'iPhone 6s' to Support Faster Download Speeds With Improved Qualcomm LTE Modem - MacRumors
Skip to Content

'iPhone 6s' to Support Faster Download Speeds With Improved Qualcomm LTE Modem

Following a report yesterday that the next-generation "iPhone 6s" will appear essentially identical to the current lineup of iPhones with a few minor internal differences, an unnamed source has shared new photos of logic board from the device with 9to5Mac, revealing an updated Qualcomm LTE chip offering faster LTE speeds and greater energy efficiency.

Specifically, the next iPhone will carry a Qualcomm MDM9635M chip -- also referred to as the "9X35" Gobi modem platform -- and it aims to give the iPhone 6s a significant increase in performance over the current 9X25 used in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

iphone 6s qualcomm chip
For everyday users, this gives the potential for significant increases in LTE network performance with download speeds of up to 300 Mbps, twice that of the current iPhone line. Real-world limitations of carrier support will, however, limit those speed improvements in many cases.

The new Qualcomm chip, which was announced in 2013 and came to market last year, is also more power efficient. This power efficiency combined with the possibility of a slimmer motherboard could give the iPhone 6s some improvement in battery life this year.

As shared yesterday, the iPhone 6s will appear nearly identical to the iPhone 6, which is typical for Apple's "S" generation iPhones. Apple will, however, be including a number of enhancements for the device, from the faster LTE modem to a Force Touch display and perhaps the "biggest camera jump ever."

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Tuesday May 26, 2026 6:32 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
iphone 17 pro black feature

iPhone 18 Pro's Camera Upgrade Will Cost Apple 50% More

Friday May 29, 2026 3:44 am PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max's all-new variable aperture lens will cost Apple 50% more than the camera unit used in current models, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Variable aperture has been one of the most persistent iPhone camera rumors of the past few years. Kuo first flagged the feature in late 2024, and it has since been corroborated by multiple reports and...
Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become Completely Obsolete Feature

Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsolete'

Thursday May 28, 2026 9:48 am PDT by
On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian's software chief Wassym Bensaid explained why the EV maker still refuses to offer Apple CarPlay. In short, Bensaid said Rivian does not want CarPlay to fully take over the software experience. "The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car," he said. Instead, Rivian prefers ...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
143 months ago
"I'm very excited about the release of the iPhone 6S," said no one ever.
I'm very excited about the release of the iPhone 6S.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
"I'm very excited about the release of the iPhone 6S," said no one ever.
I'm very excited about the release of the iPhone 6S
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
The real good news is that the chip is more power efficient so we can expect some improvement in battery life.
Don't be silly. It means it'll be thinner!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
143 months ago
Look at the size of that sim card slot. I can see why so many advocate for its dismissal in place of a UUID type system.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kemal Avatar
143 months ago
I would like to see the camera jump flush with the case back.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
"I'm very excited about the release of the iPhone 6S," said no one ever.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)