Apple remains the top laptop brand overall in 2016, thanks to its high-quality products, industry-leading tech support and helpful warranty. The MacBook line continues to be one of the most attractive, and the new 12-inch MacBook raised the bar for portability. Although Apple's notebooks command a premium, the company has the best collection of laptops and top-notch service backing them.
Design (12/15)
When you picture a MacBook or a MacBook Air, you immediately think of a light-gray aluminum chassis with a backlit half-eaten Apple logo on the back. While most of Apple's notebooks retain the same old design, in 2015, the company finally stepped out of its comfort zone and gave us something different in the 12-inch MacBook with Retina display(2015). Available in space gray, gold or traditional silver, the anodized aluminum chassis weighs an astonishing 2 pounds, making it a full pound lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. The company even took the bold step of eliminating most of the ports, save for an audio jack and a USB Type-C port. That's just enough to put Apple back on the design radar.
Reviews (28/30)
Once again, this year, Apple's laptops collectively received our highest ratings. Of the five models we reviewed, only one received less than 4 stars, while another system, the 15-inch MacBook Pro, earned a perfect 5-star rating. Consistency was key, as all of the products offered long battery life, good keyboards and accurate touchpads. The new 12-inch MacBookbrought up the rear with a lower, yet still strong, score of 3.5 stars because of its single port and relatively high price.
Tech Support (19/20)
With a score of 92.75 in this year's Tech Support Showdown, Apple again set the high mark for phone support and helpful online resources. Apple's phone service, which is one of only two customer support hotlines to have an average call time of less than 10 minutes, is driven by knowledgeable and enthusiastic agents. It's nice to see Apple finally on Twitter for support (which happened after our survey), but we wish Apple would make it easier to locate the live-chat feature on its site.
Warranty (5/5)
Apple's standard coverage is the same yearlong, limited warranty that most vendors offer, but the Cupertino, California-based company stands out by offering several convenient ways to service a malfunctioning laptop. If you live near an Apple store, you can bring your system to the Genius Bar for repairs. Or, you can mail your laptop back to Apple, and the company will pay for shipping. Also, in some cases in which the repair is easy to make, Apple may send you a part with instructions on how to install it yourself. Adding RAM or swapping out the storage drive does not void your warranty.
Software (5/5)
Apple's software offerings have continued to be strong, though they're not all that different from last year. The 12-inch MacBook, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro all come with the iWork suite and some multimedia software. The iWork package includes Pages, Numbers and Keynote — free, solid alternatives to Microsoft Office. The iLife suite's branding is gone, but iMovie and GarageBand are still OS X mainstays, while iPhoto has been replaced with the simply named Photos.
In 2015, the company's OS X El Capitan desktop operating system introduced some long-awaited features, including the ability to display windows side by side. Public transit directions were finally introduced to Apple Maps, and the Spotlight search feature was updated to show information such as stocks, news and weather.
Innovation (9/10)
In 2015, Apple released its most innovative notebook in a long time: the 12-inch MacBook, plainly dubbed "MacBook." This 2-pound laptop uses contoured battery cells to provide more than 8 hours of endurance, a unique butterfly keyboard mechanism that provides good feedback for otherwise shallow keys, a sensitive Force Touch trackpad and a USB Type-C power port, all of which are innovations. The company also updated its OS X operating system, adding a host of new features, including natural language search, a split-screen view and a new graphics API.
Value and Selection (5/15)
Apple keeps its lineup simple, offering just five laptops. The 11.6- and 13.3-inch MacBook Airs are extremely light and long-lasting, but they lack high-res displays. The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros cost and weigh a bit more than the Airs but offer sharp, Retina displays and the powerful performance that creative professionals need. The 12-inch MacBook is the lightest of all, weighing just 2 pounds, and sports a high-res display. However, that machine has the weakest battery life and performance of the bunch.
The company doesn't offer the option to choose a laptop with the latest Intel 6th-Generation "Skylake" CPU. While every other manufacturer refreshes its laptops as soon as the leading chipmaker comes out with new processors, Apple waits six months or longer to release models based on a new platform.
