On 9 September 2015 Apple the new iPhone 6S was introduced, in the meantime it is also available in Germany at sometimes dizzying prices. We took a look at whether the smartphone is justifiably bearing the high price or whether the US-American company has not succeeded in a self-announced revolution this time.
"I know that one..."
This is what you might experience when you look at the iPhone 6S up close for the first time. Because: Optically the device has not changed, Apple has simply taken over the design from its predecessor model from 2014. However, this statement is not correct for 100 %, as the company now also offers pink gold as an additional colour for the aluminium back of the smartphone. The result is a gold-colored paint with a slight hint of pink. Speaking of aluminium: Apple is using a more stable metal alloy this year, so a possible 1TP3bendgate from last year cannot (or should not) be repeated.
Business as usual?
The dimensions have not changed either: The iPhone 6S once again measures 4.7 inches diagonally (or 5.5 inches for the Plus version). In terms of resolution, it has remained at the 1,334 * 750 pixels also known from its predecessor, which means that the pixel density still ranks at 326 ppi. If you want more, you only have to go for the Plus version with 1080p resolution. According to Apple, they have reinforced the glass, which is now supposed to be a little more scratch and break-resistant. However, the device has gained in weight: 143 grams instead of 129 grams for the predecessor are now in the room. The reason for this: 3D touch.
Touch in the third dimension
One very important, seminal change the iPhone 6S has to offer is a feature called 3D-Touch: The display now recognises not only the point at which you tap the screen, but also the strength of your pressure. However, this requires new measurement technology in the display, which also explains the difference in weight. By the way: This is a hardware feature, which means that 3D-Touch cannot be used on older iPhones by a simple software update. Currently, the device only differentiates between two stages (a normal and a fixed pressure), but it cannot be ruled out that further intermediate stages will be integrated in the future.
What can 3D-Touch do?
For example, if you tap a link in Safari, it opens. But if you tap harder, you'll see a preview of the link without opening it directly. Within the Maps app, you can use 3D Touch to press harder to open the route planner instantly without having to navigate through the menus you've used before. The possibilities are practically limited only by the imagination of the app developers. In theory, 3D-Touch can be used in any app and also on the home screen (for example to start the camera app immediately in video mode). It is a forward-looking technology that will sooner or later be found in every smartphone.
Improved multimedia features
The camera in the iPhone 6S has been reworked once again: The frontal oriented model now has a resolution of 5 megapixels (instead of 1.2 megapixels of its predecessor), the rear camera has been improved from 8 to 12 megapixels. In addition, the smartphone can now record video in 4K resolution, which makes for impressively sharp images, especially on PC monitors or TVs. Furthermore, the camera now takes live photos: In this mode, you can see the first second before taking the photo in moving images, so that the picture comes to life a little - a not very useful but very interesting feature to remember moments better.
Under the hood
The iPhone 6S features Apple's new A9 processor, which is designed to boost performance by up to 90 %, especially in graphics-intensive applications such as games. The improved technology used to manufacture the CPU has reduced the power consumption so that - despite a smaller battery - it has about the same battery life as its predecessor. In addition, twice the amount of main memory and a faster LTE module are available. However, Apple does not deviate from certain characteristics: You still can't change the battery, nor can you expand the memory via microSD cards. The different memory variants are still 16, 64 and 128 gigabytes of storage capacity.
iOS 9!
Just in time for the sales launch, Apple has also released iOS 9, which is pre-installed on every iPhone 6S. Advantages include improved memory utilization, especially on older devices, a new map app, improved notes and new mail functions. Please note: You don't need a new iPhone for iOS 9 alone, as the operating system is available for all models from 4S upwards.
Whether you should buy the new iPhone 6S now is ultimately up to you: If you don't like the important changes in the form of 3D touch and live photos, you're welcome to wait. Everyone else gets - as always - one of the best smartphones available. For luxury, however, Apple's customers will have to dig deep into their pockets again for this model.
