Apple makes the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus official

Apple has announce the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The new phones will feature the same 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with the same design, but with revamped capabilities, and components.

The new phones, constructed from 7000 series aluminum, come in four colors now: space gray, silver, gold, and rose gold. The glass is also new, made with a dual ion exchange process. The display now also support Apple's 3D touch, adding pressure sensitivity to the iPhone for the first time.

The new iPhone has also seen some upgrades to existing hardware. The new Touch ID sensor is twice as fast as the previous sensor. Additionally, you no longer have to plug your iPhone in to use 'Hey Siri,' as it will now work at any time on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Improvements have also been made to wireless connectivity, including LTE Advanced, up to 2x faster than last year's iPhone, and support for 23 LTE bands. Wi-Fi is also faster, topping out at 866Mbps.

Be sure to follow along with iMore's event liveblog for the latest from Apple's event.

Press release:

Apple Introduces iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus

Next Generation of Multi-Touch Arrives in The Most Advanced iPhones Ever

SAN FRANCISCO — September 9, 2015 — Apple® today announced iPhone® 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the most advanced iPhones ever, adding a powerful new dimension to iPhone's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface. The new iPhones introduce 3D Touch, which senses force to enable intuitive new ways to access features and interact with content. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus feature Retina® HD displays made from the strongest glass on any smartphone and 7000 series aluminum, the same alloy used in the aerospace industry, in gorgeous metallic finishes that now include rose gold.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also introduce a transformative new approach to photography called Live Photos, bringing still images to life by capturing a moment in motion. Live Photos, 3D Touch and other advancements in the new iPhones are powered by the Apple-designed A9 chip, the most advanced chip ever in a smartphone, delivering faster performance and great battery life.

"The only thing that has changed with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is everything — 3D Touch lets users interact with iPhone in entirely new and fun ways, and the innovative Live Photos brings your pictures to life," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "These are the most advanced iPhones ever, with 7000 series aluminum, ion-strengthened glass, the new 64-bit A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight and 5-megapixel FaceTime HD cameras, faster Touch ID, LTE and Wi-Fi. Customers are going to love them."

3D Touch

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce new ways to navigate and experience iPhone by sensing pressure to enable new gestures — Peek and Pop™ — so you can dip in and out of content without losing your place. Press lightly to Peek at a photo, email, web page or other content, and press a little deeper to Pop into the content itself. With Quick Actions, 3D Touch provides shortcuts to the things you do most, so you can send a message or take a selfie with just a simple press from the Home screen.

Camera Innovations

The world's most popular camera is even better in the new iPhones with new ways to capture and relive unforgettable moments. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce Live Photos, which go beyond snapshots to capture moments in motion. Live Photos are beautiful 12-megapixel photos that, with just a press, reveal the moments immediately before and after the shot was taken, so you can enjoy a living memory rather than an instant frozen in time.

High-definition video improves with support for 4K — with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, delivering over 8 million pixels — and the expansion of optical image stabilization to video on iPhone 6s Plus, for taking beautiful videos in lower light. After capturing 4K video, you can edit on your Mac®, PC, iPad® and with the latest version of iMovie® on iPhone, you can even edit two simultaneous streams.

Additional camera advancements include:

• a new state-of-the-art 12-megapixel sensor with advanced pixel technology and Apple-designed image signal processor, for truer colors and sharper, more detailed photos; and
• a new 5-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera and Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the display three times brighter with True Tone® lighting, for wonderfully bright selfies in low light.

Advanced Technology

A9, Apple's third-generation 64-bit chip powers these innovations with 70 percent faster CPU and 90 percent faster GPU performance than the A8, all with gains in energy efficiency for great battery life. The A9 chip and iOS 9 are architected together for optimal performance where it matters most, in real world usage. M9, Apple's next-generation motion coprocessor, is embedded into A9, allowing more features to run all the time at lower power, including "Hey Siri," without iPhone needing to be plugged in.

With advanced wireless technologies including faster Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users can browse, download and stream content even faster.¹ The new iPhones also support up to 23 LTE bands — the most in any smartphone — for better worldwide roaming.

iOS 9, the world's most advanced mobile operating system, brings more intelligence to iPhone with proactive assistance, powerful search and improved Siri® features, all while protecting users' privacy. Built-in apps become more powerful with a redesigned Notes app, detailed transit information in Maps, and an all-new News app for the best news reading experience on any mobile device.² The foundation of iOS is even stronger with software updates that require less space to install and advanced security features to further protect your devices.

Pricing & Availability

• iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in gold, silver, space gray and the new rose gold metallic finishes for $0 down with 24 monthly payments starting at $27 (US) and $31 (US), respectively, from Apple's retail stores in the US, Apple.com, select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers.³
• Exclusively at Apple's retail stores in the US, customers can choose their carrier and get an unlocked iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus with the opportunity to get a new iPhone annually and AppleCare+ on the new iPhone Upgrade Program with monthly payments starting at $32 (US) and $37 (US), respectively.⁴
• Both models will be available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK and the US beginning Friday, September 25, with pre-orders beginning Saturday, September 12.
• Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors and Lightning Docks in color-matched metallic finishes will also be available.

¹ Data plan required. LTE Advanced and LTE are available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds vary based on site conditions and carrier. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see www.apple.com/iphone/LTE.

² Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. News app availability varies by country.

³ Prices are rounded to nearest dollar and are based on 24 monthly installment payments. Taxes and activation fees may be due at sale. Carrier terms and eligibility may apply.

⁴ The iPhone Upgrade Program is available to qualified customers only with a valid US personal credit card. Requires a 24-month installment loan with Citizens Bank, N.A. and iPhone activation with a national carrier — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon. Full terms apply.

Source: Apple