Apple: iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Apple introduced the next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus at its media event in San Francisco on September 9. The new iPhones feature an A9 chip and M9 motion coprocessor, 3D Touch, 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, stronger glass and Series 7000 aluminum, faster Touch ID, Live Photos and a new Rose Gold color option.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are powered by an Apple A9 chip and embedded M9 motion coprocessor that deliver up to 70% faster CPU performance and up to 90% faster graphics compared to the A8 chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

3D Touch on iPhone is similar to Force Touch on Apple Watch, enabling users to make "peek and pop" gestures on the screen to access actionable shortcuts or preview content, such as text messages, flight information, calendar appointments and more. There's also a new Taptic Engine inside of the iPhone 6s that enables haptic feedback so you get touch-based responses when using 3D Touch.

The smartphones feature an improved 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with 4K video recording and 5-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera with true tone Retina Flash -- in low light, the front display will flash for a split second instead of using a traditional LED flash.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also have a second-generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner that is up to two times faster compared to Touch ID on previous iPhones.

The iPhones are crafted from Series 7000 aluminum and come in a new Rose Gold color, alongside Silver, Space Gray and Gold. Otherwise, the handsets look virtually the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but they are slightly thicker and heavier.

The iPhone 6s retails for $199/$299/$399 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. The iPhone 6s Plus retails for $299/$399/$499 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. Carrier financing and leasing programs are also available through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and many other carriers worldwide, and Apple also announced its own iPhone upgrade program that lets users get a new iPhone each year with pricing that starts at $32.41 per month.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders begin on Saturday, September 12 at 12:01 AM Pacific ahead of a Friday, September 25 launch in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The new iPhones will be available in over 130 countries by the end of the year.

Rumors about the next-generation iPhone have been trickling in for months. It's expected that Apple will continue its 2014 trend, offering the 2015 iPhone in two separate sizes -- one larger and one smaller.

We expect Apple will stick to its long running "S" naming scheme (which has been around since 2009), calling the new phones the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. iPhone 6s Plus is a mouthful though, so it is possible that this might be the year that we get a new naming format. One analyst believes Apple might call its next-generation phone the "iPhone 7" due to the significance of the new changes being implemented, but it's far too early in development to know for sure.

Because it's an "S" year upgrade and because the iPhone was just redesigned, the next-generation version will focus on internal improvements rather than an updated external look. Screen sizes will remain at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, and Apple is not expected to introduce a new 4-inch model.

There may be a few exterior changes, though. There's been a rumor that Apple will add a new color option to its iPhone lineup in 2015 -- pink (which may be rose gold). We've also seen two rumors suggesting Apple might opt to use the same 7000 series aluminum used in the Apple Watch in the next-generation iPhone. The aluminum is 60% stronger than standard aluminum but still lightweight.

In the past, "S" upgrades have brought features like Siri, Touch ID, new processors, and camera improvements, and we can expect to see many of the same updates with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. According to rumors, the new devices will gain a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera with 4K video recording, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The 2015 iPhones are also expected to gain the Force Touch feature first introduced with the Apple Watch, allowing for new gestures that incorporate pressure sensitivity, and improved Touch ID to make fingerprint recognition faster.

Though the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to retain the same design as iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the addition of Force Touch and 7000 series aluminum could slightly change the thickness and the dimensions of the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.

Multiple rumors and leaked schematics, and even what's said to be a fully assembled "prototype" iPhone 6s, have suggested the iPhones could be slightly thicker, by approximately 0.2mm. Renderings of the devices and a video comparison of the iPhone 6 and 6s shell indicate the iPhone 6s may be 7.1mm thick instead of 6.9mm while the iPhone 6s Plus may be 7.3mm thick instead of 7.1mm. At 0.2mm, the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6s will be nearly undetectable and most cases and accessories designed for the iPhone 6 should continue to work with the iPhone 6s.

A materials analysis of the iPhone 6s shell has confirmed that Apple is indeed using a new alloy for the device. With 5 percent zinc, it's in line with many 7000 Series aluminum alloys. A bend test on the shell suggests it's much stronger and more resistant to bending, and in addition to using a new alloy, Apple has also added reinforcement to the areas around the home button and volume buttons of the device.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will continue to offer features that have become integral to the iPhone, including NFC for Apple Pay, 802.11ac Wi-Fi capabilities, and LTE Advanced. The two new phones will continue to be available with the same general storage options as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with storage capacities starting at 16GB.

It's an "S" upgrade year, Apple has asked its suppliers to produce a record-breaking 85 to 90 million units of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus combined by the end of the year. The high number of orders suggests Apple is expecting significant demand for the two devices and hoping to avoid supply shortages, but the addition of Force Touch may impact initial production numbers.

Apple plans to unveil the iPhone at a media event in San Francisco scheduled for September 9. Pre-orders, if accepted, will follow on September 11, with an official launch likely happening on September 18.