iPhone 6s First Impressions: Touch ID is Super Fast, Live Photos Are a Gimmick and Rose Gold is Not Too Pink

We're well into the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launch day, which means people all over the world are receiving their devices either via delivery or from Apple retail locations. On the MacRumors forums, customers who have an iPhone in hand have started sharing their first impressions of the device, giving us a look at release reactions from the general public.

We're highlighting some interesting tidbits and thoughts on the iPhones below, and we'll link to a number of forum threads that are well worth checking out.

iphone6sbox

Image via SmoveAL01

Initial reactions from customers receiving their devices are similar to the thoughts we saw in the first reviews. Customers are liking the new flagship feature, 3D Touch, and say Touch ID is a whole lot faster than it was on the iPhone 6. Some even think it's too fast. From MacRumors forum member Conan86:

Touch ID is so fast that just tapping the Home Button to access shortcuts such as the Control Center or Swipe up for Camera would just unlock the device.

On the slight size increase, MacRumors readers feel that it's definitely a noticeable change, with the iPhone 6s Plus and the iPhone 6s feeling heavier. With the addition of 3D Touch, the weight of the two devices jumped to 143 grams (iPhone 6s) and 192 grams (iPhone 6s Plus), up from 129 grams and 172 grams, respectively, in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

iphone6s

Image via tgwaste

A lot of new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus owners are unimpressed with Live Photos, and several have called the feature a "gimmick." The new always on "Hey Siri" feature works great according to AppleRobert, PedCrossing says the Taptic Engine "feels fantastic" and "makes much less noise," and JD2015 says the iPhone 6s Plus is "noticeably faster" than the iPhone 6 Plus. From forum member yep-sure:

Live Photos are a terrible gimmick. I just don't understand the point. If you want a photo, you take a photo, if you want video, you shoot some video. All recent iPhones do this very well. Live Photo looks like a great high quality image, then it goes to a lower quality, choppy/low frame rate video for a few seconds. This is a feature that I would turn off immediately/never use.

In a thread on the Rose Gold iPhone 6s, readers are sharing their thoughts on the new color. Most people think the Rose Gold iPhone is less pink than they expected.

rosegoldiphone

Image via Bako-MacAddict

Of course, there's still debate over its color, with reader asleep calling saying "It's 'no doubt about it' pink in daylight." From forum member Nazifur:

I don't know what all these people were talking about earlier.
The rose gold colour is veryyy nice.

It's definitely not that light pink pink... it has a copper look when you hold it in certain angle.

Over all it's diffidently a mix of gold and pink which looks awesome.

New iPhone owners are also discussing which existing iPhone 6s and 6s Plus cases fit the new thicker, taller devices. The iPhone 6 Plus Silicone case fits the iPhone 6s Plus "perfectly," and the Leather iPhone 6 case fits the iPhone 6s. Westcoastcyc helpfully points out that Best Buy has relabeled most cases as suitable for the iPhone 6 and 6s, so most cases will fit both devices despite the small size difference.

iphone6splusseidio

iPhone 6s Plus in a Seidio Surface Case via Wangta

A full list of the threads cited above is included below, along with some additional threads that include interesting information on the two new devices.

- iPhone 6s and 6s Plus First Impressions - Share Your Photos
- Rose Gold iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Impressions
- iPhone 6s Plus - First Thoughts
- Will Old iPhone Cases Fit the iPhone 6s/6s Plus?
- Cases for the Rose Gold iPhone 6s
- Full Price AT&T Phone Comes Unlocked
- Tim Cook Visits Georgetown Apple Store for iPhone 6s Launch
- iPhone 6s Yellow Tint?
- iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Dock Impressions

Make sure to check out the iPhone Forum to join in on the discussion about the two new iPhones, or visit the iPhone Accessories Forum for advice on which cases might look best with the new devices and which existing cases fit. For apps that take advantage of the new 3D Touch feature, make sure to check out the iOS Apps Forum.

Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

dugbug Avatar
128 months ago
I like Live Photos. Author doesn't have kids perhaps
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AbyssImpact Avatar
128 months ago
Still waiting for the UPS guy to come... :(
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sonmi451 Avatar
128 months ago
Touch ID being fast is a fact. Live Photos being a gimmick is an opinion. Maybe it is maybe it isn't, but can we hold off on these headlines for a few days?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
66gonzo Avatar
128 months ago
Wasn't Touch ID considered a gimmick just two years ago? I think we should wait to see what happens with Live Photos before we call it a gimmick. I mean, 4K video could be considered a gimmick. How many AVERAGE people will actually fully use 4K video?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Megakazbek Avatar
128 months ago
I think live photos are awesome, but you will not realize it now. You will realize it 10 years from now, when you're looking at your young photos and then force touch them and boom! the moment is alive! You can basically live through old memories again.

People are trying to overuse this feature, they try posing and moving specifically for live photos, etc. This is completely wrong. You just take photos like always and that's it. You don't even need to think about them as "live" or not. And when at some point in the future you watch through them, they bring back memories in a much better way.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JayLenochiniMac Avatar
128 months ago
Good to see that worried male members won't have their manhood fall off after all.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)