I spent a week with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus (in rose gold and gold, respectively), taking them everywhere I went, from farmer's markets in New Jersey to tailgating at a New York Jets game, to commuting on New Jersey Transit through the Meadowlands and to my kid's meet-the-teacher night. I showed them to my friends, my family, anyone I met and got their opinions, too. (For on-the-fly impressions, check out my weekend diary.)
I might take the miracle of tiny, powerful smartphones for granted, but I can't shake the feeling that the iPhone 6S doesn't, at this moment, have the "one big thing" to make people want to upgrade from the 6. That doesn't mean it's not a better phone, of course it isThe new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus look the same (except for the metallic-pink rose gold model) as last year's iPhones. In a lot of ways they also feel the same. But there are hidden advantages at play. The newest, boldest tech is a new pressure-sensitive touchscreen technology called 3D Touch. There are lots of other improvements, too: better cameras. Better overall system speed. And always-on (and I mean always-on -- unless you turn it off) Siri. And, something I didn't even get a chance to test fully: a completely redesigned construction with a reinforced glass screen, which Apple promises is sturdier all-around. We'll get to that in the next few weeks, but that alone could make a difference for a lot of would-be buyers.. Right now, however, it's a promising upgrade from the iPhone 6, not a revolution.
But if you've been holding off on getting an iPhone for a while, don't wait anymore. Get this one (or its big-screen sibling, the 6S Plus). Just make sure you don't buy the 16GB model.