Netflix iOS app updated, puts iPhone 6 Plus 1080p screen to good use

The iPhone 6 Plus is the first Apple smartphone to ship with a Full HD, 1080p resolution display, but relatively few iOS apps take full advantage of the extra pixels. That isn’t the case any more for on demand video service Netflix, as its iOS app has just been updated to deliver Full HD streaming to the iPhone 6 Plus.

Netflix has supported 1080p streaming to Android devices with a high enough screen resolution since Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but has only now caught up on Apple’s mobile OS. Update 7.0 not only introduces Full HD playback, but adds an overhauled layout designed to be more efficient with space given the larger screen size of the iPhone 6 Plus. It now displays much more information onscreen at once when browsing for something to watch, which should mean less scrolling before you find what you’re looking for. 

The app now fully supports iOS 8, and carries its big-screen optimisations over to the iPhone 6 as well as the 6 Plus. The company has also improved Chromecast support, letting you stream to Google’s TV dongle as well as Airplay compatible devices like Apple TV.

It’s not clear whether 1080p streaming is only available over Wi-Fi, or whether any iPhone 6 Plus owners with particularly huge (or unlimited) data plans will be able to stream Full HD content over 4G LTE. If it is possible, we would certainly recommend users with smaller data allowances check they are connected to Wi-Fi before starting playback, to avoid any surprising bills.

Netflix update 7.0 should download automatically to all iOS devices if automatic updates are enabled and the app is already installed. If you have yet to download it, it is available for free from the iTunes App Store – although naturally you’ll need to pay for a subscription in order to use the service.