It’s that time of year again. At least once a year a new iPhone model comes out and I upgrade to the new model. Since the iPhone 3GS Apple has released. An incremental update to the iPhone before the next major update. So we have the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5s and now the iPhone 6s. Sure we can probably expect the iPhone 7 next year. But the question becomes do you wait or do you upgrade to the 6s or 6s Plus. As usual it depends on what you have now. If you’re stuck with an older model like the iPhone 5s or older, the iPhone 6s is a monumental upgrade. If you upgraded to an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus last year and you’re on a contract, you can probably keep it out.
What's new and what's cool?
It’s funny when I read comments online declaring the iPhone 6s to be the same as the iPhone 6. In other words they claim that there is no difference. Really? I’m not sure if these are just haters or really ignorant people. While the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus look a lot like last year’s models. There are significant changes under the hood. As I said above Apple usually doesn’t change the form factor for the two models. A look back at the iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and iPhone 6. Each form factor had a significant change. “s” models are the usual changes to the interior. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are no different. While they look exactly like last year’s models, there are some great changes inside. Here are a few:
A New 12MP rear camera and 5MP front facing camera
For most smartphone users today, their smartphone is their main camera. The iPhone is the most “popular” camera in the world, especially on sites like Flickr.com. That says a lot when you Flickr is a site used mostly by pro photographers. So the better the iPhone camera, the better it is for photographers and just taking pictures.
While more megapixels don’t necessarily mean better pictures. Apple generally does a good job of not upgrading the pixel count unless. They can improve the quality of the sensor to take better pictures.
12MP means you’ll have more data to crop. I can zoom in on a photo like this and have more pixels to work with if I really want a part of the image. There is definitely more shadow detail over previous iPhone cameras.
This is important for capturing images where the subject is further away. And you don’t want to use digital zoom
Another more notable improvement that’s long overdue is the upgraded front-facing “selfie” camera. Now it’s a 5MP camera instead of 1.2MP. This is great not only for selfies, but also for those of us live streaming through apps like Periscope. Alongside the 5MP camera Apple has an intelligent “flash” feature. That uses the selfie camera to measure the temperature/color of the room light. And flash your display turning it into a pseudo “flash”. I’m impressed with how well it works over 3rd party apps I’ve tried in the past.
This is one feature I actually bet against. While 4K isn’t new to other smartphones, I didn’t think Apple would add it. 4K video is great for filmmakers and yes iPhone filmmakers are a growing group. For most consumers, they probably won’t need to shoot in 4K. It takes up a lot of space. Apple says about 375MB of space per minute. In other words, 46 minutes of 4K video will completely fill an iPhone 6s 16GB phone. 4K is nice, but not worth the increased storage for everyday video.
But, there are a few times when I must use it. I’ll shoot in 4K if it’s a “lifetime moment”, like a baby’s first steps,. A bride’s first kiss, etc. I’ll shoot in 4K when the subject is farther away. So I can pan and crop in post and not have to use digital zoom. I will also shoot in 4K for stock video as these clips are usually a minute or less. Thankfully the default is 1080p 30fps. You need to enable 4K video. I’d like to have that option in the Camera app instead of going to the Settings app.
If you’re going to be an iPhoneographer, this rig is a must-have for your iPhone 6s Plus. It’s great for both handheld and tripod shoots, as well as having two cold shoes for mounting mics, lights, etc.
Live Pictures
Next in the picture category is Apple’s Live Picture feature. This is an optional feature that when enabled will freeze the iPhone and capture after a few seconds. You can view the image by pressing more on the screen while it is displayed. I also noticed that if I use Image Capture to transfer pictures/videos from my iPhone to my MacBook Pro. Every live picture has a live picture .MOV movie file next to it. So to answer the question live images are real movies that take up extra space. 12MP from above is still 3.3MB. Live Picture Movie .MOV file 3.5MB. Basically live images are twice the size of regular still shooting. Like I said, it’s an option. You can leave it at 100% of the time or turn it on when the call for it comes.
Some features are easier shown than writing about them :
It’s easier to show you than write about features like Live Picture. 3D Touch and more so I’ve posted a replay from my Periscope live stream. Check out these features and some hidden gems in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus hardware:
While we’re talking about videos and whether you should upgrade to the iPhone 6s. you should also check out my video on the new iOS 9 update.
