iPhone 6S reviews are appearing

[haven]

The recently announced iPhone 6S is starting to reach customers, and your favorite tech blog probably has posted a review. While some reviewers are disappointed that the new phone looks pretty much just like last year's iPhone 6, most say the changes beneath the surface make the 6S a different, and more desirable model.

Ways the iPhone 6S (4.7 inch screen) is improved

A9 processor CPU and GPU noticeably faster
~1.5 times faster than iPhone 6 in many benchmarks
benchmarks almost as fast as 2013 Macbook, Macbook Air (Intel processor)
faster processor helps SIRI voice interface work better
result: “buttery smooth, fluid experience, no lag”

2 GB RAM standard / up from 1 GB in iPhone 6

12 MP rear-facing camera / up from 8 MP in iPhone 6

5 MP selfie camera / up from 1.2 MP
flash for selfies now comes by flashing the entire screen

Video adds 4K mode

Screen adds 3D Touch pressure sensitive functions
“3D Touch is not the new Right Click” / it simplifies, rather than adds complexity
most reviewers say it takes a couple of days of use to see productivity increases via 3D Touch
New “taptic” engine improves feedback for 3D Touch, notifications
not much support from 3rd party apps today, but this will come in future app releases

Touch ID sensor is improved / unlocks much more quickly

Screen made of stronger glass / fewer accidental breaks

Stronger aluminum case / less flexy than iPhone 6

Several reviewers say the 6S feels less slippery than 6


iPhone 6S Plus (5.5 inch screen)
optical image stabilization now works in video as well as still photo modes


Not improved

Same high price

Same screen resolution, brightness, color accuracy as iPhone 6

Base storage memory still 16 GB / better to buy 64 GB model, 128 GB if you shoot movies

3D Touch adds just barely noticeable thickness, weight (+14 g)

Aside from “rose gold” color, the appearance is the same as iPhone 6

Battery is slightly smaller / same battery life
still takes about 2 hours to recharge

 

[haven]

This is a great time to be shopping for a new phone. We should see the new Nexus phones with an upgraded Android OS on Sept 29, and new Windows Mobile phones on Oct 6.

By mid November, we should see side-by-side comparisons of the three new models.

 

[wildorange]

I've just ordered my first new iphone 6s from Apple after having 2nd hand or refurbished for years.

+ improved ram is welcome, although lacking behind android devices.
+ improved metal build strength quality, time will tell.
+ 4k capability
+ sneak preview nice

-I do find the live photo element a bit of just a gimick
-Battery life not being improved is disappointing
-lack of additional SD Card facility still annoying.

 

[haven]

Apple reports that 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models were sold in the first three days they were available at retail stores. Last year, the iPhone 6 sold 10 million in a similar period. So acceptance of the new models is high.

This is a good time to look at other phones, too. For example, Samsung is offering a $120 rebate of monthly charges if you buy one of their latest models. Plus Samsung will give you $100 if you trade in an iPhone. The offer does not include phones used on the ATT network.

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...g-throws-more-incentives-at-iphone-users.html

 

[mpinco]

Blackberry welcomes Apple to privacy

Although Apples patents speak otherwise

 

[mpinco]

Apple reports that 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models were sold in the first three days they were available at retail stores. Last year, the iPhone 6 sold 10 million in a similar period. So acceptance of the new models is high........

Apples and Oranges

Tidbits and Noise from Smartphone Wars


Apple celebrates its 13 million unit sales of iPhones in the first weekend. That sounds like a massive jump of 30% more than last year when they sold 10 million in the first weekend. Until you notice that last year the first weekend didn't include China (the world's largest smartphone market where roughly speaking almost one third of all smartphones are sold). So no China last year, now there was China sales, that accounts for at least 3M of the 13M (probably more) and what do we get out of it? When we consider honest apples-to-apples comparison, at best the first weekend sales are as good as last year, at worst, it is worse than last year (if China was actually more than 3M out of the 13M now). What does this foretell? Very very VERY preliminary sign yes, we may see flat iPhone sales this Christmas quarter compared to last year's Christmas quarter. That... is not exactly how I am seeing most tech and business analysts greet these numbers, but alas, they are blinded by the Apple Distortion Field.......

