Apple unveils iPhone 6S with 12-megapixel camera, new rose gold color; preorders begin Sept. 12 (hands-on)
Design: Feels the sameNo surprise, but the new iPhones have nearly identical hand feel and design. Put one in someone's hand, and there's no way they'd know if it was an "S" model or not.
True, there is a new color now, called rose gold (it basically looks like a blush pink, same as the new Apple Watch color option that the company announced). But as far as looks go, this extra shade is the extent of the changes you'll be able to visually detect between this year's and last year's phones.
Apple's emphasis on hardware upgrades over design development follows the pattern that the Cupertino-based company has long established: significant changes come in the even years and incremental updates in the odd. It's a move that could alienate buyers as much cheaper "premium" handsets compete with titans like Apple for market share.
However, significant updates to the iPhone 6S' camera technology, a new form of pressure-sensitive navigation called 3D Touch, and a faster processor all combine to keep the next-generation phone looking competitive enough to counter other top-tier handsets as we approach the year-end holiday rush.
Aerospace-grade aluminum and sturdier glassApple says that its phone may look the same as last year's model, but its iPhone 6S duo has achieved more inner strength. This time it uses a different grade of aluminum for its chassis, one that's also used in the aerospace industry. They call it Series 7,000, and it's the same aluminum alloy Apple puts into its Apple Watch Sport. The company clearly hopes this reinforced material will help deflect against future "Bendgate" backlashes, where some customers complained that their 5.5-inch iPhone 6S phones "bent" after being sat on.
Apparently, a new type of chemically strengthened glass also tops the iPhone 6S, though the company hasn't confirmed if this is cover material from Corning's Gorilla Glass line or not.
Brand new 'force' touch: Subtle but effectiveApple has included a variation of Force Touch, which you find in different capacities on the Apple Watch and on some Mac trackpads. Called 3D Touch here, the iPhone 6S phones will adopt the same pressure-sensitive capability that calls up secondary menus and actions when you press and hold the screen.
Press down and you can pull up context-sensitive menus, switch apps, or examine photos. But it's a subtle riff on what already exists on iPhones: tapping and holding.
The device features a pressure-sensitive display that adds more functionality to its apps.
Another use is to access shortcuts from the home screen for your most frequent actions, say messaging a friend. And if you're in your email inbox, applying fingertip pressure to an element in the message will surface more information, like maybe the flight number on an emailed travel itinerary, for instance. (Apple called this concept "peeking in" during the live demo.)
Pressing harder on an app will likewise generate more options, like viewing all the photos of a contact's Instagram photo stream. In the context of a game, pressing harder could zoom you in to get closer to the action.
We're not sure why Force Touch was rebranded as 3D Touch, and it's not necessarily a clearer term for what it does. But after using it for a bit, it's undoubtedly something you'd want on every smartphone. In a couple of years, it seems like it would become as standard as multitouch. But the way it feels ends up coming across as pretty subtle. Menus gently pop up, photos slowly come alive. The iPhone throbs gently beneath via the Taptic Engine haptics, like on the Apple Watch. Pressing in didn't cause a realistic, hard mechanical "click" in the same way that the new MacBook trackpads do. The implementation seems designed to feel invisible and comfortable, not weirdly magical.
Pricing and availabilityThe iPhone 6S and its 5.5-inch twin, the 6S Plus, will be open for preorder on September 12, with phones arriving in stores around the globe on September 25.
In the US, the 16GB version that starts at $200 on contract (the 6S Plus will cost $300 on contract).
In the UK, the iPhone 6S costs £539 (16GB), £619 (64GB) and £699 (128GB). In contrast, the 6S Plus will go for £619, £699 and £789, respectively.
In Australia, the iPhone 6S costs AU$1,079 (16GB), AU$1,229 (64GB) and AU$1,379 (128GB). The 6S Plus will go for AU$1,229, AU$1,379 and AU$1,529, respectively.
iPhone Upgrade Program
Apple has also introduced a new pricing plan, for the US only for now, that starts at $32 per month (for the 16GB version iPhone 6S) for 24 months, with the option to upgrade to a new iPhone each year, say from the 6S to next year's 7, to the 7S, and so on. (Apple sales numbers are healthier when you don't hold onto your phone for two years or longer.)
By way of example, US pricing breaks down like this. You'll need to check local retailers for support where you live.
iPhone 6SiPhone 6S Plus16GB$32.41/month$36.58/mon
Big enough changes?Every year we ask ourselves if the enhancements to the S-series of iPhone are worth the purchase. This year, like every year, the answer is that it depends which phone you currently have. For a lot of people, the "S" versions are the ones to get: more polished, greater under-the-hood speed bumps. But they're also the less exciting-looking phones.
The 5S added Touch ID as its new big feature. On the 6S and 6S Plus, it's 3D Touch. 3D Touch could end up being a far more influential change to the iPhone, but it depends on which apps will use it. Odds are, until all iPhones have 3D Touch, it won't be heavily leaned on. But there's no way to know what 3D Touch really feels like until we use it for more than 10 minutes in a demo room.th64GB$36.58/month$40.75/month128GB$40.75/month$44.91/month respectively
Really, if you bought an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus last year, the most truly compelling upgrade is to the camera, which certainly sounds like a huge jump on paper. The iPhone 6 already takes terrific photos, so there's a lot of promise there for mobile photographers and avid selfie-shooters who can benefit from that front-facing flash. But again, how much better is this camera? Stay tuned.
If you have an older iPhone, such as iPhone 5S or earlier, the iPhone 6S is going to feel fast, fresh and powerful by comparison, and a pretty huge leap up. And for the extra $100 over the 6 models, it'll probably be worth the cost. The new processor speeds are impossible to vet out now, but on paper they're another serious boost...even if existing phones already are plenty fast enough.
