iPhone 6s

iOS 9’s trackpad mode comes back to the iPhone courtesy of 3D Touch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

iOS 9 contains a new QuickType feature that lets you slide two fingers on the iPad's screen to activate a trackpad-esque mode. Called "easy text selection", this feature lets iPad users control the cursor by sliding two fingers anywhere on the screen, including over the keyboard, to select, edit, and move text.

While easy text selection appeared in the initial iOS 9 beta for the iPhone, it was thereafter removed and has remained an iPad-only feature up until now. But, as has been highlighted by a user on Reddit, the easy text selection is making an iPhone comeback, as long as you own a new iPhone 6s.

That's because easy text selection has been rolled into the new 3D Touch suite for the iPhone 6s. Indeed, you'll be able to use the trackpad-like features on the iPhone, but only on the new iPhones.

Breaking down the iPhone 6s model numbers and LTE band capabilities

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 13, 2015

Apple is shipping four different models of iPhone for its yearly refresh. The iPhone 6s sports two models—A1633 and A1688, while the iPhone 6s Plus feature models A1634 and A1687.

Although both iPhones in the 6s and 6s Plus lines are virtually the same, the model numbers differentiate the cellular LTE band capabilities of each phone. Thus, by familiarizing yourself with each model number, you can learn what networks each phone will support.

Why is this important? Say you wanted to order a new iPhone 6s in rose gold. As you might have heard, rose gold is proving to be very popular, and is selling out quicker than some of the other iPhone color options. Rose gold 64GB iPhones designated for T-Mobile and Verizon are now on backorder for 2-3 weeks.

But some rose gold models remain available—for example, some Sprint-designated rose gold models are still shipping on 9/25. By using our knowledge of iPhone model numbers, we might still be able to obtain a rose gold iPhone 6s to use with a provider like T-Mobile or Verizon by purchasing the Sprint model...

Confirmed: the iPhone 6s ships with 2GB of RAM

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Good news for those worried about the RAM situation of the new iPhone 6s—it has been confirmed that both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus will both sport 2GB of RAM. Well-known developer Hamza Sood confirmed the details by means of a tweet earlier today.

Apple rarely advertises the RAM contained in its products, but regardless of how Apple wants to downplay its importance, RAM is a big deal.

The iPhone 6s is now available for pre-order

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Following their unveilings on Wednesday, Apple has made both the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus available for online pre-order. As usual, folks initially had a hard time getting orders to through on Apple's website, and I had a terrible time with AT&T, but all portals should be working now.

If you're still having issues, we highly recommend trying out the Apple Store app, which you can download here. It offers a more streamlined buying experience and supports Apple Pay. For those trying to pre-order an unlocked iPhone, you may want to check out our tutorial here.

5 last-minute preparation tips before iPhone 6s pre-orders go live

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The Apple Store is down and the stage is set for the release of the new iPhone 6s. We're hoping for a much-improved online ordering experience since Apple revamped its online store, but you can never be sure when it comes to Apple pre-orders.

The last big pre-order event was for the Apple Watch, and that was an absolute nightmare. Granted, Apple didn't have nearly as much Apple Watch inventory as it will have iPhone inventory, so things should be quite a bit better this go around.

Still, though, there are steps that you can take to make your morning a whole lot easier. Although there should be plenty of supply, you need not take any risks or create any unnecessary delays. You want to approach this ordering process in a strategic and tactical manner.

This is your mission. To succeed at this mission, you'll want to take the following five steps seriously...

Apple’s online store goes down ahead of iPhone 6s pre-orders

Cody Lee ∙ September 11, 2015

Apple has just taken its online store down, ahead of its pre-order launch for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Beginning at 12:01 am Pacific Time, or 3:01 am Eastern Time tomorrow, customers will be able to place pre-orders for both of the handsets.

Apple unveiled its new smartphones at a major media event on Wednesday. Although they look similar to their predecessors, they offer several new features including faster processors, better iSight and FaceTime cameras, and of course 3D Touch.

Apple posts full September 2015 event on its YouTube channel

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

If you've yet to watch Wednesday's Apple keynote, or if you've been waiting for it to be posted somewhere other than its own website, now is your chance to watch it. Just a little over 30 minutes ago, Apple posted its full September 2015 event keynote to its YouTube channel.

The event, which lasts for 2 hours 19 minutes and 44 seconds, is where Apple reveals the new gold and rose gold Apple Watch Sport colors, the iPad Pro, the new Apple TV, and of course, the iPhone 6s. Read on for the full video embed.

Apple posts ‘Hey Siri’ downloadable video to iTunes

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2015

If you want to relive new iPhone, iPad and Apple TV announcements and watch Apple's keynote presentation in the comfort of your home, on your own time and without streaming, now you can as the full event video has surfaced as a downloadable high-definition video podcast on iTunes.

“See Apple CEO Tim Cook and team introduce iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus, the all-new Apple TV with tvOS, iPad Pro, WatchOS 2 and iOS 9,” reads the description. The presentation runs two hours and twenty minutes long so block out about three hours of your time this weekend and enjoy it in its entirety.

Live Photos take twice as much storage space

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2015

One of the coolest little new features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is Live Photos. That being said, those thinking about buying an entry-level iPhone model with just sixteen gigabytes of storage won't want to capture all their snaps as Live Photos.

And why is that? Because Live Photos take up about two times the space normal images, reports TechCrunch. And given the new iPhones' improved camera system has been bumped to twelve megapixels, the file size for normal images has already gone up by approximately fifty percent.

You should opt for at least a 64GB iPhone 6s if you plan on shooting 4K video

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As I conjectured back when it was first rumored that the new iPhone 6s would get 4K video recording capabilities, iPhone 6s owners will have a hard time maintaining space if they shoot even a moderate amount of Ultra High-Definition video on a 16GB iPhone 6s.

First and foremost, the 16GB iPhone features about 12 GBs or so of usable storage space. 4K video, while amazing looking, uses 375 MB of storage for every minute of video shot. It doesn't take a mathematician to quickly discern that 4K video will eat through 12GBs of storage space in relatively short order.

Upcoming jailbreak tweak looks to bring 3D Touch-inspired features to older iPhones

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 10, 2015

If you don't plan on buying one of the new iPhones, but are intrigued by the iPhone 6s' hallmark 3D Touch feature, you might want to listen up. Popular jailbreak developer Elias Limneos is currently working on a 3D Touch-inspired jailbreak tweak.

Since 3D Touch requires special hardware, this obviously isn't real 3D Touch, but it emulates the 3D Touch feature by means of a long tap-and-hold gesture on the iPhone's screen. The tweak, which is entitled Touch 3D, appeared in preview form on a recently posted YouTube video. Check it out and let us know what you think...

How to pre-order your iPhone 6s contract-free from Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 10, 2015

If you're thinking about pre-ordering a new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, purchasing the device outright is a viable option. I always buy my iPhones outright because I don't want to be tied to lengthy carrier contracts.

In the past, Apple wouldn't sell you the latest iPhones contract-free (at its full, non-subsidized price) unless at least a few months have passed following their introduction. As it turns out, you can now pre-order an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus contract-free, straight from Apple—here's how.