iPhone 6s Specs and Features: Should You Upgrade?

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Tim Cook had this to say about the 6s and 6s Plus, “While they may look familiar, we have changed everything about these new iPhones.” I’m gonna give you the iPhone 6s specs and features to help you decide whether or not you should upgrade.

The “s” version of the iPhone has become somewhat of a tradition starting with the release of the iPhone 4s in October 2011, although the “s” has lost its significance over time as it originally stood for “Siri.”

The 4s was a significant improvement over the iPhone 4 with 4G providing a large advantage over the slowness of 3G as well as other great improvements like 1080p HD video. But fast-forward a couple years and the 5s was barely an improvement over the great iPhone 5. Because of that, it was unclear whether the 6s was going to be something special or just a stop-gap until we get the iPhone 7.

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Now that it’s been released, it’s clear this is going to be a different class of “s” with enough there to satiate any true Apple user.

I’m going to lay down the specs and features of the 6s and 6s Plus so you know what to expect and whether it’s worth upgrading.  So sit back, relax and strap on your seatbelt (Dre) as we get into the new iPhones in detail.

 

What kind of iPhone 6s Specs are we looking at?

They look very similar to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in terms of size and design. That’s cool with me because I don’t expect a major redesign with the “s” series but I expect major internal improvements.

Let’s start off by covering the “boring” tech specs:

iPhone 6s Casing

The phone is encased in a more durable aluminum, it’s called the 7000 series and it’s custom made for Apple. The aluminum actually has the same alloys that are used in the aerospace industry!  Apple claims that the new glass is the “strongest in the industry!” This makes for a durable product perfect for daily wear and tear. In fact, the casing is the same as what’s used in the Apple Watch.

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Weight

• iPhone 6s – 5.04 ounces
• iPhone 6s Plus – 6.77 ounces

Screen Specs

• iPhone 6 – 4.7-inch display
• iPhone 6s – 5.5-inch display

Capacity: iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

• 16GB
• 64GB
• 128GB

Ok so those are the simple specs so you know what to expect. They’re barely different from the 6 and 6 Plus. Now let’s cover what you really want to hear about – the brand-new iPhone 6s features.

3D Touch

Easily one of the most exciting new features, the 3D Touch feature, changes the entire way you use the iPhone. I mean, this makes sense if you think of the fact that you use touch technology for pretty much everything you do with your iPhone. If you don’t believe me go ahead, try and search for Miley Cyrus’ latest wardrobe malfunction without touching the screen…on second thought, please don’t.

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3D Touch delivers a whole new way to interact with any and all apps by creating an intuitive touch experience. Through new internal hardware it can detect how much pressure you’re applying to your screen, allowing you to use what’s called Peek and Pop.

Peek and Pop is a convenient tool that allows you to quickly preview content without actually having to open it. This is a tool aimed directly at efficiency. If you give your screen a light tap you can view the content preview like an e-mail, text or photo. If you press a littler harder it will “Pop” you into it, meaning open it fully.

This Pop and Peek feature even works with such things as website links. Let’s say someone sends you a link and you want to see what it is real quick. All got to do is just lightly tap it for a preview of the webpage. Then obviously if you want to fully open the website, press harder to pop into it.

 

Think of a use and Pop and Peek pretty much will work. Maps preview from an address – sure thing. Preview of the photos you’ve taken while you’re still in the camera – absolutely.

And just to make it feel more intelligent the display responds with little subtle taps so it feels like you’re pressing something “real” like a button. That’s good because I expect my technology to interact with me. I like a “Right on” every once in a while so I feel like I’m doing something right.

Quick Actions

Quick Actions is the ultimate shortcut action, again aimed at efficiency. The easiest way to explain this feature is by likening it to the right click function of a mouse. Here’s how it works. If you quickly tap on an icon a list of popular options will pop up for you to select.

If you click on the Maps icon, it will bring up things like “Directions Home” or “Search Nearby” without even opening the app. Tap on the option you want and you’re taken right to that action. Same goes for the camera icon, the phone icon and most other apps. The phone and text messaging apps will bring up the option to send to favorite contacts.

I definitely don’t think we should overlook the efficiency boost we’re going to get from Quick Actions. If it removes at least 1 or 2 steps per app use, you can add it up and see how much time and effort you’re saving.

Live Photos

This is one of the coolest new features of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in my humble opinion – who are we kidding, there’s nothing humble about my opinion. This IS the coolest new feature. Live Photos allows you to create what’s not really a photo or a video but something in between.

The “photo” captures the snap of the moment but also the moments leading up to and after the photo (1.5 seconds before and after), effectively bringing the photo to life. When you first glance at the photo it’s just a still photo but upon touching it it “wakes” up and shows the quick video of the moment including sound if you so choose.

Again in line with their efficient, streamlined features you don’t actually have to do anything different to create a Live Photo. You just snap a photo and the phone takes care of the rest by default.

A bonus to the Live Photos feature is that you can set it as your wallpaper or on your lock screen so when you touch it the wallpaper comes to life. You can either use one of your photos or choose from Apple’s stock Live Photos.

This is easily one of the more innovative features Apple has included in one of their products in quite a while. Mainly because it’s an angle to photography we’ve never thought of. Sure in a few months or a year it may just be “another thing” but for now it’s new and exciting. So let me have it, huh?

iPhone 6s Camera Upgrades

The camera is getting a pretty sweet update with the ability to take 4K videos and 12MP pictures. Whoa, 4K videos on an phone?! That’s right. Yeah we don’t really care that Samsung Galaxy phones like the Note 4 already record 4K videos. This is an Apple Gadget site so we’re allowed to be biased!

4K videos are recorded in 2160p. Compare that to the iPhone 6 which only records in 1080p. That’s quite an upgrade!

The “selfie” camera gets an upgrade as well going from 720p video in the 6 to 1080p in the new iPhone 6s as well as 1.2MP to 5MP for still photos. They’ve even added a feature that most of us have been dreading and desiring simultaneously, the flash for night-time selfie taking. That’s been a long standing problem and fortunately/unfortunately Apple solved it.

Click Here For iPhone Camera Tips

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Speed/Performance

As would be expected with any new iPhone there’s been a boost in the performance courtesy of the A9 chip. What that means is the phone will be faster when it comes to processing your requests.

Surfing the internet (is that still a phrase?) is supposedly faster than ever as it uses something quicker than LTE called LTE Advanced. Apple is also promoting the fact that Wi-Fi is two times faster than the previous model.

Touch ID has been improved and it will recognize your print up to 2x faster than before. So if you were one of those who were driven nuts by the lag time to detect your fingerprint, the 6s should handle that.

So, should you upgrade to the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus?

That’s the $649 question (or $749 if you’re buying the Plus). The answer is a resounding “yes!” Especially if you use your iPhone for things other than a way to call people. If that’s all you use it for you probably don’t need an iPhone.

To wrap up the iPhone 6s specs and features, it’s just a better phone. It’s faster, more intuitive and more robust. The improvements to the camera with 4K video capability, 1080p selfie videos, flash for selfies and Live Photos are enough of a reason to upgrade. In fact, the 3D touch technology is even enough of a reason to upgrade.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus!  Let us know if you plan on upgrading to the 6s and why in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.