You are on page 1of 5

Sam Ayers

Assignment 1: Information Literacy



1

Mobile Technology: iPhone 6 Plus
Summarization on the iPhone 6 Plus Review
Darrell Etherington, author for the Techcrunch article entitled iPhone 6 Plus Review:
The First Truly Well-Designed Big Smartphone (2014) discusses the new layout and design of
the recently released iPhone 6 Plus. One benefit to this device is the large screen size, but some
people are viewing this as a drawback due to their inability to grasp such a device. The iPhone 6
Plus has a fast processor and is equipped with the standard iOS operating system, which is a part
of the standard Apple products. A variety of storage options are available for this phone
including options such as 16GB to 128GB hard-drive. This new phone moves Apple into the
phablet category once dominated by Android and Windows devices. Adding to the appeal of
the new iPhone 6 Plus is an upgraded camera and some applications that help the user feel more
comfortable with the device. The author recommends this device as a combination technology
element that is useful for many different aspects of life. This overall package leaves the new
iPhone 6 Plus as one of the best phones coming onto the mobile market.
Internet Articles on the Usability of Smartphone Devices
Utilizing two well-known search engines, Ask and Google, many relevant articles about
the iPhone 6 Plus were obtained. Using the search term iPhone 6 Plus Review, two similar
articles were selected to analyze the usability of this specific device.
Gareth Beavis, author and editor for techradar.com, completed a review of the newly
released iPhone 6 Plus (2014). Beavis decided that the device, although a new addition to the
phablet line-up of phones, falls short of the abilities of its android counterparts. The phone
Sam Ayers
Assignment 1: Information Literacy

2

would be perfect for Apple users who are in need of a larger display, otherwise, the phones
specifications are similar to previously introduced Apple devices.
Critic Molly Wood of the New York Times, completed a recent review of the iPhone 6
Plus (2014). Wood feels that although there are some new features and a larger display, the new
iPhone isnt anything to be running off to get. The previous Apple customers with older devices
will be receiving the new software updates keeping their devices competitive with the new
phone.
Both Ask and Google have the option to use advanced search parameters ensuring that
results yielded are narrowed towards the desired search term. Utilizing the search term iPhone
6 Plus Review yielded comparative result quantities for both search engines. Google is a
preferred engine for my search due to frequency and comfort of use, compared to Ask which is
rarely used due to my uncertainty of it as a question-answer based search tool.
TRAAP
The article titled Review and Video: With Big New iPhones, the iOS 8 Software Inside
Shines was written on September 16, 2014. The article serves as a critique for the new device
release, therefore does not require updates. With regards to the iPhone 6 Plus review, this article
discusses the pros and cons of the device, which is relevant towards the search topic. Molly
Wood, the author of this article, has worked for the New York Times for 15 years covering the
technology industry as a commentator, critic, reporter, podcaster, and video host. Wood has a
reputable background in the technology industry and therefore seems to be an adequate source
for a critique on the subject matter. Due to this being a review of a manufactured device, the
specifications are accurate and reported in trustworthy detail. The device itself has to undergo
Sam Ayers
Assignment 1: Information Literacy

3

series of tests before being released, but the information presented by Wood is a personal critique
which requires no further evaluation in order to be presented. The purpose for the article is to
inform consumers about the Apple product. Due to this being a critique based article, personal
bias must be accounted for due to the authors experiences with similar products.
Journal Articles on Usability of Smartphone Devices
The keywords mobile technology and iPhone AND design were utilized to search for
scholarly journal articles about the iPhone 6 Plus device. The database used was the Business
Source Premier. The database was chosen due to the ability to use limits such as full text,
scholarly journal specifications, and publication date restrictions (2000 to 2014). When using
the search term mobile technology and applying the limits as described above, 338 results
were obtained and the article Understanding Personal Mobile Technologies: Decomposing and
De-Averaging the Value of a Smartphone was selected. Arbore, Graziani, and Venturini (2014)
completed a study to determine which value a consumer uses to choose a smartphone device.
When using the search term iPhone AND design and applying the limits as described above,
31 results were obtained and the article Usability Ratings for Everyday Products Measured
With the System Usability Scale was selected. Krotum and Bangor (2013) utilized a
standardized scale in which consumers rated a product on its usability. Both articles add to the
premise on how a product should be selected using a standardized approach.
Internet and Journal Article Comparison
Due to being a college student with ease of access of the CCBC Library, the availability
of both internet and journal articles is easily comparable. The internet articles are more recent
due to the recent release of the product onto the market, but both types of sources are published
Sam Ayers
Assignment 1: Information Literacy

4

within the past two years. As discussed previously, both internet articles are authored by
critics/editors of an organization. The authors of the journal articles have more credibility due to
their studies being published in well-known journals. The journal articles utilized quantitative
data to ensure accuracy of presented information while the internet articles display information
on a somewhat personal opinion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both source types discussed can be utilized to gather information about a
specific topic, but a person must be able to differentiate authoritative versus unauthoritative
information. There are many techniques that can be used to analyze usability of emerging
mobile technology, and these techniques will be helpful for consumers interested in purchasing
the iPhone 6 Plus.









Sam Ayers
Assignment 1: Information Literacy

5

References
Arbore, A., Graziani, R., & Venturini, S. (2014). Understanding personal mobile technologies:
Decomposing and de-averaging the value of a smartphone. Journal of Information
Systems, 28(1), 167-185. doi:10.2308/isys-50668
Beavis, G. (2014, September 17). The big iphone is here, with a stunning design and sizeable
body. Retrieved from http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/ipho
ne-6-plus-1264566/review#articleContent
Etherington, D. (2014, September 17). iPhone 6 plus review: The first truly well-designed big
smartphone. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/16/iphone-6-plus-review/
Kortum, P. T., and Bangor, A. (2013). Usability ratings for everyday products measured with
system usability scale. Intl. Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 29, 67-76.
doi:10.1080/10447318.2012.681221
Wood, M. (2014, September 16). Review and video: With big new iphones, ios 8 software inside
shines. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/technology
/personaltech/review-and-video-with-new-iphone-6-and-6-plus-its-whats-inside-that-
counts.html?_r=0

You might also like