What is the iPhone 6s body made of? What is the iPhone display made of?

Experts from iFixit took apart the brand new iPhone 6 Plus to find out what is actually hidden in the body of the new product and how difficult the phablet is to repair.

iPhone 6 Plus without cover

During the disassembly, it turned out that the smartphone battery is a 2,915 mAh battery (11.1 Wh, voltage 3.82 volts), twice as capacious as that of the iPhone 5c and only slightly higher than the capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S5 with its 2,800 mAh

Accumulator battery

Further intervention in the electronic body showed that the iPhone 6 Plus is equipped with 1 GB of RAM, noticeably behind many flagships running on Android, which are equipped with 2 and even as much as 3 GB of memory. The phone uses a Qualcomm modem labeled 4G LTE.

One of the antennas

Removing the main camera

Camera module

Microcircuits on the front side of the motherboard

The Wi-Fi communication module for the Apple smartphone is manufactured by Murata, and the controller that controls the touch screen is manufactured by Broadcom. The set of microcircuits located on the motherboard is also distinguished by its amazing diversity - upon careful examination, chips from TriQuint, Avago Technologies and Skyworks Solutions were noticed.
Among the components that were not found in previous iPhone models, we should note the NFC module, which is responsible for short-range communications. Apple began using these modules in connection with the organization of the new Apple Pay payment system, the future of which is still shrouded in uncertainty. The manufacturer of the module and M8 coprocessor is the same - NXP Semiconductors. By the way, it is the coprocessor that is responsible for numerous functions related to monitoring the health status of the phone owner, so as not to load the central processor (A8 single-chip type) and not to increase the already considerable load on the battery. The phone's flash memory was custom-made for Apple by SK Hynix. iFixit gave the iPhone 6 Plus a repairability score of 7 out of 10.

iPhone 6 Plus, cake and iPhone 5s

It is noteworthy that during the disassembly process, a gray iPhone 6 and a golden iPhone 6 Plus were used - exactly the same colors and models as in the recent smartphone test. It's a good thing iFixit was able to get their hands on the 5.5-inch iPhone, because word is that it will be as rare as the gold iPhone 5s was last year. But let's leave the lyrics aside and proceed to the autopsy.

To be first in its business, iFixit had to purchase smartphones in Australia, the first country where sales began. This is also where the first smartphone fell from one’s hands, but that’s another story.

The design of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as noted by iFixit, is very reminiscent of the very first iPhone, also known as 2G. Model numbers A1586 And A1524 respectively. The camera does protrude, but measurements show only 0.6 mm - not much at all. As before, to open the case, you will need to unscrew two non-standard screws on the bottom end of the device, and then disconnect the display from the rest of the device. Only one cable at the top of the iPhone will completely prevent this from happening. There is no longer a cable from Touch ID to Lightning, which made disassembling the iPhone 5s difficult. By the way, all the parts inside are already screwed with standard screws.

The internal layout of the parts is similar, except that many components have expanded a little in width and become thinner. As we know thanks to spy shots, the earpiece and front camera are now located on the same cable. So far everything is working out like clockwork.

Let's look at the batteries. In the iPhone 6, the battery has a capacity of 1810 mAh and a voltage of 3.82 V. It is noteworthy that different power levels are indicated on different sides. From one it is 6.91 W/h, and from the reverse it is already 7.01 W/h. The truth is somewhere near. The tablet phone uses a 2915 mAh, 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh battery. The iPhone 5s had a battery capacity of 1560 mAh. The batteries in Apple smartphones are still lithium-ion.

iPhone 6

iPhone 6 Plus

The vibration motor in the iPhone 6 Plus has moved and is now located to the right of the battery; in the iPhone 6 its location remains unchanged. The camera module can be removed easily and effortlessly using tweezers. The changes are known. These are new 8-megapixel modules. The iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization; the iPhone 6 successfully replaces it with electronics. Next, iFixit specialists remove the antennas to gain access to the motherboards of the smartphones.

