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New iPhone 6S images show updated NFC, 16GB base storage, fewer chips + design tweaks

Our look at the upcoming “iPhone 6S” continues today with a discussion of new internal components that are expected to be inside Apple’s latest smartphone. In addition to expected changes such as a Force Touch display, upgraded camera system, and new Qualcomm LTE chip for up to twice-as-fast data speeds, the next iPhone will likely include updated NFC hardware, fewer and more efficient chips, and new flash memory that may nonetheless remain at a 16GB minimum capacity.

These conclusions are based upon new images showing a prototype of the next iPhone’s logic board, as well as a joint analysis undertaken by 9to5Mac and Chipworks, an Ottawa-based company that partners with technology companies across the globe on patent intelligence and competitive technical intelligence needs. Keep an eye out for their usual technical teardown of the new iPhone in September or sign up to be notified here.

New NFC Processor + Noticeable Reduction in Chips:

A new NFC chip inside the iPhone 6S is from NXP and labelled 66VP2, said by Chipworks to be an upgrade from the NXP 65V10 NFC processor found inside the iPhone 6. It’s unclear what the new 66VP2 may change in the iPhone, but it is likely to add a secure element processor, reducing the need for a separate chip. Apple added NFC to the iPhone in 2014 for Apple Pay, but used a part that dated back to 2012; the 66VP2 appears to be a brand new chip.

Along with a slight shrinkage in size of the iPhone 6S’s logic board, Apple also appears to be aggressively reducing the number of chips it’s using. One section of the board that previously had in excess of 10 components has been pared down to 3 main chips, simultaneously cutting the number of parts and increasing the power efficiency of the ones that remain. Other necessary and remaining chips, such as the flash memory and CPU, notably benefit from smaller manufacturing processes that enable the iPhone 6S to offer the same or faster functionality with smaller, less power-hungry parts.

It appears that Apple will preserve a Cirrus Logic audio chip, a Murata Wi-Fi module, and wireless power amplifiers from RFMD, Triquint, Avago and Skyworks within the iPhone 6S. Although the prototype includes what appear to be similar Bosch and InvenSense accelerometer and gyroscope parts to the iPhone 6, ChipWorks speculates that a tiny new alternative from STMicroelectronics could replace it on the final logic board, having debuted in the Apple Watch.

16GB Base Storage Possible:

With the introduction of higher-quality media files and larger applications, iPhone users over the past few years have noted that a 16GB base storage capacity may no longer be large enough for most users. However, it appears that Apple could launch its next iPhone in a 16GB starting capacity, serving as an option priced below higher 64GB and 128GB options.

According to both our analysis and confirmation from Chipworks of the above Toshiba Flash Memory chip, the chip has a 16GB capacity and is built with a 19nm production process. There is a possibility that Apple may not ship this 16GB flash storage option, and was solely using it for early production and test models. Apple has previously tested future iPhone hardware using smaller storage capacities prior to finalizing its production, so a last-minute upgrade to a higher capacity would not be unprecedented. However, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller recently noted that 16GB is still suitable for many users due to new cloud-based services like iCloud and Apple Music, in addition to iOS 9’s new app-slimming features.

iPhone 6 Design:

We have also separately received purported design drawings from a case maker showing the new iPhone’s external design, corroborating our images from earlier this week that indicate a design essentially identical to that of the current iPhone 6. In line with our comments from earlier this week, these design drawings indicate that the iPhone 6S will likely be fully compatible with most of the existing iPhone 6 accessories on the market.

Apple’s tolerance for measurement differences allows a 0.2mm difference between individual iPhone units, and it appears that the iPhone 6S, at maximum, may be 0.13mm thicker than the iPhone 6. This change would be indiscernible to the human eye, and Apple might not specify any thickness changes when it updates its iPhone technical specifications page in the fall.

In terms of the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6S’s height and width, we’re told there are similarly tiny differences from the current model. The 6S is claimed to be an indiscernible 0.16mm taller than the 6, as well as 0.13mm wider, differences that could be attributable to Apple’s tolerances, or reflective of tiny tweaks to the external casing. A report from last month indicated that the new iPhones could be slightly thicker to accommodate the new panel for Force Touch.

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Comments

  1. Alex Moran - 9 years ago

    Seriously fuck the 16gig storage it’s fucking bullshit

    • groblewis - 9 years ago

      Thanks for your mature and enlightening comment

      • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

        Short and to the point. What else do you want him/her to say.

    • rnc - 9 years ago

      100% agreed.

      They are using it to force people to upgrade to 64GB and pay for their cloud service…

      • No they aren’t, unless customers aren’t responsible for thinking, looking and opening their wallets these days.

