Mobile Phones iPhone & iOS 22 22 people found this article helpful All About the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus Hardware & Software by Sam Costello Writer Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Sam Costello Updated on February 12, 2020 Tweet Share Email The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Apple Inc. iPhone & iOS Switching from Android In This Article Important New Features Software Hardware Previous Models Apple has a well-established pattern with the iPhone: the first model of the series number introduces major changes, the second generation adds an "S" to its name and refines the original model with mostly subtle (but still significant) improvements. The company's been following that pattern since the iPhone 3G was replaced by the 3GS, and it hasn't changed course with the 6 series. The iPhone 6S is a lot like the iPhone 6 that preceded it but makes a number of key under-the-hood improvements that should take what's already the best smartphone on the market and make it even better. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are virtually identical except for screen size, weight, and battery life. All the key features are available on both phones. Important New Features of the iPhone 6S Key changes introduced on the iPhone 6S include: 3D Touch support: The 6S's screen supports 3D Touch, a feature introduced on the Apple Watch that allows the device to behave differently based on whether the screen is tapped or pressed for a longer period of time Improved cameras: Both cameras on the 6S are substantially improved over the 6. The back camera jumps from 8 megapixels to 12 and can now shoot video at 4K HD resolution. The user-facing camera goes from 1.2 megapixels to 5 and can use the screen of the iPhone as a flash. Also supported are Live Photos, an animated photo that can be activated using 3D Touch Better internals: The phone is built around Apple's A9 processor and M9 motion coprocessor (the 6 series used the A8 and M8), and sports new chips for speedier connections to cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Want to protect the important data stored on your iPhone 6S? Check out How to Backup iPhone 6S to Your Computer or the Cloud. iPhone 6S & 6S Plus Software Features 3D Touch support built into iOS and apps Live Photos Support for all existing iPhone features like FaceTime, Siri, GPS, AirPlay, App Store, Apple Pay, etc. iPhone 6S Hardware Features Improved cameras, as detailed above Improved internals, as detailed above 3D Touch support, as detailed above 2nd generation Touch ID fingerprint reader Taptic Engine, a force-feedback device that provides vibration as feedback for various interface actions on the phone Support for existing iPhone hardware features like GPS, the Lightning connector, photo and video capture, etc. Screen iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus Inches 4.7 5.5 Pixels 1334 x 750 1920 x 1080 Cameras iPhone 6S Back camera: 12 megapixels, digital zoom up 5x User-facing camera: 5 megapixels iPhone 6S Plus Back camera: 12-megapixels, digital zoom to 5x User-facing camera: 7 megapixels Panoramic photos: up to 63 megapixel Video: 4K HD at 30 frames/second; 1080p at 120 frames/second slo-mo; 720p at 240 frames/second super slow-mo Battery Life iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus Talk time 14 24 Internet time (4G/Wi-Fi) 11/10 12/12 Audio time 50 80 Video time 13 14 Standby time 10 16 all times in hours Sensors Accelerometer Gyroscope Barometer Touch ID Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor 3D Touch screen Taptic Engine for feedback Colors Silver Gold Rose Gold Space Gray US Phone Carriers AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Size and Weight iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus Size 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 inches 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches Weight 5.04 ounces 6.77 ounces Capacity 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB Introduced: Sept. 9, 2015Discontinued: Sept. 12, 2018 Previous Models In past years when Apple has released new iPhones, it has kept the previous models around at lower prices. The same is true this year (all prices assume two-year phone contracts): The iPhone 6 Plus will be available in 16GB and 64GB models for $199 and $299 The iPhone 6 will also offer 16GB and 64GB models for $99 and $199 The iPhone 5S will remain in a 16GB and 32GB version for free and $49. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit