The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are incremental upgrades to last year’s 6 and 6 Plus. Chassis design is essentially identical but the new phones feature a substantially faster processor, improved camera and more memory. The introduction of 3D Touch display technology allows the iPhone to detect the pressure with which a user presses on the screen, opening the gateway to new kinds of interactions in apps.
Today, Apple put an end to analyst speculation by confirming in a press release that it has sold more than 13 million iPhone 6S and 6S Plus units worldwide in the past three days. The phones, each available in four colours and three different storage configurations, will be available in 40 more countries including Italy, Spain, Russia, Mexico and Taiwan from October 9 and in over 130 countries by the end of this year.
The first weekend sales figures have easily destroyed the already-impressive performance of last year’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The older devices managed to rack up 10 million units in the same timeframe as their new successors.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the results are “phenomenal” and thanked buyers for their “incredible” feedback: “Sales for iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple’s history. Customers’ feedback is incredible and they are loving 3D Touch and Live Photos, and we can’t wait to bring iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus to customers in even more countries on October 9.”
It is thought that a significant proportion of the growth came from orders placed in China. The country has been included as a launch region for the first time this year and Apple products remain very attractive to Chinese consumers.
The high demand for the new phones means that pre-order shipping times are now being pushed back weeks for some models in select areas. People rushing to pick up their new device in person led to the usual long queues outside Apple Stores in cities worldwide on Friday.
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are available in gold, silver, space grey and rose gold colours. They feature a 64-bit Apple A9 processor, 12-megapixel iSight rear camera, 7000 series aluminium chassis and 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage options. The phones have been very well received by the media and users and look set to be on the Christmas lists of many Apple fans this year.
