iPhone 6s Apple's next-generation iPhone, shipping September 25.

What's New

Apple introduced the next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus at its media event in San Francisco on September 9. The new iPhones feature an A9 chip and M9 motion coprocessor, 3D Touch, 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, stronger glass and Series 7000 aluminum, faster Touch ID, Live Photos and a new Rose Gold color option.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are powered by an Apple A9 chip and embedded M9 motion coprocessor that deliver up to 70% faster CPU performance and up to 90% faster graphics compared to the A8 chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

3D Touch on iPhone is similar to Force Touch on Apple Watch, enabling users to make "peek and pop" gestures on the screen to access actionable shortcuts or preview content, such as text messages, flight information, calendar appointments and more. There's also a new Taptic Engine inside of the iPhone 6s that enables haptic feedback so you get touch-based responses when using 3D Touch.

The smartphones feature an improved 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with 4K video recording and 5-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera with true tone Retina Flash -- in low light, the front display will flash for a split second instead of using a traditional LED flash.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also have a second-generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner that is up to two times faster compared to Touch ID on previous iPhones.

The iPhones are crafted from Series 7000 aluminum and come in a new Rose Gold color, alongside Silver, Space Gray and Gold. Otherwise, the handsets look virtually the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but they are slightly thicker and heavier.

The iPhone 6s retails for $199/$299/$399 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. The iPhone 6s Plus retails for $299/$399/$499 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. Carrier financing and leasing programs are also available through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and many other carriers worldwide, and Apple also announced its own iPhone upgrade program that lets users get a new iPhone each year with pricing that starts at $32.41 per month.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders begin on Saturday, September 12 at 12:01 AM Pacific ahead of a Friday, September 25 launch in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The new iPhones will be available in over 130 countries by the end of the year.

iPhone 6s Rumors

Rumors about the next-generation iPhone have been trickling in for months. It's expected that Apple will continue its 2014 trend, offering the 2015 iPhone in two separate sizes -- one larger and one smaller.

We expect Apple will stick to its long running "S" naming scheme (which has been around since 2009), calling the new phones the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. iPhone 6s Plus is a mouthful though, so it is possible that this might be the year that we get a new naming format. One analyst believes Apple might call its next-generation phone the "iPhone 7" due to the significance of the new changes being implemented, but it's far too early in development to know for sure.

Because it's an "S" year upgrade and because the iPhone was just redesigned, the next-generation version will focus on internal improvements rather than an updated external look. Screen sizes will remain at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, and Apple is not expected to introduce a new 4-inch model.

There may be a few exterior changes, though. There's been a rumor that Apple will add a new color option to its iPhone lineup in 2015 -- pink (which may be rose gold). We've also seen two rumors suggesting Apple might opt to use the same 7000 series aluminum used in the Apple Watch in the next-generation iPhone. The aluminum is 60% stronger than standard aluminum but still lightweight.

In the past, "S" upgrades have brought features like Siri, Touch ID, new processors, and camera improvements, and we can expect to see many of the same updates with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. According to rumors, the new devices will gain a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera with 4K video recording, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The 2015 iPhones are also expected to gain the Force Touch feature first introduced with the Apple Watch, allowing for new gestures that incorporate pressure sensitivity, and improved Touch ID to make fingerprint recognition faster.

Though the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to retain the same design as iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the addition of Force Touch and 7000 series aluminum could slightly change the thickness and the dimensionsof the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.

Multiple rumors and leaked schematics, and even what's said to be a fully assembled "prototype" iPhone 6s, have suggested the iPhones could be slightly thicker, by approximately 0.2mm. Renderings of the devices and a video comparison of the iPhone 6 and 6s shell indicate the iPhone 6s may be 7.1mm thick instead of 6.9mm while the iPhone 6s Plus may be 7.3mm thick instead of 7.1mm. At 0.2mm, the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6s will be nearly undetectable and most cases and accessories designed for the iPhone 6 should continue to work with the iPhone 6s.

A materials analysis of the iPhone 6s shell has confirmed that Apple is indeed using a new alloy for the device. With 5 percent zinc, it's in line with many 7000 Series aluminum alloys. A bend test on the shell suggests it's much stronger and more resistant to bending, and in addition to using a new alloy, Apple has also added reinforcement to the areas around the home button and volume buttons of the device.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will continue to offer features that have become integral to the iPhone, including NFC for Apple Pay, 802.11ac Wi-Fi capabilities, and LTE Advanced. The two new phones will continue to be available with the same general storage options as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with storage capacities starting at 16GB.

It's an "S" upgrade year, Apple has asked its suppliers to produce a record-breaking 85 to 90 million unitsof the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus combined by the end of the year. The high number of orders suggests Apple is expecting significant demand for the two devices and hoping to avoid supply shortages, but the addition of Force Touch may impact initial production numbers.

Apple plans to unveil the iPhone at a media event in San Francisco scheduled for September 9. Pre-orders, if accepted, will follow on September 11, with an official launch likely happening on September 18.

iPhone 6s Leaked Images

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are now in mass production, which means parts from the new devices are leaking out like crazy ahead of launch. Leaked photos of the next-generation iPhone 6s casing confirm the device will look the same as the existing iPhone 6.

The rear shell retains the same prominent antenna lines of the iPhone 6, along with identical cutouts for the microphone, headphone jack, volume buttons, mute switch, power button, and camera are identical as well.

Though not evident in images, multiple rumors and part leaks have now pointed towards a slight size increase for the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus due to new materials being used and to allow the devices to support Force Touch. The iPhone 6s may be 7.1mm instead of 6.9mm, while the iPhone 6s Plus may be 7.3mm instead of 7.1mm.

A detailed video comparison between the rear shell of the iPhone 6 and the rear shell of the iPhone 6s confirms the iPhone 6s shell is 0.2mm thicker than the comparable iPhone 6 component. The areas around the home button and the volume buttons are also notably thicker, as Apple has added reinforcement to the area to address "Bendgate" issues. Though the iPhone 6s shell is thicker and has additional material in weak areas, it is also two grams lighter, weighing in at 25 grams compared to 27 grams for the iPhone 6 shell.

Measurements of a partially assembled iPhone 6s device obtained by MacRumors suggest the iPhone 6s will be 7.08 mm thick, compared to 6.9 mm thick for the iPhone 6. Height wise, it may be around 138.19 mm tall compared to 138.1 mm for the iPhone 6, and as for width, it may be 67.68 mm wide compared to the 67.16 mm wide iPhone 6.

A materials analysis of the iPhone 6s shell conducted by MacRumors and a "bend test" have confirmed that Apple is using a stronger, less bendable alloy for the iPhone 6s known as 7000 series aluminum.

The iPhone 6s shell has approximately 5 percent zinc, in line with 7000 Series aluminum alloys. High levels of iron were also detected in the analysis, which may have been introduced into the shell in the milling process. Small quantities of iron can be used to enhance durability and make the material easier to work with during the casting process. In the real world testing, the iPhone 6s shell is less bendable than the iPhone 6 shell.

An Image of the front panel for the iPhone 6s suggests the front of the device will also be identical to the front of the iPhone 6, though there have been rumors it will include a larger FaceTime camera.

Multiple photos of the full iPhone 6s display assembly have surfaced from several different sources. The images do not confirm Force Touch for the iPhone 6s, but the display assembly does differ from the display panel of the iPhone 6, suggesting there are indeed some internal changes to the display between generations.

In the video comparison below, an iPhone 6s display assembly is compared to the display assembly for an iPhone 6. In the iPhone 6s component, there's a new connector in the top-left corner that may be designed for Force Touch. Other design changes include different flex connectors, Touch ID that's integrated into the LCD and digitizer connector, and a glued-on protective back plate for the LCD.

Further investigation of the display assembly for the iPhone 6s points towards a mystery chip that is not present in the iPhone 6. This chip could be related to the rumored Force Touch capabilities for the device. Additionally, the iPhone 6s front panel may be slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 front panel, which is in line with rumors suggesting the iPhone 6s will be a tiny bit thicker than the iPhone 6.

Internally, the rear shell of the iPhone 6s has a different mounting structure that points towards a new logic board, which makes sense as the next-generation iPhone is rumored to include Force Touch, a new processor, and additional RAM.

A first look at the logic board for the device suggests it will use a Qualcomm MDM9635M LTE chip, which supports download speeds of up to 300 Mb/s. With the new chip, the next-generation iPhones will be capable of reaching faster LTE speeds twice as fast as the iPhone 6 where permitted by network performance.

