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9 September 2015
The iPhone may be a phone to some people but to the rest of us, it's Apple's camera. At today's keynote, the company introduced several enhancements to it, affecting both the rear-facing iSight camera and the front-facing FaceTime HD camera.
The two cameras are still rely on fixed focal length, fixed aperture lenses with the Plus model offering optical image stabilization for both stills and video.
HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights of the two new models -- the ~iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus -- include:
- 3D Touch (force touch) sensing
- A new haptic feedback system
- New, stronger aluminum
- A rose gold color option
A few hardware improvements were made too:
- A faster A9 processor and integrated motion coprocessor
- A faster Touch ID sensor
- Faster radio hardware for faster WiFi and LTE with support for more bands
Capacities are available in 16/64/128-GB tiers for both models.
ISIGHT CAMERA
As with the previous line-up only the iPhone 6s Plus offers optical stabilization. Otherwise it's the same list of features:
ISIGHT CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS Stills 12-megapixel photos Flash True Tone Flash via LEDs Lens f2.2 aperture
5-element lens
Sapphire crystal lens coverFocus Autofocus with Focus Pixels Image Stabilization Optical image stabilization iPhone 6s Plus only
Auto (digital) image stabilizationSensor Backside illumination sensor
Hybrid IR filterOther Live Photos
Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)
Improved local tone mapping
Improved noise reduction
Photo geotagging
Auto HDR for photos
Exposure control
Burst mode
Timer mode
Face detectionVideo features for the iSight camera include:
ISIGHT VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS Recording Modes 4K video recording (3840x2160) at 30 fps
1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
720p HD video recording at 30 fps
Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120/720p/240 fps
Time-lapse video with stabilizationImage Stabilization Optical image stabilization iPhone 6s Plus only
Cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p)Flash True Tone flash Focus Continuous autofocus video Still Capture 8MP still photos while recording 4K video Zoom 3x digital zoom
Playback zoomOther Improved noise reduction
Face detection
Video geotaggingFACETIME HD CAMERA
Features of the FaceTime HD camera include:
FACETIME HD CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS Stills 5-megapixel photos Video 720p HD video recording Flash Retina Flash (from the LCD) Lens f2.2 aperture Sensor Backside illumination sensor Other Auto HDR for photos and videos
Exposure control
Burst mode
Timer mode
Face detectionLIVE PHOTO
When you press the 3D Touch screen on a photo, Live Photo and add a snippet of sound. The animation is provided by full-resolution burst captures (a second and half before and after the saved still) and the audio by an audio recording, both at the time of capture.
It can be disabled and will be supported by new developer tools across Apple's platforms.
TRUE TONE FLASH
True Tone flash is available only on the FaceTime camera because it uses the LCD monitor, presumably calibrated for the ambient light, as a flash.
PRICING
The new models retain the pricing of their predecessors, which drop by $100. Apple also offers the phones on a 24-month payment plan, starting at $27 for the base model. And its Upgrade Program offers a new unlocked iPhone each year with Apple Care+ for $32 a month.
Apple will accept pre-orders on Sept. 12 with delivery expected Sept. 25. The new iOS 9 operating system will be released Sept. 16, the company said.