Is iPhone 6s really worth the upgrade?

With Apple’s next-generation iPhones going on sale just after midnight PST, it’s time to decide whether you’re going to upgrade.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are by far the biggest ‘S’ upgrades so far, with new 3D Touch displays, faster A9 processors, improved Touch ID, and the best iSight cameras yet. But are those things worth the upgrade fee?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over whether you should spend your hard-earned cash on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Killian Bell (Writer, Cult of Android): So, Luke, Apple’s big iPhone event has been and gone, and we got a whole lot more than we traditionally get from one of its September keynotes. As always, though, the stars of the show were Apple’s latest iPhones — the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus — which bring some nice improvements over their predecessors.

But are those improvements worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? Will you be upgrading?

Luke Dormehl (Writer, Cult of Mac): I’m glad you enjoyed the keynote, Killian. It must be nice for an Android booster like yourself to see a keynote that doesn’t last half a day, where things are actually announced. Must have come as quite the shock.

I’m definitely excited about the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. I’m currently an iPhone 6 Plus owner, but I’ve definitely got my eye on the regular 6s this time around. I think there’s a whole lot to like about it.

People often talk about the alternate year “s” releases as being incremental, but this year’s event really pushed that term to the limit. Virtually everything about last year’s iPhone got a spit-shine polish, from the display, aluminum body and processor, to the FaceTime camera, iSight camera, Touch ID sensor and more. Along with the introduction of the all-new 3D Touch and — if you’re into that sort of thing — Rose Gold color option, of course.

Whether or not people need​ to upgrade depends a whole lot on whether you’re in a position to. Last year’s iPhones were superb, but I think this went above and beyond what we could reasonably expect from an iPhone “s” release. The fact that it’s now simpler to get hold of the new handset thanks to the iPhone Upgrade Program is just extra-sweet icing on the cake.

I’m sure you’ll disagree and tell us there’s a Samsung Galaxy or Amazon Fire Phone we ought to be buying instead, though, right?

Killian: No, no — I’ll be leaving Android devices out of this one… for the most part.

I’m not saying this year’s iPhone refresh isn’t a decent one, because I do agree that Apple has made some nice improvements across the board. What I’m saying is, unless you really have to have Touch 3D — which you don’t, because you’ve managed perfectly fine without it this long — then it’s not a must-have upgrade.

Sure, it would be nice to have that faster A9 chip, but it’s going to be a few years before the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are too slow to run the latest iOS apps and games. That new aluminum unibody isn’t necessary unless you use your iPhone as a cushion, and there’s nothing wrong with the Touch ID sensor we have now — it’s actually nothing short of excellent.

In my opinion, the biggest improvement that Apple has made is the camera; I use my smartphone camera for everything, so I am slightly tempted by the new 12-megapixel sensor. Having said that, I’m amazed by the photos my iPhone 6 takes on a regular basis, and I rarely have complaints, so I have to wonder whether this new sensor is really going to make that much of a difference.

There are some downsides to upgrading that we should note as well, of course.

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are ever so slightly thicker than their predecessors, so the tight-fitting cases you already own may not fit an upgrade. What’s more, Apple has made the batteries even smaller in the new models.

I know they’re not that much smaller, but with new components to power — like 3D Touch and the Taptic Engine — I’m not sure reducing battery capacity was a great idea. Maybe 6s Plus owners won’t notice it because battery life is already insanely good on the larger model, but I think iPhone 6s owners will.

Luke: Well, the battery life issue isn’t really an issue at all, since Apple has already stated that the phones will last a comparable amount of time to last year’s models. Would I prefer an even thicker device with a much bigger battery? Sure, but honestly my iPhone 6 Plus has probably run out of juice once in the whole time I’ve had it. That’s one time too many, perhaps, but it’s certainly not a bad batting average — especially when I think about how much I use my iPhone.

I enjoy your retrograde “It’ll be incompatible with my existing smartphone case” argument, though. I bet you were annoyed when personal computers came out, too, just after universities had finally gotten the air-conditioning right for the massive rooms they had to house their old mainframes. Technology marches on! I’m afraid your old Android-green iPhone protector may just be a casualty.

