All new iPhones!
As predicted, Apple has officially taken the wraps off of their newest iPhones – the 6S and 6S Plus. The new iPhones have been overhauled inside-out, according to Apple, and now sport new finishes and a new kind of aluminum alloy – the same one used in the aerospace industry. Both phones are slated to use Apple’s Force Touch feature, though the company is now calling that particular tech 3D Touch.
Anyway, the new displays give users tactile feedback when they’re pressed, and allows them to get new options on the screen depending on how hard they press on them. Lightly touching the messenger app for example, gives you a quick peek at your messages instead of opening it up completely. 3D Touch is deeply embedded into iOS 9 which ships with the devices when they’re launched. The new 3D Touch functionality also extends into games – a long press allows you to change weapons quickly.
The new phones sport Apple’s new A9 processor, that’s 70% faster than the A8. Apple also says that the GPU on the new phones are 90% faster than the previous iPhones and is “console-class”.
Apple has also baked in an M9 motion co-processor inside the new iPhones, and the new devices use Apple’s second-gen Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
On the camera front, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus uses a new, 12-megapixel iSight camera that Apple says has 50% more pixels than before. The sensor has 50% more pixels and has 50% more focus pixels than the previous models. The new camera is also capable of shooting in 4K video. The front-facing camera has also been overhauled by Apple, and now sports a 5-megapixel resolution, along with a new shooting mode that mimics a true-tone flash. What happens is that the display lights up 3x brighter when taking a selfie, which acts like an impromptu front flash.
Apple’s also touting a new feature dubbed live photo, which is activated when you use force touch on a photo taken with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Basically, the camera takes a few more shots after you take a photo, which animates when you use force touch on it. You can set live photos on your Apple Watch and across other devices that Apple makes.
In the US, Apple is pricing the iPhone 6S at $199 (32GB), $299 (64GB) and $399 (64GB) with a two-year contract. The iPhone 6S Plus will go for $299 (16GB), $399 (64GB) and $499 (128GB) with a two year contract. The new phones will arrive in select countries on September 25th, with iOS 9 landing on September 16th.