The word "cheap" isn't in Apple's vocabulary: The lowest-priced MacBook, the 11-inch MacBook Air, starts at $899, while all the other systems are $999 and up. If you're not wedded to the OS X ecosystem, you can find some better values in the Windows world. The Dell XPS 13, for example, weighs even less than the 13-inch MacBook Air, has a 1080p display and starts at $799.
How Apple Can Improve
It's way past time for Apple to tweak its standard laptop chassis design, because the most current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air look identical to their predecessors from 2010. The company has never been about offering cheap systems, but adding some lower-priced options would help its Value and Selection score.
Wheelers love to debate about what works and what doesn’t. Verbal punches thrown around a campfire or work bench often revolve around topics like lockers and tires as well as which vehicle brand is the King of the Hill. But another topic that really fires people up is Jeep versus fullsize.
Jeep owners like to point out how utterly amazing their short-wheelbase rigs are, while fullsize owners scoff and note the inherent benefits of a long wheelbase. Most of the time, the short-wheelbase crowd consists of Jeep Wrangler owners, but can include bobtail Broncos, Suzuki Samurais, Chevy Trackers, and the like. The long wheelbase contingent contains fullsize rigs like the Ford Super Duty, Chevy Suburban, and Dodge Ramcharger.
Like you, the Four Wheeler staff is always down for a debate and we’re as opinionated as it gets. With that said, each staffer was polled to weigh in with their preference of short wheelbase or long wheelbase in a given type of terrain. We chose the most common types of terrain that wheelers encounter (mud, sand, and rocks) and we also included general trail riding. Following are opinions from Four Wheeler Editor John Cappa, Technical Editor Sean P. Holman, and Senior Editor Ken Brubaker.
The goal of this piece is to provide food for thought for those who haven’t made up their mind as to what type of vehicle they want to own/build. Is short wheelbase the way to go, or is long wheelbase the answer?
Mud
From the thin, mega slippery stuff that appears after a rainstorm on Last Dollar Road, near Telluride, Colorado, to the deep, aromatic goo that’s found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Cappa: I’m a wuss. If I’m hitting mud I want a real windshield, hardtop, and glass windows that I can roll up. Considering my current fleet of 4x4s, that means I’m taking the long-wheelbase fullsize truck. But it’s not all bad. A short wheelbase typically wants to swap ends in the mud and quite often it won’t have enough power to churn the deep stuff that I like to hit (unless it has a swapped-in V-8 motor or tiny tires). I also want some pretty heavy parts underneath for when (not if) an axlehousing or steering component slams into some errant rock or root hidden in the mire. Lesser components can give up and leave you stranded in such a scenario. And I don’t like wrenching on things while knee-deep in the bog. Dinky Jeeps and other short-wheelbase vehicles just don’t have what it takes for me to make the most of a mud run. It’s like showing up to a Halloween party without a costume and with a keg of non-alcoholic beer.
Holman: Hate the stuff and try to avoid it at all costs, but if I had to do it and could choose my vehicle ahead of time, it would be an S-10 so that the agony would be over as soon as possible. Between a Jeep and a fullsize, I would pick the fullsize for a more stable platform (the long wheelbase is helpful to survive unforeseen pitfalls) and for the extra power to keep the wheel speed up. Also, the chassis is usually more robust. The only thing worse than being stuck in the mud is being stuck and broken in the mud.
Brubaker: Mud is the number one obstacle here in northern Illinois at the Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau. We have several water-saturated areas in our pastures and experience has taught us to avoid ’em like the plague. They’ll swallow all four tires faster than you can say “oh, crap” and leave your rig sunk to its belly. Typically, a long-wheelbase rig is going to weigh far more than a short-wheelbase rig, and that poundage means you’re going to have to compensate with wider tires to increase flotation. You’ll then need more power to spin those big meats and overcome the resistance of the mud. You’ll also need drivetrain upgrades so everything holds together. All of those things cost money. If I have to traverse deep mud on a regular basis I’ll opt for a short-wheelbase rig as long as it isn’t saddled with a bunch of aftermarket weight. Short-wheelbase rigs are great at skittering over the mud, and if they do get stuck their light weight makes ’em easier to retrieve. As a bonus, the short-wheelbase rig will be much quicker to clean than the larger long-wheelbase rig.
Sand
From beach roads to sand recreation areas to wicked, monstrous dunes.