      • scumbolt2014 - 9 years ago

        100% wrong and stupid.

      • lin2logger - 9 years ago

        Ignorant douche much?

    • twelve01 - 9 years ago

      Here’s an idea. Don’t buy the 16gb model.

      • Ozgun - 9 years ago

        Here is a thought: After the announcement of the iPhone 6, Apple actually increased the price of the entry level iPhone by $100. 16 GB is simply not enough.

    • standardpull - 9 years ago

      I also can’t believe that Apple would get rid of the 64 & 128 GB models. INSANE!!!!

    • klepp0906 - 9 years ago

      Why? Get a bigger one then?

    • scumbolt2014 - 9 years ago

      Pay the extra 100 dollars. Cheap fuck.

    • scumbolt2014 - 9 years ago

      Why is it so hard for fucking idiots lime you to comprehend that the 16gb model is for business use. For businesses to supply their employees with an iPhone that they will be installing just a dew apps and not using them to take a bunch of stupid selfies and videos with. Just shut the fuck up about it.

      • Then it should have special business pricing. 16gb base is outdated, especially if the new camera shoots 4K. And that’s a fact. But I shouldn’t expect a rude cursing Internet troll like yourself to understand.

      • name99 - 9 years ago

        The reason it is hard for people like him to understand is because his team are running out of things to criticize Apple for. The old favorites (sealed in battery, no SD-card) have become standard for every flagship phone. Complaining about 1GB DRAM seemed like a good lead, until plenty of research showed that Android phones need 2 to 3x more RAM because of the behavior of garbage collectors — that extra RAM does not actually buy them extra performance. Complaining about lack of NFC of course is no longer an option.

        So what’s left?
        They can complain about lack of wireless charging (but that’s a double edged sword, because most Android phones also don’t have wireless charging, and for plenty that do the charging sucks), but the one target that remains is 16GB flash.

        Hence this gets pounded mercilessly, regardless of the fact that it’s a stupid complaint, that there are ample reasons why this tier makes sense, that many people DON’T use their phones to store large movies and video games, etc etc. The fact don’t matter — it’s the desire to complain about something, anything, iPhone related that matters and that drives this.

      • Chad:

        There are two people on this thread who swore – Alex Moran and Scumbolt. It’s interesting that you call Scumbolt a troll yet completely ignore Alex Moran.

        So is everyone who swears a troll, or only the ones who have a different opinion to you?

      • yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

        Aunty, Chad didn’t exactly say troll=people who curse. He was saying scumbolt was a troll that was cursing. Big difference. I wish people would quit swearing on these boards…

      • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

        Business use? How about: The overwhelming majority of average users that don’t care (or even know!) how much storage their phone has?

    • gigglybeast - 9 years ago

      So pay for more, dingbat.

    • nightskysurfer - 9 years ago

      Juvenile and crude comment. It’s also uninformative, save that it tells us a lot about the poster.

      Now, as to the defender, “short and to the point”– in fact, it wasn’t. It was redundant, using the f-word twice and adding another 4-letter (well 8-letter) expletive to boot.

      “What else do you want him/her to say?”

      Well, for starters, providing a reason (or two or three!) for disparaging 16gb, especially as a good case as been made for it and many consumers find it sufficient. Then, also, a reason *his/her* opinion should matter–after all, he/she doesn’t have to buy the 16 gb, but others might wish to!

      This is the problem with crude language; it substitutes for thought and knowledge. It showcases a limited vocabulary.

      grobleweis is right! Immature and unenlightening, indeed!

      • nightskysurfer - 9 years ago

        Moderator, this ended up in the wrong place. I was responding to Alex Moran, one of the first posters and his crude language. I clicked the reply button next to his post, but the website put it down here!

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      If you want more storage, you can buy it. For the 50% of iPhone owners who have no fucking idea how much storage their phone even has…Apple isn’t going to give away margin to them.

    • Nick David (@N1ck2D) - 9 years ago

      Same design, same 16 gigs? Wha da hell Apple? Apple has stopped innovating in this space since the iPhone 4!!!!!!! the same 16 gigs.

      • Mark - 9 years ago

        Because innovation is all about how much storage your phone has? I think 16GB is too small as well, but the innovation is really in the speed and use of the memory. If you look at read/write tests on iPhone’s Vs the Androids, you’ll see that even the iPhone 5 has faster storage than some 2015 models. You might think Apple is being a scrooge with space, but the memory is of better quality than most other phones.

        As for RAM, the iPhone could do with 2GBs… I have noticed my phone has to constantly reload information when multi-tasking, which is a pain when you lose your connection and want to read previously loaded web pages or apps like NYT etc.