In addition to the Qualcomm MDM96535 LTE baseband modem, the iPhone 6s will also feature Qualcomm's WTR3925 radio frequency transceiver chip that pairs with the modem for better cellular network performance.

The addition of the WTR3925 chip is notable because in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, two wireless chips were required to perform the same function. With one less chip, power efficiency and performance are improved, and less space is taken up on the logic board.

iPhone 6s logic board (top) with zoom of RF transceiver section (bottom left) showing WTR3925 boxed in red and compared to corresponding portion of iPhone 6 logic board (bottom right) with WTR1625L boxed in blue and companion WFR1620 boxed in yellow

Additional logic board images suggest the next-generation iPhones will continue to be sold in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations, as a flash memory chip on the logic board in the photos has a 16GB capacity.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus may include a new NFC chip with a built-in secure element, potentially saving valuable space within the device.

Images of internal parts for the iPhone 6s also support claims that the devices will continue to use the same design introduced with the iPhone 6. Aside from the swap to a single flex cable instead of the dual flex cables that were used in the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6s flex cable and Lighting connector assembly remain largely unchanged.

Leaked camera ring images indicate the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will likely continue to have a protruding rear-facing camera lens.

A few weeks ahead of the iPhone 6s launch, enough parts had been acquired by one of our sources to assemble a partially functioning iPhone that was able to boot up to the gear icon. The display and many of the parts are from the iPhone 6s, with the rest of the parts being sourced from an iPhone 6.

In the video below, the frankenstein iPhone is shown booting up to the gear screen before it's opened up to display the layout of the iPhone 6s and 6 components within the rear shell. Some parts, like the rear camera are missing, but enough parts were present to power the display.

We've also seen a single set of images of the shell said to be for the iPhone 6s Plus. Though the casing looks largely the same on the inside, as with the iPhone 6s, it appears to include includes a "stronger" construction around specific areas to alleviate initial issues with bending.

Rumored iPhone 6s Features

FORCE TOUCH

Several rumors have suggested the new iPhone 6s could incorporate the "Force Touch" capabilities first introduced with the Apple Watch, which is able to distinguish between a light tap and a harder press, enabling new gestures. Apple appears to be slowly adding Force Touch to its products, and recently, the company introduced both a 12-inch Retina MacBook and an updated 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with Force Touch trackpads.

One rumor has suggested Force Touch could be limited to the iPhone 6s Plus, which is not out of the realm of possibility as the iPhone 6 Plus does have features not included in the iPhone 6. For example, the iPhone 6 Plus is the only device with optical image stabilization. A second rumor has suggested that while that was originally the plan, Apple may now introduce Force Touch in both versions of the iPhone 6s.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the next-generation iPhone will have a capacitive Force Touch sensor underneath the backlight. He claims that the hardware design of the Force Touch included in the iPhone may work differently than Force Touch in the Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook.

Instead of directly detecting the pressure applied by a finger on the screen, Force Touch hardware in the iPhone might monitor the contact area where a finger presses to determine how much pressure is being applied.

In the iPhone 6s, Force Touch is said to work similarly to the way it works in the Apple Watch and the new MacBook/Retina MacBook Pros, but it focuses primarily on "shortcut actions," letting users perform tasks within apps more quickly.

In Maps, for example, using Force Touch on a point of interest will start turn-by-turn directions, cutting down on the steps involved in getting to a place you want to go. Force Touch will be used across iOS 9, both in apps and on the home screen. When force pressing, users will get a haptic response, as with the Apple Watch.

In June, Bloomberg reported the next-generation iPhones will indeed have Force Touch capabilities, confirming several previous rumors, including a report from The Wall Street Journal. With multiple reputable sources backing up the claim, it's likely Force Touch is a sure thing for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

BATTERY

In early August, an image of an iPhone battery with a 1715 mAh capacity was spotted, but at the time, it was unclear if the battery was for the iPhone 6s or the iPhone 6c, which was originally in the works but has been rumored to be on hold.

Later rumors suggested the battery is indeed for the iPhone 6s and that the new device will have a smaller battery than the iPhone 6. At 1715 mAh, the rumored battery would have a reduced capacity compared to the 1800 mAh battery in the iPhone 6.

Even if Apple does indeed use a smaller battery in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the change will likely be unnoticeable to end users as difference will be made up through efficiency improvements in the "S" model devices. With iOS 9, battery life is improved, and with the A9 processor, power usage may be low enough that Apple is able to swap in a smaller battery with no noticeable change in battery life.

