iPhone 6S Preorders Underway, ‘Plus’ And Rose Gold Models Prove Popular
It’s that time of the year again; the time when Apple announces a new iPhone and the faithful flock to their computer (and smartphone/tablet) screens to get their preorders in ahead of the official launch on September 25th. Apple opened up preorders at 3:01am EST Saturday and we’re already seeing some interesting trends based on the shipping times of various models and colors.
In the U.S., the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus has proven to be an early favorite with consumers. 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB models — in all available colors, Gray, Silver, Gold, And Rose Gold — have seen their shipping times slip to 3-4 weeks availability. And this lack of availability extends to all four major U.S. wireless carriers.
If you’re still looking to score a 4.7-inch iPhone 6S on launch day, your chances are much better. If you’re on AT&T or Sprint, you can still have your pick of capacities and colors and get your device on September 25th. Things are a bit dicier at Verizon, but only if you’re looking for the Rose Gold models (64GB and 128GB models are showing availability within 2-3 weeks). Third place wireless carrier T-Mobile is showing 2-3 week availability for all Rose Gold models.
The lack of inventory with regards to iPhone 6S Plus models extends to other parts of the world, with Canada, the UK, China, and Japan all showing availability within 3-4 weeks. China, which has become a huge source of income for Apple in recent quarters, is also showing 2-3 week availability for all capacities and colors of the iPhone 6S. It looks as though Apple’s winning streak in China shows no signs of slowing down.
If you need a refresher, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are the “facelifts” for last year’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Even though this is a refresh cycle and not an all-new design, Apple managed to incorporate a slew of updates to the iPhone’s hardware this time around. The biggest addition has to be the 3D Touch display, which allows users to apply more force when touching the display to open up new options menus and shortcuts. Other additions include a faster and more efficient A9 processor, Bluetooth 4.2 support, faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi, LTE Advanced, a new 12MP rear camera and a higher resolution 5MP front-facing camera.
The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus start at $199 and $299 respectively with a two-year contract (if you can still manage to secure one), while off-contract pricing starts at $649 for the former and $749 for the latter. If you’re on the more common installment plans that are offered by wireless carriers, prices typically run around $27 per month for the iPhone 6S and $31 per month for the iPhone 6S Plus.
