Apple’s big 2015 launch saw a repeat of 2014’s dual-handset approach with both the iPhone 6 and larger iPhone 6 Plus phablet getting the “S” treatment. In the past, “S” updates have been considered incremental, with boosts to processing power and camera tech taking centre stage, while the BIG overhaul updates to design and features tend to occur with the non-“S” iterations. That said, this year has seen those typical “S” model updates with a much faster processor and heftier camera hardware, but we’re also looking at some other big changes too, including a brand new way to interact with the touch display via 3D Touch.
This year’s September Apple Event was jam packed with announcements. We got the the all new Apple TV, the massive iPad Pro, new Apple Watch colors, and even the Apple Pencil. But of course the reason many were watching was to see what the new iPhones would be like–and Apple designated a large amount of the event to showing them off.
“The only thing that has changed with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is everything — 3D Touch lets users interact with iPhone in entirely new and fun ways, and the innovative Live Photos brings your pictures to life,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “These are the most advanced iPhones ever, with 7000 series aluminium, ion-strengthened glass, the new 64-bit A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight and 5-megapixel FaceTime HD cameras, faster Touch ID, LTE and Wi-Fi. Customers are going to love them.”
I know. I know — that sounds like a bunch of marketing fluff. And, for the most part it is. But there are quite a few BIG changes under the hood that users will almost certainly notice. The first is Force Touch, a new type of display technology that allows users to open and preview things from certain (Apple core) apps by pressing on the screen harder.
iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6s: Specs
Here’s the specs for the iPhone 6:
- Display: 4.7-inch display with a 1334×750-pixel resolution at 326ppi
- Dimensions: 138.1mm x 67mm x 6.9mm
- Weight: 129 grams
- Storage: 16 or 64
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Processors: A8 chip with 64-bit architecture and M8 motion coprocessor
- Front camera: FaceTime HD camera. 1.2 MP photos and 720p HD video.
- Rear camera: iSight camera. 8 MP photos. ƒ/2.2 aperture. 1080p video. True Tone flash.
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours mixed usage
- Touch ID: 1st generation sensor
- NFC: yes
- Colors: Silver or Space Grey
And here’s the specs for the iPhone 6s:
- Display: 4.7-inch display with a 1334×750-pixel resolution at 326ppi, 3DTouch enabled
- Dimensions: 138.3mm x 67.1 mm x 7.1 mm
- Weight: 143 grams
- Storage: 16, 64, or 128GB
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Processors: A9 chip with 64-bit architecture and M9 motion coprocessor
- Front camera: FaceTime HD camera. 5 MP photos and 720p HD video. Retina Flash
- Rear camera: iSight camera. 12 MP photos. ƒ/2.2 aperture. 4k video. True Tone flash.
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours mixed usage
- Touch ID: 2nd generation sensor
- NFC: yes
- Colors: Silver, Space Grey, Gold, or Rose Gold
The storage options for the iPhone 6s have remained the same: you still get 16, 64, or 128 GB. But for the iPhone 6, Apple has now eliminated the 128 GB option–if you want 128 you need to get the 6s. But the big news here is that Apple has FINALLY boosted the RAM in the iPhone to 2 GB for the 6s. That’s a 2x improvement over the iPhone 6–and you should really notice the speed increase across the board.
The other big internal improvement for the iPhone 6s is the A9 chip with the M9 motion coprocessor built-in. The A9 chip is 70% faster than the iPhone 6’s A8 and has an astonishing 90% faster GPU performance. Games are going to fly. Apple has also made a minor tweak to the motion coprocessor, making the new M9 part of the A9 chip.
iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6s: Display & Design
Externally the new iPhone 6s looks much the same as the old iPhone 6. However, due to a new 7000 series aluminum, which should avoid any Bendgate issues, and a new 3DTouch display the iPhone 6s is slightly thicker and wider than the 6–but only by 0.2mm or less, meaning you won’t notice it. What you might notice is in increase in weight, due to the same changes mentioned above. The new 6s comes in a hefty 14 grams heavier.
While Apple will continue to sell the iPhone 6, it’s now only available in Silver or Space Grey. If you want the Gold option, you’ll need to buy the 6s. The iPhone 6s also comes in a beautiful new Rose Gold color.
Of course the killer new feature of the iPhone 6s is its 3DTouch display. This is a new type of touchscreen that senses depth and pressure in addition to touch. That means your iPhone 6s will be able to tell how hard you’re pressing it and respond with new actions based on the strength of your touch. Apple calls these actions “Peek” and “Pop” and they work both in-app and on the home screen.
For example, in Messages you can force touch on a message to “peek” into it without needing to navigate into the thread. You can then press a bit harder if you like what you see and “pop” into that thread automatically. Peek and pop also works for calendar events, web URLs, and more.
The 3DTouch display also allows you to jump to sections of a specific app right from the home screen. For example, you can force touch the Phone app to get a popup menu that shows you favorite contacts. Simply touch their name and the call will be made without needing to open the Phone app at all. The 3DTouch display changes the way we interact with iOS, which is why it will feel like a totally different operating system on the iPhone 6s.
