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Being an iOS user for years, "the good" and "the bad" words swarmed into my head after using and testing the latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus for weeks.

Photo taken on October 14, 2015 shows the iPhone 6s Plus launched by Apple Inc in September in San Francisco. [Liu Zheng/chinadaily.com.cn]

Starting with a simple "touch"

The multi-touch display iPod Touch unveiled by Apple Inc in 2007 triggered a new trend of human-computer interaction and Chinese consumers really started to chase trendy technologies since the launch of iPhone 4 in 2010.

This year, Apple has upgraded its next-generation fingerprint recognition feature, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, making it easier and faster to unlock your phone.

Users have been impressed after experiencing the response speed for activating the function as the single press home button on the new iPhone will simultaneously light the display and unlock the phone.

Sometimes this high-speed response can even present a problem when you simply want to check the time or a notification without unlocking the screen.

3D Touch, a new technology introduced by the Cupertino company, allows users to execute different commands depending on how hard they press the display.

Unlike previous multi-touch technology, which allows users to pinch and zoom, 3D Touch will let users do what Apple calls 'peek' and 'pop'. Peeking or pressing lightly on the display means previewing a piece of content and when you "pop" -- press on the screen harder and longer -- this will expand the content, letting you interact with it.

As Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, pointed out the new feature "cuts out a number of navigational steps to get where you're going".

Unlike the launch of the first generation Touch ID sensor, Apple said 3D Touch will support third-party apps from the start.

For example, WeChat and Sina Weibo, two originally Chinese social media applications, are the early birds that are redesigned to access 3D Touch. Users can create new chat or new posts when "peeking" the apps.

Some of Apple's original apps, including Photos, Clock, Notes, Maps, Mail and Messages are also built in the same function while others, such as Health, Videos, Watch and Stocks are not.

One of the my favorites is that when you activate the function on the "Photos" app, there's a "One Year Ago" short-cut that will let you skip directly into the photo collections that you've saved in your phone a year earlier.

According to figures revealed by Apple, the new display assembly weighs twice as much as the display assembly used in last year's models due to the 3D Touch technology. In the iPhone 6, the display assembly weighed 12 grams. In the iPhone 6s, it weighs 29 grams, more than double last year's model.

By comparison with the previous "double click home button" method to active iPhone's multitasking interface, the iOS 9, Apple's newly launched mobile operating system brings a distinct change to the features.

Instead of an app icon carousel -- which later became app panes -- that scrolls from right to left, iOS 9 employs a stacked card interface and switches the initial scroll direction to jibe with the mechanics of 3D Touch.

To invoke 3D Touch multitasking, start an off-screen swipe from the left screen edge and press firmly on the screen while performing the left-to-right swipe action.

Due to the size of iPhone 6s Plus, some people suggest that it's better to use your left hand rather than the right to active this action and after using the feature many times, I agree.

Stand out from the crowd

By taking Beijing's subway, massive "phubbers" are seen staring at their smartphones and given the round home button on the bottom, some are iPhone users.

An old Internet meme joked that in 2012, after the newly-launched EarPods, a new designed earphone for Apple devices, started to ship with iPhone 5, cases of theft on the subway rapidly rose as thieves could easily tell who was carrying the new phone.

This year, the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have similar designs to the previous generation. So what will make people quickly realize you are holding a brand new iPhone? Right, the rose gold finish.

By introducing the new color for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the company seems have attracted most loyal Chinese customers, especially female users, with the conspicuous but not dazzling rose gold appearance.

The new color was seen as a hot choice for most buyers who appeared in the Apple Store in Beijing's Sanlitun Village during the pick-up day for online pre-order customers on September 25.

Build for the selfie-addict and video shooting lover

Apple made some serious upgrades for the new iPhones' iSight camera. It has traded in its 8-megapixel rear shooter for a 12-megapixel variant with 1.22µ pixels, offering 50 percent more than before.

The camera features a five-element lens with f/2.2 aperture and a sapphire lens cover.

For 4K video shooting, the larger Plus model features optical stabilization as its predecessor did while the smaller 6S only leaves room for digital stabilization.

Some people argue that Live Photos, the new feature that allows users to capture an extra 1.5 seconds of footage at the beginning and the end of the photo to enable mini animations, is little more than a gimmick as few people will hold the camera up for a couple of seconds after taking pictures.

In practice, I believe the feature is not designed for all-round photo shooting circumstances. It's better to shoot with Live Photos mode when moving objects are the main part of your pictures, such as a lyrical selfie, running pets or even family parties. Rather than filming a painting or building.

To share the Live Photos is another issue that needs to be considered, especially to share with a friend using a non-Apple device.

You'd better find an available video to Graphics Interchange Format transferring app to deal with the matter.

Unbearable weight?

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus weigh 14 and 20 grams more than their predecessors, respectively.

The switch to 7000 series alloy aluminum, the same material used to build the Apple Watch, accounts for just 2 grams of the weight increase of the iPhone 6s Plus, while the aluminum for the iPhone 6s actually weighs a gram less.

If you are a male user who only carries your smartphone in your pocket, it seems the iPhone 6s Plus is a bit overweight, while if you are addicted to the 4K video and longer battery life, the 6s Plus is a nice option.

But then, nothing is perfect.

Apple said the new iPhones would be available in more than 40 additional countries from October 9, reaching more than 130 by years-end.

Apple relies heavily on sales of the iPhone, which generated nearly two-thirds of its revenue in the latest quarter, and during the first weekend of availability in 12 markets, Apple said it had sold more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Pluses, setting a record for its marquee product.

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