iPhone 6S hits UK stores

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With the iPhone 6S set to hit UK shores this Friday (25th September), we take a peek at the features of Apple’s latest handset and how it differs from the incumbent iPhone 6 model.

 

The price

Prices start at £539 for the standard version and £619 for the larger iPhone 6S Plus. These are identical to last year’s first release of the iPhone 6 so nothing has changed on this front. However, Apple has now dropped the price of the iPhone 6 to £459, so you save a few quid if you’re happy with the older model.

 

 

The design

You’ll notice no differences with the design of the iPhone 6S compared to the iPhone 6, in much the same way as the iPhone 5S had no visible upgrade to the design. However, Apple has used ‘7000-series aluminum’ this time for the shell, not wanting a repeat of last year’s bendgate saga.

The glass has also been upgraded to the toughest available, so hopefully no more hefty bills for yet another cracked screen.

You can still select from the previous model’s colour options of Gold, Space Grey and Silver, but with the addition of Rose Gold for any fans of pink.

 

 

The tech

The technical elements of the new iPhone 6S are where we see most change. The most noticeable is Apple’s introduction of 3D Touch, which works based on the pressure applied. It should make tasks easier by using context relevant pop-ups.

Apple has spared no cost with an upgraded camera, moving from 8MP on the old version to 12MB (a 50% increase) in the iPhone 6S. It also has optical image stabilization to help you look like a pro, even when drunk.

Like previous iPhone upgrades, the core processing chip has gone from an A8 chip to an A9 chip. This new processor should make things even faster than before and handle the increased load the other tech improvements throw at it.

 

 

Battery life

Ah the dreaded battery death within a day. Life was certainly simpler with the weekly charging cycles of a Nokia 3310.

Battery life in the iPhone 6S remains unchanged and still stands at up to 14 hours talk time, up to 10 hours internet use and up to 10 days standby. These are all higher for the iPhone 6S Plus model, but again remain unchanged from the previous iPhone 6 Plus.

The reality is however much you’re charging your existing iPhone 6, you’ll be charging the 6S just as much.

 

 

Should I buy one?

It depends on how much you like you’re tech. The hardware improvements are noticeable and certainly if you’re still using an iPhone 5, now might be the best time to upgrade. Likewise, if you’re a budding iPhone photographer, the camera may be enough to swing it for you.

For all others, if you upgraded to an iPhone 6 last year, let your mates be the guinea pigs and see how much quicker it actually is in day-to-day use.