The smartphone that bridged the gap between phones and PCs
In short: In 2015, the iPhone 6s arrived as a hardware powerhouse, introducing 3D Touch and NVMe storage to the mobile world. While it faced criticism for its battery, it set a record-breaking sales milestone and pushed the boundaries of what a handheld device could actually compute.
The iPhone 6s was a pivotal engineering milestone for Apple, specifically designed to address the structural flaws of its predecessor. To fix the 'bendgate' issues of the iPhone 6, Apple utilized a strengthened 7000 series aluminum alloy chassis and reinforced the rear casing. Internally, it debuted the A9 system-on-chip, which Apple claimed offered a 70% boost in speed over the A8 and a 90% improvement in graphics performance. This leap in power was supported by 2 GiB of RAM—double that of any previous model—and the adoption of NVM Express (NVMe) flash storage, enabling average read speeds of 1,840 megabytes per second.
The device also introduced '3D Touch,' a pressure-sensitive display technology that measured the firmness of a user's press by calculating the distance between the cover glass and the backlight layer. Combined with a Taptic Engine, it allowed for unique interactions like 'peeking' at content or 'popping' it into view. While critics were divided—some calling it a revolutionary interface paradigm and others dismissing it as a 'glorified vibrator'—it represented a significant shift toward tactile, multi-layered software commands.
Despite its technical achievements, the 6s faced mixed reviews regarding endurance. While Apple rated its battery life as equal to the previous generation, critics noted the actual performance was often frustrating. However, its commercial impact was undeniable; it shattered records by selling 13 million units in its first weekend. By 2019, the model had reached a massive global footprint of over 174.1 million units sold, cementing its status as a long-lived staple of the mobile ecosystem.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: IPhone 6s
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