As per the expectation Apple introduced its
ninth-generation iPhones, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus, at a media
event in San Francisco, California on September 9, 2015.This is an updated
version of its iPhone series with an identical design and a bundle of new
features.
Chief amongst them is a pressure-sensitive
display, enabling a feature that Apple calls 3D Touch. 3D Touch allows you to press
down on the iPhone's screen to pull up new menus, activate shortcuts, and
generally interact with the device in new ways.
While the iPhone 6S maintains the same design and 4.7-inch
display size as the iPhone 6, it's being offered in a new color: rose gold. The
phone is also built out of several new materials. It's using a new aluminum,
which Apple says is its own custom alloy. And its display is now covered with a
new glass, the same Ion-X that's used on the Apple Watch Sport. You can play
that these changes are, at least in part, designed to make the phone less prone
to bending.
3D Touch enables two new ways to interact with the iPhone,
which Apple is calling "peek" and "pop." Peek allows you to
press on app icons and other buttons to pull up shortcuts directly into
specific features. Pressing on the Camera app, for instance, offers the option
to jump right into taking a selfie. Pressing on the Facebook app gives you the
option of updating your status, taking a photo, checking in, or starting a
search. Pop allows you to pull up overlays of photos and videos without
actually having them take over the screen; once you move away, you'll be right
back to where you were before.
Apple is providing a 12-megapixel rear camera in the new
iPhone. This is the first time that Apple has bumped its camera's megapixel count
since the iPhone 4S in 2011. The camera is also now capable of recording 4K
video, and it's supposed to have an improved autofocus in all cases. It also
says that the camera has an improved autofocus. One thing that has not been
changed is the lens still protrudes from the back of the phone.
5MP front camera for selfie lovers
The front camera has also been changed now. It's now a
5-megapixel camera with flash: the phone's display just lights up really bright
— apparently up to three times brighter than it usually would. It'll also
customize the color that it flashes to match the ambient lighting of the atmosphere
a photo is being taken in.
Apple has also introduced a feature called "live
photos," which will capture a short clip of video alongside every photo
that you take. You can turn the feature off, but it's on by default, capturing
a second and a half to both sides of every photo. A 12 megapixel image is still
captured right in the middle. It's a pretty neat idea — even if HTC and others
tried features like this years ago — but there's one reason to be worried about
it: storage. All that video is going to take up a lot of space, regardless of
how "space efficient" Apple claims they'll be.
Apple is also demonstrating new animated wallpapers on the
phone — those may be part of iOS 9 in general, however.The iPhone 6S is also supposed to be getting faster
wireless speeds over both Wi-Fi and LTE. Apple says that Wi-Fi should be twice
as fast, and LTE is improving with the addition of more bands, now up to 23.
Touch ID is also supposed to be improved on this model of the iPhone. Apple
didn't go into a lot of detail there, but presumably it'll be faster or more
accurate than the sensor on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in gold, silver,
space gray and the new rose gold metallic finishes for $0 down with 24 monthly
payments starting at $27 (US) and $31 (US), respectively, from Apple’s retail
stores in the US, Apple.com, select carriers and Apple Authorized
Resellers.
Exclusively at Apple’s retail stores in the US, customers
can choose their carrier and get an unlocked iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus with
the opportunity to get a new iPhone annually and AppleCare+ on the new iPhone
Upgrade Program with monthly payments starting at $32 (US) and $37 (US),
respectively.
Both models will be available in Australia, Canada, China,
France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK
and the US beginning Friday, September 25, with pre-orders beginning Saturday,
September 12.
Apple-designed accessories including leather and
silicone cases in a range of colors and Lightning Docks in color-matched
metallic finishes will also be available.