As to the camera issue, of course if you only use the device for taking holiday snaps the iPhone 6 (or 5s, or 5 for that matter) is probably going to be “good enough.” But “good enough” has never been Apple’s modus operandi. We’re seeing iPhones increasingly used for professional photography — whether it’s Sundance movies or shooting events at the White House. You might not be able to notice the difference, but there are a large number of people out there who can. There’s also the Live Photo feature which, while definitely gimmicky, is pretty cool and something I can really see catching on.

I’ll throw you a bone, though — I’m talking about people who are passionate about smartphones and gadgets, and are in a financial position to buy the latest handset. If you can only afford one iPhone every five years… well, to be honest, I still think the iPhone 6s looks like a great pick.

Killian: Since when did we ever get the battery life that manufacturers promised us? Yes, the iPhone 6 Plus has terrific battery life — I can vouch for that, too — but I’ve been using an iPhone 6 for the past four months and I can assure you that does not. If you’re not careful with how you use it, it will need topping up at least once before the end of the day.

And yes, I know iOS 9 is more efficient, but again, the new iPhones have more components and more RAM to run. That 3D Touch display, the Taptic Engine, and the front-facing flash feature — which allows the display to get three times brighter than normal — are going to burn more power.

I wasn’t exactly complaining that old cases wouldn’t fit the new iPhones. But many will assume they will because they look the same, and that may not be for certain cases.

As for the camera, you’ve missed the point I was trying to make. As you said, “we’re seeing iPhones increasingly used for professional photography,” and if they’re capable of that right now, then they’re plenty good enough for the average smartphone consumer.

You cannot call the 8-megapixel camera in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus a bad one just because newer options are here; it’s still an excellent smartphone camera.

I think the issue here is that you’re thinking about passionate gadget buyers with plenty of cash to blow on iPhones, but I’m thinking about the average smartphone consumer who may have to pay $200 or more to upgrade.

Are the new iPhones worth that fee if you already have an iPhone 6? For some, yes. For the vast majority, probably not.

Luke: Okay. Let’s focus on this camera thing, because I can’t believe you’re genuinely going to argue that. What do you think a camera that was “plenty good enough” for your average customer would have looked like in 1910? I’m sure it’s not something that would have stand up to most casual photographers today. People take more photos now than they ever have before, and the idea that there’s no degree of expertise or increasingly high standards that come with that is absurd. Sure, not everyone is going to care about this, but an increasingly large group of people do — which is one of the reasons Apple expects to sell more iPhone 6s units than it has any previous iPhone in history.

The jury’s still out on the battery, but I think the difference will be minimal. Even if it’s not (which would surprise me) there’s so much to like about the iPhone 6s that it’s worth the extra charging.

By all means skip the iPhone 6s if you want. No-one’s forcing you to buy it. But I don’t think there are too many compelling arguments out there to stop people upgrading — besides suggesting that a few people just don’t care about gadgets.

Killian: Ugh. Let’s not focus on the camera thing, because clearly you’re totally missing my point — again! I don’t deny that everyone wants great photos from their smartphone. What I’m saying is, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are still capable of that. Apple has been spending millions of dollars on an advertising campaign to tell the world exactly that, and the situation doesn’t change just because newer iPhones are here now.

If the average person’s photography standards are really that high, they’d be buying DSLRs instead of upgrading their smartphone just for a new camera sensor.

This isn’t about me, so don’t worry about what I’ll be doing. Again, we’re talking what’s best for the average smartphone consumer — and I think for them, the most compelling reason not to upgrade is the cost.

If you don’t have $649 spare to drop on a new iPhone, and you already have an iPhone 6, don’t worry. Your smartphone will be just as fast, just as useful, and just as capable of taking excellent photos as it is today when the newer models go on sale in two weeks.

Luke: Yep, and my 1984 Macintosh is still a beautiful machine now. It’s just that there are better computers out there if you want them.

At the end of the day, though, it’s not just going to be you and I determining whether the iPhone 6s is a success. I’m sure that readers have their own thoughts on this, so let’s turn the question over to them.

Having had a couple of days to process your thoughts on Apple’s next-gen iPhones will you be trading in your previous model for the 6s or 6s Plus? If not, why not? Make sure you leave your comments below — and have a good weekend while you’re at it.

Friday Night Fights is a series of weekly death matches between two no-mercy brawlers who will fight to the death — or at least agree to disagree — about which is better: Apple or Google, iOS or Android?

Killian Bell

Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.