CAMERA IMPROVEMENTS

Some rumors have hinted that the iPhone 6s could bring Apple's "biggest camera jump ever" in the form of a possible two-lens system that would allow Apple to offer DSLR quality images in its iPhone, but other rumors have disagreed that Apple plans to introduce a two-lens system.

Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will gain an upgraded 12-megapixel camera, and his predictions are often correct. Separate rumors have also reiterated the claims of a megapixel increase, with a recent report also pointing towards a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to record 4K video.

As for the front-facing FaceTime camera, it too is expected to see an improvement in quality, with the addition of a 5-megapixel camera. That will mark a significant upgrade from the existing 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera in the iPhone 6.

Apple recently acquired LinX Imaging, a camera technology company specializing in cameras for mobile devices that are able to produce DSLR-quality images by using multi-aperture arrays.

LinX technology also introduces much-improved low-light photo taking capabilities, and due to depth mapping, it can even created 3D images from still photographs. It's possible LinX's camera technology could be used in the next-generation iPhones.

BETTER TOUCH ID

Touch ID may also see some improvements. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 6s will feature an upgraded Touch ID module with reduced reading errors to enhance the Apple Pay experience.

NO SAPPHIRE DISPLAY

iPhone 6 rumors focused heavily on a potential sapphire display that did not materialize due to production issues, and there were some whispers suggesting Apple will use sapphire displays produced by Foxconn for the next-generation iPhone. No new sapphire deals have come to light, though, and it appears we will not see sapphire in the iPhone 6s.

4-INCH IPHONE 6C?

There have been conflicting rumors concerning the addition of a new 4-inch iPhone 6c to Apple's 2015 lineup, but as we approach Apple's media event it increasingly appears there will be no new 4-inch iPhone this year. Several early rumors coming out of the Asian supply chain suggested there would be a newly designed 4-inch iPhone "6c" released in 2015, but other reports called these rumors incorrect, including an April note from reliable KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. For more on the iPhone 6c rumors, check out our iPhone 6c roundup.

iPhone 6s Timeline

SEPTEMBER2015

Sep 9 3D Touch in iPhone 6s is a 'Breakthrough,' Was 'Really Hard' to Make

Sep 9 iPhone 6s First Impressions: 'Familiar and Yet Different' for an 'S' Generation Device

Sep 9 'Hey Siri' Event Roundup: iPhone 6s, iPad Pro, New Apple TV and More

Sep 9 New Docks and Cases Confirmed for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Sep 9 Apple Introduces Moving 'Live Photos' for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Sep 9 Apple Announces iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus With A9 Chip, 12MP Camera and 3D Touch

Sep 8 What to Expect at Apple's 'Hey Siri' Media Event on Wednesday

Sep 8 Claimed 'iPhone 6s' Box Appears Similar to 'iPhone 6s Plus' Packaging

Sep 3 iPhone Continues to Increase Lead in U.S. Smartphone Market Share Ahead of 'iPhone 6s' Debut

Sep 3 Apple Sells Over 1 Million Apple Watches in China, Increases 'iPhone 6s' Orders Ahead of Launch

Sep 3 KGI Expects New iPhones to Have 5MP Front Camera, Retain 16GB, 64GB and 128GB Capacities

Sep 2 'iPhone 6s' Measures Slightly Thicker and Larger Than iPhone 6

Sep 2 How to Get the Best Resale Price for Your iPhone 6, 6 Plus or 5s

AUGUST2015

Aug 31 Android Wear Now Compatible With iPhone, iOS App Launches Today

Aug 27 Apple Invites Media to September 9 Event: 'Hey Siri, Give Us a Hint'

Aug 27 'iPhone 6s' to Feature Apple Watch-Like Motion Wallpapers

Aug 27 'iPhone 6s' Display Panel With Mystery Chip Is Slightly Heavier and Thicker Than iPhone 6 Version

Aug 27 Sketchy Photo of Claimed 'iPhone 6s Plus' Box Surfaces Alongside Rumor of Smaller Battery

Aug 25 'iPhone 6s' Display and Logic Board Shown Booting to Gear Screen

Aug 24 Intelligent Energy's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Can Now Fit Inside an iPhone

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iPhone 6s Apple's next-generation iPhone, shipping September 25.