  2. If the camera is not dramatically improved, the 6S seems like it will just be a stupid upgrade.

    • irelandjnr - 9 years ago

      You’d be going well to dramatically improve over the existing camera in one year in this form factor. No one’s asking you to upgrade every year.

    • bunim1 - 9 years ago

      if you cared about the camera so much you should’ve had the 6Plus. It’s amazing. Rarely do I get a blurry image.

      • yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

        I do LOVE the stabilizer when taking the video – silky smooth.

    • Tuvatech - 9 years ago

      Stupid upgrade from what? Where did you get the idea that you should update your phone every time a new model comes out? Besides, what was so dramatic about the 4S when compared to the 4?

      I know people who own a 5 or 5S and are looking to upgrade. Some didn’t go for the 6 because their old phones were solid enough. But now after the 6S those phones might begin to feel slow (especially the 5). For them the 6S is a perfect phone.

  3. irelandjnr - 9 years ago

    Schiller is taking the piss at this point with 16GB base storage at the end of 2015. Apple need to kill the 16GB model and treat their customers with a big of dignity FFS.

    • moosealot - 9 years ago

      Base storage is just that, base; if you want more you can have up to 128Gb. Try treating people who don’t need masses of storage with a little dignity rather than saying that Apple shouldn’t make a phone for them. Or are you just saying that you think you should get more storage without paying for it?

      • epicflyingcat - 9 years ago

        Yes, 32GB base model is becoming the standard across the smartphone industry. It’s undoubtedly a profit-orientated move to make more people pay more money to upgrade (to a phone which costs a few pennies more for Apple) to make more profit. It’s not consumer friendly and it’s simply infuriating for all my friends who bought 16GB models because it simply isn’t enough for basically everyone these days.

      • yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

        I don’t agree. I also think Apple should raise the “base” storage. If we go with your argument, we should have just kept the 4GB the first iPhone came with.

      • Nick Harman - 9 years ago

        You buy Apple you buy into a brand, it’s not entirely a rational decision and the price is part of that seductive brand image. You don’t buy a Rolls Royce and say the mpg is disappointing.

    • name99 - 9 years ago

      So when Apple DON’T offer a wide range of choices they are criticized?
      And when they DO offer a wide range of choices they are ALSO criticized?

      This is the mark of whining for whining’s sake.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      No they don’t. You’re completely clueless. All this kind of bullshit whining is because you are cheap and want to buy the base model, but also get more storage. Open your wallet and STFU.

    • Nick David (@N1ck2D) - 9 years ago

      The iPhone is already ultra expensive. I’m not gonna pay more for it. Give us a default model with 32 gigs Apple! God damn. I can get the Samsung S6 for 500 euros but the iPhone is still 700. And the S6 at least it’s ultra fast vs the iPhone 6 stupid 1 Gb ram that’s slowing the system quite a lot. ( Notice, I got the latest Mac mini (damnit Apple with your decision of not including the SSD as standard), the latest iPad with 4G and an iPhone 5S) I love the iPad ( with iOS 9 the iPad it’s now an useful machine) and the Mac but I don’t like the iPhone as much. The iPhone it’s getting boring. Way too expensive and the performance is sh1t.

      • austindean91 - 9 years ago

        I’m am American so I don’t see this side of the argument as others who live over seas do, but here in the U.S., the new iPhone starts off at $650 full retail price for the base model as well as $200 for a contract with the base model. And the pricing remains the same for the Galaxy S6 ($650 and $200 respectively). The only time where these prices differ is if a retailer or the manufacturer itself puts them on sale for a short amount of time.

  4. j (@1LottoStud) - 9 years ago

    This seems to be a very minor upgrade similar to the 4 – 4S where they only added Siri and slight spec bumps. The 5 – 5S at least included Touch ID and Gold color option. Have a feeling they wanna make a splash with the iPad Pro and get the early adopters buying that instead.

    • Alistair Halls - 9 years ago

      Really, they only need to make small tweaks from the 6 to get 5s owners to upgrade to the newest model. The standard two-year upgrade cycle means that it only needs to be suitably different from the model two years preceding – something which I don’t doubt will be the case this year.

      It’s this reason why this year’s model will outsell last year’s, as it’s building on an even larger user base than before. It’s a cunning way to operate which ensures maximum space for profit extraction and development of your next upgrade.

    • twelve01 - 9 years ago

      9to5 reported yesterday that the s may include a 12 megapixel camera, bumped up front facing camera, high end Qualcomm chip (2x data speeds), 2gb of RAM, and force touch. If put that on par with the 5-5s upgrade.

