MacRumors

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As customers begin receiving the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus around the world, the smartphones have quickly been subjected to unboxings, drop tests, teardowns, bend tests and camera comparisons. The latest is a speed test between the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus that confirms the former is faster than its predecessor.

YouTube channel Mad Matt TV tested the speed of the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus side by side based on opening apps and loading websites in Safari on each device at the same time. The results show the iPhone 6s Plus is faster than the iPhone 6 Plus, but the difference was minimal for most tasks and equal for others.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are powered by a 64-bit Apple A9 chip and embedded M9 motion coprocessor that deliver up to 70% faster CPU performance and up to 90% faster graphics compared to the A8 chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The new iPhones also have 2GB of RAM, compared to 1GB for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

While this video provides an early speed comparison between the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus, more in-depth testing should provide more conclusive results. Geekbench processor benchmarks show the iPhone 6s has approximately 1.5x to 1.6x faster single-core and multi-core performance over the iPhone 6.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are now available at Apple Stores and authorized resellers.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch day has officially arrived in the United States and Canada as Apple Stores in eastern cities such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington D.C. have now opened at 8:00 am local time. The launch will continue westward across the U.S. and Canada over the next three hours.

Apple Stores will now begin fulfilling in-store reservations for the new iPhones and accepting walk-in purchases from the long queues that have formed at some locations. UPS and FedEx will also be making pre-order deliveries generally between the hours of 9:00 am and 8:00 pm to residential addresses.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus first arrived in New Zealand last night, and the new devices were quickly subjected to an early unboxing, drop test, teardown, bend test and camera comparison. The devices have now launched in all first wave countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K.

Apple has updated its regional websites for Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg and Poland to announce the Apple Watch will be available on October 9.

Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg and Poland will be part of the sixth Apple Watch launch wave:

• April 24: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, U.K. and U.S.
• June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan
• July 17: The Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand
• July 31: New Zealand, Russia and Turkey
• September 25: Austria, Denmark and Ireland
• October 9: Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg and Poland

Apple Watch sales have also expanded to dozens of Apple Premium Resellers this month.

Last year, the iPhone 6 Plus had one camera feature the iPhone 6 did not: optical image stabilization for photos, which automatically adjusts the camera sensor to make up for any shakiness the camera may endure. With the iPhone 6s Plus, Apple has added optical image stabilization for video as well as still images. Tonight, Giga Tech has uploaded a new video that shows off the 6s Plus' optical image stabilization versus the iPhone 6s.

While the iPhone 6s doesn't have optical image stabilization, it does have digital image stabilization, which is the camera's software accounting for any shakiness. Giga Tech notes that digital image stabilization works well when the iPhone 6s is shooting in Full HD 1920x1080, but that it's not as effective when shooting in 4K, as shown in the video.

The video, which takes place in an old, abandoned airplane, offers a striking comparison of the two device's video capabilities. While the iPhone 6s footage looks fine on its own, the contrast to the smoother iPhone 6s Plus footage makes its shakiness seem more pronounced.

Adobe today released new versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, its lower-cost photo and video editing software aimed at consumers. In this year's update, both Photoshop Elements 14 and Premiere Elements 14 have gained several new features and refinements to existing tools, making it easier than ever to use Adobe's software for improving photos and videos.

Photoshop Elements 14, Adobe's image editing software, has gained tools for removing camera shake and for removing haze. Adobe first introduced haze removing tools with its 2015 Creative Cloud update, and has now brought that capability to Photoshop Elements 14. While the haze removal tool is useful for improving the look of outdoor shots, it can also be used to clean up old photos and improve the lighting in backlit shots.

Adobe's shake removing tool introduces auto shake reduction. It's able to analyze a photo and fix it to remove blur caused by camera movement, with tools for fine tuning the final look of the image.

In addition to these two new tools, Adobe has also included new capabilities for several existing features. Guided Edits, the built-in tutorial tool in Photoshop Elements has been updated with new options that walk customers through adding motion blur and resizing photos to specific frame sizes. Guided Edits also include new before and after effects to make it clearer what each one does.

There are enhanced auto correct tools that provide five correction options after subject, color, composition, and lighting for each image have been analyzed, and there are much improved tools for selecting fine details in like hair and pet fur in a photo.

Facial recognition capabilities have been improved and faces are now recognized faster and more accurately, and there's a map that shows where photos with GPS included were taken.

Premiere Elements 14, Adobe's video editing software, now includes support for importing and editing 4K video from a range of different cameras, which is this year's biggest addition. As with Photoshop Elements 14, Premiere Elements 14 has gained improved Guided Edits for adding dramatic effects to videos.

Audio enhancement tools have been moved front and center in the app, making them more accessible, and motion titles have also been improved. It's easier to manage video clips with improved organizational tools and better facial recognition to sort by people, place, and event, and both photos and videos with GPS information embedded will be displayed on a map.

Both Photoshop Elements 14 and Premiere Elements 14 for Mac and Windows can be purchased from Adobe's website for $99.99 each. Bundles are available for $149.99, and existing users can upgrade for $79.99 for one product for $119 for the bundle.

iFixit is in the process of taking apart the brand new iPhone 6s. While the internals aren't arranged too differently from the iPhone 6, there are some major visual differences worth noting. These include the new Taptic Engine, a smaller battery and the 3D Touch display.

