Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus rumor round-up: specs, features, price and release date

In 2014, Apple made the biggest upgrade to its iPhone lineup: it finally introduced a larger iPhone. And there was not just one new device, but two models: the 4.7" iPhone 6 and the 5.5" iPhone 6 Plus.

This year, in 2015, rumors agree that Apple will stick to these two devices and preserve the design, but make some big changes to the internal hardware and the software.

With rumors flying from all kinds of sources, it's time to round up the picture around the 2015 Apple iPhones: the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, as most analysts expect them to be called.

Force Touch

A feature that allows the device to know the difference between a slight tap and a longer, more forceful touch on the display, Force Touch was first introduced on the Apple Watch and quickly spread to the new Macbook. These days, pretty much all rumors agree that Force Touch is coming to the new iPhone 6s family of phones.

Inside sources have already revealed the possible uses of Force Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus: for instance, one could do a Force Touch on a destination in the maps app to start turn-by-turn directions immediately, saving two steps that is necessary at present to start navigation. Keep in mind that this convenience might be offered in the Apple Maps default app only, giving it a competitive edge over rivals like Google Maps.

Another implementation is said to be in the Music application, where a strong touch on a song listing gives users the option to add the song to a playlist, or hold on it to save it for offline listening. A third possible feature would have you Force Touch on a contact to go directly to voice mail. These are just some things that Apple is allegedly testing right now, and we'll see the full stack of Force Touch uses on the iPhone 6s in the near future, if this indeed becomes a feature of the new iPhone.

Keep in mind that Apple is working hard on making the physical response to Force Touch a consistent one, no matter when and where it is employed on the iPhone. It's also very likely to see the Force Touch option be made available to developers via an API in the near future for use in third-party apps.

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Sony Xperia Z3+ Review

Introduction

We remember waiting for the Sony Xperia Z4 as the rumors about it kept piling up over each other. Yet, as the handset's surprisingly “soft” launch finally commenced, we came to understand that the Sony Xperia Z4 is actually more of a Sony Xperia Z3+, complete with the same branding for markets outside Japan. Thus, we couldn't help, but wonder – has Sony's strategy of upgrading its flagship smartphones twice a year, incorporating incremental improvements while overlooking opportunities for major changes, finally gotten the best of them? We won't spoil the provocative question by answering it just yet, but our review will give you the verdict, along with our quick opinion on whether it's worth upgrading from the Xperia Z3 to the Z3+.

Package includes:

Xperia Z3+ smartphones
microUSB cable
Charging adapter
Earphones
User guides

Design
Wow, it's the best same-looking Sony Xperia Z handset ever!

Even if you've seen or held the Sony Xperia Z3 before it, it takes a cold and rational mind, one free of emotion's grip and governed entirely by the principles of logic, to not be impressed by the Sony Xperia Z3+'s look and feel. But what needs to be said has to be said - the Xperia Z3+ is virtually identical to its predecessor. It has the same metal and glass build, one of the best in class, but entirely predictable at this point. The omission of the magnetic charging port is welcome, however, for it was neither particularly useful, nor elegant-looking. On the Xperia Z3, the charging port was covered with a flap, while the one on the Z3+ is wide in the open, and still waterproof – an unquestionably better design. But the camera shutter button on the Z3 was slightly less wobbly and nicer to press.

Still, these are very minor gripes to have with a design as sleek and understated as Sony's. A more serious complaint would be the complete finger magnet of a glass used for the handset's front and back panel, and while we're at it, the volume buttons feel quite anemic, lacking width and travel. But on the side of good news, the Xperia Z3+ is 0.016 (0.4mm) thinner than its predecessor, coming in at just 0.27in (6.9mm) of thinness, and is also 0.28oz (8 grams) lighter, at 5.08 oz (144g). Overall, the handset measures 5.76 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches (146.3 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm), making for a rather big device.

Consider the repositioning of the microSD and SIM slot to the left, and this concludes the list of obvious differences between this and last year's model. There are more subtle, almost imperceptible nuances on the surface that make the Xperia Z3+'s build seem ever so slightly tighter – the frame is more flush with the body, the front-facing speakers now occupy the very ends of the top and bottom bezels, and the microphone has been moved to the frame's top side.

On the dual-SIM version of the device, the combined microSD and SIM card slot houses one microSD card and up to two nanoSIM cards simultaneously. Usually, dual-SIM handsets limit users to having either two SIM cards, or one SIM card and one microSD card at the same time, so Sony has to be commended for this bit of clever engineering.

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iPhone 6s Logic Board

iPhone 6s Logic Board

iPhone 6s parts are continuing to surface as we get closer to launch, and here's an example of what you can do when you start putting them together

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