 

[MAXTRAX]

Funny series of events, but I've had an iPhone 5, then 6, then 6S in the span of a few weeks.

The 5 still has the best size, which is one of the main reasons I never upgraded when the 6 came out (oh, and they were $1000 in Australia)

A few weeks after being back in the US, my iPhone 5 was just not cutting it — the charge port was toast. So I bought a new, unlocked iPhone 6 on Craigslist for $300. I got used to the size, and really appreciated the better camera.

Apple has a thing right now where you can buy a phone on a monthly plan, but it includes AppleCare with 2X accidental breakages, and an upgrade/trade-in every year. It was a no brainer for a heavy phone user like me. It was also unlocked.

So far, I'm really not noticing any difference between the 6 and the 6S, 'force touch' is cool, but I don't see myself using it. The camera does seem to be a little bit better, but not by a huge amount.

If I had a 6, I probably wouldn't upgrade — Laura needed a new phone so it just made sense for me to give her the 6 I had.

 

[mpinco]

Reality Check for Apple:

Apple said to reduce component orders in response to weak iPhone 6s sales

".....According to Pacific Crest Securities chip analyst John Vinh, Apple has reduced component orders by about 15% following weaker-than-expected sales in the week following the launch. This information was allegedly obtained from multiple sources within the chip-making industry. Vinh writes that his company now expects Apple to sell about 67 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus units in the fourth quarter of the year, significantly below the 75-80 million unit shipments that many market analysts predict.

Note that this isn't the first time that we've heard about Apple reducing component orders. A few weeks ago, a report from Digitimes claimed that Apple has revised its Q4 2015 shipping estimates to 65-70 million units, and this new information seems to correlate well. Going back even further to this past summer, multiple analysts suggested that Apple might experience negative growth in the smartphone segment with the iPhone 6s generation......"

 

[Ryanmb21]

I ignore mpinco, but let me guess. He is posting links to some obscure website that publishes links to why people who use apple products are sheep, apple is doomed as a corp, or the camera on his nokia phone is better than my D800?

 

[mpinco]

I ignore mpinco, but let me guess. He is posting links to some obscure website that publishes links to why people who use apple products are sheep, apple is doomed as a corp, or the camera on his nokia phone is better than my D800?

LOL. Try again. Sales of all smartphones will be down

- Macro-economic trajectory is recession
- Peak debt
- Move by Verizon/ATT/.... from subsidized phones to financing exposes cost of phones, reducing sales

Hmmm... Consumer?

Just off the conference call from Verizon -- they are expecting phone unit sales to be down. In the 4th quarter -- that is, Christmas.

Gee, you think? $600 devices, financed or not, are now running into the same reality of free cash flow...........


Edit add: Have we reached "good enough" for smartphone feature set? Seriously, people only use 3-5 apps and really don't need app markets to have 100's of 1000's of apps. Many don't even add more apps to their devices. Hence there is less pull to increase units sold across all manufacturers.

 

[nwoods]

Who pays $600 for a smartphone....I only pay $30 a month...
I think you get my point. The "pay as you go" financed plans offered by all the major carriers and now even Apple itself is going to keep the metal moving.

 

[mpinco]

Who pays $600 for a smartphone....I only pay $30 a month...
I think you get my point. The "pay as you go" financed plans offered by all the major carriers and now even Apple itself is going to keep the metal moving.

But before the cost was hidden in subsidized pre-packaged plans. (cost shifted) Now the cost of phones are more exposed and financed. It will result in consumers thinking a little harder about high-end high-margin phones. Time will tell but analyst are projecting flat to down 4Q sales. Apple is confirming that trend by reducing component orders.

I recently switched phones and carriers. Looking at the long term (24mo+) you can save hundreds of $$$'s with up front purchase. Then the question becomes, which phone will be good enough for 24-36 mo of your needs. I went Blackberry Passport at $499

Carriers are going to make their revenue. Nothing is "Free"

 

[kojackJKU]

I ignore mpinco, but let me guess. He is posting links to some obscure website that publishes links to why people who use apple products are sheep, apple is doomed as a corp, or the camera on his nokia phone is better than my D800?

