Apple iPhone 6s Plus deals and reviews

Getting to know the iPhone 6s Plus

3D Touch

The biggest new feature that Apple have introduced is 3D Touch, where the iPhone senses how much pressure you apply to the display. This allows different things to happen depending on how hard you press on the screen. A light press allows you to 'peek' into apps without fully opening them or preview information. For example, you can use a light touch to 'peek' into a message. A harder press will 'pop' the message open.

If someone sends you an address in iMessage, you can peek at it on a map. Stop pressing and you'll return to your messages. This allows you to essentially dip in and out of apps more easily and get the information you want without properly 'switching' between apps.

You can also use peek on apps on the home screen to get shortcuts to things you do frequently, so getting to what you want that little bit faster.

Cameras

For some time now, critics and pundits have rated the iPhone's cameras as the best available on the smartphone market - something Apple has been quick to capitalise on, with its giant poster campaign showcasing some of the best iPhone shots. The 6s and 6s Plus look set to continue this trend, with a resolution increase from 8 to 12 megapixels on the main camera, which should result in even better photos and crisper image quality. However, this is an area that Apple's rivals have been focusing on for their new flagships, so it remains to be seen whether the latest iPhones will outperform the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the LG G4.

The front facing camera has also received a significant upgrade, from 1.2 to 5 megapixels, a clear sign that Apple is keen to outperform its rivals in the selfie market. There is also the new Retina Flash feature, which uses the screen as a flash, lighting up extra brightly when a picture is being taken. However, Apple claim that the flash detects and matches natural light levels, so it should enhance your selfie rather than washing it out completely. Some Android phones have been offering this feature for a while now, but the flashes are often a bit too harsh; if Apple get this right, it could make the 6s and 6s Plus the ultimate selfie phones.

Live photos

Another new feature is Live Photos, where the iPhone stores 1.5 seconds of video and audio both before and after you take your photo. Whilst the idea has been done before by others (most notably by HTC where they called it Zoe), the implementation here is simpler, and it's enabled by default so you don't have to do anything to activate it. You will be able to view Live Photos across other Apple devices, with support from developers promised in the future. To view a live photo on the iPhone 6s, you just press hard on the photo. You can also set your lock screen image to be a live photo.

4K video

Like some of the newer Android phones, you can now record 4K video, offering roughly four times the resolution of 'Full HD', which means you'll be able to capture far more detail. So much so, you can't actually see it in full resolution on your phone - you'll need to have a TV or monitor with Ultra HD capability to view them. But be careful - 4K video takes up a lot more storage space than lower resolution videos, so if you decide to buy the 16GB version, you won't be able to get much footage before you run out of space (we reckon you could get about 30 minutes of 4K video on a 16GB iPhone, and that's assuming you have virtually no extra apps installed).

'Always-on' Siri

Previously, Siri would only be in listening mode when your phone was plugged in and charging. Now, with the addition of always-on voice activation, Siri is ready to answer your questions as soon as you say 'Hey Siri', bypassing the need to activate it by holding down the home button. This makes it even easier to set reminders or search online, even when your hands are full or you can't reach your phone.

Design

The 6s and 6s Plus look virtually identical to the 6 and 6 Plus and are almost exactly the same size, give or take a millimetre in any dimension. The newer devices are little heavier than last year's models, but not uncomfortably so, and are made out of stronger aluminum and glass that is claimed to be the most durable in the industry. The 6s and 6s Plus will be available in four colours - Gold, Rose Gold, Silver and Space Grey.

Storage options

As before the 6s and 6s Plus comes in three sizes: 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB. It's a little disappointing that Apple didn't increase the minimum size to 32GB. 16GB really isn't much, especially if you are thinking about using the 4K video recording capability. Using iCloud to store your videos and photos will become a necessity if you do.

Battery life

Perhaps surprisingly, battery capacity has actually dropped from 1810mAh to 1715mAh between the 6 and the 6s, with the 6s Plus rumoured to be down from 2910mAh to 2750mAh from last year's larger phone. But Apple appear to be confident that gains in efficiency mean you won't see a drop in actual battery life, claiming the same usage time as before.

What the critics say (scores are out of 100)

100	Know Your Mobile | Michael Grothaus While not as good as the iPhone 7 with its dual lens camera, the iPhone 6s Plus is the best S-series upgrade ever. The 3D Touch display, the pure speed of the device, and the major improvements to the camera and Touch ID–every single thing is leagues better than the iPhone 6. Read full review
100	Alphr | Alan Martin and Jonathan Bray Aside from Apple's pig-headed insistence on retaining a 16GB model – which is all the more baffling a decision now that 4K video and Live Photos are on hand to gobble it all up – the iPhone 6s Plus has no significant weakness. It's a great feat of smartphone engineering that ranks among the very best examples of the oeuvre. Read full review
100	Expert Reviews | David Ludlow The iPhone 6S is full of genuinely new and useful features, including the excellent 3D Touch, the powerful A9 chip and a greatly improved camera. Read full review
100	Digital Versus | Romain Thuret ... the 6s Plus is actually the best iPhone to be launched to date. It gives you more or less the same basic experience as the iPhone 6s, but with massively improved battery life, which is sometimes even twice as long, depending on use. Read full review
100	T3 | Gareth Beavis The iPhones 6S Plus is the best Apple phablet around. That's not exactly difficult when it's only got the 6 Plus as competition, but Apple's done enough to upgrade the 6S Plus in some key areas. Read full review
92	phoneArena | John V. It's premium in design, incredibly responsive with its performance, and it even does a commendable job with its battery life and camera quality. Fundamentally, it has all the ingredients of being a wonderful phone. However, as we've seen this year, carriers have moved away from subsidy pricing, which means that phones are now purchased through these financing deals – or outright, that's if you have the disposable income to splurge. Read full review
91	IT PRO | Alan Lu Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 6s Plus is a great smartphone both its own right as well as compared to its immediate predecessor and the competition. Although we're not convinced by Live Photos, everything else about this phone is useful and well-designed – especially 3D Touch which we expect to become standard on all iOS devices sooner or later. Read full review
91	Digital Spy | Matt Hill ... the iPhone 6S Plus is an all-round excellent smartphone, with an increasingly versatile operating system that has been iterated and evolved within an inch of its life, an impressive camera and the best app store around powering it. Read full review
91	Engadget | Chris Velazco A long-lasting battery and optical image stabilization for its 12-megapixel rear camera help give the iPhone 6s Plus a slight edge over the regular 6s, although we wish it were a little easier to hold. Read full review
90	Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman The 6s Plus is significantly better than its immediate predecessor, and most of the competition. The 6s Plus may look identical to last year's iPhone, but nearly everything that counts has been improved. Read full review
90	Tom's Guide | Mark Spoonauer The iPhone 6s Plus offer a new way to interact with your phone in 3D Touch, along with a class leading A9 CPU and improve camera, the bigger and sharper screen on the Plus and its optical image stabilization for photos make it a better choice. Read full review
90	NDTV Gadgets | Kunal Dua While the iPhone 6s Plus is rather ungainly to use on an everyday basis, its better camera and battery life make it Apple's 'real' flagship phone that we feel people should consider getting. You would probably want to get the 64GB version though. Read full review
90	SlashGear | Vincent Nguyen Consistency, convenience, and speed. If you were ready to write-off the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus as Apple merely tinkering with the - admittedly best-selling - iPhone 6 formula, you really need to think again. 3D Touch has the potential to be as game-changing in the way we interact with our smartphones as multitouch was, while 4K support could finally popularize Ultra HD video. Read full review
90	pocketnow | Michael Fisher the iPhone 6s Plus is physically almost indistinguishable from last year's 6 Plus – and some of the challenges of that model remain on this one. Despite this, the iPhone 6s Plus is still one of the most expensive smartphones you can find in the mainstream market today. Read full review
90	TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton The iPhone 6s Plus is a top-tier flagship, but it's probably not worth an upgrade if you have last year's model. And there are other great flagships to choose from. Read full review
90	Trusted Reviews | Evan Kypreos If there were ever any doubts over Apple's ability to innovate following the passing of Steve Jobs then 3D Touch emphatically quashes them. The iPhone 6S Plus is a touch of genius, even if it is a little larger than it needs to be. Read full review
90	Pocket-lint | Stuart Miles The iPhone 6S Plus is a lovely smartphone, but it's also a big and heavy one. Read full review
90	PC Advisor | Jim Martin The iPhone 6S Plus is a remarkable phone, and it's without doubt the best iPhone Apple has ever made. Read full review
90	Mobile Choice | Sunetra Chakravarti This is a fabulous phone. The iPhone 6s Plus is a very definitive and confident step by Apple in a direction they know they will succeed on, and almost a leap. Read full review
90	AnandTech | Ryan Smith & Joshua Ho ... the iPhone 6s, even when compared to iPhones alone, is especially noteworthy for the improvements to overall user experience. Read full review
90	Mashable | Lance Ulanoff Apple's iPhone 6S Plus is a worthy upgrade that you don't actually need, but may want for the 3D Touch and stunning 4K video. It should please Apple fans and probably attract more than a few Android switchers. Read full review
90	City News | Mike Yawney The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus may not look radically different from last year's models but they set a new course for the iPhone. Read full review
90	Mobile Syrup | Daniel Bader Despite no upgrades to battery life, and a disappointing 16GB of base storage, the tangible improvements, like the addition of 3D Touch, or the camera upgrades, are worth highlighting. Read full review
90	The Loop | Jim Dalrymple Quick Actions, 3D Touch, faster Touch ID, 4K video, better photos, Live Photos-these are all things that are going to make the iPhone 6s even better for me as a user. In the time that I've been using the new iPhones, I haven't found anything I didn't like or that didn't work as it should. Read full review
