iPhone 6s is a mirror image of its predecessor at first glance, but thanks to improved internals and innovative new technology, it’s very much a different beast.
With Apple’s latest A9 processor, a new 12-megapixel iSight camera, Live Photos, and 3D Touch, this is much, much more than just an “incremental” iPhone upgrade. It’s the iPhone that will change the way you use your iPhone. It’s Apple most exciting smartphone in years.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
iPhone 6s design
The iPhone’s design has hardly changed at all this year, but it’s not exactly the same. Apple is now using its new Series 7000 aluminum — the same metal used for Apple Watch Sport — to make the iPhone 6s much stronger than the iPhone 6.
This should prevent a repeat of the “Bendgate” debacle that plagued the iPhone 6 Plus for a short period last year, and it means your new iPhone will be generally more robust. Apple has also introduced tougher Ion-X glass that’s less likely to shatter.
These changes aren’t all good news, though.
Those new materials, coupled with the 3D Touch display, make the iPhone 6s slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 6. You won’t notice that if you haven’t been using one of last year’s devices, but I could tell immediately after taking the iPhone 6s out of its box.
Fortunately, I got acclimated to the increased heft within about 30 seconds, and the new devices aren’t so much thicker that they won’t fit existing accessories. All the cases you purchased over the last 12 months should still be compatible with your new iPhone.
The new models are not thick enough to allow the new iPhone’s rear-facing iSight camera to sit flush against its metal back. I complained about this in my review of the iPhone 6 Plus last year, and I still think it’s pretty ugly, but I’m over it now… mostly.
Thankfully, the rest of the iPhone 6s makes up for that blemish with its smooth curves and cool aluminum. It comes in the same three colors as the iPhone 6 (Gold, Silver, and Space Grey), plus a new Rose Gold.
A recent water test suggests Apple may have taken steps to make iPhone 6s water-resistant. After an hour in a bowl of water, both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus came out alive and working perfectly — as you’ll see in the video below.
It should be noted, however, that Apple hasn’t advertised water-resistance, and you should not get your iPhone wet intentionally.
I’m glad Apple didn’t make major changes to the iPhone’s design this year because I’m not bored of this one yet. This is still the prettiest smartphone money can buy.
iPhone 6s display and 3D Touch
Just like its design, the display in the iPhone 6s is identical to that of its predecessor — at least in terms of resolution and quality. It’s still as beautiful as it’s ever been, with accurate colors that pop, excellent viewing angles and great brightness. But now it’s pressure-sensitive.
3D Touch changes everything. It’s like a right-click for your smartphone, and it’s certainly not just a gimmick. No matter what you might be doing, 3D Touch can make it quicker and easier in some way. It provides you with useful shortcuts for your favorite apps from the home screen. It lets you preview web pages, maps and more without taking you out of Messages and Mail. It even delivers a new way to interact with games.
When Apple demonstrated 3D Touch, I thought it looked neat, but I didn’t think I needed it; I’ve been perfectly happy with regular touchscreens up until now. But once you get used to using it, it just makes sense, and you want it on every touchscreen. Why won’t the forthcoming iPad Pro feature 3D Touch technology, Apple?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
3D Touch gives the iPhone an advantage over its rivals, and it’s not a feature that can be ripped off easily. Samsung might be able to put a pressure-sensitive display into the Galaxy S7 — and it probably will — but unless every other manufacturer follows suit, Android developers simply aren’t going to show anywhere near as much interest as iOS developers will.
In the time it’s taken me to write this review, a bunch of third-party app I use delivered updates adding 3D Touch support, including: Things from Cultured Code, Scanner Pro from Readdle, Instagram, Twitter, Evernote, Dropbox and Camera+.
iPhone 6s performance and battery life
The A9 chip packed into the iPhone 6s makes it the fastest iPhone to date by a mile. In Geekbench, it achieves almost 1,000 points more than last year’s iPhone 6 in multi-core tests, making it second only to the iPad Air 2.
Combine that speed with Apple’s super-efficient software and you get a smartphone that’s impressively quick at everything you throw at it.
You won’t notice the speed improvements much initially — the iPhone 6s isn’t noticeably faster than the iPhone 6 during everyday tasks. But it will become evident when developers start taking advantage of the extra horsepower, especially inside new games.
Where you will notice a big improvement is in web browsing and multitasking. With 2GB of RAM — twice as much as the iPhone 6 — the iPhone 6s is much better at these things; you’ll be able to jump between multiple apps and tabs without them reloading so frequently.
Unfortunately, Apple couldn’t bring the same improvements to battery life. iPhone 6s doesn’t seem to be any worse than its predecessor, despite a slightly smaller battery, but it’s certainly no better. You’ll make it through a full day with normal usage, but no more.
Of course, battery life was excellent with the iPhone 6 Plus, and we expect the same from the 6s Plus. But I’ve been using a regular iPhone 6s for this review.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
iPhone 6s cameras
As I mentioned in my iPhone 6s first impressions piece on launch day, the main reason I upgraded was for the camera. But to be totally honest, it’s not that much better than last year’s model.
