iPhone 6S Review

Apple and the iPhone have come a long way since their debut in 2007, and while most of the competition have entered the rat race to outgun the other at every turn, Apple has carved their own space in the battlefield. Sure, the iPhone may have some features lacking as compared to their Android competitors, but even then, when it comes to the overall feel and ease of use, most people still prefer the iPhone over any other device. While this may be more of a psychological viewpoint, people today want hard facts to convince themselves to either go for , or entirely ignore a particular smartphone device. Keeping that in mind, I will attempt to review Apple’s new iPhone 6S to the best of my ability, and hopefully, by the end of the article, most Users will get a fair idea about what the device is all about , and whether or not its a worthy investment.

Before getting into the intricacies of the device, lets take a look at the crucial specifications that the iPhone 6S has on offer –

Dimensions 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm
Weight 143 g
Display 4.7 inches (750 x 1334 pixels ) | 326 ppi pixel density
Camera 12 MP Autofocus ( Rear ) | 5 MP ( Front )
Hardware Apple A9 | Dual-core 1.84 GHz
Battery Non-removable Li-Po 1715 mAh battery
RAM 2 GB
Storage 16/64/128 GB
Operating System iOS 9
Durability
Colors Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold

Now that we have the critical specifications at our disposal, lets dive right into the review –

Apple was known as a company who released only two smartphones every year, and while the number has now risen to four, the ideology remains the same. In the past, the two iPhone devices are basically released in the following order – The first release is always the new generation of the iPhone, while the second yearly realease is the ‘ S ‘ version of the same. The ‘S’ version has almost always been just a performance upgrade over its predecessor, which is why sometimes, people wait it out for the latter, instead of going for the original device. In recent years however, people have become more critical about their smartphones as the handheld devices are slowly replacing the more conventional desktop PCs and Laptops even. While it may be true that the iPhone has been equipped with almost all major productivity features, there are still a few basic features that are absent yet again in the iPhone that raises a big question mark on whether Apple will ever change with the times. As I have already made a list of the critical features of the iPhone 6S, lets now take a look at some of the major features that are lacking yet again in the new iPhone –

  • No MicroSD expansion option means users are restricted to the space on Board. Now, if you are someone who has gone in for the 128 GB variant, you have ample space on your device,but if you have gone for the 16 GB variant, then there is definitely reason to stay cautious about your phone storage.
  • No 32 GB variant in this model as well.
  • Camera lens is protruding, which leads to the wobbling of the device when placed on a flat surface.
  • No OIS
  • NFC is limited to Apple Pay, which is yet to find full application world wide.
  • No Wireless charging.
  • No special durability against dust or liquids.

Now before you close this article and deem this smartphone unfit for purchase , here me out. Apple may not have a few basic features, but that doesn’t mean that Apple has not put in their own touch to this device. The Cupertino giants have always added something new to their lineup, and this time, its the new 3D touch technology – a new screen technology that can recognise the different levels of pressure applied on the screen and thus give the user an extra dimension of interaction . Now that I have your attention again, lets move on –

  • Design – The iPhone 6S is 100% identical to its predecessor, the iPhone 6, which means, with a screen size of 4.7 inches, it remains to the most compact flagships in the market. I personally don’t have a problem with compact smartphones, but when I see that the screen to body ratio is not completely utilised to its best, it does put me off by a few degrees. This is because, there are several 5 inch smartphones in the market, that measure the same as the iPhone 6S, while there are some smartphones with a 4.7 inch footprint that come in smaller frames. On the plus side however, Apple has gone for a stronger grade of Aluminium than the one used last year, making the iPhone 6S a lot more durable and sturdier than the iPhone 6. In simple terms, the phone will bend only if you apply three times the amount of pressure you would have to in order to bend the iPhone 6. The front display is covered by the default ion strengthened glass covered by the oleophobic coating, making the display scratch and smudge resistant. However, exactly how strong the display really is , has not yet been verified, so till then, try not to perform something out of the ordinary with the same.

Identical design to the iPhone 6

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  • Display – Apple gave its fan base something new in the form of the 3D touch, but the size and resolution has been retained. The iPhone 6S comes with a 4.7 inch display with a resolution of 750 X 1334 pixels. Apple has never done anything conventional, which is why even its resolution is something you don’t find in most devices. Every new iPhone is compared first to its predecessor , so , if I was to follow the same format, I would say that the iPhone 6S delivers deeper blacks than the iPhone 6, and also churns out a better contrast than its predecessor . The Sunlight legibility however, is slightly lower than the 6 on paper, but the difference is so fine, that an average user will not make out the difference. Overall, the display on the iPhone 6S is good , when it comes to Apple’s standards, but when it comes to comparing the iPhone 6S to the other flagships in the field, I am afraid its pretty badly outgunned.