Cappa: Sand is kind of a split for me. I love the ability to remove the windshield and slap on a pair of goggles before carving through the dunes, but when the wind kicks up you’ll feel like you’ve been loaded into a bead-blasting machine. I spent most of my early wheeling days powering through the Glamis, California, dunes in a 79-inch-wheelbase, V-8-powered Jeep. There’s not much you can’t do in something lightweight with plenty of power. And with the windshield off, rolling over is not that big of a deal. Truth is, most people roll or nearly roll the first time they try and drive through the deep dunes. It takes time to learn to read the sand and be able to predict where razorbacks, witches eyes, and soft spots will be. You’re better off learning in a short-wheelbase Jeep or a total pile that you don’t care about. But once you get the hang of it, a fullsize can be fun. There’s nothing like cruising through the middle of the deep dunes in a fairly typical fullsize 4x4. People on motorcycles, quads, and in sand rails just kinda stare wondering how the heck you got that thing out there.
Holman: I could go either way, but a Jeep that is geared properly with enough power trumps all. Nothing like light weight and maneuverability in the sand. Big trucks can be fun too, but they just don’t have that “sand buggy” feel that makes sand such a blast.
Brubaker: Driving on sand and playing in the sand are two vastly different things. For general driving on sand in places like the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Coos Bay, Oregon, and South Padre Island in Texas, I’ve found that stock, long-wheelbase rigs with aired-down tires work just peachy. They typically have plenty of power, they offer a smooth ride, and they have plenty of storage for all the things needed to sustain a full day or a camping trip on the beach. Heck, you can even unroll your sleeping bag in the back of a long-wheelbase pickup or SUV and sleep comfortably. Long-wheelbase rigs are often set up for towing, which means they have stout cooling systems for the engine and transmission, which can keep these components in their happy place temperature-wise during extended sand driving. However, if I wanted to romp wild in sand dunes I’d definitely choose a short-wheelbase rig. They’re agile, tossable, less likely to get high-centered on a dune, and they’re easier to recover if you get them stuck.
Rocks
From trails dotted with melon-sized rocks to full-on boulders.
Cappa: If everyone else has a long-wheelbase fullsize, I want a Jeep. If everyone else has a short-wheelbase Jeep, I want a long-wheelbase fullsize. It’s not just that I want to be different, I want a challenge. That’s why I go four-wheeling. If I wanted it to be easy I’d leave the transfer case shifted into 2WD and stay on the street. Also, I don’t want to be spotted through a section of trail. If I wanted someone else to drive for me I’d ride in the passenger seat. For me, wheeling is a fun challenge and sort of a memory game. I try to recall where I want to place my tires and where I don’t. Having a spotter is like cheating on a test and stealing the answers from the guy next to you. It has nothing to do with ego, don’t steal my fun. Anyway, I don’t mind winching my short-wheelbase 4x4 up climbs that the long-wheelbase guys can drive right up, and likewise I don’t mind having to drive my long-wheelbase rig over different lines than the short-wheelbase guys.
Holman: I’m going to go ahead and throw a wrench in the works. For rocks, I want a long-wheelbase Jeep, such as the JK Unlimited or an “LJ.” They pack the perfect mix of size, maneuverability, and stability, while still being able to tackle the toughest obstacles. To me, a short-wheelbase Jeep is too sketchy on climbs and off-camber situations, and a fullsize is just too big to take the line I want, yet a long-wheelbase Jeep allows it to split the difference, hit the obstacles with the rest of the Jeeps, but take a more interesting line for the challenge of it.
Brubaker: Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but I’ll take a long wheelbase in the rocks. Through the years I’ve done a fantastic job of successfully damaging both short- and long-wheelbase rigs on rocky trails, but interestingly I’ve damaged less of the long-wheelbase rigs. Why? I dunno, maybe it’s because I actually pay more attention when behind the wheel of a bigger rig. I tend to choose lines better and be more cognizant of the rig’s sheetmetal. Be aware though, long-wheelbase rigs need more modifications to be self-sufficient in really big rocks, so they’re not for everybody. Boat sides and narrowing vastly increase their capability and lightening up the rig helps, too. Personally, I like the stability of a long-wheelbase rig when tipped every which way. A long-wheelbase rig may spend more time tethered to the winch cable, but that’s OK with me. It saves wear and tear on the drivetrain.