The new 12-megapixel iSight sensor means you’ll get sharper images when you zoom in than you did from last year’s 8-megapixel iSight camera — and that’s important if you like to turn your photos into large prints. The new sensor also allows you to shoot 4K video.
But if all you do with your photos is upload them to Instagram and Facebook, and enjoy them on digital devices, then there really isn’t much of an improvement to look forward to. Snap the same photo on the iPhone 6 and on the iPhone 6s, and they look almost identical.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The iSight camera in the iPhone 6 worked excellently in pretty much every situation, and you can expect the same great performance after upgrading. Just don’t assume you’ll see drastically better photos.
The big difference between this year’s iSight camera and last year’s is that the new one shoots Live Photos. By default, whenever you snap a picture on iPhone 6s, the camera captures not just one image, but 45 of them.
Those images are used to create a short video that accompanies your still photo. You can then use 3D Touch to bring your memories to life inside the Photos app, or on the lock screen when using a Live Photo as a wallpaper. Support for Live Photos is also coming to third-party apps.
Live Photos can be terrific. It’s still too early to tell whether they’re little more than a gimmick, but they’re definitely fun — and with the right subjects, they can bring incredible results. There are some great examples of this in Apple’s 3D Touch video below.
https://youtu.be/cSTEB8cdQwo
I recommend turning off Live Photos and only enabling the feature when you really want it. Live Photos take up about twice as much storage as regular 12-megapixel stills, and unless you’re consciously shooting a Live Photo, you’re likely to bring your iPhone down too quickly and spoil it.
It should also be noted that Live Photos can only be viewed on Apple devices running iOS 9, watchOS 2 or OS X El Capitan. If you send them to someone who uses Android or an older version of iOS, they’ll just appear as stills. If you import them into Windows or an older version of OS X, you’ll get both a still image and a .mov video file.
If you think you’re going to use Live Photos a lot, I recommend getting an iPhone 6s Plus if you can live with its size. Without optical image stabilization on the iPhone 6s, Live Photos can be too shaky. The same can be said about 4K video — as demonstrated in the clip below.
iPhone 6s also comes with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera — up from 1.2 megapixels in the iPhone 6 — which delivers much sharper selfies and FaceTime video calls. The difference here is noticeable, and greatly appreciated.
Here are some sample photos taken with the iPhone 6s. Note these are totally untouched, and you can click them to view them in full resolution.
And here are some Live Photos that I’ve converted into GIFs.
Even better Touch ID
iPhone 6s comes with a new Touch ID sensor and it’s insanely fast. If you want to check notifications on your lock screen, it’s a race against Touch ID; your iPhone will unlock if you don’t take your finger off the sensor fast enough. It’s easier to use the sleep/wake button or a finger your haven’t registered with Touch ID if you want to just see the lock screen.
This improvement certainly isn’t a burden, however. Touch ID isn’t just faster now; it seems more accurate and more reliable, too. You’ll want to use it more than ever, and now that there are countless apps with Touch ID support, that’s important.
iOS 9 at its best
iOS 9 was already a major improvement to Apple’s mobile platform, adding new features and some significant improvements throughout — as we detailed in our review. But thanks to 3D Touch, it is best experienced on iPhone 6s. Take that away after becoming accustomed to it and iOS just doesn’t feel complete anymore.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
iPhone 6s review: the verdict
Regardless of which iPhone you already own, the best reason to upgrade to iPhone 6s is 3D Touch.
It is innovative technology perfectly executed, and it makes total sense in every way you use it. It is the one thing that makes the iPhone 6s more than just an incremental update, and perhaps the best smartphone on the market today.
But the truth is, you don’t need 3D Touch yet — and if you already have an iPhone 6, it’s not enough to justify an upgrade this year — especially if you’re not overly enthused about Live Photos and the ability to shoot 4K video.
Having said that, I don’t want to take anything away from the iPhone 6s. It’s an outstanding smartphone — Apple’s best yet — and it’s only going to get better as developers take advantage of that pressure-sensitive display and faster A9 processor.
If you have an older iPhone, or you can afford to upgrade early (or you’re switching from another platform), iPhone 6s should be your next smartphone without question.
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.
23 responses to “iPhone 6s review: Pretty on the outside, a beast on the inside”
It would be nice to also mention that the new iphone 6s has LTE download speeds almost twice as fast as the iphone 6.
another thing worth mentioning is its wifi speed is now 300 mbit or more, i heard its even full 802.11ac
most smart phones only have 1 wifi antenna, so your speeds are limited to 72 mbit @ 5 ghz.