 

  • Battery – When it comes to the battery life of its devices, Apple has maintained their own stand yet again by fitting in relatively low rated batteries on the pretext that, the sort of technology that goes into the device, is light enough to be supported by the said battery. In truth, while 70 % of Apple’s claims are true, its the 30 % that concerns me.People need their smartphones to run through the day without having to charge it every now and then, and when they see that their device is not able to deliver on that point, they immediately opt for a device that can. Now, I am a believer in the fact that iOS is a pretty light OS, but the fact that you are getting a 1715 mAh battery just doesn’t cut it. Anyway, talking in numbers, we have 10 hours of 3G or video playback on a single charge , while Apple claims you can browse over WiFi for half a day. Overall, the battery could have been bumped up in my opinion, as 10 hours just doesn’t seem good enough these days, while just half a day of WiFi would drive many people crazy.

Battery capacity is lower compared to iPhone 6

 

  • Performance – Apple is never completely transparent about their performance benchmarks and features, so I will be working with whatever information they have put out to the public. So basically, the iPhone 6S is powered by the all nw Apple A9 chipset, which features a Dual core 1.85 GHz Typhoon processor, and a PowerVR GT7600 six core GPU. This package is complemented by 2GB of on board RAM which takes care of the Multi-Tasking department. Now, while there is a lot of speculation about who really manufactures the A9 chipsets, popular belief is that the Apple A9 is made by either Samsung, using the 14 nm process, or TSMC on a 16 nm process.Whatever the case maybe, the new Apple A9 has produced segment topping benchmark results, making the chipset, the best in the market today, overshadowing even the famed Samsung Galaxy S6 and the LG G4.When it comes to gaming, Android features OpenGL ES 3.1, while Apple has Metal. The speciality of both the aforementioned technologies is that they allow games to make full use of the built in GPUs, but when the two were pit against each other, it was Apple’s Metal that came out the undisputed winner.All in all, the iPhone 6S is a total rocker when it comes to the performance , so for all those performance junkies out there, this is the phone to have right now.

Noticeable difference in processing power compared to iPhone 6 thanks to A9 chipset

 

  • Camera – Finally, we have the camera. Now, on the onset, I was pretty disappointed to see an Autofocus camera on the iPhone 6S, while the OIS went into the 6S Plus, but that said, its still a pretty strong camera . Apple decided to bump up their camera resolution after long last, which is why in the iPhone 6S, the 8MP rear snapper has been replaced by the more capable 12 MP sensor, and while that too is a bit less compared to the smartphones in the market today, its something to build on for the Cupertino giants. But its not just the rear camera that got an upgrade. Apple decided to amp up the selfie power of the device, and so for the selfie lovers out there, the iPhone 6S plus comes in a more powerful and capable 5MP selfie snapper, which means, better and more pleasing selfies everywhere.When it comes to video recording, the iPhone 6S is all set . The new chipset, along with the 12 MO rear sensor, allows the phone to record 4K videos with ease, while also allowing Live Photos, a feature that captures 1.5 s video either side of the moment you hit the shutter, and saves it as a short animation.The Front camera has a few tricks up its sleeve as well. The 5MP snapper now supports HDR, and full HD 1080p capture. It also uses the display as a retina flash of sorts. In this, the screen goes white the moment you hit the shutter , with brightness 300 times the normal value. This mode helps you when you are shooting indoors or even up close.Overall, the camera package is a definite upgrade over the other iPhones of the past, but the performance could have been improved many folds, and I sure Apple looks into it for their next device.

Jump in camera specs , 4k video recording + 12MP rear and 5MP front camera .

All in all, we can clearly see that Apple had 3 points on their agenda while launching the iPhone 6S – Better display, more powerful performance, and a snappier camera. While the display wasn’t really a class topping aspect, the introduction of 3D touch, will definitely give users a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
The performance on the other hand has undergone a lot of tweaks here and there, and what we have in front of us is a segment topping beast , ready to attack whatever you may want to throw at it.
Lastly, the camera has definitely been improved over the other iPhones of the past, but there is still scope for a lot of improvement, and hopefully, we will see them implemented in the future.

In conclusion, I would say that the iPhone 6S is definitely something incredible that Apple has brought out, and in the long run, it will surely serve as a benchmark for the other phones to come.