So, the iPhone 6 has a system on the A8 chip labeled APL1011. The board was found to have LPDDR 3 RAM manufactured by Hynix with a capacity of 1 GB - no miracle happened. LTE modem made by Qualcomm. Microcircuits manufactured by SkyWorks, Avago, and RF Micro Devices are also used. The gyroscope is made by InvenSense. On the reverse side we found flash memory manufactured by SanDisk. This copy has 128 GB of memory. The M8 coprocessor and NFC chip with Secure Element module were manufactured by NXP. The iPhone 6 uses the Cirrus Logic 338S1201 audio codec.

In the iPhone 6 Plus, the motherboard is slightly different, but has exactly the same modules as in the iPhone 6. Accordingly, the performance of the smartphones will also be absolutely identical. Apparently, the A8 processor does not care what display resolution it works with.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus received slightly modified speakers that are devoid of any markings. But now you can replace the speaker separately from other parts - this is a plus. Again, confirming the spy shots of the components, Apple placed the Lightning connector and headphone jack in one module on one cable. Also, the volume buttons and the Power button are a single part. They are connected by a fairly thin cable.

Contrary to rumors, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus did not receive protection against moisture. However, under the Power button and volume buttons there is a rubber gasket that prevents accidental splashes or debris from entering the case. This is a step forward, but getting caught in the rain with a new smartphone in your hands is still not worth it.

iPhone 6

iPhone 6 Plus

Both new smartphones received 7 points out of 10 on the maintainability scale. This is a point more than the iPhone 5s had last year. iFixit noted that it is still quite easy to separate the display, quickly change the battery, and there is no longer a cable from Touch ID to Lightning, which could easily be damaged when opening the case. There is only one disadvantage listed - the use of non-standard screws in the case. This is perhaps not the most serious problem.

By the way, all iFixit instructions for complete disassembly

The Apple iPhone 6S model entered the market not so long ago - a little over 2 years ago, but has already managed to win the interest of many lovers of Apple gadgets. The iPhone version 6S smartphone is not much different in appearance from its predecessor, the sixth model. Although this was to be expected: usually a new iPhone from Apple, which has a prefix in the name “S” or “PLUS”, simply includes new functions (or improved old ones).

Is it worth buying an iPhone 6S, as well as a full review of the iPhone 6 version S - discussed below.

The peculiarities of the iPhone 6S lie in its technical characteristics, which have changed somewhat compared to previous versions of Apple smartphones. A brief description of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S models allowed us to highlight the following main characteristics:

• iPhone 6S model year of manufacture – 2014 iPhone 6s chips.
• Processor - Apple A9, 2 cores, 2 GHz.
• RAM in the iPhone 6S - 2 GB RAM, 16/64/128 GB of memory to suit the user's needs.
• Display (diagonal and resolution) - 4.7″, 1334×750 pixels, 326 pixels/inch.
• Camera: 2 MP + 5 MP.
• Features and special capabilities of iPhone 6S - Touch ID 2.0, 3D Touch, 4K video recording.
• iPhone 6S weight - 143 grams.

So, from the above characteristics it is clear that the Apple iPhone 6S is a rather miniature smartphone model, especially considering its functionality. The iPhone 6S gadget and its weight and thickness do not frighten you with its dimensions. By the way, the thickness of the new phone is just over 6.7 mm. Considering how much the Apple iPhone 6S weighs, as well as its dimensions, we can say that this gadget is not heavy, but quite neat.

The Apple iPhone mobile phone - and what the 6S version looks like - is shown below.

Whether it is worth buying an iPhone 6S, taking into account the above-mentioned characteristics and the appearance of this gadget, each user must decide for himself - depending on which functions of the smartphone are most important to him.

Has the iPhone 6S changed, and is it the right gadget?

Many stores in the Russian Federation have already started selling the Apple iPhone 6S, positioning this model as a profitable phone with improved functionality compared to other versions. What are the features of the new iPhone and whether it is worth taking the 6S version is analyzed further.

Inspecting the appearance of the gadget, you will notice that the camera in the Apple iPhone 6S, as before, protrudes slightly on the surface. The antenna strips are also preserved in the same place.

