iPhone 6s

Preorders for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus start tomorrow 12:01 AM PT with general availability from September 25th, so its time to decide what size, color and storage capacity you will be buying for this iPhone generation. The iPhone 6s features 3D Touch pressure sensitivity, an upgraded 12 megapixel camera, 4K video recording, Live Photos, a faster A9 chip, improved Touch ID and more. Like last year, the difference between the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus is the larger screen (5.5 inch versus 4.7 inch) and the inclusion of optical image stabilization on the larger model.

The iPhone 6s costs $199 for 16 GB, 64 GB for $299 and 128 GB for $399 on contract, with the iPhone 6s Plus $100 more at each level. New for this year is a rose gold option, so that’s another choice to consider alongside silver, space gray and gold. With that in mind, what iPhone are you planning on buying? Let us know with the following polls ….

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A few weeks prior to the launch of the iPhone 6s, I wondered whether an S model could really continue the blockbuster sales success Apple enjoyed with the iPhone 6. Based on what we knew then, it seemed like it might be a tough sell. And at the time, it seems many of you felt the same way: in our poll, only 29% of iPhone 6 owners said they would ‘definitely’ upgrade.

But my view now is that Apple may have pulled a rabbit out of the hat. The company has, I think, successfully dealt with three of my five reasons for being skeptical about the sales potential of the 6s:

• Force Touch is a techy feature, with limited mass-market appeal
• The camera improvements are nice, but the iPhone 6 camera is already great
• The iPhone 6 still feels like ‘the new iPhone’

So let’s look at each in turn, and see why I think Apple may have managed to prove me wrong … 
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Sprint is today officially announcing pricing for the new iPhone 6s lineup through its iPhone Forever upgrade program and in the process attempting to combat T-Mobile’s special introductory pricing announced earlier this week. Like T-Mobile’s $20/month offer on the new entry-level iPhone 6s, Sprint is offering a similar deal with $15/month for upgrade customers and $22/mo (or $26/mo for 6s Plus) for new iPhone Forever customers. Here’s how it works:
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The iOS 9 GM includes a new feature for Siri to help it better recognize your voice when using the automatic ‘Hey Siri’ activation feature. On all current iPhones, you can activate Siri by saying ‘Hey Siri’ when the device is plugged in to power. On the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the ‘Hey Siri’ activation feature works all the time, plugged in or not, thanks to new dedicated components inside the latest iPhones meaning it can be ‘always on’.

This makes the addition of voice training particularly relevant. In previous OS versions, Hey Siri would just work if you toggled a switch in Settings. With the GM, the OS now prompts you to go through a few training exercises before the feature will be enabled. Some readers have claimed that this feature is like Voice ID, so that Hey Siri function will only respond when the true owner of the phone speaks to it. Whilst this would be a nice feature, we cannot reproduce this and believe it is only meant to improve general detection accuracy.

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One of the novel features Apple added to the iPhone 6s to distinguish it from its predecessor was Live Photos, where every photo you take is effectively a very brief video, capturing the movement and sound as the photo was taken. The feature is unique to the 6s as it’s activated by a 3D Touch. Today, we’ve learned a little more about the simple yet clever technology behind it.

As you may already know, existing iPhones start taking photos the moment you open the app. This is how Apple provides the camera with the ability to take photos instantly, with none of the delay (‘shutter lag’) you see with some digital cameras. The camera has already taken and temporarily stored a whole bunch of photos, and it simply keeps the last one taken as you press the button and discards the rest … 
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Apple’s “Hey Siri” special event was so completely jammed with major announcements that a lot of little details fell through the cracks — performance differences between the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, battery surprises in the iPad Pro and iPad mini 4, and connectivity omissions in the Apple TV 4, just to name a few.

Every year, once the event’s dust has settled, I dig through all of the information out there to bring you a clearer picture of what to expect from Apple’s latest devices. Here are the things you’ll want to know about the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad mini 4, and Apple TV 4…
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Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV event is finally over and we’ve got a lot to say about it. From 3D Touch to the iPad Pro’s Apple Pencil, there’s a lot to cover that happened during the event. Let’s get into a recap of the event as well as our first impressions of Apple’s latest product announcements. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

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With the introduction of the iPhone 6s lineup and the new iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple’s AppleCare+ extended warranty program gets a slight price increase to $129 from the previous $99 price point.
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With the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus debuting next week, it’s important to start thinking about how to make sure your new phone is protected as soon as you get it. At some point, you’ll probably want to resell your phone for top dollar to upgrade to the iPhone 7s, and getting the best price will require your device to be in like-new condition. The smartest way to protect your iPhone is with the updated Speck CandyShell series or new MightyShell line. “Designed for Impact” and available in all-new styles, Speck’s CandyShell cases have a perfect combination of great looks, protection, and accessory compatibility for your new iPhone.

