Apple may have moved on with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but let’s not forget about the smartphones that came before. When announced, the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6S Plus were Apple’s flagship devices.
A few years down the line, and they remain quality phones that offer excellent performance for the price. Having spent enough time with both devices, we now know exactly what made the 6 Plus and 6S Plus notable upgrades for Apple aficionados. To get an idea of what sets the 6S Plus apart from its predecessor, we’ve decided to pit the two against each other in a spec comparison. May the best phone win (spoiler alert: the iPhone 6S Plus wins, though you should just wait for the
Apple’s design for the iPhone 6 Plus was beautiful simplicity, wrapping rounded edges into glass in an unassuming style typical of past iPhones. Apple decided not to fix what wasn’t broken, bringing back a nearly identical style for the 6S Plus. However, it did improve the phone’s enclosure, borrowing a page out of the aerospace industry’s book and wrapping it in an alloy of 7000 Series aluminum. In other words, this is the strongest and most durable iPhone yet.
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Aside from the dimensions of the 6S Plus registering one-hundredth of an inch bigger in height, width, and thickness, these two phones are mirror images of each other. Back is the same 5.5-inch screen with the same gorgeous 1920 x 1080 screen resolution owners of the 6 Plus came to know and love. Where the iPhone 6S Plus does diverge a bit from the 6 Plus is its available colors. While the 6 Plus comes in just Space Gray, Silver, and Gold (the Gold has been discontinued), the 6S Plus comes in Space Gray, Silver, Gold, or Rose Gold, giving buyers an even greater opportunity to customize their smartphone.
Power and productivity
The 6S Plus is definitely faster than the 6 Plus. Apple’s A9 chip runs 70-percent faster than the A8, with a GPU that’s a staggering 90-percent faster. The iPhone 6S Plus also features 2GB of RAM, which is double that of the original 6 Plus. Additionally, Touch ID is faster — there’s no lag when you swipe around — and games run more smoothly.
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The iPhone 6S Plus also touts what Apple calls 3D Touch, which grants users an extra level of touch sensitivity. Slightly touching an application, for instance, brings up a table that’s similar to the right-click menu you might see on a computer. Apple claims the feature improves productivity and streamlines the smartphone experience when time is at a premium. Although you can get iOS 10 on the 6 Plus, it doesn’t support the 3D Touch feature.
Camera
The one area where the iPhone 6S Plus arguably blows the 6 Plus out of the water concerns its camera functionality. Instead of an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a sub-par 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, the 6S Plus touts a gorgeous 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. In other words, Apple continues to make it easy for casual photographers to ditch digital cameras altogether and rely solely on the contraption they have in their pocket. For years, Apple has continuously boasted about the iPhone’s camera prowess, and the iPhone 6S Plus legitimately raises the bar.
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Packed within the camera’s massive upgrade is also the ability for users to not only shoot HD videos, but incredibly detailed 4K videos. Obviously it’s tough to put much stock in 4K actually mattering on something with a screen as “small” as an iPhone 6S Plus, but videos shot in 4K certainly looked a whole heck of a lot better than anything shot on a 6 Plus. Moreover, with 4K gaining popularity and momentum in the HD community, why not include it if the tech is there?
Availability
As always, the 6S Plus comes in three different storage sizes, each of which carries its own price tag. The 32GB 6S Plus comes in at $649 (or $27.05/month for 24 months), and the 128GB at $749 (or $31.21/month for 24 months). As of 2017, however, the iPhone 6 Plus is no longer being sold by Apple or any of the major carriers. With the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus out now, the iPhone SE is the represents the company’s entry-level model. If you want to buy an iPhone 6 Plus, you’ll have to scour the second-hand market.
Conclusion
As is typically par for the course for Apple, each new line of iPhones is described as the most advanced ever created, when compared to other smartphones available at the time. With a newer processing chip, a much-improved camera, a new operating system, and two extra snazzy colors, the iPhone 6S Plus offers a tangible step up from its predecessor. The 6S Plus has also dropped in price since the 7 Plus was released, making it even more tempting. If you already have a 6 Plus, then skip the 6S Plus, and look at the latest model. But if you’re choosing between a second-hand 6 Plus and a new 6S Plus right now, we’d definitely advise you to go for the 6S Plus. If you’re not in a rush, we recommend wiating for the iPhone 8, which is rumored to arrive in September 2017.
This could be our first look at iOS 18’s huge redesign
While iOS 17 fell short on a visual overhaul, Apple is rumored to be working on an updated identity for its next iOS version. Previous reports have claimed that the upcoming iOS 18 will feature visionOS-like elements introduced on the Apple Vision Pro. A new report confirms this with a leaked image of the iOS 18 Camera app.
According to a report from MacRumors, the next version of the Camera app could feature visionOS-style design elements. It is based on an iPhone frame template that the publication received from an anonymous source who claimed to have received it from an iOS engineer. It is said to have been included as part of the Apple Design Resources for iOS 18.
We now know when Apple is adding RCS to the iPhone
Last November, Apple made a surprise announcement when it confirmed that RCS was coming to the iPhone in 2024. It's something iPhone and Android phone users alike have been waiting years for, but there was just one small problem: Apple never said when in 2024 RCS was coming. Thanks to Google, of all companies, we now have a better idea of when RCS is heading to the iPhone.
As spotted by 9to5Google, the Android website was recently updated with a new page dedicated to Google Messages. If you click on the "See more features" button for the section talking about RCS, there's a section titled "Better messaging for all" with the following text: "Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone."
The most common iPhone 15 problems and how to solve them
Apple iPhone 15 Plus (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
You rely on your iPhone 15 for everything. That includes music, movie, and TV show streaming, banking, smart home controls, calendars, reminders, and timers — which is only scratching the surface. Apple’s iOS namesake is faster, more durable, and packed with plenty of power, but that doesn’t mean it can’t run into trouble now and then. Not to worry though: for when a smartphone presents an issue, there’s usually a way to fix it.
