iPhone 6S release date 2015: Apple’s Mini-6S-Plus triple play

By Jerry Miller | March 15, 2015

Apple’s latest press event has come and gone without the appearance of the iPhone 6S or any official mention of its release date, which is bad news for those who are upgrade-eligible and want to make the splash. But the good news is that the launch timeframe is now known with a fair amount of certainty despite Apple’s silence. The only question now is what the lineup will look like. And pieces are falling into place for it to represent a Mini-6S-Plus triple play.

The standard sized iPhone 6 is a runaway hit, helping Apple break sales records and fight back in the marketshare battle against the likes of Samsung. But the larger iPhone 6 Plus has been more of a niche product, with various studies showing that it’s only about one-fourth as popular as that of the regular 6. The higher margins on the Plus mean that it’s worth keeping around even with comparatively weak sales. But it also means that Apple can no longer ignore the cries of those longtime iPhone users who are refusing to upgrade because they preferred the four inch form factor and now consider both current models to be too large.

That makes for an iPhone 6S lineup in three sizes. That will push the number of individual SKUs over a hundred, when capacity, color, and carrier are all factored. But while that’s an inventory nightmare for Apple, it’s one which will now have to be absorbed. While replacing the popular longtime four inch form factor with the much less popular 5.5 inch Plus model has proven to be a costly mistake (one which is only being glossed over by the incredible sales of the 4.7 inch model), it’s too late for Apple to retract the Plus without creating upheaval. That means three different sized iPhone 6S models when it arrives, with the four inch model now being known as the Mini.

As for the iPhone 6S release date, Apple’s history points to an unveiling in the first half of September 2015 and a retail launch by the end of that month. Looks for the 6S highlights to include a faster processor, new color schemes, and one or more new hardware features while retaining the styling of the current model.