-team tefyra
B.SRIKAR
True, there is a new color now, called rose gold (it basically looks like a blush pink, same as the new Apple Watch color option that the company announced). But as far as looks go, this extra shade is the extent of the changes you'll be able to visually detect between this year's and last year's phones.
Apple's emphasis on hardware upgrades over design development follows the pattern that the Cupertino-based company has long established: significant changes come in the even years and incremental updates in the odd. It's a move that could alienate buyers as much cheaper "premium" handsets compete with titans like Apple for market share.
However, significant updates to the iPhone 6S' camera technology, a new form of pressure-sensitive navigation called 3D Touch, and a faster processor all combine to keep the next-generation phone looking competitive enough to counter other top-tier handsets as we approach the year-end holiday rush.
Aerospace-grade aluminum and sturdier glassApple says that its phone may look the same as last year's model, but its iPhone 6S duo has achieved more inner strength. This time it uses a different grade of aluminum for its chassis, one that's also used in the aerospace industry. They call it Series 7,000, and it's the same aluminum alloy Apple puts into its Apple Watch Sport. The company clearly hopes this reinforced material will help deflect against future "Bendgate" backlashes, where some customers complained that their 5.5-inch iPhone 6S phones "bent" after being sat on.
Apparently, a new type of chemically strengthened glass also tops the iPhone 6S, though the company hasn't confirmed if this is cover material from Corning's Gorilla Glass line or not.
Brand new 'force' touch: Subtle but effectiveApple has included a variation of Force Touch, which you find in different capacities on the Apple Watch and on some Mac trackpads. Called 3D Touch here, the iPhone 6S phones will adopt the same pressure-sensitive capability that calls up secondary menus and actions when you press and hold the screen.
Press down and you can pull up context-sensitive menus, switch apps, or examine photos. But it's a subtle riff on what already exists on iPhones: tapping and holding.
The device features a pressure-sensitive display that adds more functionality to its apps.
Another use is to access shortcuts from the home screen for your most frequent actions, say messaging a friend. And if you're in your email inbox, applying fingertip pressure to an element in the message will surface more information, like maybe the flight number on an emailed travel itinerary, for instance. (Apple called this concept "peeking in" during the live demo.)
Pressing harder on an app will likewise generate more options, like viewing all the photos of a contact's Instagram photo stream. In the context of a game, pressing harder could zoom you in to get closer to the action.
We're not sure why Force Touch was rebranded as 3D Touch, and it's not necessarily a clearer term for what it does. But after using it for a bit, it's undoubtedly something you'd want on every smartphone. In a couple of years, it seems like it would become as standard as multitouch. But the way it feels ends up coming across as pretty subtle. Menus gently pop up, photos slowly come alive. The iPhone throbs gently beneath via the Taptic Engine haptics, like on the Apple Watch. Pressing in didn't cause a realistic, hard mechanical "click" in the same way that the new MacBook trackpads do. The implementation seems designed to feel invisible and comfortable, not weirdly magical.
Pricing and availabilityThe iPhone 6S and its 5.5-inch twin, the 6S Plus, will be open for preorder on September 12, with phones arriving in stores around the globe on September 25.
In the US, the 16GB version that starts at $200 on contract (the 6S Plus will cost $300 on contract).
In the UK, the iPhone 6S costs £539 (16GB), £619 (64GB) and £699 (128GB). In contrast, the 6S Plus will go for £619, £699 and £789, respectively.
In Australia, the iPhone 6S costs AU$1,079 (16GB), AU$1,229 (64GB) and AU$1,379 (128GB). The 6S Plus will go for AU$1,229, AU$1,379 and AU$1,529, respectively.
iPhone Upgrade Program
Apple has also introduced a new pricing plan, for the US only for now, that starts at $32 per month (for the 16GB version iPhone 6S) for 24 months, with the option to upgrade to a new iPhone each year, say from the 6S to next year's 7, to the 7S, and so on. (Apple sales numbers are healthier when you don't hold onto your phone for two years or longer.)
By way of example, US pricing breaks down like this. You'll need to check local retailers for support where you live.
iPhone 6SiPhone 6S Plus16GB$32.41/month$36.58/mon
Big enough changes?Every year we ask ourselves if the enhancements to the S-series of iPhone are worth the purchase. This year, like every year, the answer is that it depends which phone you currently have. For a lot of people, the "S" versions are the ones to get: more polished, greater under-the-hood speed bumps. But they're also the less exciting-looking phones.
The 5S added Touch ID as its new big feature. On the 6S and 6S Plus, it's 3D Touch. 3D Touch could end up being a far more influential change to the iPhone, but it depends on which apps will use it. Odds are, until all iPhones have 3D Touch, it won't be heavily leaned on. But there's no way to know what 3D Touch really feels like until we use it for more than 10 minutes in a demo room.th64GB$36.58/month$40.75/month128GB$40.75/month$44.91/month respectively
Really, if you bought an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus last year, the most truly compelling upgrade is to the camera, which certainly sounds like a huge jump on paper. The iPhone 6 already takes terrific photos, so there's a lot of promise there for mobile photographers and avid selfie-shooters who can benefit from that front-facing flash. But again, how much better is this camera? Stay tuned.
If you have an older iPhone, such as iPhone 5S or earlier, the iPhone 6S is going to feel fast, fresh and powerful by comparison, and a pretty huge leap up. And for the extra $100 over the 6 models, it'll probably be worth the cost. The new processor speeds are impossible to vet out now, but on paper they're another serious boost...even if existing phones already are plenty fast enough.
-team tefyra
B.SRIKAR
see also