How to Restore a Mac from a Time Machine Backup

While Macs have a great reputation for being stable and rarely experiencing major issues, the reality is that sometimes things can go wrong. Typically this happens when either a hard drive fails or an OS X system update goes completely awry, but if you have set up Time Machine backups on the Mac like all users should, then you will discover that restoring an entire systems hard drive from that Time Machine backup is really quite easy.

To be perfectly clear, restoring Mac OS X and all of your personal stuff from a previously made Time Machine backup is really only needed in extreme situations, and fortunately this is not something that is frequently required or necessary. Nonetheless, it’s good to understand how this process works, so if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have a new hard drive (or even a new Mac), or you just need to perform a complete restore of a previous backup, this tutorial will cover that restoration process of everything with Time Machine.

Note this aims to recover and restore an entire Mac, including all files, all applications, and OS X system software, everything that is made from and contained within a Time Machine backup. If you only want or need to re-install OS X, you can use Internet Recovery for that, which will replace only the system software portion, without any personal files or applications.

Restoring and Recovering an Entire Mac System from Time Machine Backups

1. Connect the Time Machine backup drive to the Mac if you have not done so already
2. Start up or reboot the Mac and hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously, this will boot into the OS X Recovery Partition
3. At the “OS X Utilities” screen, choose “Restore from Time Machine Backup” and click on the Continue button

4. Select the Time Machine volume (either the external back up drive, network Time Capsule, or otherwise)
5. Select the date and time of the Time Machine backup you wish to restore the entire Mac from, and click on “Continue” – this begins the restoration process from the backup you selected, generally you’ll want to pick the most recently made backup but advanced users may choose another date (keep in mind if you pick an earlier date you will lose files and data created from that date onward)
6. When Time Machine has finished restoring everything, the Mac will reboot into the restored state from the chosen backup date

Pretty easy, right? You’ll be back on your feet in no time with this method of restoring a hard drive from Time Machine backups.

Of course it may go without saying that this requires a recent Time Machine backup to even restore the Mac from in the first place, which is why setting up Time Machine, letting it perform it’s backup routine on schedule, and ideally starting and completing manual backups before installing system updates or modifying major OS X components is so strongly recommended.

Do note that you can re-install OS X without a Time Machine backup, but you can lose personal files that way. Having frequent backups is basically essential, so if you haven’t done so yet, do yourself a favor and get Time Machine configured with your Mac, hopefully you’ll never need to use the backup service, but if you do, you’ll be happy you set it up.

How to Show All Possible Screen Resolutions for a Display in Mac OS X

Though it’s generally recommended to use the ‘Default for display’ screen resolution option, Mac users who connect their computer to an external display or TV may find it helpful to be able to see, access, and use all possible display resolutions for a particular screen. This can be particularly useful if a display is either showing at an incorrect screen resolution, or if you’d like to use a specific resolution that is not shown in the available ‘Scaled’ resolutions list of OS X.

Reveal All Possible Screen Resolutions for a Display Connected to a Mac

This works to reveal additional screen resolution choices for any display connected to a modern Mac, it also applies to all modern versions of OS X:

1. Open System Preferences from the  Apple menu in OS X
2. Click on “Display”
3. Under the ‘Display’ tab, hold down the OPTION / ALT key while you press on the ‘Scaled’ button alongside Resolution to reveal all available screen resolution options for the display
4. Choose the resolution desired from the complete list of available screen resolutions, then close out of System Preferences as usual

You must hold the Option key when clicking on ‘Scaled’ to reveal all possible screen resolutions for the external display(s), and if you have multiple external displays in use on a Mac, you’ll want to hold the option key when choosing “Scaled” and selecting a resolution for each connected display.

For example, here’s the default selection of “Scaled” resolutions shown on a particularly 24″ external display connected to a MacBook Pro:

Now after holding down the OPTION key while clicking on the “Scaled” radio button, many additional screen resolutions are revealed as available to use:

Though these additional choices become available, they may not necessarily look right, and they may not render correctly, so just because they’re shown as options does not necessarily indicate you should use them for that particular screen.

Note this does not apply to Retina displays, where changing the resolution is a bit different and is only offered in scaled views rather than numerical resolutions anyway.