    • iphone6splus - 9 years ago

      That slight upgrade kept the 4S included in iOS updates unlike the 4 stuck on iOS 6.

  5. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    I’ll bet Apple would REALLY love to get rid of the sim tray. It’s almost a fifth of the whole board.

    • Alistair Halls - 9 years ago

      I reckon this is what the Apple SIM is leading towards, though it will be a long time before anything significant happens re replacing it because of the technology within and who owns it – Apple would need to replace the standard altogether.

    • Tuvatech - 9 years ago

      Haha, yes. I’m actually somewhat surprised that they haven’t already managed to do this. They have such a strong hand when it comes to the operators, so they should play that card. If some operator is not willing to jump abroad, they should threaten them by saying that then their customers would not be able to buy new iPhones. People will not switch to the competition – they will switch their operator. It’s Apple after all.

      Besides, I don’t think it would go that far anyway. The operators would jump abroad.. assuming what Apple offers is reasonable. In either way, it’s all software. The plastic card is quite irrelevant these days.

      • AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

        I think what they would do is invent a chip that replaces the simcard. It would be rewritable and encrypted ala the digital enclave idea they use for Touch ID. Then they provide an API to all the carriers, and start secret talks with just one of them.

        When the carriers predictably reject the idea, they will announce their… I dunno, MCI exclusivity and release an iPhone Air for that carrier alone that has no sim tray. Then one by one other carriers will announce support for the iPhone Air 2… but wait, all Apple has to do is flip a switch and iPhA can work on their networks too! Hooray!

        “It is the most simcardless… iPhone… we’ve ever created. It’s… simply magical.” – Jony Ive

      • r00fus1 - 9 years ago

        Apple doesn’t have that much power. Operators have family plans and other perks like “signal that works at my house”. Also popular: company discounts that only work on said operator.

        If the new iPhone didn’t work on say, Verizon, the VZ iPhone users might well just *not upgrade*.

        Apple is big, and powerful, but they walk a fine line.

      • Hirsxh (@Jiff98765) - 9 years ago

        A big issue is that you are only considering the US market. Europe for example is still lagging behind in many technologies introduced by Apple. And don’t even get me started about Asia. In the Philippines for example, people switch sim cards like they change clothes. You can buy a sim card for less than $1 in almost any convenience store and start using it right away. A sim-less phone would be the end for many customers in similar markets. It is crazy how far behind in technologies some countries are, and something that can easily be forgotten if you are not exposed to that.

  6. darkenv2 - 9 years ago

    They will lose customers if they keep 16GB as the base, mark my words. I understood the strategy for doing it last year but if they do it again they are mental. No other top tier phone at premium price is keeping their phones at 16GB, they’re all at 32GB and a lot have expandable storage on top of that. This stupid argument about cloud storage making 16GB useable for people is bull crap, that’s another thing to pay for and it means using more data. Just make people’s lives easier and give them 32GB as the base. It’s the smart move.

    • epicflyingcat - 9 years ago

      Especially with a measly 5GB of free iCloud storage which is WAY behind the competition

    • kevicosuave - 9 years ago

      The problem isn’t the 16GB base model, the problem is the pricing and lack of a 32GB model. I know many people who are just fine with 16GB, which for me is weird because I’m maxed out at 128GB, but people have different needs.

      • darkenv2 - 9 years ago

        When you’re paying $650 for a phone you should be getting top of the line specs. No other top priced phone comes with less than 32GB now, and if the new phone can film 4K video and with every app getting bigger 16GB isn’t ideal now. If Apple offered unlimited cloud storage for pics and videos then I agree it wouldn’t be as bad but still not ideal. Google offers unlimited photo and video storage, not sure why Apple is still holding back. My brother who is just an average user and doesn’t do too much on his phone is running out of storage already and 32GB would be fine for him but he really doesn’t need 64GB

      • kevicosuave - 9 years ago

        @darkenv2

        Like I said, the problem isn’t that the base model is 16GB the problem is the pricing.

        “When you’re paying $650 for a phone you should be getting top of the line specs.”

        Right, and that’s a pricing problem. If you’re not getting the top of the line specs, you should be paying less.

        “No other top priced phone comes with less than 32GB now”

        Right, and lower priced phones?

        “if the new phone can film 4K video and with every app getting bigger 16GB isn’t ideal now”

        …FOR YOU. For many people, 16GB is more than enough. For everyone in my extended family except for me, it’s more than enough. Now if Apple were to price the 16GB down, and bring back a 32GB model with better tier pricing, they may find that few people buy the 16GB and drop it, but again, the issue is with pricing.