As for drastic changes, take at least the new color of the six, defined by the manufacturer as “rose gold”. Indeed, it is a deep and rich shade of pink that borders on yellow. It is not pretentious or acidic, but noble and restrained. This smartphone model should be on a par with the best gadgets, since many consumers will probably consider it the best and will definitely purchase it. Moreover, the spectacular appearance of the gadget is accompanied by the rich functions of the iPhone and the presence of powerful cores in the 6S.

The number of sales of iPhone 6S in Russia, despite the crisis, is continuously growing. The growth of iPhone 6S sales in our country is facilitated by such technical characteristics of the iPhone 6S version as:

• Powerful processor.
• A large amount of RAM in the iPhone
• The presence of 2 cores.
• Such a parameter, so small dimensions.

The instructions for the gadget of the six S model say that it is made of high-quality new material - seven-thousand-series aluminum. This material is more durable and helps preserve the smartphone body in case of minor mechanical damage. Thanks to this, the glass elements of the phone have also become more resistant to shocks and falls.

The Touch ID scanner is as fast and convenient as possible – another important advantage of the Six S, which allowed the smartphone to successfully launch in Russia and generate great consumer demand. After all, thanks to this technology, it has become possible to instantly pay for purchases in stores. The number of sales of the smart gadget iPhone 6S in Russia is growing steadily every month.

Processor and core of iPhone six version S

The processor in this version of the iPhone is more powerful than in earlier versions, and its speed is increased by 70% compared to the usual six gadgets from Apple. As for the graphics processor, its operating speed has been increased almost 2 times – by 90%. This allows avid gamers to get a unique gaming experience, because applications and mobile games in the S version respond instantly.

The increased power of RAM and cores also allows you to enjoy complex games to the maximum. Regarding the cores, let us remind you that in the improved version of the six there are 2 of them, which means that the functionality of the gadget has increased significantly.

The gadget contains wireless connections, namely 4G LTE Advanced networks and 23 LTE bands. According to reviews from many users, problems with the iPhone version 6S practically do not arise when downloading various applications from the Internet. Everything happens quite quickly and without interference.

The operating system, as shown by the experience of the very first users of the iPhone Six S model, who managed to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of the gadget, works much better than in previous versions of Apple smartphones. We are talking about the iOS 9 operating system, but updated to version 9.0.1.

iPhone 6s chips

Of course, all of the above advantages of the Six S over older versions of iPhones are important, but the most important feature of this gadget model. According to numerous user reviews, this is still 3D Touch technology, which opens up many possibilities for users.

Reference. 3D Touch is a screen substrate technology that allows the iPhone to recognize the power of pressing and its duration, as well as the force of pressure on the display.

What does 3D Touch technology give to a real user:

• Move between two simultaneously running applications.
• Working in live photographs.
• Quickly view mail, individual letters, archive and delete letters.
• Ability to customize the function to your own pressing force through the corresponding menu.

What changes has the iPhone 6S camera undergone?

Speaking about the main camera of the gadget, it should be noted that its superiority over earlier versions is immediately evident, because Almost everything has improved - optics, resolution, matrix. Photography enthusiasts now have the opportunity to take pictures in 4K format. The shooting resolution can be selected as in the camera settings. The same is true in the settings of the iPhone itself.

Live Photos mode is an interesting new feature of the iPhone 6S, which allows you to capture frames half a second before the actual frame was taken and within a second after. As a result, a 3-second video and, in fact, the main photo will be saved in the smartphone’s memory.

By the way, you can start displaying photos using the 3D Touch technology mentioned above.

Difficulties in handling the Apple 6S smartphone

Like any mobile device, even the most advanced one, the Apple 6S smartphone is not without its drawbacks. How to fix the most common problems that often arise among owners of the Six S is described below.

So, the most frequently encountered difficulties are:

1 Rapid discharge of the battery, which sometimes has to be recharged several times a day. To avoid this, you need to go to the “Settings” - “General” - Content Update menu and press the “off” button. 2 System hangs. If this happens infrequently, you need to try to reset by holding two buttons - the “Home” and the power key. If the device freezes too often, it may be faulty and you need to contact a service center. 3 Chaotic activation of 3D Touch. According to Apple specialists who deal directly with the development of the gadget, this phenomenon indicates a serious breakdown of the iPhone and requires its replacement. However, this phenomenon can occur when the screen is dirty, so do not panic if 3D Touch starts to work frequently and regardless of your actions, but carefully examine the display. 4 Strong heating of the device body. It may be caused by the continuous operation of an application installed on the iPhone. We need to check if this is true. By looking at the Batteries tab in the Settings menu. If nothing special is found there, you should reset all settings and then restore the data from the backup.

