In 2015, smartphones are judged just as much on their weight and thickness as they are on their performance credentials.
As such, many of us were left wondering why Apple’s new iPhone 6S is heavier than last year’s model.
In a world of increasingly featherweight mobile devices, an 11% increase in mass feels a bit jarring.
But what makes Apple’s new iPhone heavier? It’s actually the 3D Touch display.
With the latest generation of iPhones,
That means the iPhone 6S display has an entirely new layer designed to interpret pressure.
This means that the new iPhone 6S display weighs 29 grams, over double the 12-gram display on the iPhone 6, as reported by The Verge.
It was originally theorised that Apple switching to a new aluminium alloy was the cause for a weight bump.
The iPhone 6S uses a new series 7000 aluminium alloy, which is slightly more dense than the 6000-series alloy used on the iPhone 6.
Apple switched to this alloy to ensure we wouldn’t see a repeat of last year’s ‘bendgate’ fiasco, as 7000-series aluminium is stronger than its predecessor.
However, the aluminium in the iPhone 6S actually weighs one gram less than the iPhone 6.
As such, it’s clear the aluminium isn’t the culprit for the increased heft of Apple’s latest round of iPhones.
Related: iPhone 6S vs iPhone 6
Nevertheless, it’s likely most users won’t even notice the increase in weight, so we wouldn’t worry too much.
Do you think having 3D Touch is a worthwhile tradeoff for a small increase in handset weight? Let us know in the comments.
Check out our smartphone buyer’s video guide below:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