One. apple has a massive amount of isheep. And the Nokia camera on the 1020 is far better than anything else in the smartphone world and just as good as many consumer DSLRS....

Get your facts straight.

Next your going to tell me apple came up with the stylus input device, 3d touch, live photos, and iPad pro style devices first.

Mpinco, how's that passport. Looks like a very interesting device.

 

[mpinco]

Some quick trends that looks like the cell phone market is bifurcating.

From Is China dumping smartphones on world+dog?

- The £600 Android isn’t twice as good as the £300 Android, and you can now pick up excellent deals for £250.
- The ASP (Average Selling Price) for smartphones will peak this year and decline at a rate of 4.6 per each year “before reaching $236.38 in 2019," IDC predicted last month.
- Xiaomi and OnePlus, both of which have acknowledged they sell at cost.

So here we see the cost of low/mid range phones dropping as they are commoditized. The phone may run old Android and is loaded up with bloatware, buy hey! it's cheap. You want updates? Well, we will get to it next year, maybe. Security?? ROTFLOL

Then there is the Blackberry Priv, due to be released in a few weeks:

The Priv Is Coming (And You Want It)

Oh my....

The specs slipped on this monster, BlackBerry's new Android handset.

We all know what Android is. But that's not what ought to get your attention.

No, it's the inclusion of a few things I didn't think they'd get in there.

First, phase-detect autofocus for the camera. This is dSLR-quality autofocus; phase-detection allows the camera to know which direction to drive the focus and how much, eliminating the successive-approximation used with contrast detection. It's extremely fast (0.1 second) and accurate. There are a couple of other phones on the market with it now (Apple's iPhone 6 and the Note 5, specifically) but it is extremely rare in cell cameras -- or anything other than a dSLR, as it requires dedicated pixel zones in the sensor and the logic to back it up.

It also supports both Quick-Charge 2.0 (~30W charge rates, which means a usable charge speed of ~3x the old-style 2A USB plug) and both Qi and PMA wireless charging (!)

Finally, it has a monster battery (3450Mah) and outstanding screen density (540ppi) with an AMOLED screen. I'd prefer IPS, but still....

Here we see the Priv at the other end of the feature / cost spectrum, actually sitting above Apple's devices. And it will have the BEST security of all Android phones. If you use your phone for more than simple calls and text, say storing passwords, some level of financial management/transactions, personal information I'm not sure why you would consider anything else (well other than BB10) Apple is better than Android but it is not Blackberry.

In summary the market appears to be splitting into low end smartphones that now take the place of the old dumb phones and high end phones that includes feature sets that make them actually useful and secure. As usual I think this means fewer unit sales of high end phones like Apple as the majority could care less about many features and are clueless on security. All they want is that selfie at 2am. Many are teen age girls that drive volume. And the parents will not shell out $600+ even with attractive financing.


On the Blackberry Passport - love the phone. Moved from LG/android. Much better OS, feature set and secure. It supports all the apps I need, includes BB Hub and Blend. I manage all my email, text messaging, manage calendar, contacts and files on my PC when working. (establishes a secure tunnel from phone to pc) When mobile, pick up the phone and go. Size is literally a "passport" so fits in my shirt pocket. Ninety nine percent of the time I use bluetooth headset for calls. I also purchased the Passport unlocked so updates come directly from Blackberry, not through a carrier. And if I prefer, can download and use development builds. On battery life, it will typically last 30+ hours. If I know I will need longer I select battery savings mode and have gone 3 days.

For those few Android apps I might want, BB10 likely runs the app as it emulates Android 4.1? The only area that needs some deeper technical work is Play Services. There are work-arounds for those apps that do need it. But, I have yet to hit that issue as I don't need 1000's of apps.

The Priv is interesting but not sure about Android OS. We shall see how BB adds value to the Android "experience". I will stay BB10 as the Priv is likely really pricey.

 

[nwoods]

And the Nokia camera on the 1020 is far better than anything else in the smartphone world and just as good as many consumer DSLRS....

I think that benchmark has already occurred. Here is an interesting, and pretty convincing video showing comparison shots between a decent camera (Nikon D750s with Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 lens), and the iPhone 6S: https://fstoppers.com/originals/iphone-6s-takes-better-video-my-professional-nikon-dslr-88627