Weeks after Samsung released its latest power duo of flagship phones, Apple has announced the latest phones to succeed the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Well, not really succeed. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are classified more as upgrades than a full-fledged new phone. Along with this hardware upgrade, the duo also comes with a slew of new features, some of which you may have already seen in the smartphone industry.
Both devices share the same design philosophy as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. There’s no departure from the looks of the previous power couple. What sets these two apart, at least in terms of aesthetics, is the availability of a new color, rose gold. For the build quality, the material used in the phone’s construction has been upgraded to rise from the shadow of last year’s Bendgate. Apple touts that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are made out of stronger aluminum which they made themselves. They also share the same stronger glass used in the Apple Watch Sport.
In the performance department, Apple is, as usual, keeping hush hush with their phones’ processors. What we know is that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus come with a new 64-bit processor called the A9, which promises to be at most 90% faster than last year’s A8 processor. It is said to be 70% faster with CPU processes and 90% faster with GPU processes. M9, Apple’s new motion coprocessor is also available in the 6s.
What’s being touted as the 6s and 6s Plus’ biggest feature is the pressure-sensitive screen. This comes with a 3D Touch feature which will enable users to “peek” and “pop” into the screen. With a light touch, users can “peek” into content like photos, emails, webpages, or an app’s additional options. A heavier touch “pops” into the content itself.
The camera also receives an upgrade. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus now has a 12-megapixel camera with advanced pixel technology and a 5-megapixel FaceTime camera with a retina flash which lights up the screen when taking selfies in low light conditions. These cameras also introduce a new Live Photos function, which takes a short video lasting a few seconds before and after a shot to capture the memory rather than just a static photograph. They will also be able to shoot a video in 4K.
There are no prices announced for the Philippine market yet. In the US, the new iPhones will be available starting at 16GB up to 64GB and 128GB. Prices will start $199, which is roughly P9,300. It will be available starting September 25. On a similar note, the iOS 9 update will roll out starting September 16.