        “My brother who is just an average user and doesn’t do too much on his phone is running out of storage already and 32GB would be fine for him but he really doesn’t need 64GB”

        If the 32GB was available or the 64GB was priced lower, why would your brother care at all that the 16GB iPhone existed? How is he impacted by its existence if he ends up buying a fair priced 32GB or 64GB iPhone???

      • darkenv2 - 9 years ago

        I think you’d be surprised by how many people need more than 16GB on their phones, especially since you’re not actually getting 16GB and more like 12GB. Where I live most people are not very tech savvy at all and when I mean tech savvy I mean they don’t know jack haha. For them they want to keep all their pictures and all their videos on their phones as well as music because it’s simple. These people also take pictures nonstop and that’s why their phones run out of storage and they don’t want to use cloud storage mainly because those who have good network like Verizon and AT&T are afraid to go over their data usage and those who have unlimited data from T-Mobile or Sprint don’t have coverage everywhere and don’t want to rely on their network to view pics and videos and listen to music. I agree with you on the price point, if Apple were to introduce 16GB version for $550 and bring back the 32GB for the original $650 I don’t see much of an issue with that but I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case. The point is that if Apple does this then they’ll be hurting themselves from getting business from average consumers. For Apple people like myself which won’t leave as I have 128GB on my 6 Plus, but I’m looking at everyday average users who may be on the fence. They look at the Galaxy S6 with 32GB base pricing for about the same price, the LG G4 with 32GB plus expandable storage for $600, the HTC One M9 with 32GB with expandable storage for the same price, and upcoming phones as well but they don’t look at everything we as phone people look at, they look at the absolute basics, they look at the outward design, camera and storage mainly. When they see Apple’s device come with only 16GB for the same price or even slightly higher then they’ll pass on it and look at the other offerings. The fact is 16GB has been the base storage since the iPhone 3GS which came out in 2009, a lot has changed in 6 years and with the potential of 4K video recording and higher resolution pictures coming on the next gen iPhone phone storage will be an even bigger concern for people because that will eat up storage like crazy.

    • kevicosuave - 9 years ago

      “I think you’d be surprised by how many people need more than 16GB on their phones”

      No, I get how even 128GB can’t be enough (I’d happily spend much more for even more storage). What I think would surprise *you* is how many people don’t need more than 16GB. As I said, in my extended family (12 people) none except for me, need more than 16GB.

      The case example would be people like my mom… they use the default apps… email, safari, message, photos (which she offloads), Words with Friends, Facebook, Weather, Health and that’s about it. All of her music is streamed. 4K video? Nope not a chance, not even any video.

      Likewise some company owned iPhones are fine with 16GB as they may restrict 3rd party apps.

      My girlfriend is similar to my mom, but also is very active in social networks, however, since having a new iPhone every year since the original iPhone, she’s never gone over 16GB.

      My nephew… Spotify, YouTube, Snapchat… nope nowhere near 16GB.

      The rest of your comment… you agree about the pricing of 16GB, and then go on to give the same argument as to why it shouldn’t be the base. In every point you make, the answer isn’t that the 16GB as a base is the problem, the problem is with the pricing tiers and the lack of a competitively priced 32GB version.

      4K video has nothing to do with any of this. There’s just not a valid argument from a consumer perspective against Apple offering a 16GB iPhone as compared to the validity of an argument from a consumer perspective that there’s no 32GB iPhone and competitive pricing tiers.

  7. Giromij (@giromij) - 9 years ago

    don’t cry about small improvements look at it as an upgraded version of iphone 6, because it is all that is :) personaly i like that about apple, it gives more value to my phone and i can choose 24 month contracts which are most of the time best choice.

  8. John Smith - 9 years ago

    I’ll go against the flow here.

    I’m OK with 16gb as the BASE model.

    Agreed: a lot of people will need more, but they can buy that. Personally I don’t need that in my phone (but do have 64gb on my iPad). I’d sooner pay a bit less for the 16gb phone, not be forced to pay more for something I don’t need.

    No question whatever about the memory card issue. Both iPhones and iPads totally need a micro-SD card slot. Samsung is way ahead on that one.

    • luckydcxx - 9 years ago

      im not sure if you have been living under a rock …. did you know that samsung has copied apple once again and removed their SD card slot from their flagship device? It seems that they are going to do this with most of their devices moving forward.

      • John Smith - 9 years ago

        I’m very sure you would sound smarter if you said nothing.

    • LiQuid__tr (@LiQuid__tr) - 9 years ago

      samsung S6 and S6 edge dropped micro-sd extension.. 32GB should be the low end at the price of 16GB in todays competitive market. icloud isnt there yet to cover it all yet..

