Apple iPhone 6S: 3D Touch, Live Photos and new 12MP camera ... EVERYTHING you need to know

Apple has unveiled its latest iPhone, and a new colour to match, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus

APPLE has announced two new iPhones, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus with a slew of new features. NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has got our hands on "the most advanced smartphone in the world" – and here is what we thought.

 

Yes, it’s Apple iPhone time again.

The Cupertino technology giant is launching two new smartphones and Express.co.uk has already had our hands on them.

They say never judge a book by its cover, and although the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus may look familiar on the outside, there’s plenty going on under-the-hood to get iPhone fans excited.

 

Perhaps the biggest change is the new 3D Touch display.

Apple has packed the iPhone 6S screen with sensors that can work out exactly how much pressure you’re applying to the display.

Pressing harder on the display enables new gestures which allow you to preview content such as web links, emails, addresses and photographs, without ever leaving the app.

For example, if someone sends you a postcode in a text message, you can press harder on the address to see a preview in Apple Maps, without leaving the text thread.

 

In our Hands On with the iPhone 6S, the new 3D Touch technology worked incredibly well

Pushing down on a URL will bring up a live preview on the website and you can also use the technique to preview the body of an email – which should speed up inbox triage.

3D Touch also works on the iPhone Home Screen.

Pressing harder on App icons will summon a short list of frequent shortcuts.

Use 3D Touch on the Camera app and you might see a small menu pop-up with a shortcut to taking a selfie, or the Maps app might give you quick access to your directions home.

Having tested out 3D Touch, it works incredibly well and is a welcome new addition to Apple's best-selling smartphone.

 

Apple's 3D Touch technology provides quick access to shortcuts for your apps

Another headline feature on the two iPhone 6S models is an improved camera, which can record in Ultra HD 4K quality.

Unfortunately, NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com wasn't able to put the new rear camera through its paces in the demo area, but we did view some pre-recorded 4K footage – and it looked mightily impressive.

However those looking to snap up an iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus when pre-orders go live this weekend should be warned.

Video shot in 4K quality will eat through your memory and, with Apple sticking with its 16GB base model, you might want to record in this format sparingly or opt to buy an iPhone with bigger memory.

Another new camera feature which makes its debut in the iPhone 6S is a new mode, dubbed Live Photos.

This records a few seconds of video from before and after you took your picture, allowing your snaps to move and come to life.

Live Photos are still photos and can be edited, tweeted and printed for the family album – but they will come to life on your iPhone 6S when you 3D Touch the snaps.

 

Live Photos burst into life with a short snapshot of video from before and after the photo was taken

It’s a nice way to view your images but, on first impressions, its a bit of gimmick and certainly not a game changer.

Live Photos are nice but, on first impressions, are a bit of gimmick and certainly not a game changer

Reginald Enyi, NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com Technology Editor

 

iPhone 6S 16GB users be warned (again) – each picture also uses up more of your smartphones' precious memory.

Powering the new Apple iPhone is the US firm's blisteringly fast A9 chip. As a result, the iPhone 6S feels very slick to use.

Apps are swift to launch and you get the feeling the new iPhone will cope with everything thrown at it.

However one thing we did notice is this new device is slightly bigger than it’s predecessor.

You likely won't notice unless you put the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6S side-by-side, but the new tech has clearly added a little weight to the new blower.

There is however one bonus of this added bulk – the iPhone 6S is tough.

The Camera app now uses the Retina display to act as a flash, when using the front-facing camera

As well as its flash, the front-facing camera has been bumped up to five-megapixels

Apple didn't use the words "bendgate-proof" on-stage during its announcement, but there is a good chance this new iPhone will resist any flexing.

Luckily, we didn’t drop the Apple’s latest phone during the demo area so we couldn't fully test this thesis.

Apple claims the new screen is made from the strongest glass on any smartphone – and we’re sure plenty of people will accidentally road-test this feature when it goes on sale in the next few weeks.

We only had a short time with the iPhone 6S but there’s plenty to be excited about.

It looks good, is fast and we reckon 3D Touch is feature you'll wonder how you ever did without.

Pre-orders go live on Saturday September 12 – usually around 8am UK time – with the phone landing in pockets on Friday September 25.

iPhone 6S will be available in the UK for a suggested retail price of £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for the 128GB model.

iPhone 6S Plus will be available for a suggested retail price of £619 for the 16GB model, £699 for the 64GB model and £789 for the 128GB model.