iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will ‘last longer’ than iPhone 6: Should you buy the new iPhone?

Piece-by-piece comparison shows that iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have ‘greater longevity and higher resale value.’ Apple’s new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus offer better value to customers and will have an improved lifespan than their predecessors, new research has found, suggesting that the devices will also have higher resale value. In a “teardown test,” […]

Piece-by-piece comparison shows that iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have ‘greater longevity and higher resale value.’
Apple’s new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus offer better value to customers and will have an improved lifespan than their predecessors, new research has found, suggesting that the devices will also have higher resale value.
In a “teardown test,” where a device is stripped down to its component parts and valued, IHS Technology found that Apple has incorporated parts worth $16 (£10.50) more in its iPhone 6S Plus 16GB than the equivalent iPhone 6 Plus.
This means that the device could last longer, says tech site CNet, and will likely sell for more money second-hand.
“With each generation [Apple] makes measured, incremental technology improvements to its iPhone line, and this time around those changes are increasing Apple’s per-unit material cost,” says Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services for IHS Technology.
The upshot is that if you are worried about the longevity of your phone, you should “worry no more,” says CNet’s Luke Lancaster, “because Apple is paying more to put its new iPhones together, and a longer lifespan and improved resale value seem to be the name of the game.”
Apple has also improved the new phones’ water resistance, according to Apple Insider. While the company hasn’t been advertising it, the new models have a 0.3mm wider ‘lip’ around their frame which may help hold out liquid.
“One-third of a millimeter may not seem like much, but given how tight the iPhone’s tolerances are nowadays, the change is big enough to see with the naked eye,” repair experts iFixit said. “And it’s almost certainly enough of a change that other components had to be subtly tweaked to match. Make no mistake, Apple gave this careful thought.” 
Apple has also encased its phones’ logic boards in a silicone seal, protecting the battery, display, buttons and Lightning port from exposure to water damage.
Some experts believe that the changes to the iPhone 6S foreshadow more significant design shifts being incorporated into next-year’s iPhone 7.  
According to Apple Insider: “prototype next-generation iPhones feature design improvements intended to keep out both water and dust, suggesting Apple is toying with a more ‘ruggedised’ handset for a 2016 refresh.”
High-res camera
The iPhone 6 had an excellent camera, but its resolution was beginning to lag behind that of rivals. With the iPhone 6S, Apple boosts the megapixel count from eight to 12, and adds high-resolution 4K video shooting into the bargain. All that is very welcome, say reviewers, but the main improvements come in the autofocus system. “It actually focuses on the subject,” says Pocket Lint, “rather than trying to make the whole scene sharp.” That can separate the subject from the background, adding depth to the image.
A bolder choice of colour is on show is in evidence in another design from Sahanan Yogarasa, which envisages a splash of primary colour on the back panel and edge of a super-slim iPhone 7.
Performance upgrade
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus come with upgraded processors and twice as much RAM as the 6 and 6 Plus, which helps to ensure that the handsets are smooth and fast. You soon take the extra speed for granted, say reviewers, but you notice its absence if you step back to last year’s model.
Gaming
According to games review site Touch Arcade, the 3D Touch feature of the iPhone 6S is going to be a literal and figurate “game changer.”
The first and only game that utilises 3D Touch so far is a racing game called AG Drive. Typically, controlling acceleration and braking in racing games on a touchscreen has been “very binary,” the site notes, but AG Drive allows players greater control with differing amounts of pressure applied to the screen.
“Playing AG Drive on an iPhone 6S turns the on-screen virtual buttons into analog buttons, with a shocking amount of sensitivity,” Touch Arcade’s editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp says. “When I first watched the keynote I assumed that the screen could detect three levels of force: A normal tap, a tap that’s ‘hard’ enough to cause the iOS peak, and then the ‘hardest’ tap which causes the final popup to happen. In actuality, there’s tons of variance.”
This variance could be used in different games to create different effects – which may finally mean using a touchscreen to control games is no longer inferior to using a games controller.
“It’s crazy how well it works,” Hodapp says, “and I think it’s only going to get better.”
What hasn’t changed?
Although Apple insisted that “the only thing that’s changed is everything,” the iPhone 6S is very similar to its predecessor. In many cases, that’s no bad thing – the iPhone 6 was an excellent device and there was no need for wholesale change. But in at least one respect, the iPhone 6S is a missed opportunity, many reviewers agree. Battery life has not improved.
In fact, the new iPhone has a smaller battery than last year’s model, due to the extra space taken up by the new pressure-sensitive touchscreen. While more efficient software has helped to stretch the available power as far as possible, the iPhone 6S still struggles to get through the day on a single charge.
Conclusion
The result is that while the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are excellent, they can occasionally be frustrating to use, particularly if you are out of range of a power socket for long periods of time. Nevertheless, says Forbes, “for those where money isn’t an object and charging cables are plentiful, the iPhone 6S seems to be worth the upgrade.”
theweek.co.uk