Thus, the iPhone 6 series S version is somewhat superior to previous models of Apple gadgets. Take, for example, its closest predecessor - the iPhone 6. However, if the smartphone user is not too sophisticated and does not chase technical innovations, such as 3D Touch technology, and the quality of the camera is not particularly important to him, in principle, he will not feel the difference between the two versions .

But if it is important for the consumer to have a high-tech new product with him, with the help of which he can significantly simplify his life, for example, saving time when paying for purchases, then the iPhone 6S will be preferable to him than any other earlier version of the phone from Apple. However, gamers will probably also opt for the iPhone 6S.

Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works directly with suppliers, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts for current models, so you don’t have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for the service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you don't have to pay a penny for it, even if you don't repair the device based on its results.

Service repairs and delivery

A good service values ​​your time, so it offers free delivery. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.

How many masters in areas

If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give your Macbook for repair to an expert in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.

Nowhere is a failure, but everywhere there is reason for criticism

The purpose of this material is to discuss stereotypes and common misconceptions regarding the hardware and software characteristics of Apple iPhone smartphones with iOS and competing smartphones running Android OS. Our resource already has objective and detailed technical reviews of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. We also recommend that you read the first and second parts of this material.

Since we've spent so much time and text on the screen, let's briefly go over the rest of the characteristics of the iPhone 6 and 6+. And first of all, let's talk about the body.

• (either)

Frame

Changing the body size and screen size of the new iPhones is actually a much bigger step than it seems. And the transition to a new form factor creates quite a lot of problems (including for developers), and also noticeably changes the pattern of interaction with a smartphone. In general, it’s not for nothing that Apple held on to its old form factor for so long.

The iPhone (up to 5s inclusive) has always had two huge advantages: they fit very well and tightly in almost any hand (whether male or female), and you can reach anywhere on the screen with your finger. In principle, with 5 (5s) it was a little uncomfortable to reach into the upper corner, but just a little. The new models are not just larger - they fit differently in your hands, and this is very noticeable if you use 5 and 6 at the same time. With 6+ and without this everything is clear. You hold a large smartphone by the sides with your fingertips (that’s why the power buttons have moved from the top to the side edges), rather than clasping it with your palm, and you often have to slightly intercept it so that you can reach one or another place on the screen with your finger.

Accordingly, since the screen is larger, it becomes difficult or impossible to reach the top of the screen. Apple's proposed solution (double-tapping the Home button makes the screen slide down to the middle) is a workaround so that you can use older apps until developers adapt them for new screens. And for this we will have to rework the interface. I think that in the future, all controls in applications (or better yet, all active elements) need to be dragged down. For example, in a browser, the back button, address bar and tab management should be at the bottom of the screen, and not at the top, as before (by inertia after switching from a PC). By the way, in the Nokia Lumia browser all these elements are already there.

That is, we are not just talking about increasing the body and screen diagonal: now developers will have to rethink application interfaces. iPhone 6 can still somehow get by with traditional ones, but 6+ definitely can’t. For large models, it is also no longer possible to ignore the possibility of use in a horizontal orientation. Developers generally complain that two new devices gave them two additional form factors in addition to the existing ones, which is a lot (before this there were only 4 of them, not counting the division into regular screens and retina). Therefore, they gradually started talking about fragmentation of the platform (although in this regard, Android is still very far away). But let's not delve into this topic in this material.

In general, the new models change very, very much in the way they work with a smartphone. In this regard, I am much more interested in what will happen with the form factor of the iPhone 5. Because there are many people who simply like the way the old iPhone lies in the hand (and the small screen where you can reach everywhere), and at the same time they are not particularly They actively use smartphone functions, and for those who do, the screen is sufficient. As a rule, the matter is limited to mail and some small things. And they don’t sit on their smartphone all day. And they certainly don’t watch movies on it. This is one of the influential categories of buyers for Apple smartphones, and it is very interesting to see their fate.