As mentioned above, sometimes this trick can be necessary to be able to select the proper screen resolution for an external display, which, although it’s pretty rare, can present itself as an improperly set screen resolution, usually at a lower resolution than what the display can handle. If you encounter that problem, sometimes simply using the Detect Displays feature after disconnecting and reconnecting the screen to the Mac can be sufficient to have the external display find and use the proper screen resolution.

How to Check iCloud Activation Lock Status of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

iCloud Activation Lock is a great feature which allows owners to lock down an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and prevent it from being used in the event that a device has been misplaced, stolen, or lost. This is part of the Find My iPhone feature set, and it’s a very welcome addition for iDevice owners. Of course the other side of iCloud Activation Lock is that it can potentially interfere with the resale market of iOS devices, because a device that has been locked will require the attached Apple ID be entered to remove the lock to make it usable again.

To avoid a situation where you purchase a used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Activation Lock enabled, you should take the time to check the devices IMEI or serial number to see what the iCloud Lock status is. This is quite simple to do, and you don’t even need an Apple ID or login to check devices for the activation lock.

Checking iCloud Activation Lock Status of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

This will quickly tell you if a device is iCloud locked or not:

1. Get the serial number or IMEI from the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch – either works
2. Head over to the official Apple website here to check the device iCloud status
3. Enter the IMEI or serial number, enter the appropriate CAPTCHA code, then click “Continue” to see the result, it will be one of the following:

• Activation Lock: ON – this means the current users Apple ID will need to be logged into before another user can activate and use the device
• Activation Lock: OFF – this means any user will be free to use the device by entering a new Apple ID and setting up the device

If you’re buying a used iPhone, you should always check the activation lock status before completing the sale so that you don’t end up with a locked and useless device.

Keep in mind that if the device is activation locked, you’ll want to have the prior owner enter their Apple ID credentials to activate the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and then manually remove the device from their Apple ID account by logging out of iCloud, turning off Find My iPhone, and then resetting it back to factory settings. You can also have the prior owner remotely disable Activation Lock through iCloud, which can be done from anywhere, also requiring the Apple ID log in.

If for whatever reason yourself or the prior owner can’t unlock the device because the forgot the password or email address used, you can follow the instructions to recover a forgotten Apple ID login

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How to Unblock a Caller on iPhone

The ability to block people from calling or messaging an iPhone or iPad is an undoubtedly useful feature, but there may come a time where you wish to undo that block. Fortunately, unblocking a contact from iOS is straight forward and easy, so whether you have changed your mind, accidentally blocked someone, or have just decided you want to hear from whoever you blocked again, here’s how you can quickly unblock someone from reaching your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch through phone calls, FaceTime, and messages.

We’re going to focus on the iPhone here since most users who are blocking numbers and people are likely doing so from an iPhone, though if you happen to be blocking from another iOS device you’ll find the process is the same.

How to UnBlock a Contact to Allow Calling, Messages, and FaceTime from Them Again in iOS

1. Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone then go to “Phone” *
2. Scroll down and tap on “Blocked” to see the current list of contacts blocked from reaching you

3. Tap on the “Edit” button in the corner, then tap on the red (-) minus button alongside a contact name
4. Confirm you wish to allow that person to reach you again by tapping on the big red “Unblock” button alongside the contact name
5. Repeat for other contacts you wish to unblock as desired, then tap on “Done” to finish

6. Exit out of Settings as usual, the contact or person can now reach your iPhone again through FaceTime, phone calls, and messages

* Note on an iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone, you can find the same block list in the Messages settings and FaceTime settings, and unblocking a contact from those is identical

In the example screen shots, you’ll see ‘Santa mobile’ being unblocked (who really wants to block Santa anyway? It’s Santa, come on!), which would allow The Claus to be able to reach you again.

You can also just temporarily unblock a number or contact using this trick if you need to communicate with that person or thing, and then immediately block the number again if you want your peace and quiet returned. That’s a particularly helpful strategy for handling nuisance solicitations and sales calls, or if you’re trying to ask to be removed from a call list.

iPad Pro with 12.9″ Display Debuts, Release Date Set for November

Apple has released the all new iPad Pro, which prominently features a large ultra-high resolution 12.9″ display and desktop class computing performance. Additionally, Apple has debuted a new Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro, and a separate stylus device called Apple Pencil. The combination of the flagship iPad Pro product and these accessories are clearly aimed at a professional user, which should broaden the potential uses of the iPad considerably.