We’ve checked out Speck’s all-new CandyShell series for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and the cases are certainly impressive. Each one-piece case is made with two bonded layers — one soft, one hard — together creating a snug fit and incredibly easy installation. But unlike competitors, the CandyShell cases have almost no bulk, keeping your iPhone nearly as thin as they’d be without cases. And the latest clear CandyShell lets you see your iPhone 6s/6s Plus’s colors through an all-new design, available for the first time for both 4.7″ and 5.5″ iPhone sizes. Below, you’ll get a first look at some brand new CandyShell and MightyShell versions at great prices, available to order today…

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T-Mobile really wants you to buy your iPhone 6s from the company, offering you the 16GB model for a total payment of just $524 on its 18-month JUMP program – a discount of $125 off the normal price of $649. You pay just $20/month for 18 months, at the end of which you can either hand back the phone and walk away, or pay $164 more to keep it. T-Mobile has described this as special introductory pricing which “won’t last long,” but hasn’t given a specific expiry date.

The company also promises you won’t be locked to the T-Mobile network if you’re unhappy with its coverage – which will be notably better for iPhone 6s users. T-Mobile’s Extended Range LTE operates on the 700MHz spectrum, which Apple is supporting for the first time in the iPhone 6s, and is around four times better at penetrating walls to give stronger signals inside buildings … 
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Apple didn’t mention the new iPhone 6s battery life as part of the keynote and there may be a reason for that. In the promo video, Apple shows a shot of the iPhone 6s internals. As it happens, this render is extremely detailed and you can actually make out the battery specifications inscribed onto the battery. Its rated at 1715mAh, which is down from the 1810mAH packed into the previous iPhone 6.

It seems that Apple has had to shrink the battery to make space for new features like the 3D Touch screen and the Taptic Engine. However, according to Apple’s technical specifications, it shouldn’t make a difference. The battery life estimates for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 are identical …

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Apple earlier today took the wraps off of a handful of new products, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad mini 4, a new Apple TV, and several new accessories. Members of the press who were in attendance of the event at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco got the opportunity to try out many of Apple’s new products and as you’d expect, they all shared their thoughts.

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With Apple’s introduction of its new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus going on sale later this month, the company will discontinue the gold color option for the previous generation iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5s.
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Earlier today, Apple took the wraps off the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and one of the flagship features the company focused on during the unveil was 3D Touch. 3D Touch is the highly anticipated force-sensing feature that adds new “peek” and “pop” gestures that bring up windows and interfacing hidden under panes. Bloomberg this evening has now published a fascinating piece in which it dissects the development of 3D Touch within Apple’s design team. The piece includes quotes from Apple executives such as Tim Cook, Alan Dye, Craig Federighi, and Phil Schiller…

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Apple has published some of the videos from today’s keynote event on YouTube for replay, including the first TV spot for the iPhone 6s and the introduction video presenting 3D Touch on the new phone. The keynote itself isn’t yet available, but should be soon.

You can watch the new videos below.

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Apple just wrapped up its press event today where it officially unveiled the much anticipated next-generation iPhone 6s lineup, a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and iPad mini 4, and an all-new, revamped Apple TV experience. It also gave us some updates on Apple Watch with new bands and partnerships with designers, as well as confirmation on release dates for iOS 9, OS X, and iCloud pricing updates.

Head below for handy links to everything Apple announced today:
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Following the announcement of the new iPhone 6s today, Apple debuted several new accessories for the upcoming smartphone. The company announced that the existing silicone and leather cases will be available in five new colors, while a new line of metal docks will be available in colors matching the phones at $49.99.

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The iPhone Upgrade Program is a new program that gives you a new iPhone every year, with AppleCare+ for just $32 a month for two years. Keeping paying and you keep getting new phones and service coverage. This option is available in US Apple Stores to start with more countries coming soon.

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