General Trail Riding
A potential hodgepodge of obstacles, whether deep in the woods, winding through a canyon, or high in the mountains.
Cappa: If I’m planning on general trail use, I typically want a fullsize, unless the trail is really tight. Why? Because I’m probably going camping. And it’s not that I need all the extra space for a hair dryer, portable shower, generator, or anything like that. I actually pack pretty light. But I hate unpacking nearly everything just to get to my cooler or snacks. And speaking of coolers, I like to bring a big one. There has to be plenty of room for frosty beverages and food. Big coolers don’t fit well in small vehicles. I also like to bring lots of firewood, and where better to store it than in the bed of a fullsize truck? Nobody wants firewood tearing up their interior, and putting heavy firewood on a roof rack negatively alters your vehicle’s center of gravity. In the end, you just can’t physically or conveniently fit as much stuff in a short-wheelbase rig. If you try, you’ll typically find yourself dependant on someone else to carry or bring something you need. I like to be self-sufficient. Also, a loaded-down short rig will never handle the bumps and whoops as well as a fullsize 4x4 carrying the same amount of gear.
Holman: For general trail riding, I’ll take the fullsize. I like having the extra room and if there aren’t hardcore obstacles in my way that extra space makes for more comfortable camping and driving. Plus, a fullsize can carry more of what makes you self-sufficient, allowing you to stay out in the backcountry longer. All things being considered, the long-wheelbase offers a much more comfortable ride for long days in the dirt.
Brubaker: You never know what you’re going to encounter when exploring a backcountry trail. If I was planning a trail tour I’d want to be planted in the driver-seat of a short-wheelbase rig. Why? Because I’d rather err on the side of caution and have a lightweight, agile machine. After all, there may not be a way around that stinky, deep mud hole or that towering sand dune. And the rocks they casually mentioned back at the general store/bait shop/tattoo parlor may turn out to actually be car-sized boulders. There’s an economic element, too. Most often, the short-wheelbase rig will be less expensive to purchase, it’ll return better fuel mileage, and replacement parts may be less expensive. Heck, you won’t need to buy as heavy a winch either, which’ll save you more green.
Bottom Line
Obviously, the Four Wheeler staff has opinions that are as varied as the terrain we wheel. The take away is that choosing between a short- or long-wheelbase rig depends on a number of factors including where you live, how and where you wheel, and what kind of budget you have.
Mudding is awesome! Man and machine against Mother Nature. It’s fun, it’s dirty, but it is a chore to clean your rig. Mud gets everywhere and as soon as you think you’ve got it all there’s more. Here is some advice for getting your rig clean after she’s all muddy.
The sooner, the better.
Mud is different everywhere. In some regions it’s thin and watery; in others it’s thick like wet concrete. No matter what type of mud your rig is covered in the sooner you wash it off, the easier it will come off. This is simple common sense, but for a few drivers out there this goes against natural instinct. Driving around town with a truck covered in mud is like a badge of honor. But, soon as that mud dries it literally can become like concrete in your undercarriage. My advice is as soon as you’re done mudding go wash your truck.
Use high pressure.
Cleaning your rig is chore, speed up the process and use some muscle with high pressure. There are two options to consider when it comes to washing with high pressure.
Pressure Washer: This is the best choice if you have the space (yard or drive way) and the money to invest. Prices can range from $70 up to $500 for top of the line units. Don’t forget, all that mud has to go somewhere – after you’re done cleaning your 4×4 you’ll most likely need to clean your driveway. Be cautious, higher PSI and paint don’t play nice together. You can also buy a U-Shaped attachment for your pressure washer to easier reach the undercarriage.
Car Wash: A DIY car wash is great because the pressure is higher than using a standard hose and you don’t have to clean up! Another bonus is many car washers have a warm water rinse which makes mud removal easier. The down side is you can expect to pay $10-$20 each time you wash.
Don’t forget under the hood.
