iPhone 6s hands-on tested
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus officially launched in South Africa on 16 October, with the devices now on sale at mobile operators and Apple resellers around the country.
MTN hosted a launch event for the new devices at its headquarters in Johannesburg, where it provided hands-on testing of the upgraded iPhones.
While it may not look like it at first glance, there are a number of significant differences between the iPhone 6s and its predecessor.
These include the material used for the case, which is now made from 7000-series aluminium, faster application and graphics processors, and better camera sensors.
The most noticeable feature is the new 3D Touch technology built into the displays of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
iPhone 6s Plus hand-on front
The peek, pop, and shortcut interactions Apple introduced with the new feature worked well on the demo model we tried, and its usefulness was immediately apparent.
Rather than opening up the Calendar or Maps apps by tapping on scheduling or location-related information, for instance, you can instead opt to push-and-hold lightly on the screen to bring up a preview, or peek menu.
From the preview you can perform a number of actions, including sharing the item into other apps.
Pressing harder “pops” open the relevant app of the preview you were viewing.
For those who are happy with Apple’s default apps on iPhone, peek and pop is bound to be very useful. If you prefer third-party apps such as Google Maps, however, it remains to be seen how peek and pop will be integrated into them.
Fortunately, the utility of 3D Touch doesn’t begin and end with peek and pop.
You can also press-and-hold on home screen icons to get a jump list of shortcuts to some of an app’s features, such as composing a new message from Mail or sending your location from Maps.
Putting pressure on the iPhone’s keyboard turns it into a trackpad which lets you move the typing cursor around more easily.
iPhone 6s Plus hands-on rear
Live photos
Another new feature is the live photos option, which allows you to take a photo while simultaneously capturing the moments just before and after the image with movement and sound.
With the Live option enabled in the camera app, you take a photo like you normally would. When viewing the photo, you hold down on the image to activate it as short video clip.
First impressions
The “S” releases of the iPhone tend to feel a little less exciting than its major launches, with devices sometimes getting little more than a bump in specifications.
While the improvement in case strength, processor speed, and camera resolution is certainly welcome, 3D Touch gives the iPhone 6s range a stand-out improvement over the iPhone 6.
Final judgment is reserved pending a full review, but it looks like the iPhone 6s will be a worthwhile upgrade for iPhone 5s owners, and may even be a consideration for those who want to give their iPhone 6 to a family member and trade up.
iPhone 6s launch party at MTN HQ
More on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
Cheapest-ever iPhone 6s and 6s Plus prices in South Africa
This is how the iPhone 6s 3D Touch sensor works
iPhone 6s pricing: South Africa versus the world
iPhone 6s randomly shutting off: reports
iPhone 6S vs iPhone 6 – is it worth upgrading?
Loading ...