    • Tuvatech - 9 years ago

      micro-SD cards are a thing of the past. All those small portable things are. When was the last time you used a USB flash drive? I’m quite tech savvy (that means I do a lot of things with technology), but I can’t even recall using it this year.

      Besides, what would be the cost of adding a micro-SD card? Where would this space come from inside the iPhone? Smaller battery? Use smaller parts (which would either drive up the price of the phone, unless they decide to use slower/older components).

      I think this was the main reason why Samsung ditched the micro-SD card too. It’s just not worth it. It takes up too much valuable real estate within the phone.

      • John Smith - 9 years ago

        Hi Tuvatech.

        I can see your points.

        My most recent samsung device is a tablet with the micro-sd slot. I can add 64gb for £20 or 128gb for £60. Thats the main advantage as I see it.

        In terms of disadvantage of the card slot to apple/samsung I don’t think the big issue is space, I think it would be the loss of opportunity to sell extra internal memory at a profit. The apple model of price hikes for more memory and no upgrade option looks very lucrative across their product range. Doesn’t surprise me to hear samsung is moving over to that, but lets see if they do it across their range.

    • epicflyingcat - 9 years ago

      I don’t think you get it, we don’t want Apple to charge us more for storage people don’t need. The truth is though is that many people need over 16GB these days and having it on a base model of a very expensive, high end phone is pure robbery. 32GB should be the base model for the same price and it would cost literally pennies for Apple to do that.

      • John Smith - 9 years ago

        I get it very well.

        You want more memory and you’d like apple to give it you for free.

        Obviously many people want more memory – they are saying it on here.

        I don’t need it. And – as noted higher up the page by scumbolt – most business users won’t need it either. One or two apps, your email and your diary synched to the firms outlook/exchange server doesn’t take much.

        Apple give people more memory for ‘pennies’ ?? Just can’t see that. This whole model of price points based on memory with big price hikes between levels and no after sale upgrade is hugely profitable for apple. Phones, tablets, laptops etc etc – almost their whole product range works like that now.

      • yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

        Yes, Apple should ‘give it to us free.’ – Not really. We’re paying $750 for 6+ base model with 16GB. Apple should sell a base model of 32GB for $750. How’s that free? Are we getting 12GB free since the first iPhone came with 4GB? It’s how things are. Technology becomes cheaper and Apple should follow it.

    • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

      If you don’t need a 16gb phone then you don’t really need a flagship that cost $650.

  9. bloodymerzkizzoid - 9 years ago

    Good job Mark!

  10. klepp0906 - 9 years ago

    No comment on more memory? Their better be.

  11. howsie22 - 9 years ago

    Cant believe they amount of people here defending the 16GB base model. Sorry if I can hardly afford the current base model iPhone, let alone a reiteration of the same storage option one year later. I’ll be switching to the Oneplus One or similar at this rate…

    • standardpull - 9 years ago

      I think you grossly overestimate the number of people that use their iPhone for little more than Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram – all relatively tiny apps that could even fit within an 8 GB device.

      Take my brother, for example. He uses Facebook and some stupid corporate app and Calendar and Mail. That’s about it. He likes and needs those things. He is not interested in anything else.

      And about 90% of the people I support at my company are exactly the same way. Sure, there are a few that want more. But the majority don’t.

      What is the profile at your company? If it’s much different, it’d be interesting to hear how it is different.

  12. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    Some iOS 9 features are a good indicator that Apple will probably stay at 16 GB for the base model. Smaller app sizes and auto delete apps to install iOS updatesa are probably more then just performance updates to older devices.

    A 16 GB would not be an entry model, a 16 GB leftover 6 or a new 6c would be, whatever the base model capacity of a 6 s is not an entry model is the base model

    16 GB should not be the base model of the 6s and especially 6s plus. With the $100 premium for size ithe plus should also come standard with 32GB. With higher meg cameras and the increased storage that take up 16 GB should not become thing Apple releases, especially with the easily 5 GB free iCloud storage.

    If Apple would offer unlimited photo storage like Google and with users switching to Apple Music and using streaming instead of onboard storage 16 GB could be a better experience then the miserable experience it is now for users, but I still think 16 GB, is a bad user experience for first time iPhone users and Apple should strive higher for customer experience for the first time buyers.

  13. Mark Granger - 9 years ago

    16GB in 2015 would be a true shark jumping moment for Apple. I truly hope this does not happen. The maximum app size is now 4GB. You need 8GB free to install that app. That means that you would need to delete nearly everything else on your 16GB phone to install it and as you know, Apple does not make that easy (try it if you don’t believe me).

  14. Matt Lynch (@_mattlynch) - 9 years ago

    Complaining about 16GB still being an option is like saying “I prefer BMWs, so why do we still have Smart Cars?” If you don’t want 16GB, don’t buy it, but accept that it’s a cheaper option for people who don’t have the needs or preferences you do.

