Epson is a name that’s now synonymous with a lot of things, not the least of which are projectors. We here at Gadgets love us a good projector, and while work is of primary importance, we also value the ability to kick back, relax, and enjoy some entertainment every once in a while.
Design: 4.5/5.0
The iPhone 6s Plus is, on the outside, almost exactly the same as its predecessor, having added just a tenth of a millimeter to its height and width, so last year’s cases are still usable. The introduction of 3D Touch Display has, however, added to the girth and heft (20g) of the unit, actually giving it a sturdier feel.
Hardly distinguishable from the previous model, the new 6s phones are touted to be built with the strongest materials—7000 Series aluminum on the body and X-ion glass on the Retina HD screens.
A new rose gold color has been added to the standard gold, silver, and space gray finishes, and it feels a bit odd to see grown men proudly flashing their new pink iPhones at business meetings.
Hardware: 4.5/5.0
Apple has totally overhauled the innards of the 6s, upgrading almost everything.
The most obvious improvements are to the iPhone 6s Plus’ cameras. The rear iSight camera now captures 12MP still photos, enhanced by optical image stabilization (OIS), True Tone flash, f/2.2 aperture, etc. It is able to record 4K videos (3840 x 2160) at 30fps, and capture 8MP stills during 4K recording. The front FaceTime camera takes 5MP photos and 720p HD videos. The Retina display also serves as a selfie flash when needed.
The processor has been upgraded to the third generation 64-bit A9 chip which, Apple claims, delivers 70% faster CPU and 90% faster GPU. The M9 motion coprocessor has also been upgraded and integrated directly into the A9 chip, for better activity tracking capabilities, including having Siri always on.
For connectivity, the iPhone 6 Plus now supports 23 LTE bands, faster WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.2.
User Experience: 4.5/5.0
One reason why it’s so hard to move out of the Apple ecosystem is that everything is so well-integrated, all you have to do is sign in with your Apple ID and—voila!—your new phone is set up exactly as you want it.
The one new thing you’ll have to learn with the iPhone 6s/6s Plus is how to use the new 3D Touch Display, which has capacitive sensors that detect the pressure applied to the glass. In addition to the multi-touch tap, swipe, and pinch, 3D Touch allows you to “peek” and “pop” or perform quick actions. For instance, when you press down on the camera icon, a pop-out menu lists the following options: Take Photo, Record Slo-mo, Record Video, or Take Selfie. Other apps give you similar peek-pop-quick action choices.
The major camera upgrades mean that taking photos and videos have become much more pleasurable experiences. And with the large 128GB capacity, you can really have fun with HD-quality videos.
Battery life is about the same as its predecessor, seeing me through an 8 to 10-hour day.
Value: 4.0/5.0
It goes without saying that the iPhone 6s/6s Plus are premium-priced. As usual, the telcos offer subsidized plans, but if you don’t want to get locked in to a holding period, open line units are now available at authorized Apple resellers.
And, if you need to rationalize your purchase, you can simply point to all the major technological breakthroughs that Apple has packed into this latest iPhone. Everything is so much better, at about the same price as last year’s model.
Bottomline:
If you resisted getting the iPhone 6/6 Plus last year, this s-upgrade was definitely worth the wait!
Also published in December 2015 to January 2016 Issue
Words by Maribelle Alba