As expected, iFixit has posted its complete teardown of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Plus, confirming some specs while revealing a few new insights. As expected, both devices have the same general outward appearance, although the 6s is a hair larger than the 6, but only by a millimeter or two in each dimension. The iPhone 6s is stamped with a new model number, A1688, while the 6s Plus gets A1687. The new 7000 series aluminum alloy is a noticeable change on both devices, and the report notes that early analysis of the alloy suggests that it’s comprised of around 91.17 percent aluminum, 0.08 percent iron, 7.64 percent zinc, and 0.106 percent tungsten.
The 6s is also heaver than its predecessor, coming in at 143 grams, versus 129 grams on the earlier model. The weight increase appears to be primarily due to Apple’s new 3D Touch technology, which increases the weight of the display assembly in both models by about 20g.
The teardown also notes tiny improvements in detail, such as Pentalobe screws that match the color of the iPhone casings, and a slightly tougher display assembly that features four adhesive strips around the perimeter of the iPhone, although standard Philips screws are still used to secure components inside the casing. Internally, the new Taptic Engine appears to have taken up a noticeable amount of space below the battery, which the report speculates is the main reason for the slight reduction in battery size from last year’s models. To save space, however, Apple has also reduced the number of cables in the display assembly connections down to three.
The FaceTime and iSight cameras appear to be generally identical in size and design, despite the bump to 5MP and 12MP resolutions, although of course the 6s Plus camera remains slightly heftier due to the optical image stabilization hardware. The Lithium-ion battery on the iPhone 6s is a 3.8 V, 6.55 wHr, 1715 mAh cell, which is a small decrease from last year’s 1810 mAh battery in the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6s Plus comes in at 2750 mAh by comparison, a drop from last year’s 2915 mAh cell.
In terms of chip sets, both models are basically identical, containing an Apple A9 CPU with the expected bump to 2 GB of RAM — the first time an iPhone has broken the 1GB RAM boundary, and a collection of radio and controller chips from Qualcomm, InvenSense, Bosch Sensortec, Triquint, RF Micro Devices, SkyWorks, NXP, and more.
