With the iPhone 6S launching officially in stores today, it’ll be no surprise if many of us feel lost while navigating our new iPhones. This might be especially so for iPhone 6 users: the look and feel of the iPhone 6S is so similar that it might trick you into believing it is the same phone. But as with most ‘S’ launches, the change in the iPhone lies mostly in its software.
As a guide, here are the top 6 things you can look out for when you get your hands on the new iPhone.
1. Faster Processor
With the new A9 processor, the iPhone 6S does seem to respond and react faster than the iPhone 6. Apps are faster to load, and Internet connectivity is much better on both WiFi and 4G.
If you’ve got anything older than the iPhone 6, you’re in for a world of a difference.
2. Peek and Pop
This is probably the feature to rule all new features in the iPhone 6S. With the integration of 3D Touch, the iPhone is now able to react differently depending on the pressure you exert on the screen. Peek-and-pop is the first way to test it. In your inbox, you can do a hard press to preview an email or message. Press a little harder, and the message will pop open to full view.
I say pop, because the haptic feedback feels like just that. It’s just a fraction of a second long, so you might be stunned at first by the way it feels, but after using it for a while, it’ll be intuitive — even addictive. This works for any link, attachment, location, and even flight details.
A personal favourite way to use it is on Apple Maps. A hard press on any landmark will pull out information on it, like reviews on Yelp or TripAdvisor, opening hours, or price range. It even comes with a range of options, like calling the store/restaurant, getting directions, or opening up the homepage.
3. Trackpad Mode
This is another great way to use 3D Touch, but this time with the keyboard. Do a hard press on a keyboard, and all the letters will disappear, leaving you to move the selector over your words. A slightly harder press will highlight words or even sentences for you, making it easier for you to edit long messages or emails.
4. Live Photos
If you love GIFs, then Live Photos will be something you want to explore. In the Camera app, you’ll see a round circle on the top bar that you can select; a yellow circle indicates that each photo taken will be made into a Live Photo. When you take a photo as per normal, the camera continues to take several more pictures in the next few seconds, and what you’ll get is a photograph that moves when you press against it.
The tricky bit about this is that Live Photos will be saved as a still in any device that isn’t on iOS 9, El Capitan, or WatchOS 2. This means they won’t work on any device outside of the Apple Family, so be warned. We’re still waiting for someone to make it possible to convert these Live Photos into actual GIFs.
5. 4K Video
This is definitely a feature for camera fiends. Being able to take 4K videos is really great for professionals and all-round creatives who are either venturing into movie-making, or just love great quality videos. However, most computer and mobile device screens — including the iPhone 6S — aren’t 4K, so don’t expect to watch a mindblowing movie directly on your new iPhone just yet.
Also, videos shot in 4K will only allow for 30 fps (frames per second), so they may not seem as smooth as the 64 fps, 1080p HD videos that you take.
That said, the thing about these 4K videos is that they will be cinema standard. At 4096 x 2160 pixels, they’re around four times clearer than the full HD movies you can currently watch on your computers. This means cinema-quality home movies, or simply a series of high-resolution photographs. Zooming into a section of the video, or taking a single frame and using that as a great photograph in itself, won’t be a problem.
6. Android Migration
If you’re an Android user, then this will definitely be at the top of your list. As you set up your new iPhone, you will be given an option to Move Data from Android, which is the first time this has ever been possible.
If you’ve ever felt like jumping ship, this is the perfect time.
