Apple announced their latest iPhone this week, bringing a wide array of new technologies to the incredibly popular iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Let’s take a look at the key features:
3D Touch
Apple has implemented the same force touch technology we’ve seen on Apple Watch and on the new MacBook and MacBook Pro trackpads. 3D Touch senses how deeply you press the display, introducing new gestures called Peek and Pop. This makes it easy to do things like preview emails and links before you fully open them, use quick shortcuts on the home screen by pressing an icon, previewing photos in messages and much more. Check out Apple’s official video, narrated by Jony Ive:
3D Touch also adds some cool new features to iOS 9. For example, press your keyboard to turn it into a trackpad. Press the left side of the Home screen to switch to multitasking view. Or, make a pressure sensitive drawing in the notes app.
Stronger Materials
After the alleged “bendgate” controversy, Apple switched to a new 7000 Series aluminum, the strongest alloy ever used in a phone. They’ve also enhanced the cover glass to be “the strongest cover glass used on any smartphone in the world.”
A9 Chip / M9 Motion Coprocessor
The all-new A9 chip is a 64-bit desktop-class processor. It improves overall CPU performance by 70 percent, and the M9 motion coprocessor improves graphics performance 90%. The M9 is now integrated into the A9 chip directly and brings new capabilities like being able to measure your running or walking pace as well as steps, distance and elevation changes. It’s much more energy efficient, allowing “Hey Siri” to be always on.
Improved iSight Camera
Finally. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus now includes a 12MP sensor with advanced pixel technology (focus pixels) and the ability to shoot 4K video. They’ve also included a 5MP FaceTime HD camera for all the selfies you could possibly take. It also brings the ability for playback zoom in videos, and the 6s Plus includes optical image stabilization for video.
Live Photos
Live Photos is a new technology that brings photos to life by capturing a short, space-efficient video before and after the photo. You can use them as a wallpaper on your Apple devices. They’ll move and then freeze everytime you open your iPhone. While scrolling through your photos in the Photos app, Live Photos will animate as you swipe past them, giving new life to your photos.
Improved Touch ID
The new Touch ID sensor is able to detect fingerprints much faster than the previous generation, with a higher recognition rate. Apple touts the new and improved Touch ID as being twice as fast as the Touch ID in iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus.
Faster LTE, Faster WiFi
iPhone 6s supports up to 23 LTE bands and includes a new, faster technology called LTE Advanced. It’s also up to twice as fast when connected to WiFi. It even supports Voice over LTE - wideband high-quality calls that make conversations sound crisp and clear as if you were face-to-face. You can also use voice and LTE data simultaneously. WiFi calling is also supported.
Rose Gold Color Option
The iPhone 6s now comes in Rose Gold, along with the “traditional” colors: Silver, Space Gray and Gold.