Apple’s OEM partners have started mass production of the much-awaited iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Now leaked schematics of the “iPhone 6S” obtained by Engadget Japan reveal that the upcoming device measures 138 x 67 x 7.1 mm. The next iPhone will have a thickness of 7.1mm, just 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6.
Force Touch responsible for the increase in thickness
Contrary to previous rumors, the leaked schematics suggest that the iPhone 6S will still have a physical Home button. Why is Apple increasing the thickness of the next-gen iPhones? KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note last month that the Cupertino-based tech giant would incorporate Force Touch technology in the upcoming iPhones. The technology is integrated through an additional layer on the display, and this layer is 0.1mm to 0.2mm thick.
However, it shouldn’t raise eyebrows because it would increase the overall size of the device by less than 3%. Force Touch can detect between a gentle tap and a hard press, making way for more input options based on how hard users press the screen. This is in line with leaked images obtained by 9to5Mac last week, which suggested that the iPhone 6S will have only minor design changes.
iPhone 6S won’t have a bigger battery
Note that increase in the thickness of the device is unlikely to lead to a bigger battery. Apple revealed last week that the iOS 9 will offer users a way to boost battery life. Any improvement in battery life will be derived from software optimization. The iPhone 6S will reportedly use the Series 7000 aluminum, which might have contributed to slightly different dimensions. The new aluminum alloy will make the device bend-proof.
The iPhone 6S will reportedly feature 2GB RAM, A9 processor, an upgraded 12-megapixel main camera, and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Recently leaked photos of the iPhone 6S logic board show that the device will use Qualcomm’s ‘9X35’ Gobi Category 6 4G LTE modem that is capable of a theoretical download speeds of up to 300 Mbps, compared to just 150 Mbps of the iPhone 6.
