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iPhone 6S release date 2015: A9 chip, Verizon upgrade programs

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Will the iPhone 6S release date arrive in September 2015, or will Apple jump the gun and skip straight to the iPhone 7 release date while also offering the 6S as a mid range model? The broad success of the iPhone 6 has left Apple with a good kind of problem to have, but a difficult one to parse: consumers have shown that they love the new larger models. But part of their affinity for it is that it’s not a same-old S model. So now Apple must decide whether to ride the iPhone 6 for another year by launching the iPhone 6S in the fall, or push for new heights by going straight to the iPhone 7. A few key factors will help determine as much, including shifts in policies by carriers like Verizon and AT&T.

Apple must decide what all an iPhone 6S can offer that will make it stand out and be seen as more desirable than the existing iPhone 6 despite looking exactly like it. For those who care about specs, the key differentiator would be the A9 chip, which would represent a major speed boost over the current A8 architecture. If the A9 isn’t ready yet and Apple is stuck offering the A8 in a 6S, that won’t impress power users. Another factor is whether Apple can boost the high end capacity to 256GB, up from the current 128GB, and how many storage-hungry users would be compelled to upgrade accordingly. Then there are more cosmetic options such as offering the iPhone 6S in new colors, which was last tried with the iPhone 5S with mixed results.

With traditional two year cellphone upgrade windows from carriers like AT&T and Verizon now being phased out in favor of twelve month trade in programs, the original reason for Apple’s S-model strategy in off years is fading. If Apple doesn’t feel it can deliver an iPhone 6S robust enough to motivate iPhone 6 users to trade in their devices, then it very well may skip straight to the iPhone 7 release date in September 2015 alongside an iPhone 7 Plus. The 5S and 5C would then be retired, with the iPhone 6 becoming free with contract and the iPhone 6S being introduced as the $99 model in the middle. The move would fully eliminate the 5x form factor from the lineup.

iPhone 7 release date 2015: U2 Product RED, A9 chip, NFC 2.0, 256GB

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iPhone 7 preparations are already underway within Apple, as the Cupertino company can’t afford to bask in the success of the iPhone 6 launch for fear of losing marketshare to Android. The specs and features for the next generation smartphone range from a faster A9 microprocessor to other new technologies, as well as a twist - a Product RED model after eight years of waiting. There’s also the lingering issue of the iPhone 7 release date. We look at all of the above.

A9 chip: Although the average user isn’t familiar with the vernacular, the reason why each new iPhone is faster than the last is the rapid development of Apple’s own in-house microprocessor technology. The iPhone 7 will be powered by the A9, which is faster than the current A8 by leaps and bounds as well as continuing the company’s efforts at lower-power chips. This in turn will allow for longer battery life as well as a new era of apps with more advanced functionality.

NFC 2.0: After years of the industry collectively trying to get NFC payments off the ground, Apple Pay is an instant hit. The iPhone 7 will continue that with next generation NFC technology which allows for faster payments at a wider variety of venues which go beyond cash registers.

Capacity: Storage continues to be the chief differentiator between the low end and high end iPhone models, and the iPhone 7 may be the first to breach the 256GB capacity mark. This would bring an end to the era of iPhones starting out at the 16GB mark, with the baseline becoming 32 or 64.

Product RED: Apple continues to face criticism of its insistence on offering the iPhone 6 (and the 5S and 5 before it) in colors like white, black, grey and gold, while only offering a more colorful lineup on undesirable models like the iPhone 5C. That could change with the iPhone 7 as Apple revisits the metallic red of the iPod nano for a charity-backed Product RED iPhone 7 model.

Release date: This continues to be the trickiest matter relating to the next generation. Apple may accelerate its launch schedule with an iPhone 6S in the spring followed by an iPhone 7 in the fall. But if it sticks to its longtime pattern, the iPhone 7 release date won’t come until the second half of 2016.

New iPhone 6S: release date in 2015, iWatch compatibility, 256GB

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The new iPhone 6S is already the proverbial Apple of the eye of those who weren’t upgrade-eligible for this year’s iPhone 6 launch, and as they count down the days to its release date, several key issues have already emerged. Just what is its tie-in with the iWatch? When in 2015 will its release date arrive? Other burning questions includ new colors will be on the slate, and whether Apple will break the 256GB capacity mark. Here’s a look at each of the above and more.

iPhone 6S and the Apple Watch: The easy answer is that the popularly dubbed “iWatch” will be compatible with every Apple smartphone dating back to the iPhone 5. That means the iPhone 6S is a shoo-in for compatibility. The trickier question is just what relation the two will have. Apple likes to add a new component to its “S” models in order to differentiate them in a manner which their body style doesn’t (Siri on the 4S for instance), so it’s possible that the iPhone 6S will have some additional level of exclusive hardware interactivity with the Watch. But with Apple’s focus on selling as many watches as possible, we doubt any such restrictions would be placed. The bigger issue here is how the two devices will be launched. Which leads us to…

iPhone 6S release date: As we reported earlier this month, we have one supply-chain source who tells us that Apple is considering moving up the iPhone 6S launch date to the spring of 2015 in order to place it in tandem with the iWatch launch. But with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus so overwhelmingly popular that Apple still hasn’t come particularly close to meeting demand, some doubt has to be cast on whether Apple would be interested in launching another new iPhone so swiftly. If no specific changes are made to the master plan, the default release date for the iPhone 6S would be in the fall of 2015.

iPhone 6S colors and capacity: With Apple having finally broached the 128GB storage mark with the iPhone 6 after several generations of being capped at 64GB, we expect the iPhone 6S to remain at the 128GB level. However shifting pricing in the storage markets could still open the door for a slight chance that it gets bumped up to 256GB. More likely is the base 6S model jumping from 16GB to 32GB. Apple introduced gold into the iPhone motif with the 5S, which means we expect another new color added into the mix for the 6S. Based on what our readers tell us, dark metallic red would the most popular, followed by a true metallic black. But Apple’s color choices over the years have long been difficult to categorize or comprehend.