Hardware configuration and other internals

The problem with the hardware characteristics (we talked about this in the part about the screen) is that there is nothing for the eye to grab onto. There are no revolutions in the usual sense: new frequencies, cores, etc. are unacceptably few! We have already said that both x86 and Android are developing approximately according to the same scenario: one architecture with minor variations and one OS for the entire market, so where the numbers are bigger, the better. Four cores? Not enough, it will be eight! 2 GHz? Not enough, give me 2.3! Amount of RAM? The more expensive the device, the more!

An analysis of the hardware characteristics of the iPhone perfectly shows the futility of comparing with Android smartphones, as we discussed in the previous part. There is a certain A8 with a certain M8 of a closed architecture and unknown parameters with an OS optimized for it (which also does not understand how it works inside) against some Snapdragon 800. By the way, everything is not very clear with the parameters either, but oh well . How to compare them? And we take well-known parameters such as operating frequencies - and the trick is done!

In these comparisons, we always forget about the true measure of everything: productivity. In tests, the Apple A8 (1.4 GHz, 2 cores) often outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (2.5 GHz, 4 cores), including browser tests. Even if we talk about virtual machines and performance losses, the result is still more than significant.

Moreover, productivity is not such a driver of industry development for tablets. At least not in the same way as in the PC market. That is, rather than users updating their tablets to play a new toy with cooler graphics, developers will lower the level of the toy’s graphics so that it runs on a wider range of devices and they sell more copies. But this is also a separate topic.

The situation is approximately the same with the other characteristics: everything is generally at the level of competitors, but without breakthroughs, so it’s boring. Now all models support all LTE bands, the new, faster WiFi standard is supported, etc. But at the same time, if you constantly follow the announcements of new products on Android and your eyes are, as they say, blurry, then this news really does not produce some such impression.

There are two subtle points in the configuration of the new iPhones that were famously ignored in the presentation - the amount of RAM and battery capacity (it was replaced by a slide with the type of autonomy in typical scenarios. But we know how these scenarios are calculated).

With claims to 1 GB of RAM (nothing has changed compared to the previous generation), the situation is the same as everywhere else: we take the inflated requirements of Android, transfer them to Apple, and get indignant. How is it possible to have 1 GB of RAM when flagship Androids already have 3 GB? Horror!

Hm. Why do you need 3 GB of memory in a smartphone? 3 GB is, for example, the maximum memory for 32-bit desktop operating systems. A full-fledged desktop OS with enormous capabilities, Windows XP worked perfectly on 2 GB with all applications, and even now 2 GB is a typical amount for modern tablets running a full-fledged Windows 8.1 on Intel Atom processors.

So why so much memory? As a rule, a lot of memory is needed where it is difficult to optimize its use. It is unlikely that a smartphone needs the same huge number of modules hanging in the system memory as a PC, and the applications there are much simpler and more compact than on a PC. Android's gluttony for memory can most likely be attributed to the desktop roots of the OS and just a large number of all sorts of system services and modules. Plus a virtual machine, plus applications... that’s how it works. Plus, in iOS, when going to the background, the application must remember its state and freeze, so there is not much difference in whether it returns from memory or restarts - except that you will have to wait longer.

In reality, I encountered two situations when I did not have enough memory in the iPad: firstly, if there are many tabs open in the browser, then the oldest ones may go out of memory. Secondly, if you played a gluttonous game, switched to other applications, worked with them (opening one is usually not enough), you want to return - but no, it restarts, and not from the middle of the level, but a complete restart. Yes, it happens both. But, um, this is still a personal portable device, you don’t need to demand from it the capabilities of a full-fledged PC. Let's then complain that there are no separate user profiles, etc. Or competing multitasking, like in a PC. Although we know very well why it should not be done on mobile platforms: it has a negative impact on both memory consumption (ahem) and battery life.

