Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus arrive with 12MP iSight camera, 3D Touch, new A9 64-bit chipset

The new iPhones are here. Apple has just unveiled the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The iPhone 6s retains the 4.7-inch Retina display from the previous-gen iPhone 6 but upping the performance with the new A9 64-bit chipset as does the iPhone 6s Plus with its 5.5-inch display.

Apple continues with the same design as its predecessor for the iPhone 6s. The display resolution remains the same at 750x1334 pixels but Apple has incorporated 3D Touch on the new iPhones. Its a pressure sensitive, haptic feedback technology which makes it easier to interact with apps even without opening them. The iPhone 6s Plus too retains its 5.5-inch display diagonal with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels.

With iOS 8 and 3D Touch, the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus can recognize taps from presses and depending on how hard you press there will be different actions invoked. Like for emails, if you press lightly, you will get a "Peek" at the content of the emails and if you press a bit harder there then you can reply to the email, trash it and get other actions to deal with the message. Similarly, if you press gently on any app-icon on the homescreen it will show up a contextual menu with several actions, like updating your Facebook status even without ever opening the app. Neat stuff, great implementation.

The cameras on the new iPhones have been upgraded as well. You now get a 12MP rear iSight camera on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus which can record videos in 4K at 30fps. Something we have seen quite a long while back on Android. Slow Motion video capture is also available here. Moreover, Apple also introduced Live Photos, where on pressing gently (3D Touch) you see a sort of short animation with the image, this is done by capturing several shots just before and after you snap a picture. Its quite similar to Nokia's Living Images on Windows Phone Lumia smartphones. This is built into the camera app, you don't have to use a separate option, just continue taking those high-res 12MP shots and the iOS 9 camera app will do the rest.

The real-tone dual-LED flash makes a return on the new iPhones alongwith Optical Image Stabilization. Moreover, the front-facing camera has also been upgraded to a 5MP sensor which can use the display as a selfie flash. Connectivity options include 4G LTE support, WiFiac dual-band, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with GLONASS and NFC for Apple Pay.

The iPhone 6s starts at $199 32GB, iPhone 6s Plus starts at $299 32GB on a 24-month contract. These will be available in Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold colors. You can also get the unlocked/off-contract iPhone 6s at $649 with 16GB storage, $749 for 64GB option and $849 with 128GB storage. The unlocked iPhone 6s Plus will set you back $749 for 16GB storage, $849 for 64GB storage and $949 with 128GB storage. You can pre-order the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus starting September 12 in the US.

With the advent of the new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both get a $100 price-cut on a 2 year contract across the storage options while the iPhone 5s goes free.

You can also take part in the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program using which you can change to a new iPhone every year on any carrier, as it will be an unlocked device starting at $32 per month.