    • “cheaper option”. It’s not like they will be selling the 16gb one at a discount. It will be the same exact price (if not more) as always but you’ll just have to shill a 100 more on top of an already overpriced phone to get a decent memory in 2015.

      • gigglybeast - 9 years ago

        Nobody’s making you buy anything. If you can’t or don’t want to pay for it, don’t.

    • yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

      Then why would Apple constantly raise the specs? 5MP -> 8MP -> 12MP (6S/6S+) cameras, 4GB -> 8GB -> 16GB -> ?

      It’s not like BMW vs smart cars, but reiteration/improvements of BMW 6 series of 2010 vs BMW 6 series of 2015. Same model, but much improved.

      iPhone storage is the same thing. It should always be improving. Perhaps not every year, but 16GB base model has been arounds since 2011 (4s). That’s 4 years. Memory chips are getting cheaper every year, and it’s time Apple should up that to at least 32GB.

  15. Like for majority of people, the base line model is the most popular one because phones are already overpriced. Here in UK iPhone 6 16gb sim-free costs £539. And they don’t even offer the 32 gig one. So if I want anything more than 16gb in 2015 I have to spend another £80 or pay for icloud.

    So fuck yeah people want 32gb to be the base line, I don’t see how this is an unreasonable request. Isn’t 32 becoming an industry standard? And whoever wants more than 32 is always welcomed to spend his money for the 64 or 128 one if so desired.

    How can people even defend this shit? If it wasn’t for the customer pressure we would still have 8gb as the baseline and Apple music wouldn’t pay artists for the free trial period.

  16. 16GB deal breaker for me … I have been using the iphone 5 for almost 3 years and I am waiting for the new iphone 6s to make an upgrade. guess is not gonna be the iphone 6s after all.

  17. fahadmuneeb - 9 years ago

    16gb ? Fuck u Apple

  18. yuniverse7 - 9 years ago

    16GB base model was introduced with iPhone 4s in 2011. It’s been 4 years already. Since the memory chips has been getting less expensive every year, (256GB SSD drive were around $650 back then compared to $100 now) it’s already past the time for Apple to raise it up to at least 32GB.

  19. Ilko Sarafski - 9 years ago

    Some of the people above should stop complaining… :D I am still using the 4. And it’s fine. 16GB 4 works completely fine. The button is fucked up, but that’s normal, after 5 years of heavy use. I have a friend with 6 and he’s doing less with his phone than me. Nowadays the top tier phones are more or less similar/same, what matters is what you can with it. So imagine my jump from 4 to 6S this year (or, why not waiting to 2016 for 7?). It’s a matter of perspective, too.

    • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

      If you’re still using a 4 then it’s pretty obvious that you don’t require the needs of a flagship. A 5S would be a major upgrade for you.

      • Ilko Sarafski - 9 years ago

        Actually, that sounds quiet relevant. For instance, here in Bulgaria we have really bad 4G network. And it’s very expensive too. So for me it’s not really relevant that `double LTE speed` thing which is expected with the 6S. On the other hand, imagine how long I would be using 6S if I get it brand new. :) At least 2020. Then, the iPhone 10 or whatever will have teleport and such cool stuff! :D

  20. daitenshe - 9 years ago

    I think all the people just replying “well buy the larger storage capacity if you don’t like 16gb!” are missing the point. It’s not that we don’t realize the options for larger sizes don’t exist, it’s the fact that we have to pay an extra $100 where if the 32 was the new base size we wouldn’t. I know $100 is chump change to you high rollers but it’s not for everyone

    • gigglybeast - 9 years ago

      You’re cheap, so buy a cheap phone.

      • loungebob - 9 years ago

        You made me login. So just for you: you’re an idiot. Now stfu.

      • gigglybeast - 9 years ago

        Hahahahaha

    • kpom1 - 9 years ago

      Hence the reason Apple keeps the storage tiers as they are. They know that enough people will pony up the extra $100 for the 64GB model who wouldn’t if 32GB was the lower tier to make it worthwhile.

  21. Rudder Zhang - 9 years ago

    how about the Ram? 2GB?

  22. biggshooter - 9 years ago

    well, since everyone else is dropping ‘F’ Bombs, I may as well chime in……FUCK!

  23. No waterproof yet and no vivid colours…a pity. I was hoping for that. Technology is already here….

  24. Titanas - 9 years ago

    Curious to see if improvements in other chips will compensate the likely power increase in the faster LTE chip. i’m betting the iPhone 6S will offer the same or slightly better battery life due to iOS 9 power optimizations, needed for music streaming. I won’t be surprised if Apple announces X hours of battery life for streaming music, as an indication of intelligent power management compared to other streaming apps.