The iPad Pro technical specs are as follows:

• 12.9″ 2732 x 2048 resolution display
• A9X CPU
• 10 hour battery life
• 1.5lbs weight
• 4 speaker sound system
• 8MP iSight Camera
• Touch ID
• Available in space gray, silver, and gold

iPad Pro starts at $799 for 32GB, $949 for 128GB, and goes up to $1079 for 128GB model with cellular capabilities.

Separately, an optional Smart Keyboard is available for the iPad Pro, which is a physical keyboard integrated into a smart cover, a bit like the Microsoft Surface. The Smart Keyboard is available as an accessory for $169.

There’s also the Apple Pencil, a stylus for the iPad Pro with pressure sensitivity, that charges directly by plugging into the lightning port of the iPad Pro. The Apple Pencil costs $99

iPad Pro and related hardware will be available in November.

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iPad Pro: Apple just launched its biggest tablet ever

"iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of personal computing," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in introducing the iPad Pro at the company's event on Wednesday morning. Cook highlighted how the iPad transformed the way people work, learn and use it in the enterprise.

Describing the launch of the largest iPad in Apple's portfolio to date, Cook calls this "the biggest news in iPad since the iPad."

Going pro with iPad Pro

The iPad Pro has the largest screen built in an iOS device. Apple's Phil Schiller confirms that the large format tablet will run the same iOS operating system that is found on Apple's iPhone, iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPod Touch range.

The large 12.9-inch screen is multi-touch capable with a full-sized keyboard and 5.6 million pixels. The resolution is 2732 x 2048 pixels. This is more pixels than a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, Schiller said, highlighting the immersive games, photos, documents and multitasking capabilities.

"This is the most advanced display that we've ever built," said Schiller. There is a custom timing control to drive all the pixels. The display is constructed of an oxide TFT material to drive brightness with a variable refresh rate to conserve battery life.

The brains

Apple claims it has doubled bandwidth and performance with the new A9X chip, which is 1.8 times faster than the A8X that it replaces. Graphics performance has doubled year-over-year.

Apple claims this is faster than 80% of the portable PCs that shipped within the last 8-9 months. This is desktop-class performance, Schiller said, and could be used for graphics-intensive applications, like editing videos.

Apple says that you'll get 10 hours of battery life.

Entertainment

There is now a four-speaker audio system that can balance the audio depending on how you're holding the iPad. The speakers delivers three times the audio volume of the iPad Air 2.

The iPad Pro is just 6.9mm thin, compared to the 6.1mm iPad Air 2. The iPad Pro weighs 1.54 pounds, similar to the original iPad, but it has a much bigger screen.

Keyboard

The keyboard will dynamically change depending on the apps.

Apple is also introducing a new Smart Keyboard accessory for the iPad Pro to give users access to a hardware keyboard, similar to Microsoft's Type Cover for the Surface Pro 3.

The keyboard is constructed with a special woven material. There are POGO plugs on the side of the iPad Pro, which carries power and data and connects magnetically to the keyboard.

The software automatically adapts when the keyboard is attached to turn off the software keyboard, freeing up more screen real estate.

iPad Pencil

In addition to a keyboard, Apple is introducing a digital stylus that works alongside the multitouch screen.

You can have a fine or broad stroke as the screen detects the Pencil's angle when placed against the display. The battery is said to last for "hours of use," and the Pencil has a hidden Lightning tip that allows you to recharge the Pencil by plugging it into the iPad Pro's port.

"This Apple Pencil is absolutely amazing," Schiller said, highlighting the low latency. Schiller said you can use the Pencil in native apps. You can use it in Notes or in Mail where you can mark up attachments and screenshots before sending them out.

The Pencil can be used for drawing, CAD illustrations, writing, and more. Even Microsoft is on stage at this Apple event showing off productivity features of the Apple Pencil and the iPad Pro.

...developing story.

Apple Watch watchOS 2 has a release date

Apple Watch started the big Apple event today with the company announcing a bunch of new Watch designs.

Gold and rose gold in iodized aluminum, new Sport bands that are priced the same as current models and a stainless steel Watch with red band.

New models from the fall collection are shipping today.

The release date for the highly anticipated watchOS 2 is September 16.

10,000 apps and counting

Many apps and features were previously announced in June but Apple detailed more today including a few new ones.

