Apple may have moved on with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but let’s not forget about the smartphones that came before. When announced, the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6S Plus were Apple’s flagship devices. A few years down the line, and they remain quality phones that offer excellent performance for the price.
More: Three iPhones: Rumors point to modest iPhone 7S updates, big leap for the iPhone 8
Having spent enough time with both devices, we now know exactly what made the 6 Plus and 6S Plus notable upgrades for Apple aficionados. To get an idea of what sets the 6S Plus apart from its predecessor, we’ve decided to pit the two against each other in a spec comparison. May the best phone win (spoiler alert: the iPhone 6S Plus wins, though you should just wait for the iPhone 8).
Specs
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Size
6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches
6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches
Weight
6.77 ounces
6.07 ounces
Screen
5.5-inch
5.5-inch
Resolution
1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels
OS
iOS 10
iOS 10
Storage
32, 128GB
16, 64, 128GB
SD Card Slot
No
No
Processor
Apple 64-bit, A9
Apple 64-bit, A8
RAM
2GB
1GB
Connectivity
4G LTE, 802.11ac
4G LTE, 802.11ac
Camera
12MP rear, 5MP front
8MP rear, 1.2MP front
Bluetooth
4.2
4.0
Fingerprint sensor
Touch ID
Touch ID
Battery
24 hours of 3G talk time
24 hours of 3G talk time
Charger
Lightning
Lightning
Marketplace
Apple App Store
Apple App Store
Avg. Price
$27.05/month for 24 months, or $649 without a contract
N/A
Availability
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile
No longer available
DT Review
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars
Design
Apple’s design for the iPhone 6 Plus was beautiful simplicity, wrapping rounded edges into glass in an unassuming style typical of past iPhones. Apple decided not to fix what wasn’t broken, bringing back a nearly identical style for the 6S Plus. However, it did improve the phone’s enclosure, borrowing a page out of the aerospace industry’s book and wrapping it in an alloy of 7000 Series aluminum. In other words, this is the strongest and most durable iPhone yet.
Aside from the dimensions of the 6S Plus registering one-hundredth of an inch bigger in height, width, and thickness, these two phones are mirror images of each other. Back is the same 5.5-inch screen with the same gorgeous 1920 x 1080 screen resolution owners of the 6 Plus came to know and love. Where the iPhone 6S Plus does diverge a bit from the 6 Plus is its available colors. While the 6 Plus comes in just Space Gray, Silver, and Gold (the Gold has been discontinued), the 6S Plus comes in Space Gray, Silver, Gold, or Rose Gold, giving buyers an even greater opportunity to customize their smartphone.