  25. Farhan Ajaz - 9 years ago

    What about the casing though? Are they gonna use the aluminium 7000 series for the casing? I’m planning on buying the 6s+. If they don’t fix #bendgate this time, If they don’t, then i’ll just have to go with the regular 6.

  26. loungebob - 9 years ago

    Defending the 16GB base model from a capacity point of view is quite ok, to each his own.
    From a pricing strategy pov, Apple rips us off and defending or ignoring it is futile.
    I’ll retract the last part if Apple should up free icloud storage to 100GB.

  27. robkow86 - 9 years ago

    If Apple releases a 16GB model as a base, I am switching to an android phone. Hate to say it as a long time apple fan, but this is ridiculous that they treat the customer like this. Steve Jobs said its about making great products, this storage model is about profits.

  28. Nick Harman - 9 years ago

    Maybe I’m an idiot but 16gb is fine for me. I copy off files from phone to create more space when I need it and, not least, in case I lose the phone.

  29. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 9 years ago

    The comments in this thread turn my stomach. I don’t get why people are being such assholes to those who are rightfully upset that the base tier wasn’t increased to 32gb or the price dropped.

    It’s ridiculous that people, who have been able to afforded the middle price tier, are telling people to stop being cheap and pony up the extra $100… meanwhile they enjoy a 2x storage increase. The hypocrisy is absurd. It must be something about the internet that makes people go out of their way to dicks to others when they can’t relate to a problem.

    Hopefully Apple does keep around the 16gb model but drops it’s price to $99 to fill the slot where the iPhone 5s was (the 5s likely turning into the free color model). Arguments that it’s a reasonable size are fine but it should not be priced so much. I’m sure it’s worked out great for Apple’s margins but why any consumer in this thread would defend them I don’t know.

  30. Nick David (@N1ck2D) - 9 years ago

    For Apple to update to 32 GB the base model, the cost would be somewhere at $2-3. Hell, Apple, I’m willing to pay $6 more for the 32 GB to be the base model. Not freaking 16gigs! But no more!

  31. Paul Buckley - 9 years ago

    If apple can sell you on using their icloud service instead of dishing out extra cash for more storage then they’ve done their job correctly! Honestly…if you were in tim cooks shoes you’d prob do the same thing regardless…cause $$$ is $$$ and this world lives off it!
    And like other people have said if you don’t like it, spend the extra $$$ on more storage and don’t whine.

  32. Mark Granger - 9 years ago

    For those defending 16GB (probably because … Apple) would you defend an 8GB base model? How about 4GB? (Eight years ago you could buy a 4GB iPhone.)
    Every year, Apple’s phone processors and GPUs get a lot faster. They double the RAM size roughly every 2 years. The screen, the camera, the cellular radio and sensors all get major improvements every year. Why shouldn’t the flash storage increase in size along with the rest of the industry. The base model should be 64GB at this point. There is no technical or financial reason why this could not happen. As customers, it is our job to let Apple know what we want.

  33. Johnny Slapstick - 9 years ago

    Apple keeps getting made fun of by Android fans. This is part of the reason why. They are now playing catch-up all the time instead of being innovators. Why don’t they reduce the price of the 64GB model by $50 OR give people a 32GB model for $50 more than the 16GB version?
    Here’s another thought – give us the ability to theme our iOS however we want without jailbreaking the thing.

  34. Mike Wiley - 9 years ago

    I had a 16gb iPhone 5 until recently and the lack of storage simply yielded a poor user experience. Constantly running out of room and seeing “low storage” notifications complicates simple tasks — like taking meaningful pictures — considerably.

    I would be surprised, and a little disappointed, to see Apple continue to foist such low storage on users just because some will buy it. Especially when upgrading to 32gb can be done.

    Sometimes, you need to make the customer buy what’s good for them. Steve did this often. At the least, given today’s iPhone usage, 32gb seems the minimum. If you want to delight people, make it 64.

  35. How much it Will Cost ??

  36. Dan Czarnecki - 9 years ago

    It bewilders me as to why Apple is still keeping the 16 GB model for the base amount of storage. To me, it just doesn’t make sense going from 16 GB to 64 GB for the 1st 2 options. That’s a difference of 48 GB between those 2 options. 16 GB just doesn’t seem like enough storage anymore with the giant amount of apps and other content people have on their phones now. Apple, do yourselves a favor and just kill the 16 GB storage option already. Since it looks like that’s not going to happen for this upcoming model, I sure hope that they do it for the 7 next year.