mafhome – Apple announced the next versions of its best-selling smartphones, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, at its annual launch event in San Francisco, the iPhone 6S looks identical to last year’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6, reserving its most important alterations for the hardware interior.
The biggest, and most noticeable change to this year’s set of phones is “3D Touch,” a pressure-sensitive display technology that lets you push in to do new things on your phone. After getting a chance to check out the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus briefly at Apple’s San Francisco event, these were our impressions.
iphone 6s review
A 12-megapixel camera with 4K video
The iPhone 6S’s camera finally got a huge upgrade with a 12-megapixel iSight camera and a two-tone flash. The increase in pixels improves the detail in photos, but Apple claims that image quality won’t be degraded thanks to new technology like “deep trench isolation,” which separates the photo diodes to maintain accurate colors and limit noise. The sensor has 50 percent more pixels as well as 50 percent more focus pixels to make auto focus faster.
The company showed off a number of incredible images taken with the iPhone 6S, and assured the crowd that none were retouched. A new panorama shot shows off how much bigger the panoramas can be, too. The iPhone 6S can now shoot 4K video, too — though you won’t be able to appreciate all the extra pixels viewing videos on the phone’s sub-4K screen.
3D Touch
Apple’s new 3D touch-enabled screen takes multitouch to the next level by adding a third dimension: pressure. It’s sort of like Force Touch on the Apple Watch, but with special features for the iPhone and different levels of pressure. Apple calls it “3D Touch.” A light press on the screen will bring up a preview of content, whether it be an image, a website, or an itinerary. If you keep pressing, you’ll enter the content you selected. It allows you to dip in and out of where you are without losing context. The background of the app you’re in blurs out a bit, so you can see a preview on top.
According to Apple, you won’t have to jam down on the screen like you do on the Apple Watch; just a small bit of pressure can be registered on the screen, and the phone can tell the difference between mini taps and full taps. Capacitive sensors in the backlight portion of the display measure microscopic changes in distance between the glass and sensors. It also uses the accelerometer to determine pressure levels with more accuracy.
Design stays the same
Apple chose to keep the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus’ physical design the same, but now offers a rose gold aluminum finish in addition to the silver, space gray, and gold versions. The new iPhones are made out of the new 7000 series aluminum that was used on the Apple Watch.
Faster A9 processor, Hey Siri, and more
Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are powered by the A9 64-bit processor, which boasts a new transistor architecture for better energy efficiency. Apple says it’s 70 percent faster than the A8 at CPU tasks, and 90 percent faster at graphics tasks than the A8. An onboard M9 co-processor is always on to track steps and other fitness metrics. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus support LTE Advanced, so it should be twice as fast, and Apple supports 23 frequency bands. Wi-Fi is allegedly twice as fast, too.
Specifications
Price
iPhone 6s: from £539
iPhone 6s Plus: From £619
iPhone 6: From £529
iPhone 6 Plus: From £619
Display
iPhone 6s: 4.7 inches
iPhone 6s Plus: 5.5 inches
iPhone 6: 4.7 inches
iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5 inches
Back Camera
iPhone 6s: 12 megapixel, 4K video
iPhone 6s Plus: 12 megapixel, 4K video
iPhone 6: 8 megapixel, 1080p video
iPhone 6 Plus: 8 megapixels with optical image stabilisation, 1080p video
Front camera
iPhone 6s: 5 megapixel, with flash
iPhone 6s Plus: 5 megapixel, with flash
iPhone 6: 1.2 megapixel, 720p video
iPhone 6 Plus: 1.2 megapixel, 720p video
Storage
iPhone 6s: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
iPhone 6s Plus: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
iPhone 6: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
iPhone 6 Plus: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB