iPhone 6s Plus

How to check if you have a Samsung or TSMC A9 processor inside of your iPhone 6s

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

You've probably heard that Apple is using A9 processors from two different sources for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. One processor is from Samsung, and the other is from TSMC.

It's been confirmed via benchmarks that both processors perform similarly with no major differences in performance. With that said, each processor features a different die size, which was first noted by Chipworks. The Samsung processor is the smaller of the two. Physically, it's 96mm squared, while the TSMC A9 is 104.5 mm squared.

Chipworks conjectures that two different sources were used due to supply constraints. They also say that they are further researching both processors in an effort to gain better clarity.

Ultimately, it really doesn't mean much to the end user, but I know that curiosity gets the best of us at times. If you'd like to check to see who sourced your A9 processor, you can follow these simple steps.

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Apple closes iOS 8.4.1 and iOS 9.0 signing window

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 4, 2017

Today's brisk activity has come to an end with the closure of the iOS 8.4.1 and iOS 9.0 signing window. This means that users can no longer upgrade or downgrade to iOS 8.4.1 or iOS 9.

This is big news, because an iOS 8.4.1 jailbreak has been rumored to be in the works. If you didn't heed our advice about updating or downgrading to iOS 8.4.1, then it's too late to do so now.

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iPhone 6s Plus teardown reveals a 165 mAh battery downgrade versus last year’s iPhone 6 Plus

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

After taking apart the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s, repair wizards over at iFixit have now disassembled its bigger brethren, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus (model A1687/A1634) After popping the handset open, the iFixit team immediately discovered a largely unchanged layout from the iPhone 6 and a slightly smaller battery versus last year's iPhone 6 Plus.

In line with the rumors, the battery inside the iPhone 6s Plus is of a 2,750 mAh variety, representing a modest 165 mAh downgrade versus the iPhone 6 Plus battery rated at 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh of energy, for a total of 2915 mAh.

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Is iPhone 6s waterproof? iFixit has the answer

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 30, 2015

So, is the new iPhone 6s waterproof or not? A lot of ink has been spilt following a video that showed an iPhone 6s surviving being submerged in bowls of water for over an hour. People have been wondering whether the poster had used Liquipel to protect their device from water damage or if Apple has in fact done something to improve water resistance of the new iPhones.

iFixit was wondering the same so they set out to put this debate to rest once and for all. So then, is the new iPhone waterproof or not? Read on to find out.

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Semiconductor analysis confirms iPhone 6s ‘A9’ chip manufactured by Samsung and TSMC

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 29, 2015

An initial analysis of the Apple-designed A9 system-on-a-chip powering the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, conducted by semiconductor experts over at Chipworks, has identified both Samsung and rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company as manufacturers of the package.

What's really interesting is that the A9 comes in two sizes, depending on who manufactured it, with the Samsung-built units being a bit smaller than those manufactured by TSMC. This is the first time an Apple-designed processor for an iPhone came in two different sizes.

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How to zoom in and out of your iPhone 6s screen with 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2015

We have been covering various 3D Touch features extensively here on iDownloadBlog and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

In addition to using your iPhone 6s keyboard in trackpad mode, adjusting the sensitivity of 3D Touch and turning the feature on and off, iOS 9 also provides a way for iPhone 6s owners to use its built-in zooming capability in conjunction with 3D Touch, based on the amount of force exerted on an on-screen controller.

They're calling it Peek Zoom and once activated lets you invoke iOS's standard Zoom feature through 3D Touch rather than requiring you to double-tap with three fingers.

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Some iPhone 6s users report poor low-light camera performance with Live Photos enabled

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2015

Some iPhone 6s owners took to Reddit to say that using Live Photos degrades low-light photography performance on their iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. We have yet to confirm their claims independently but it would seem that the issue stems from how taking Live Photos works.

When you enable Live Photos in the Camera app, your iPhone 6s records 1.5 seconds of video before and after the still photo is snapped, allowing you to see small bursts of motion and sound.

Here's why using Live Photos might degrade your camera's performance in low-light conditions.

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iPhone 6s may suffer from iOS 9 bug affecting some apps which tap into compass and gyroscope data

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2015

Apple's new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus seem to be affected by a potential software bug present in iOS 9.0 and iOS 9.0.1 that appears to affect some, but not all apps which rely on data collected from the handset's compass and gyroscope sensors.

As first reported by AppleInsider, developer Fifth Star Labs has confirmed that reported issues with the Compass feature in its Sky Guide stargazing app are indeed limited to the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and do not extend to older hardware.

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Apple announces 13M iPhone 6s sales, expansion to 40 new countries beginning October 9

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2015

Apple on Monday announced record iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sales of 13 million units this weekend, beating last year's opening-weekend sales of more than ten million units.

In addition, the Cupertino firm has said the new phones will be available in more than 40 additional countries beginning Friday, October 9 including Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Taiwan.

The new iPhones will be available in a total of over 130 countries by the end of the year, said the firm.

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iPhone 6s Plus vs MacBook Pro: Exporting 4K video from iMovie

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

By now, it's well documented how fast the new A9 processor is in the iPhone 6s. The benchmarks show a marked improvement over last year's iPhone 6, and it even compares nicely with the iPad Air 2.

The iPhone 6s benchmarks better than the entry-level 12" MacBook, and compares nicely with some the earlier generations of MacBook Airs. Needless to say, this device is quite something from a technical perspective. So much so, that I thought it would be fun to compare it with my MacBook Pro.

I decided to install iMovie on my Mac, and compare a 4K export between it and the iPhone 6s. By no means is this a scientific test, but the results paint a general picture that may surprise some people.

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How the iPhone 6s Plus Taptic Engine compares to the vibration motor in the iPhone 6 Plus

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

If you're rocking a new iPhone 6s, then you've no doubt felt the difference that the new Taptic Engine makes when it comes to vibrations. Vibrations are now audibly quieter on the iPhone 6s, yet still just as strong, if not stronger. If you've ever felt a vibration from the Apple Watch, a device the necessitated the creation of the Taptic Engine, then you already understand the difference.

You'll also notice a new default vibration option for text tones in the Settings app. The new default vibration, called Synchronized, replaces the older Staccato default vibration from older devices. Synchronized allows for the Taptic Engine to sync with the sound of a selected text tone. This provides users with a unique vibration that matches each selected text tone, which is really cool.

We've created a video highlighting some of the differences between iPhone 6s Plus and the iPhone 6 Plus' vibration patterns. It's a change that goes unnoticed to the eye, but you can certainly feel and even hear the differences.

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