And here we smoothly move on to the issue of autonomy. The difficulty with it is that, firstly, you have certain components that consume a lot of energy. And you won't do anything about it. And secondly, energy consumption very much depends on the usage scenarios, and they are different for everyone. Therefore, everyone will have their own autonomy. According to my estimates, the two most active consumers of energy are receiving data via cellular networks (3G, 4G) and using geolocation services (GPS). If you use them separately or together, be prepared that your smartphone won’t last long. And given the love of modern social networks for pulling information through cellular communications and at the same time placing geotags... well, you get the idea. Next come the games, then just the screen being turned on, the rest is not so important.

For example, an iPhone 4s can be put on a shelf, having first turned off all wireless interfaces except the cellular network for calls - and it will last 4-5 days. And if you load it to the maximum (social networks, a little navigation, checking email, etc.) - it will last for a maximum of half a day.

Optimizing the power consumption of the platform, OS and applications, of course, has its importance and should not be discounted. However, the successes of Android smartphones that we have seen lately, in my opinion, are explained for the most part not by software optimization, but by a banal frontal attack: we take a large battery, make a larger case around it - yeah, the battery life has increased. So, we take the battery even larger... etc. Although the batteries of the new iPhones are weaker than those of most Android competitors, on average they are not that far behind the competition in terms of battery life, unless they are loaded to the maximum. However, in scenarios that drain the battery to the maximum, you shouldn’t expect miracles from them.

Camera

Camera. 8 megapixels. It was and remains. The number counter again did not click upward. But! But in general, it’s the same story: we cling to the only accessible (or easy-to-understand) number and ignore all the slightly more complex parameters or everything that is not expressed in one number.

Well, on the forums and even in some reviews a wave arose again: “Ugh, 8 megapixels again! Look, the competitors already have 20!” Well, why waste time on trifles then, let’s immediately remember the Lumia 1020, which has as much as 43 megapixels. She will outshine everyone in this parameter within two years for sure. AND? Just a secret, while Nokia slows down when shooting, saves the frame for one and a half seconds (we should write a separate article about “ease of use”) and for some reason, unclear shots of a running child are obtained more often on it than on the iPhone 5. And often you have to resort to manual mode. True, she has it, yes, and you can customize almost all shooting parameters. And yes, if the shot is successful, and also in “heavy” shooting modes, it should give much better picture quality. But…

The generally accepted (instilled by manufacturers) incorrect opinion is that the more megapixels, the better. In theory and subject to a number of conditions, this is true, but in practice, the capabilities of a modern camera, especially in mobile devices, are not at all determined by the parameters of the matrix, and even more so by the number of pixels on them.

Now the bottleneck is rather the optics. Firstly, she also has her permission. If the resolution of the optics is low, then no multi-megapixel matrix will help. Secondly, the photo module in a phone must be compact, which imposes serious restrictions on the size of the optics and on the distance between the optics and the matrix. The smaller the optics, the smaller the matrix should be.

The smaller the matrix and the more pixels it has, the less light falls on an individual pixel. It is necessary to increase its sensitivity, but at the same time the parameters of light perception begin to fluctuate and the matrix begins to “make noise”. This leads to the need to use a more powerful noise reduction, due to which details are lost, and as a result, the detail of the image may be worse than that of a less “megapixel” matrix.

Therefore, at a certain point, in order to improve the quality of the image, you have to “reverse” the whole logic: make the matrix larger, its resolution smaller, the lens glass larger again... and therefore the distance between the lens and the matrix will be larger, which in our world of ultra-thin smartphones leads to the fact that the lens begins to stick out from the body and spoils the whole look.

In general, Apple is not the first company to take this path. Before her, they tried to push this idea to the masses, for example, HTC with their “4 MP” and Nokia - however, Nokia acted more extravagantly, making a huge matrix resolution and relatively large optics for a smartphone. At the same time, the photo module sticks out from the body quite a bit, but these smartphones (808 Pureview and 1020) were still positioned as the choice of lovers of gorgeous photographs who are ready to put up with inconveniences for this... Apple is trying to smooth out the disappointment of buyers: they say, but faster autofocus, stabilization (at 6 - electronic, in 6+ - even optical). Although, in our testing conditions (see reviews of the iPhone 6 and 6+), these advantages either did not appear or did not play a decisive role.

