After an agonizing two week wait, the iPhone 6s is finally here. Although this is an 'S' model year, a time when most of the changes are internal, there are lots and lots of new and notable additions to the iPhone 6s.
In this video overview, I consider 20 new features that you'll find in Apple's new flagship phones. Some claim that not much has changed with the iPhone 6s when compared to last year's model, but this lengthy list says otherwise.
Have you ever wondered why, even though Apple Watch has a microphone and speaker, that there is no Memo app for watchOS? Me too. I use the Memo app regularly and, even if it were just controls to trigger the app on my iPhone, I'd be grateful for Apple Watch support.
Luckily, a clever dev team realized there was a hole to fill and created Just Press Record. It is a simple recording app for Apple Watch that allows you to capture audio, right from your wrist-worn device.
The development team at Open Planet Software told us that, coming in an update very soon, Just Press Record will support Glances and watch Complications.
It appears that if you bought an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus from Apple and paid it in full, your device is actually unlocked right off the box, and only a quick action is required from you to confirm that unlock status. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case for iPhones purchased directly from carriers.
When Apple says that a redesigned vibrator inside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, branded as the Taptic Engine, gives you “real-time feedback” in the form of subtle taps, the company is not exaggerating. The new oscillating mechanism, now enclosed with its own aluminum shell, reaches its full power in just one cycle (and stops just as quickly) versus ten or more oscillations for most other smartphones.
This allows for a more precise level of haptic feedback to accompany the new Peek and Pop deep-presses provided by 3D Touch. As part of iFixit's detailed teardown analysis of the new iPhones, the repair wizards have blasted the Taptic Engine with X-rays to show it in action.
Repair wizards over at iFixit have performed their teardown routine by prying open the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s (model A1688/A1633) in an effort to identify its components, analyze their internal layout and calculate the device's repairability score.
While the new phone does feature a slightly smaller battery due to a heavier display with additional capacitive sensors, Apple's new Taptic Engine and a bigger 'A9' system-on-a-chip, the device packs in fewer chips overall and has the same repairability score as last year's iPhone 6.
Answer: far, far less than the previous model. Apple hasn't focused much on a lot stronger body of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus so, naturally, we've been eager to find out just how Bendgate-proof the new devices are. A new non-scientific stress test video from Australia demonstrates that the iPhone 6s Plus is nearly unbendable versus the iPhone 6 Plus.
The new Series 7000 aluminum body can apparently withstand a significant amount of force being applied without bending. But don't take our word for it, watch the embedded video and post your impressions in the comment section.
The new iPhones are upon us and with them comes a headline feature: 3D Touch. Its name might suggest a marketing gimmick though 3D Touch is anything but, thanks to Apple's clever, elegant implementation.
In a word, 3D Touch is fast and instantaneous, unlike the tap-and-hold gesture, and responds to different levels of pressures. It's used to access app-specific shortcuts right from your Home screen.
Within apps, 3D Touch lets you peek something without leaving the context of what you're doing or pop from a content preview into the full view. We've put together a quick list of ten popular third-party applications for your brand spanking new iPhone 6s that have been graced with 3D Touch shortcuts and gestures.
Download them now and start peeking and popping like there's no tomorrow.
Here we go again...
In what could only be described as a continuation of its miserable anti-Apple advertising campaign, Samsung has hired people to wear backpack-mounted banners advertising its Galaxy smartphones to folks who queued up for iPhone 6s launch this morning outside the Apple Store in London’s Regent Street, The Inquirer reported.
The banners promote Samsung’s latest Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+ flagships and carry the provocative tagline “The itch to switch just got bigger.” In addition, International Business Times is reporting that Samsung even gave queued customers bright blue pillows and bottles emblazoned with the hashtag #NextIsNew.
But wait, there's more.
Apple may have finally designed a keyboard case, but it currently only fits the iPad Pro. Don't worry. There are plenty of stylish keyboard cases that will make your iPad Air 2 work for you.
Zagg's Folio case has a backlit keyboard and a durable cover to secure your device. Thanks to its hinge design, you can position our iPad Air 2 in a variety of viewing positions.
Netflix has long been available as an app for the iPhone, but up until today, setting up a subscription could only be accomplished via the Netflix website, which created a disjointed experience for new subscribers. Today, Netflix is allowing users to subscribe directly via the app itself.
What does this mean for Netflix? It means that any subscriptions initiated through the app will be subjected to the same 70/30 split that other apps experience, with Apple taking 30% of the subscription proceeds. Instead of raising its prices in the app to accommodate for the loss of revenue, Netflix is staying the course.
Amazon is currently offering a significant discount on its popular Prime service, cutting the one-year membership fee from $99 to $67. The promotion is in celebration of the company's 5 Emmy wins earlier this week, and is good through 11:59 p.m. PT Friday night.
For those unfamiliar with Amazon Prime, the service includes a number of benefits. There's free 2-day shipping (and same-day in some areas) on millions of products, and free access to Prime Video, Prime Photos, Prime Music and the Kindle Lending Library.
Apple has named Nickelodeon's "Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants" its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you could grab the special SpongeBob edition of the popular platformer for free—a solid savings of $2.
In the game, players are tasked with restoring order to Bikini Bottom after Plankton and his crew steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. You do this by helping Doodle Jump SpongeBob jump up and across the sea, blasting bubbles at anyone who gets in his way.