The engine bay is an area of much debate on how to clean. Depending on the age of your vehicle there is going to be anywhere from a little to a lot of precious electronics under there – which you DO NOT want soaking wet. Also, be cautious around your air filter. Depending on the type of air filter you’re running (Stock vs. Cone) you might want to be extra careful with that as well. I spoke with several owners in person and online and here are some tips for cleaning under your hood.
Many owners simply use a hose, brush, and towel and carefully clean the engine bay.
One owner I spoke with said he left his engine running and pressure washed his engine bay.
A lot of dealers recommend steam cleaning and covering electronics with plastic bags.
Using a cleaner like Simple Green is highly recommended to speed up the process
Don’t forget under the hood.
The engine bay is an area of much debate on how to clean. Depending on the age of your vehicle there is going to be anywhere from a little to a lot of precious electronics under there – which you DO NOT want soaking wet. Also, be cautious around your air filter. Depending on the type of air filter you’re running (Stock vs. Cone) you might want to be extra careful with that as well. I spoke with several owners in person and online and here are some tips for cleaning under your hood.
Many owners simply use a hose, brush, and towel and carefully clean the engine bay.
One owner I spoke with said he left his engine running and pressure washed his engine bay.
A lot of dealers recommend steam cleaning and covering electronics with plastic bags.
Using a cleaner like Simple Green is highly recommended to speed up the process
Wash behind your ears.
Ok, trucks don’t have ears. But they have radiators, bumpers, and wheels. All of these parts have little cracks and crevices that attract mud. While you’re under the hood carefully wash off your radiator. It’s surprising how much mud finds its way into the little vents. Dried mud on your radiator can lead to overheating – So don’t forget to clean this! Just like radiators, wheels can sometimes have little spaces that mud can dry and become difficult to remove. A Toyota FJ Cruiser owner said dried mud caused his wheel to go out of balance and shake at higher speeds. After cleaning out all the mud everything was back to normal.
Keeping your rig clean will help everything run smoother and last longer. Washing all that mud and dirt off your truck can be a chore, but is well worth it in the long run.
Bonus Tips
Spray the underside with Armor All before mudding and the mud will wash off easier
Too lazy to get underneath? Set up a sprinkler under your 4×4 and go watch a game. Most of the mud will be gone when you return.
The best way to keep your rig clean? Don’t go into the mud.
MTV's popular series "Buckwild" lost one of its stars on Monday, when the corpses of Shain Gandee, 21, and two other men were discovered in a car near Sissonville, W.Va.
Gandee and his two companions were last seen at a local bar around 3 a.m. Sunday and were planning to go off-road driving, an activity known as "mudding" among the show's cast members.
A bulldozer was reportedly required to dislodge the 1984 Ford Bronco from a mud-covered logging trail approximately one mile from Gandee's home. The reality TV star was in the driver's seat.
"The vehicle sat unevenly, but upright, and was partially submerged in deep mud," Kanawha Sheriff's Department spokesman Brian Humphreys told The Charleston Daily Mail. "The muffler of the vehicle was completely below the surface of the mud."
Humphreys cautioned that medical examiners have not confirmed a cause of death, but said carbon monoxide poisoning "seemed plausible."
iPhone 6S sales have been disappointing. Not real world disappointing, but disappointing for Apple. A big reason for this is the perception that there’s little difference between the iPhone 6S and its stunningly successful predecessor, the iPhone 6. But is that true…?
In short: No. While the iPhone 6S looks identical to the iPhone 6, under the surface there are major differences between the two phones.
So let’s break them down and see if you find Apple’s changes compelling enough to warrant an upgrade – especially with iPhone 7 leaks proving both worryingly depressing yet extremely controversial.
iPhone 6S (left) vs iPhone 6 (right) – externally the differences are very minor but some are very important. Image credit: Apple
Design & Size – Bigger, Heavier But Better
Let’s get this one out the way – visually the iPhone 6S is a disappointment. Yes ‘S year’ models typically change little on the outside but where the iPhone 6S is slightly different it is for the worse:
iPhone 6 – 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27in) and 129g (4.55oz)
iPhone 6S – 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28in) and 143g (5.04oz)
Yes the iPhone 6S is actually slightly larger than the iPhone 6 and 11% heavier. We will come to ‘why’ in the next section, but the good news is the iPhone 6S does retain the same premium build quality and feel as the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 6S chassis uses 7000 Series aluminium which makes it much stronger. Image credit: Apple
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
iPhone 6S sales have been disappointing. Not real world disappointing, but disappointing for Apple. A big reason for this is the perception that there’s little difference between the iPhone 6S and its stunningly successful predecessor, the iPhone 6. But is that true…?