Facebook Messenger, iTranslate, a GoPro remote app and AirStrip are now on the Watch. With Messenger, you'll be able to actually text, send audio and share locations opposed to simply reading messages.

Developing ...

As Marshmallow Looms, Lollipop on 21 Percent of Android Devices

   

With Marshmallow on the horizon, Android fragmentation persists, though Lollipop is now running on 21 percent of Android devices, according to recent developer stats from Google

While that figure is higher than some legacy Android versions, it's behind Android Jelly Bean, which still controls over 31 percent of the Android market and KitKat, which owns 39.2 percent of the space.

For years, Google has had difficulty getting devices, which now number over 1 billion, updated to its newer operating systems, largely because those updates are controlled by carriers and phone makers. The issue is a potentially troublesome one for developers who need to design applications that work with the largest number of devices. The Google data suggests apps should still support Jelly Bean, despite it being a few years old.

Meanwhile, Android is set to expand with a new operating system,called Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It doesn't yet have an official launch date, but rumors suggest the platform will be available to customers sometime this month with the launch of new Nexus devices. It's believed that LG and perhaps China-based handset maker Huawei are designing Nexus smartphones that would run Marshmallow.

For its part, Google has said that it continues to work on addressing fragmentation in the Android market, but ultimately all it can do is offer the software to vendors. It's up to those vendors and carriers to roll out the updates to devices, but they are notorious for being slow to update operating systems, if at all.

Google collects its platform data by analyzing what operating systems devices visting its Google Play Store over a period of seven days are running. It provides updates to its distrbution of Android devices each month.

Apple’s number game: How the iPhone has grown over the years

Apple’s number game: How the iPhone has grown over the years.

It’s been almost 8 years since the first iPhone was introduced by Apple. A time when the word ‘smartphone’ wasn’t even coined. The device immediately caught all eyes as the company smartly brought about tech innovation paired with minimalistic design and creative advertisements. This happened under the leadership of the brilliant Steve Jobs, under whose leadership, the Cupertino-based company rose to become one of the most valuable brands in the world.

After almost 10 models down, Apple will unveil another iPhone on September 9. Even though the company has invested a great deal in other smart devices, Apple’s major revenue is driven by its iPhone models.

We take a look at how the iPhone has grown through the years in terms of global sales. The chart represents clearly, that even though many competitors have entered the market offering great specifications and fierce prices, iPhone fans know where their loyalty lies.

Data Source: Statista

Beginning with the 1st gen iPhone, launched on June 29, 2007, it was often referred to as iPhone 1, iPhone 1G, or iPhone 2G. Back then, the device featured quad-band GSM cellular connectivity with GPRS and EDGE support for data transfer. It featured a 3.5-inch display with a mere 2MP rear camera. At that time, there was no option for a secondary camera. In the span of one year, the device reportedly sold about 1.9 million units worldwide. No arguments here, as such a numbers were impressive back then.

On June 9, 2008, Apple announced the successor to the iPhone – the iPhone 3G. The device, which was very similar to its predecessor ran iPhone OS 2.0. The biggest jump included a new App Store, which was a distribution platform for third-party applications. It was offered in two storage options: 8GB and 16GB, featured a 3.5-inch display, along with the same 2MP camera. Even though it included similar set of specifications as the previous edition, more and more users were gaining attention to Apple’s new phone. In 2008, Apple sold a whopping 11.63 million devices!

This was definitely a significant jump. Probably the word significant would be an understatement. Looking at this growth and popularity for the device, global sales results for 2009 were 20.73 million units.

By this time, the company was already growing at an unstoppable speed. Next year, the company unveiled an ‘S’ variant for the phone in 2009, where the letter stood for, speed! It included a few upgrades such as a 3MP rear camera, along with a higher resolution display. There were many manufacturers who were offering similar specifications but what kept an iPhone apart was its ‘looks and build quality’. The company never compromised on it which led more and more consumers towards Apple’s premium device.

It was succeeded by the iPhone 4 in 2010. However, the 3GS production continued until September 2012. By this year, the company had already made a global sale record of 39.99 million units. From the previous two years, the company was gaining similar sales figures. It was a consistent growth of roughly 10 million units per year. As long as it was a growth, that’s all that mattered.

