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Get personal with the iPhone 6S (pictures)

Apple's 2015 iPhone is here. The iPhone 6S looks identical to its predecessor on the outside, but adds a host of new features, including 3D Touch, Live Photos and always-on Siri.

Sarah Mitroff
Sarah Mitroff is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our health, fitness and wellness section. Throughout her career, she's written about mobile tech, consumer tech, business and startups for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat.
Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Sarah Mitroff
Scott Stein
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The newest flagship

It's here, the iPhone 6S. With a nearly identical design to last year's iPhone 6, the biggest changes to Apple's smartphone are mostly on the inside.

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3D Touch

3D Touch is the marquee feature of the new iPhone 6S. The phone (as well as the larger 6S Plus) offers different options with some apps depending how hard you press down on the screen.

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App shortcuts

3D Touch lets quickly you add a new item to a to-do list in the Reminders app with a shortcut on the homescreen.

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3D Touch

This feature shows up in many places throughout iOS, mostly with the stock apps.

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New selfie cam

The iPhone 6S includes a new 5-megapixel front-facing camera for better selfies.

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Main camera

The rear camera gets a big upgrade too, with a 12-megapixel lens for sharper photos.

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Siri updates

Siri got a bit of makeover in iOS 9, which comes with the iPhone 6S.

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Siri help

Siri is still helpful, showing you information such as weather forecasts and sport scores when you ask.

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Same slim design

Though the iPhone 6S is slightly thicker, longer and heavier than the iPhone 6, the new model still has a slim, easily pocketable design.

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Aluminum case

Apple is using a new aerospace-grade aluminum for the outside case of the new iPhones.

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Home button

The home button is still prominent on the front bezel and uses Touch ID technology to unlock your phone with a fingerprint.

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Side view

The mute switch and volume rocker haven't strayed from the left edge.

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Power button

And the power/lock button is still on the right side.

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iOS 9 built in

The iPhone 6S ships with iOS 9.

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Apple Maps

iOS 9 brings big updates to Apple Maps, including transit maps and directions.

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Keyboard updates

The new version of iOS also brings a few keyboard updates, including finally changing the case of the letters when you tap the shift button.

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Rose gold

Apple is offering the iPhone 6S in a new color, rose gold. It appears a bit more pink in person.

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iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus

Here you see the new phones side by side, with the larger Plus on the right.

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Gold and rose gold

The iPhones come in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold.

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Very pink

In certain lighting, the rose gold finish looks very pink.

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Subdued colors

The phone also takes on a more subtle color in different lighting conditions.

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Apple News

Another new addition to iOS is the Apple News app, a place to follow big news stories and follow your favorite topics.

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App switcher

The app switcher gets redesigned, too.

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Apple Music

Apple Music was introduced with iOS 8.4 and comes pre-installed on the phone.

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Boxes

Apple's all-white packaging hasn't changed.

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What's inside

Apple keeps the packaging minimal.

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Lightning cable

Yep, you get an included charging cable.

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Cases

Apple's leather cases come in many colors.

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Apple Watch and iPhone 6S

The new phone is designed to work with the Apple Watch.

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iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6S

With a quick glance, it's hard to tell the difference between the iPhone 6S (left) and the iPhone 6 from 2014 (right).

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iPhone 6S vs. Samsung Galaxy S6

In the battle of the two top smartphones, there's no real winner or loser. You can see here the size differences between the iPhone 6S (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S6.

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