In short: No. While the iPhone 6S looks identical to the iPhone 6, under the surface there are major differences between the two phones.
So let’s break them down and see if you find Apple’s changes compelling enough to warrant an upgrade – especially with iPhone 7 leaks proving both worryingly depressing yet extremely controversial.
iPhone 6S (left) vs iPhone 6 (right) – externally the differences are very minor but some are very important. Image credit: Apple
Design & Size – Bigger, Heavier But Better
Let’s get this one out the way – visually the iPhone 6S is a disappointment. Yes ‘S year’ models typically change little on the outside but where the iPhone 6S is slightly different it is for the worse:
iPhone 6 – 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27in) and 129g (4.55oz)
iPhone 6S – 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28in) and 143g (5.04oz)
Yes the iPhone 6S is actually slightly larger than the iPhone 6 and 11% heavier. We will come to ‘why’ in the next section, but the good news is the iPhone 6S does retain the same premium build quality and feel as the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 6S chassis uses 7000 Series aluminium which makes it much stronger. Image credit: Apple
More importantly, however, it is far stronger. Following the iPhone 6 Bendgate fiasco, Apple has upgraded the iPhone 6S chassis to use 7000 Series aluminium which makes the phone almost 3x stronger. Given the iPhone 6S is also (unofficially) highly water resistant, these are decent trade-offs for the weight gain.
Wrongly many think it is the aforementioned 7000 Series aluminium which makes the iPhone 6S heavier, but the material actually weighs no more than the softer 6000 Series in the iPhone 6.
Instead the added bulk comes from the iPhone 6S’s new display tech:
iPhone 6 – 4.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD, 1334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi), 65.6% screen-to-body ratio
iPhone 6S – 4.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD, 1334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi), 65.6% screen-to-body ratio. 3D Touch
Yes, the clear differentiator here is the addition of 3D Touch. Here a new module inserted under the iPhone 6S display enables it to detect the pressure of screen contact and so launch different commands.
3D Touch support on the iPhone 6S (pictured) is still patchy but improving slowly. Image credit: Gordon Kelly
Apple calls these ‘Peek and Pop’ with a heavier touch primarily launching previews (for emails, web links, etc) without actually opening them and further increase in pressure causing them to ‘Pop’ open. 3D Touch is also used for shortcuts on app icons to jump directly into different features and start particular commands.
The problem is support and consistency. Not all app third party apps support 3D Touch and implementation is inconsistent at best making it largely guesswork as to where the functionality is offered. As a result adoption by users has been mixed and its value questioned despite the obvious potential.
Even outdoors the Galaxy S7 (right) has a dramatically sharper and more vivid display than the iPhone 6S. Image credit: Gordon Kelly
This isn’t helped by the fact the iPhone 6S also makes no significant improvements to its screen quality. With rivals like Samsung offering 2K (2560 x 1440) OLED panels, Apple’s iPhone 6S 750p LCD simply doesn’t match up – even if it looks fine in isolation.
Performance – Major Speed Upgrades
One area where the iPhone 6S cannot be faulted, however, is its performance:
While the numbers imply the iPhone 6S has an advantage, in reality it delivers a hefty 70% boost in CPU performance while GPU (graphics) performance is a massive 90% better. The iPhone 6 remains no slouch but, combined with the efficiencies of iOS (despite its ongoing troubles), the iPhone 6S is blisteringly quick and silky smooth to use.
The iPhone 6S is significantly more powerful than the iPhone 6. Image credit: Apple
That’s not the only speed improvement though as the iPhone 6S has a second generation Touch ID fingerprint reader which works twice as quickly as Touch ID 1.0 on the iPhone 6. As the latter wasn’t slow so you may question how valuable this is, but once you experience it you won’t want to go back.
Lastly the iPhone 6S gets support for faster 4G with a 300Mbit-capable 4G modem compared to the 150MBit-capable iPhone 6. With 4G speeds typically far below 150Mbit though you’re unlikely to gain much real world benefit from this.