By the fourth iteration, the ‘iPhone’ brand gained huge popularity. Everyone wanted an iPhone as the company introduced a brand new hardware design which was known to be the slimmest smartphone, back in the day. According to the company, it had sold over 1.7 million of its iPhone 4 through Saturday, June 26th, just three days after its launch on June 24. “This is the most successful product launch in Apple’s history”, said Steve Jobs, Apple’s then CEO. “Even so, we apologise to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply”.

iPhone 4 also featured a 5MP rear camera with LED flash, HD 720p video recording, Apple’s A4 processor, a 3-axis gyro and up to 40 percent longer talk time. With some great improvements, Apple started offering users a device which was beyond expectations. By 2010, more and more people started using what we call today, a ‘smart’phone. The device spent a long time being the company’s flagship phone. In 2011, smartphone sales for the device doubled with over 72.3 million units sold.

This was the largest jump in the company history. Reviews indicated that this was the ‘best device in its class’. Ratings for the device were impressive. This device changed the way a person looked at a phone.

Immediately, everyone became a fan and started looking forward to its future iPhone plans. The company already had all the monetary needs, along with great engineers to crack open some innovative designs and features.

In September 2013, after the release of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Apple stopped selling the iPhone 4 in most of their stores as well as on their site. It was replaced by the 8 GB iPhone 4S.

There were no real exterior differences between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Unlike the previous editions where the S stood for speed, this iPhone was named 4S where ‘S’ stood for Siri. This device was introduced with iOS 5, the fifth major version of iOS that brought about features including iCloud, iMessage, Notification Center, Reminders, Twitter integration and more.

Along with both fourth generation devices, Apple sold over 125.04 million units in 2012. It might have not been the exact jump as seen previously, but rather a slow-paced one. Shortly, news regarding the death of former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs surfaced. Since then, Apple has been run by Jobs’s longtime deputy, Tim Cook. Before he died, Jobs warned Cook against trying to run Apple by asking how Jobs would have handled each decision. “Just do what’s right,” Jobs said. Cook appears to have taken that advice to heart, points out Vox.

Image: Reuters

In 2012, Apple released the iPhone 5, marking the last year the company released just one model. The new iPhone featured some major design changes, including an aluminum body, a taller screen size, an Apple A6 system-on-chip, LTE and more. This might have been the prefect iPhone for a few. It had all the necessary features in a perfect package.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

The company also announced that it had sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch on September 21. Apple fans stood out the retail shops for hours just to get their hands on an iPhone. It was mayhem.

iPhone sales reached 150.26 million units in 2013. The company had come a long way. Even though masses were going gaga about the device, sales might have not been as expected.

By now, many competitors had entered the smartphone market which offered great specifications, for an affordable price. Companies like Samsung, Nokia had many fans worldwide that preferred to opt for a cheaper device. Unlike Apple, who mostly focused on selling devices in the US, other companies tried have a reach wherever they could. Apple might have been slightly hit by this.

Eventually, as time passed by, the iPhone 5 was officially discontinued by Apple on September 10, 2013 with the announcement of its successors, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C.

Apple might have got the hint that not everyone can afford an iPhone, however it yet wanted everyone to own an iPhone. In this attempt, Apple launched the iPhone 5C, a slightly cheaper plastic variant by the company along with the 5S.

The 5S was similar to the iPhone 5 but with improvements such as redesigned home button with Touch ID, a fingerprint recognition system and more. The company added a few changes in this model. iPhone 5 users did not seem very excited about the new phone. Not many felt the need to change a perfectly working phone for minor innovations.

For others, an iPhone 5C did not make sense at all. Apple stood for premium devices; this was the main reason why consumers would shell out so much for a device. A plastic phone, with cheaper hardware was not welcomed. By 2014, Apple sold 169.22 iPhone units. This might have been a marginal growth in the iPhone department for Apple.

According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 5c is being discontinued, showing that it accounts for just 8.5 percent of active iPhones, putting it below the iPhone 4S. This might have been the reasons why rumours for the iPhone 6C eventually stopped.

Over the last couple of years, Chinese companies have certainly started to make a mark in the smartphone industry. Companies such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei, Lenovo are offering beautiful devices with great specifications at unimaginable price tags.

In a market where companies were trying to offer something new to consumers, Apple fans were hoping that they would get some change or some innovation which other manufacturers are offering.