90	The Independent | David Phelan If your hands are comfortable with a bigger phone, the 6s Plus has lots to recommend it. The screen's full HD resolution is spectacular. There are other phones with higher pixel counts but pixels aren't everything and Apple's screen is pretty much unbeaten for glossy, classy good looks. Read full review
90	The Verge | Nilay Patel ...if you are thinking of buying a new phone, and you have anything older than an iPhone 6, you should buy an iPhone 6S Plus. It is the best iPhone ever made, and it is right now the best phone on the market. Read full review
88	OtherGadgetGuy | Leigh D. Stark In the iPhone 6S Plus, the improvements are most welcome, and while it seems like an improved camera system was the one Apple was always destined to bring in - because customers have been asking for more megapixels on both the front and back for a while now - 3D Touch is the one that it feels like was made for the S generation itself. Read full review
88	NotebookCheck | Daniel Schmidt, Patrick Afschar Kaboli So, is the new Apple iPhone 6S Plus currently the best smartphone on the market? Not really. The S6 models from Samsung are still one step ahead of the new iPhone. The 6S Plus is still one of the best smartphones, and certainly the best iPhone; and the most expensive. Read full review
85	TechSpot | Shawn Knight Yes, this is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. But with so many excellent Android phones to choose from, defecting to Apple is a much harder sell than in years past. Read full review
85	Neowin | Timi Cantisano Overall, the iPhone 6s Plus is the best iPhone to date. But, that's not surprising considering Apple's meticulous adherence to incremental changes without tampering with a winning formula. So whether this is your first time buying an iPhone or upgrading from an older model, Apple has added just the right amount in this "s" entry to make consumers happy. Read full review
80	TechPP (Technology Personalized) | Nimish Dubey ... we would go so far as to say that this is perhaps the most significant camera upgrade we have seen on the iPhone since 2011. Read full review
80	TechRadar | John McCann Apple has reinvigorated its phablet without rewriting the playbook thanks to its smart 3D Touch technology and a more power under the hood. It's not the upgrade some will have been hoping for, but it's the upgrade we've got. Read full review
80	The Journal More of the same on the outside, but some considerable improvements on the inside make this a good upgrade for non-iPhone 6 owners... It's refined, simple to use, has a great camera that adapts to most situations, and an app store that is prioritised by most developers. Read full review
80	The Inquirer | Madeline Bennett The iPhone 6S Plus offers a large, good quality screen and great performance, while 3D Touch is an impressive piece of tech and a useful addition. The 6S Plus is a great choice of handset for anyone looking for a phablet with a premium build, although the cost could prove prohibitive. Read full review
80	TechAeris | Alex Hernandez The iPhone 6s Plus is not a worthy upgrade over the iPhone 6 Plus, I would recommend waiting for the 7 if you're using a 6 now. That being said, if you're rocking anything that's 5s or below, then this is absolutely a great upgrade. Read full review
80	V3 | Madeline Bennett The iPhone 6S Plus offers a large, good quality screen and great performance, while 3D Touch is an impressive piece of tech and a useful addition. The 6S Plus is a great choice of handset for anyone looking for a phablet with a premium build, although the cost could prove prohibitive. Read full review
80	The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs Faster fingerprint sensor, slightly better camera, and novelties such as a pressure sensitive screen cannot make up for the lack of extended battery life Read full review
80	Stuff | Elissa Loi The iPhone 6s Plus provides an expansive immersive experience thanks to its giant screen - but that's only if you can handle it Read full review
70	Australian PC World | Tony Ibrahim The iPhone 6s Plus is a phablet undermined by compromise. There is no one iPhone that has excellent battery life, a large screen and a body that is comfortable. The ordinary 6s is stumped by mediocre battery life, and although the 6s Plus excels in this regard, its enormity discounts its appeal as a smartphone. People locked into Apple's ecosystem will have to live with one of these shortcomings, and this is why the phablet space remains dominated by Android. Read full review
60	S21 The iPhone 6s Plus comes with a faster A9 processor, a 12 megapixel camera with 4K video recording, and Apple's new 3D Touch feature. It's also been substantially strengthened to avoid problems with bending. Although it's a a wonderful piece of tech in many ways, it's phenomenally expensive. Read full review

Compare Apple iPhone 6s Plus specs side-by-side with other phones COMPARE SPECS

Dimensions & Form	Form factor: Touchscreen bar Dimensions 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm (6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) Weight: 192 g (6.77 oz)
Screen	Size: 5.5 inches diagonal Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels Screen Density: 401 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 67.7 % Display Type: LED-backlit IPS LCD
Runs
Performance	Chipset: Apple A9 CPU: Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister GPU: PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) RAM: 2GB
Camera	Main Camera: 12 megapixels with 2 LED flash, f/2.2 aperture ,1080p video at 30 or 60fps, 4K video recording at 30fps, Optical Image Stablisation Secondary Camera: FaceTime HD camera: 5 megapixels with 720p video recording
Storage	Built-in Storage: 16GB, 64GB, 128GB Expandable Storage: Not Available
Battery & Charging	Capacity: 2750 mAh Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: No Quick Charge: None
SIM standard	Nano SIM Compare SIM Only deals
Water & Dust Resistance	Not Available
Fingerprint Reader	Front
References & More info	Official website GSMArena specs page

Photos taken with the Apple iPhone 6s Plus

We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the Apple iPhone 6s Plus camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus.

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All images shown are used under the rights and terms specified by the Creative Commons.