Cameras – All Change For Little Benefit
Having lost its photography crown to the Galaxy S6, the iPhone 6S was expected to come out with all guns blazing and, looking at the specs, you’d think that was the case:
iPhone 6S – Rear: 12 megapixel sensor, f2.2 aperture, Focus Pixels, EIS, dual-LED flash, 4K video recording. Front: 5MP Front Camera, f2.2 aperture, 720p video recording
iPhone 6 – Rear: 8 megapixel sensor, f2.4 aperture, Focus Pixels, EIS, dual-LED flash, 4K video recording. Front: 1.2MP Front Camera, f2.4 aperture, 720p video recording
In reality, however, the iPhone 6S camera is a disappointment.
The iPhone 6S camera is an improvement over the iPhone 6, but not by much – Image credit Gordon Kelly
Yes, it’s still excellent but it offers very little tangible improvement to the iPhone 6.
In fact it actually performs worse than the iPhone 6 in low light and it still lacks optical image stabilisation (OIS) like the iPhone 6 Plus, instead using electronic image stabilisation (EIS) as a cheap substitute. This makes it no match for current champ, the Galaxy S7.
The iPhone 6S (right) is no match for the Galaxy S7 Edge (left) in low light. Image credit: Gordon Kelly
But it isn’t all bad news. iPhone 6S owners now get 4K video recording (even if that will be overkill for some) and the front facing camera has had a significant – and long overdue – upgrade from 1.2MP to 5MP with a faster aperture. Here selfie fans will rejoice.
Battery Life And Charging – Unacceptable Stagnation
If the iPhone 6S camera offered little improvement from the iPhone 6, at least it was starting from a strong place but this simply isn’t true for battery life and charging. Both were two of the iPhone 6’s biggest weaknesses and Apple has scored a real own goal by making no effort to improve this with the iPhone 6S:
iPhone 6 – 1810 mAh capacity battery
iPhone 6S – 1715 mAh capacity battery
Yes you read that right, the iPhone 6S actually has a smaller battery than the iPhone 6S.
Thanks to optimisation in the new A9 chipset, the new iPhone doesn’t actually have worse performance but there are no improvements whatsoever. Apple also continues to ignore fast charging technologies so its phones take almost two hours to charge (double that of rivals and who can also quick charge to 30%+ in 10-15 minutes).
In short Apple let everyone down here and it has become a key factor in the widespread perception that the company prioritised new gimmicks with the iPhone 6s ahead of core improvements the iPhone 6 needed.
The iPhone 6S (left) and iPhone 6S Plus (right) are noticeably heavier, but still beautifully made. Image credit Gordon Kelly
Storage And Price – The 16GB Curse Continues
And the iPhone 6S doesn’t finish off its claims for your affections strongly either:
Yes somehow Apple has deemed it acceptable to continue offering a 16GB base model for a smartphone costing $650.
As bad as this was with the iPhone 6, it is worse with the iPhone 6S because its 12MP camera sensor produces 50% larger file sizes and 4K video recording requires double the space of 1080p making it the equivalent of an 8-10GB iPhone 6.
Yes you can scale down the iPhone 6S camera to 8MP in settings and drop 4K video recording to 1080p, but then you’re just compromising two of the main features of the new phone.
In the meantime the iPhone 6 is still available in 16GB and 64GB capacities with Apple offering $100 off its original asking price. This makes choosing between the new and old phones harder than it should be.
Bottom Line
The iPhone 6S is a fine phone in isolation, but as a follow-up to the phenomenally successful iPhone 6 it is a disappointment.
iPhone 6S (right) is a disappointing upgrade that faces a major challenge from the much cheaper iPhone SE (left). Image credit: Gordon Kelly
The lack of visual changes are understandable for an S model and the stronger chassis, faster performance and potential of 3D Touch are all highly commendable. But the iPhone 6S camera shows signs of stagnation, its display quality is well behind rivals and a 16GB base model is exploitative.
Given a straight choice between the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6, everyone would (and should) choose the iPhone 6S. But, despite Apple’s valid claims that there are many improvements under the surface, it is what stays the same in the iPhone 6S as much as its differences which make it a lackluster upgrade.