Last year on September 9, 2014, Apple unveiled 2 iPhones, with one of them adopting a large display, which was the current trend. According to a report published by Localytics, the iPhone 6 is Apple’s most adopted iPhone model and also has the highest app engagement of any iPhone to date. In addition, the iPhone 6 series has the highest adoption rate in iPhone history.

As the phones adopted larger displays, the app usage considerably increased as well. Pre-orders of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded four million within its first 24 hours of availability, an Apple record. More than ten million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices were sold in the first three days as well.

As of last quarter of 2015, Apple has reportedly made a sale of 183.17 million iPhone units and if past history is any indicator to go by, these numbers should be on the rise. As the numbers game continues, we shall see if there will be an even higher bar on the graph above before the next year’s launch.

iPhone 6s: Everything you need to know!

iPhone 6s: Everything you need to know!
Apple, Apple event, iPhone, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s features, iPhone 6S launch, iPhone 6S price, iPhone 6s rumours, iPhone 6s specs, iphone 7, iPhone launch, Upcoming iPhone rumours, technology, 

Apple’s event of the year slated for later today has many fans wondering as to what the company will unveil. According to rumours, the so called iPhone launch event will have much more to offer than the usual ‘traditional’ unveiling of an iPhone. However, Apple loyalists are simply eager to look out for the next signature iPhone, which is not supposedly the 7th variant but rather, a more advanced or miniature version of the iPhone 6, codenamed iPhone 6s.

Let’s have a look at all the rumours surrounding the new purported iPhone 6s:

1. Display and Design 

Going by the current rate of adoption of large screen displays in smartphones, Apple may go the other way and offer the new smartphone in a mere 4.7 inches. However, the device isrumoured to offer a 1125 x 2000 resolution with a pixel density of 488ppi.

A higher pixel density on a smaller screen will most definitely offer a better screen output. Compared to the previous iPhone 6, which features a 750 x 1334 resolution with 326ppi, the company is most definitely focusing on offering a crispier display with the new device rather than just focusing on improvising the screen size.

Image: Daliulian

In terms of design, Apple isn’t innovating and is said to offer the same exterior. Hopefully, the company will not manufacture an extra-slim body for the smartphone and will make it sturdy enough for one-hand use. According to a leak, Apple might also offer this device in a new colour variant namely, rose pink, in addition to the gold, silver and space grey variant. The last ‘s’ iPhone upgrade had introduced the popular gold variant, and so it is quite likely that the company may opt for Rose Gold or likewise.

For Apple, a major upgrade will be the introduction of ForceTouch display. In layman words, Force Touch is the haptic feedback feature that was introduced this year in the Apple Watch along with the new MacBook. This ForceTouch technology lets the device detect varying levels of input pressure by deploying electrodes around its screen. For example, in the Apple Watch, electrodes are embedded around the flexible OLED display that help detect the deformation caused by a press/tap/swipe.

This force is then translated to operations by adding an extra layer of control to multi-touch system. In addition, new images of iPhone 6s with Force Touch technology have surfaced online as well.

A 9To5Mac report also states that the new pressure-sensitive display will be called 3D Touch Display. The iPhone 6s display will recognise not just taps and presses, but also deep press. That means it will come with three different types of input support, reportedly the reason why it is being called ‘3D’ display.

Just a few days before Apple’s event, Huawei unveiled a new smartphone at IFA, dubbedHuawei Mate S, which has a similar Force Touch display. At the conference, the company literally measured the weight of an orange with the display of the phone. Let’s see if Apple has such a gimmick up their sleeves with the new smartphone.

Measurements of a partially assembled iPhone 6s device suggest that the iPhone 6s will be 7.08 mm thick, compared to 6.9 mm thick for the iPhone 6. Height wise, it may be around 138.19 mm tall compared to 138.1 mm for the iPhone 6, and as for width, it may be 67.68 mm wide compared to the 67.16 mm wide iPhone 6.

In addition, MacRumors performed a ‘bend test’ with the device and have confirmed that Apple is using a stronger, less bendable alloy for the iPhone 6s known as 7000 series aluminum. After going through the incredible troll with ‘bendgate’, looks like the company has finally made the effort to manufacture a device which is sturdy in its true sense and will not bend, even if placed in your back-pocket!

