A rundown of the new and exciting features you can expect from Apple’s latest iPhones
We predict the newly-introduced Rose Gold colour will be hit with the ladies
It’s 8am on a Friday, Sep 25, and the PSI reading is 315. Glum faces half hidden in masks thronged the public transport and streets but excitement was buzzing in the air inside one of Marina Bay Sands’ exhibition halls .
There, over 60 Apple fans were in the queue for the highly-anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s at Singtel’s launch event, with the earliest being 31-year-old Mr Daryl Lee who arrived at 4.45am. The three-day event ends this Sunday.
I spoke to the lucky few who’d gotten their hands on the spanking new product from Apple, and the general consensus seemed to be that the new iPhones had cool features and that they simply wanted to be among the first to own the gadgets.
So how amazing are the new phones and their features? We spent an hour or so thumbing and swiping them, and here’s our verdict on their main features.
Looks like its predecessors, only better
Aesthetics
At first glance, there is no significant physical difference between iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and their predecessors, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I placed my well-worn iPhone 6 next to its successor and wondered if I was missing out on something.
Turns out, the iPhone 6s is very slightly heavier than the 6, at 143g. The difference is negligible but the new phone does feel more sturdy in the hand. The new model is also made of an upgraded build material — series 7000 aluminium as opposed to the 6300 series used in the iPhone 6.
That said, the phones are now available in rose gold which we think will be a hit with the ladies.
In a nutshell: New Rose Gold colour introduced; slightly heavier phone that feels more sturdy in your palm.
Live Photos
Seeing that smartphone apps for creating moving images such as Phhhoto, have been steadily gaining popularity, I had high expectations for the iPhone’s in-built Live Photos feature.
Widely publicised as the marquee feature of the latest iPhones, Live Photos basically works this way: Take a photo and the phone automatically shoots a couple of seconds of video and audio as well. As such, when you scroll through your camera roll, you’ll be able to see these Live Photos dramatically come to life.
However, my gripe is that you can’t export them as videos or gifs and only fellow iPhone users will be able to view the movement in the image when you send a Live Photo to them. In addition, each Live Photo also takes up about double the size of a regular photo, occupying more data space on your phone.
In a nutshell: Capture true moments not just in still images but also in gif-like videos; you can view it but not export it.
3D touch
Preview your app before actually opening it
We already know that the powerful multi-touch function of the iPhones allows you to pinch, swipe, tap and stretch your way through interactive games and other essential apps from Safari to Photos.
With the new 3D touch function of the latest iPhones, you’ll be able to control the pressure sensitivity of your touch to access a preview of almost any app.
For instance, with a light press on your Mailbox, you’ll be able to preview or ‘Peek’ at the emails within, without actually opening the app. If you’d like to open the app, simply press a little deeper to ‘Pop’ it open.
Same goes for apps like Safari, where you can see the preview of a website through a link before actually loading the page.
We think this will definitely save us precious time when we’re in the midst of an important conversation and simply want a sneak peek at our phone’s incoming mails.
Better yet, we predict this sophisticated pressure sensing function will open windows to endless gaming possibilities.
In a nutshell: The new iPhones can sense the pressure of your touch, allowing you to preview your apps before opening them.
4K videos and 12megapixel cameras
Both iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have upgraded their iSight cameras to 12 megapixels, a major upgrade from the previous 8 megapixels. The difference feels only marginal, with my iPhone 6 faring almost equally well in natural lighting.
The colour and saturation in the new iSight camera also compares well with its predecessor, with equally realistic mid tones. We think, the average user won’t be able to sense the improved differences in the latest iPhone camera, with the only benefit being that one can crop in and preserve slightly more details.
On the other hand, the new 4K video feature, which allows you to take up to four times the resolution of the 1080p HD video in the previous models, impressed me.
The improved optimal image stabilisation is visible even as I shot a short video of confetti flying at the launch event itself. I can’t help but think the iPhone could easily replace my GoPro camera in terms of sheer handiness.
In a nutshell: Slight improvement in iSight camera; 4k video feature lets you take impressively fast and sharp videos.
Starting Saturday, 26 September, Singtel customers who have registered their interest for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can purchase the phones at any Singtel Shop on a first come first served basis, while limited stocks last.
Pricing information here.
by Samantha Francis
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