And here we come to another point. Firstly, in some situations, startup speed and ease of control (pressed - it came out right away) are much more important than even higher image quality achieved through manual control of the settings. Those who have small and very fast children will understand. Secondly, the advantages of the new iPhone cameras can manifest themselves in difficult shooting conditions and in low light (shotting at home in the evening of the same children running around. Or parties... or something else). The difficulty here is that moments like “and then Lech fell off the table in a funny way” are poorly repeatable and therefore do not fall into the tests - and life is full of them. I wouldn't judge the quality of a smartphone camera solely by studio still life shots. I would go even further and say that a smartphone camera generally cannot be assessed only by pictures, you need to take the entirety of the work of the photographic part, since “it takes average photos, but quickly” may be preferable for most smartphone users than “it takes excellent photos, but you need to keep two seconds and adjust sharpness and brightness manually.”

In general, you definitely shouldn’t make a tragedy out of “insufficient number of pixels”; you need to look at the overall quality, and most importantly, at the quality and speed of shooting in difficult conditions - this is more important in life. The problem is that you can feel this and evaluate the quality of the pictures (taken by you and in the situations you need) only after the purchase, but the bright line “now 5 megapixels more!!!” on the sticker - and before purchase. And this contradiction between marketing and life is not so easy to resolve.

By the way, all these considerations in no way cancel out the outright horror in terms of the front camera. There are still dark suspicions that Apple simply missed this point. The megapixel race was snobbishly rejected, and the selfie trend was missed. And judging by the Americans, who joyfully click themselves in any situation and carry small cameras on sticks with them, they missed it in vain. I’m sure this will come back to haunt the company, most likely in the near future.

Line and prices - interesting points

Finally, the last point I would like to dwell on: how will the new models affect Apple’s line of smartphones?

The fact is that, unlike previous generations, iPhone 6 and 6+ should not be perceived as a transition to a new generation (with an almost complete abandonment of the old one), but rather as the introduction of a new model to the line. No, 5c was predictably moved to the “outgoing” category, leaving only the model with a minimum of 8 GB as a free addition to the contract. But the 5s is still quite functional: they removed only the top version with a memory capacity of 64 GB (and this is understandable), but left models with 16 GB and even 32 GB memory, and even reduced the price for them. The iPhone 6 and 6+ increased the maximum memory capacity to 128 GB (today this is one of the record figures), but left three models in the line, removing the 32 GB model from it. Most likely, the logic is as follows: those who choose a junior model do not need a large amount of memory (otherwise they would pay extra for the next one), so 16 GB will be enough for them. And the rest were actually given twice as much memory - after all, the difference between the models remained 100 dollars

Oh, and about the prices. With the release of the iPhone 6 and 6+, the price for the 5s models was reduced - now it is $550 and $600 for models with 16/32 GB. The untethered 5c costs $450 in the US - that is, it's still $100 cheaper than the 5s, and is still of little interest at that price. By the way, let me remind you: when analyzing iPhone prices in the USA, do not forget that sales tax must be added to the announced prices - from 7 to 11%. There are situations where it is not paid (in two states, plus, in some cases, when trading over the Internet), but if you buy a smartphone in a store, you will pay it. Enough has already been written about the prices of new iPhones, so I will refrain from actual comments here.

My opinion is that from a positioning point of view, the prices for the iPhone are quite adequate, and in general, the price should not be the determining factor when buying an iPhone. These devices are for those who love convenience and additional service, and not for those who use a calculator to calculate the cost based on the estimated cost of components. The iPhone is not aimed at "opportunity for price" but at those who can afford the price for convenience. There, the ruler is made in such a way that “do you want something better? Well, add 100 dollars... or a hundred hundred." In general, saying that “it’s expensive and that’s why people won’t buy it” is wrong. This will be purchased first by those who have a lot of money and who need a convenient phone. Because they don't account for every dollar. And then they’ll buy everyone else on credit to look like those who don’t count every dollar. And only a few will walk around with “Hung-Chun-Zhui Incorporated”, which has 650 dpi and a 1.2 m long LTE antenna, and proudly say that “well, it doesn’t work here yet, they promised to fix it in version 4.4 - but But the characteristics are wow, in terms of numbers they are twice as good as an iPhone!” Well, we understand everything, right?