In all, judging by the display and exterior, Apple seems to have made an effort to improvise the new device in areas, where it needs to the most. Offering a slightly better display is required to be in par with manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei and others which aim to offer incredible clarity and display in their high-end smartphones.

2. Hardware – Processor, RAM, Battery and Storage

The upcoming iPhone 6s is rumoured to sport a faster A9 processor along with 2GB RAM. Although the RAM debate is an old one, increased RAM might just extend the life of the device with each iteration of iOS. Also, a higher RAM ensures a more fluid experience for a longer period of time during the product’s lifecycle. In addition, a report, the leaked score shows that A9 is going to feature two cores running at a speed of 1.80GHz.

Image: 9to5mac

9to5mac has shared a few images, showing a prototype of the next iPhone’s logic board as well. According to the report, a new NFC chip inside the iPhone 6S is from NXP and labelled 66VP2. Also, along with a ‘slight shrinkage’ in size of the iPhone 6S’s logic board, Apple appears to be reducing the number of chips it uses for its phone. It may use  a Cirrus Logic audio chip, a Murata Wi-Fi module, and wireless power amplifiers from RFMD, Triquint, Avago and Skyworks within the iPhone 6S as well.

Meanwhile, the company is rumoured to reduce the battery size from of the iPhone 6S from 1810 mAh to 1715 mAh, meaning a reduction of 5.3 percent from the current iPhone 6. Apple users anyway have complains about their battery and if the iPhone 6s does indeed sport a smaller capacity battery, it might just steal the show of the entire device! Maybe, as Apple is packing in more features, along with an extra pressure sensitive screen, the device might be required to sport a smaller battery.

As of now it appears that the upcoming smartphone will sport a 16GB variant and is built with a 19nm production process. According to a report, there is a possibility that Apple may not ship this 16GB flash storage option, and was solely using it for early production and test models.

An Apple iPhone 16GB may not be the preferred choice around, as a significant amount of space would be taken up by the OS and pre-installed features. Adding to it, this can make the phone lag and with a small battery capacity, one can have a great deal of trouble using this device. Apple could have made a good choice by scrapping out the 16GB variant completely and starting the iPhone 6s with the 32GB variant and so on!

3. Camera

The upcoming iPhone 6s is said to sport a 12MP rear camera with 4K recording along with a 5MP front facing camera. This will definitely mark a significant upgrade from the existing 1.2MP front facing camera seen on the iPhone 6. When we compare smartphones from Samsung, Sony, Lumia and others, who take on every opportunity to add camera features, Apple seems to be taking its time.

However, Apple has acquired LinX Imaging, a camera technology company specialising in cameras for mobile devices that are able to produce DSLR-quality images by using multi-aperture arrays. It is because of this acquisition, rumours suggest that this could be the company’s ‘biggest camera jump ever’.

4. Price factor 

Price leaks suggest that the 16GB iPhone 6s is likely to be priced at €699, 64GB at €799 and 128GB at €899. The company has confirmed that there will not be a 32GB storage variant. It is believed that the iPhone 6s will priced on the same lines as the iPhone 6. Price factors by the company have always been a bit puzzling. As the iPhone 6s launch nears, the company might slash down prices for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus but adopting a ‘mid-range’ price tag does not fall under Apple’s strategy.

Impressive enough?

An Apple fan always, always believes that the company is capable of offering much more in the new upcoming iPhone, than the previous iternation. After having a run through most of the specifications and features of the purported iPhone 6s, it looks like Apple is finally, making this come true for fans, partly. If on one side, it aims to offer a better resolution, it is clustering it in a small screen device. Finally, when the company moved on to large screen displays with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, it is compelling a user to use a small phone again!

It is to be believed that the new smartphone’s display will sport sapphire produced by Foxconn, as previously seen on the Apple Watch. But to enforce this on a larger display, might cost a fortune. This might be one of the reasons why the device is said to be priced similar to the iPhone 6.

Image: Macrumors

In terms of hardware, Apple has made significant changes but missed out on the trending features such as wireless charging. Wireless charging might be the next big thing in terms of charging a phone, but the company has missed it out, even though it is going to be priced along the same lines as the iPhone 6. In addition, battery doesn’t seem to be a major plus point either.

In others, camera features seem promising along with larger storage capacities too. Looks like Apple might have a ‘good enough’ phone for fans. We will only know on September 9, when the company will host the event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. The company will be live streaming the event on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and also for PC users.