The most instantly recognizable difference is the smaller battery. While Apple's 3D Touch video previously confirmed that the iPhone 6s would carry a 1715 mAh batter, which is smaller than the iPhone 6's 1810 mAh battery, iFixit's teardown provides further confirmation.

Another major visual difference comes in the presence of the new Taptic Engine, which takes up a large amount of space below the battery and is likely to account for the smaller size of the iPhone 6s' battery. iFixit blasted the Taptic Engine with x-rays, providing a peek into the oscillating mechanism under the aluminum shell.

The new 3D Touch display weighs 60 grams, making it 15 grams heavier than the iPhone 6's display. Much of the weight comes from the additional capacitive sensors Apple installed into the display backlight. Additional changes to the display include a reduction in cables and a slightly different LCD plate design. Other than that, iFixit notes the 3D Touch display and previous displays "seem pretty similar".

iFixit's iPhone 6s teardown is ongoing and this post will be updated if significant discoveries are made.

Last year, iPhone 6 Plus users began noticing that their phones were bent after carrying the devices in their pockets for a few days. The issue, known as "BendGate", became widespread after a video test revealed that it didn't take much pressure for the 6 Plus to bend near the volume buttons. Apple strengthened the weaker points of the 6s Plus and added a new, stronger 7000 series aluminum to the device. Today, YouTube channel FoneFox subjected the iPhone 6s Plus to a bend test to see if Apple's improvements help.

In the video, the phone is given the same bend test it was given a year ago. FoneFox's Christian simply wraps his hands around the device and attempts to bend it in the middle. While the phone starts to bend under more and more pressure it snaps back to its normal shape once the test is over. Christian notes that he can feel his thumb sink into the back of the device, but that the phone doesn't stay bent.

FoneFox then adds a second person to the test, getting each person to pull one side of the phone. In this situation, the iPhone 6s Plus does bend. However, FoneFox notes that the pressure exerted with two people is unlikely to occur in situations where the phone is in a user's pocket.

For comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus bent in just a couple seconds in the original bend test video, available to watch below.

It's September 25 in Australia, which means the first customers who pre-ordered the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are now beginning to receive their shipments or are getting home from purchasing one at an Apple Store. Australians and those who went to Australia to receive their phones have now taken to YouTube to show off the device in unboxing videos, drop tests and more.

YouTube user Lachlan Likes A Thing unboxes a Rose Gold iPhone 6. The video was a part of Lachlan's live stream of iPhone 6s coverage, and features him answering questions from his viewers. He also shows off the standard in-box iPhone accessories, which include the EarPods, wall charger and Lightning cable. Lachlan also unboxes a pink iPhone 6s silicone case, showing off what the phone looks like in the case.

YouTube channel TechSmartt got their hands on both the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and subjected them to drop tests on a marble floor. The drop tests occur at three levels: from pocket height, from around 6 feet and from around 10 feet. Both phones hold up well, with host Keaton Keller noting the new 7000 series aluminum only suffered minor scratches. However, the iPhone 6s had its display shatter when it landed display down. The iPhone 6s Plus, which also fell on its display, did not shatter.

Franz Pirkl, another YouTube user, unboxed his Space Gray iPhone 6s and then proceeded to do a video teardown of the device. While the video doesn't provide in-depth explanation of the insides of the new device, it does provide a look inside the device as well as individual parts like the new Taptic Engine.

Update: TechSmartt also conducted a water test with the iPhone 6s Plus, pitting it against the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Both phones are placed in water to see how long they last, with Keller noting the 6s Plus lasts far longer than the previous iPhone.

It's just after 8:30 a.m. in New Zealand, which means the first customers who pre-ordered an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus are now beginning to receive their shipments. Soon, customers in Australia will begin getting their iPhones, and the first Apple retail stores in the country will open for in-store sales. New Zealanders have started sharing photos of their new devices on social networks like Instagram and Twitter.

As September 25 hits around the world, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, and the United States. Retail stores in those countries will be opening at 8:00 a.m. local time, letting customers pick up reserved devices and purchase a new phone via walk-in.

Walk-in purchases will not be available in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Alaska, to discourage purchases by scalpers. In these locations, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be available only by reservation. Reservations are not currently available, but will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 26.

Customers who ordered an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus for home delivery will also begin receiving their devices around 8:00 a.m. local time through couriers like UPS and FedEx. U.S. customers in New York and Pennsylvania should be aware of shipping delays that will prevent iPhone pre-orders from arriving on launch day in certain zip codes.

With less than one day until the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch in twelve countries, customers have begun forming lines at Apple Stores around the world to purchase one of the new devices. The size of the lineups vary depending on the location and will undoubtedly grow longer as we get closer to 8:00 am local time on Friday in each country.

Longer lines have formed at two Apple Stores in the German cities of Hamburg and Munich on the evening prior to the iPhone launch, while there are shorter queues in U.S. cities such as Chicago and San Francisco. Meanwhile, in Sydney, Australia, a media executive has a robot holding her place in line.

Birmingham, U.K.

Chicago, U.S.

Hamburg, Germany

Munich, Germany

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