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iPhone 6S Full Review

Apple’s iPhone 6S pitch was “the only thing that’s changed is everything”, highlighting that it knows this is phone looks an awful lot like the previous model. It makes sense that Apple would try its hardest to show that, despite the handset looking identical to the iPhone 6, there have been loads of changes under the hood that make this an attractive phone in its own right. The chassis is stronger, the camera sharper and there’s even a completely new way of interacting with the screen. On paper, it’s an impressive upgrade. While the iPhone 6 has answered a lot of the problems I’ve had with previous iterations of Apple’s handsets, there are some issues that still swirled when I handled the phone for the first time – and many of them persist even now that the iPhone 6 has been superseded. Why did Apple decide to not join the masses with a really high-res screen? Why is the iPhone 6 still one of the most expensive phones on the market? Has Apple done enough to improve the quite dire battery life of previous models, especially at a time when many high-end Android phones are easily chugging through a day’s worth of hard use without thirsting for a charger’s caress? Of course, it’s also getting on a bit now. So much so that Apple itself no longer sells the iPhone 6S. By iPhone standards it can be considered a budget option – and that may suit you, especially as it’s still a solid handset, as this review shows – but if you’re more after the latest and greatest iPhone you might want to consider the iPhone XS or iPhone 11. Or split the difference and pick up the iPhone XR – a new handset but one which is lower end than the XS range (though still packing newer tech and features than the iPhone 6S. If you do go for the iPhone 6S then you’re looking at prices of around 399$ for a 32GB model, which at the time of writing seems to be the most widely available model if you’re hoping to buy new rather than used. There are also 16GB, 64GB and 128GB versions though. Those prices mean the iPhone 6S sits in the lower mid-range now, but it’s still quite pricey for a handset that came out in 2015, so if you’re not set on Apple you might also want to consider some Android alternatives, such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, which offers a lot more power for not vastly more money. Of course, you miss out on iOS and Apple’s App Store, among other things. You’ll find our original review below, covering all the key features.

Design

• Almost identical to the iPhone 6
• Very strong metallic chassis
• It feels lightweight and is easy to manipulate

Screen

• Bad resolution (1080p) comparatively to the competition
• Display is clear, bright, laminated to the glass and insanely colorful
• Poor contrast ratio

Performance

• Strong performance
• Siri is a really functional part of the phone
• Apps load really fast

Battery life

• Not very good battery life
• Apple provides more info about the battery

Camera

• Similar to previous years
• Option do toggle Live Photos on and off
• Good Megapixel upgrade (12MP)

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