5 ghz speeds
iphone 5 (from memory 72 mbit)
iphone 6 150 mbit
iphone 6+ 300 mbit ( or more with 802.11ac )
apple watch @ 2.4 ghz 72 mbit
amazon fire phone @ 5 ghz 72 mbit
I’ve had the weekend to get used to the new phone and interface and observed the following-
1) Moving from a 6 to 6S+ was natural in terms of getting used to screen size and handling a larger phone, but what I wasn’t expecting was how much heavier it is. Going from a nimble 6 to a clunky 6S+ that is heavier than the 6+ due to the 3D Touch hardware is frustrating to say the least. I feel like I’m using the original iPad when using for long periods of time in that it creates fatigue from holding.
2) Touch ID is snappy and fluid and thank God because a 6 DIGIT PASSCODE??! No thanks.
3) The camera is also snappy and the pictures are indeed incredible. Live photos are awkward and I feel like I’m looking at a newspaper out of a Harry Potter movie. I don’t see much use for them. If I want moving pictures, I’ll take a 4K video..
4) 3D Touch is novel and I can see the potential but all I can seem to use on the reg is peek/pop into emails. Oh, yeah, and quick selfies.. :-|
5) The [S] on the back of the phone is borderline offensive, pretentious and douchey. If you’re going to make people deal with the same form factor for 2 years while your competitors pump-out cool, sleek new phones every 6 months you don’t need to put it in our face.
Overall, the phone is powerful and snappy. I don’t like the weight as its hard to use with one hand over long period of time. As far as new features, when lesser tech-savvy friends ask me to show them “what’s new,” I almost feel like 3D Touch and Live Photos are more “party tricks” and less revolutionary features..
6 digit passcode is optional.
“The [S] on the back of the phone is borderline offensive, pretentious and douchey?” Man, you are one, picky person. The “S” designation has been present on every mid-model iteration of iPhones, and I’ve never •ever• heard a complaint. Why not scratch it off, paint over it, put a piece of tape over it… and •get• over it.
As for being such a heavier phone than the 6 that “it’s hard to use with one hand of a long period of time”, you must either be holding it for hours or days at time nonstop, or you’re as physically lightweight as you seem to be otherwise. Get a life.
Well said. Thank you for expressing my exact sentiments.
Well said. Thank you so much for expressing my exact sentiments.
having owned every mid-model iteration of iPhones, i’m going to have to disgree with you that it’s been on every single one, this is definitely the first time…
it is definitely a hefty thing, but you get used to it, and it’s not like it’s disproportionate to its size, it feels solid but that’s it
Exactly. I stand corrected. I was thinking of the small S on the actual box. But looking at the S on the back of the iPhone 6, I still think the guy is nuts (or a spoiled teenager), to complain about such a silly addition.
As regards the iPhone 6s being a “hefty thing”, according to Apple specs it is exactly .89 ounce heavier. Considering beefed up case materials, the “haptic feedback device” and the thicker screen alone, I’d say anyone who complains should just turn it in for a 6… or work out more.
Once again, kill yourself.
Ahh @digitaldumdum:disqus once again living up to her name. I literally can’t believe what you just said. Please do yourself and all of us a favor and run your car in the garage, unless you drive a Prius which I’m guessing you do, in which case chase a cyanide pill with a glass of bleach you invalid.
You win! I was thinking the same thing! Now will you buy me one? LOL!
Great review and I love it too. Can’t say enough good things about it to my friends.
One small error in the review: “you should not get your iPhone wet unintentionally.” should say “you should not get your iPhone wet intentionally.” Drop the un-, as it makes the sentence say the opposite of what (I think) you mean.
@kevinddell:disqus thanks. fixed it.
I’ve always gone with the S models. It seems like the most reasonable upgrade, since they’re polished and often much improved on the hardware side, in comparison to the first iteration. Looking forward to this one! Especially the camera.
How’d you convert your live photos to .gifs? I’d love to know!
With a recent purchase of the Apple Watch and upcoming Apple TV, waiting for the iPhone 7 seems like the reasonable thing to do. Besides I’m still feeling the 64bit love from my 5S.
Had mine on launch date and will be returning it today. I have the iPhone 6 Plus, and I find the improvements on the 6S incremental. Good upgrade for iPhone5 users. Not worth spending almost a thousand dollars if you already have the iPhone 6 Plus.
What? You bought it to try it out instead of trying it out before buying it? Interesting.
Why wouldn’t Apple advertise the water resistant-ability? That’s a HUGE selling point for a ton of people. I suppose you can say they sell themselves and Apple doesn’t want everyone trying it out on purpose but to know it’s less damage-able in water or when you get it wet, should be mentioned by Apple.
It’s quite probable that they don’t have the official certification for it, or they’re avoiding the predicament Sony are in right now where people are complaining their phones suffered water damage when they were advertised as water resistant
Absolutely. I figured that but still a nice addition indeed. +1
i got my new iPhone 6 s plus on 25th. after using four days suddenly the screen got blank and the only button working is the silent ringer toggle.I wonder what happen to my phone I even cant restart it. i preorder it on 15th sep through at&t and apple shipped my iphone four days back.