Why the iPhone 6s is heavier than the iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk.
The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk.
Photo: Apple

In appearance, the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus look almost identical to the handsets that preceded them. But pick them up, and even without turning the handsets on you might notice a difference: Each is about 11 percent heavier than the previous year’s model.

Why’d the iPhone get so chunky? It’s all about 3D Touch.

The Verge crunched some numbers and discovered that 3D Touch — or, more specifically, the new display assembly Apple is using to make 3D Touch work on the new iPhone 6s models — is the chunky culprit.

The extra heft comes almost solely from that new 3D Touch display. The display assembly now weighs over twice as much as before. In the 6, the display used to weigh 12 grams — it now weighs 29 grams. That’s because Apple had to add an entirely new layer to its display assembly to measure pressure. There’s a new capacitive pressure sensor built into the backlight of the display; as rumored, it makes the screen slightly thicker and quite a bit heavier.

While you might think the tougher new series 7000 aluminum used in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus would account for some of the weight gain, the difference is negligible.

This seemingly proves that Apple’s willing to increase the weight of its devices when it leads to greater functionality. How about a heavier iPhone with better battery life then, Apple?

Source: The Verge

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