apples operating formats from years of prior Apple use, the Androids like the Galaxy S5 are a better all around choice.

The Iphone 6plus is supposed to have the usual great Apple camera and speaker setup but the software is still supposedly full of bugs (lots of service updates)?

Refuse to be assimilated…;

Thought I'd update this thread now that I'm back from my trip.

Unplugged my Iphone 6+ Saturday morning and now at 28% Tuesday 4PM getting out of the woods.

9PM Saturday night was at 91%. (Would had been higher if I didn't have to text a lot to meet up with my friend in a low signal area.)

Sunday Night was in the low 70s%, but dropped into the 60s% after playing a game of Monopoly.

Monday Night I think I was in the 50s%, but then decided to web browse more than the other nights dropping it into upper 30s%.

Keep this in mind:
1. Shut my phone off every night.
2. Put into Sim lock during the day and Airplane mode when not using GPS.
3. Recorded 35 minutes of video + many photos
4. Used Gaia GPS few times per day.
5. Changed all the settings on my phone for max battery life.
6. Web browsed a little every night, Monday being the biggest drain.

I'd say if you just use the phone as a gps and camera, then you should be able to get a week out of it. Brought my battery pack for nothing on this trip. :P

Not specifically about the OP's question, but related info some might find useful.

http://www.scottyloveless.com/ios-battery-life/