Apple

iPhone 6: 5 Things to Expect in September

Published

9 years ago

08/31/2015

September figures to be an extremely busy month for Apple and the iPhone. In addition to the iPhone 6s, we expect to see several new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus related details. Here, we take a look at a few things to expect from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus next month.

Last year, in the weeks leading up to September, we heard quite a bit about Apple’s rumored iPhone. The company was rumored to have two new iPhones up its sleeve, an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and the two devices would apparently usher in a new era for the iPhone. A big screen era.

Unsurprisingly, these iPhone 6 rumors were spot on. Apple took the stage on September 9th and announced two brand new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. A few weeks later, the company released them in the United States and in regions around the world.

For close to a year now, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have reigned as two of the top smartphones on the market. And while nothing is confirmed, it looks like history will repeat itself in 2015.

As we push into September, we continue to hear more and more about the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple’s rumored iPhone successors. Neither one is official but it looks like they’ll be the stars of Apple’s media event that’s set for September 9th in San Francisco.

The iPhone 6’s days as the company’s flagship are numbered but the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus won’t be going anywhere. They’ll remain in hands and on shelves for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, we want to take a look at a few things iPhone 6 buyers, and users, can expect from Apple in the month of September. Keep these things in mind as we push towards the iPhone 6s launch date.

iPhone 6 iOS 9 Release

If you own an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, the first thing you can expect is an iOS 9 release.

Apple confirmed iOS 9 updates for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in June though at the time the company only confirmed a vague fall release window. As we’ve approached the iPhone 6s launch, we’ve started to see the iOS 9 release date firm up. It’s not confirmed but we have a pretty good idea about what to expect.

You can expect iOS 9 to arrive next month after the iPhone 6s launch but before the iPhone 6s release. The iPhone 6s launch date is set for September 9th and its release date is rumored for September 18th. Standard Apple iOS release protocol calls for an iOS 9 release on September 16th and that’s the date iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users should circle on the calendar.

If you’re already using the iOS 9 update via Apple’s beta, you can expect the company to release an iOS 9 GM sometime before the public release. The Gold Master is the final beta and it mirrors the public release.

We also expect Apple to deliver on its promises to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users and deliver a solid one hour battery life boost on top of other enhancements. Apple will almost certainly announce iOS 9 details on September 9th so if you’re interested in those features and the release date, you should tune into the show.

New iOS 9 Update

We also expect Apple to deliver a new iOS 9 update of some kind to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September. Whether that’s an iOS 9.0.1 update that tackles some of the operating system’s initial problems or an iOS 9.1 beta 1 update, we can’t be sure. But we are confident that we’ll see something.

Apple almost always issues an immediate response to iOS bugs. Last year’s iOS 8.0.1 release arrived on September 24th. It was followed by a critical iOS 8.0.2 bug fix update on September 25th. iOS 9 has gone through a lengthy beta but we expect there to be issues. And if there are problems, we’d expect a fix sometime next month.

Maybe that’s iOS 9.0.1 or maybe it’s the release of a future update. Apple’s rumored to have an iOS 9.1 update in development. The update is rumored to be coming in October alongside new iPads. If true, it would mirror what Apple did last year with the iOS 8.1 update and the iPad Air 2/iPad mini 3 combo.

If Apple plans to release iOS 9.1 in October as rumors suggest, we’d expect the company to release the first iOS 9.1 beta in late September. iOS 8.1 beta 1 arrived on September 29th, weeks before the public release on October 20th. We’d expect a beta and we wouldn’t be surprised if it arrived in September.

The contents of iOS 9.1 are unknown but we’d expect it to bring fixes and a collection of enhancements to the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and others.

iPhone 6 Price Cut at Apple

Now that we’ve covered a few things that iPhone 6 users should expect, let’s move on to a few things iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus buyers can expect in September.

First, we’d expect Apple to cut the price of the two current flagships. Reports say that they’ll drop by $100 at Apple and we expect carriers and retailers to follow suit.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s are expected to slot in at the current $199.99/$299.99 price points with the iPhone 5s dropping down to the iPhone 5c’s free-on-contract price point. Apple’s expected to discontinue to the plastic iPhone 5c.

We’re expecting the iPhone lineup to look like this after the iPhone 6s launch:

iPhone 6s – $199.99 on-contract/$650 off-contract
iPhone 6s Plus – $299.99 on-contract/$750 off-contract
iPhone 6 – $99.99 on-contract/$550 off-contract
iPhone 6 Plus – $199.99 on-contract/$650 off-contract
iPhone 5s – Free on-contract/$450 on-contract

At $99.99 and $199.99, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will remain solid choices for those not looking to pay top dollar for an excellent smartphone.

Other iPhone 6 Deals

Apple won’t be the only one dropping the price of last year’s flagships. We expect the same from carriers and retailers as they look to make their iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus stock look attractive.

If you’re looking to score the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus deals though, you might want to wait a few weeks. With Black Friday coming up, we expect to see some very tempting deals emerge. Note, we expect Black Friday to include iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus deals as well.

If you’re looking to trade-in your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, we expect carriers to offer trade-on deals. If you’re eligible, these trade-in offers will help offset some of the cost if you decide to shift from last year’s iPhone model to this year’s iPhone model.

iPhone 6 Trade-in Value to Drop

These trade-in deals will be important because we expect the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus trade-in value to drop next month.

If you’re looking to secure top dollar for your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you might want to think about trading it in sooner rather than later. That’s because the iPhone 6s will likely push the current value of your iPhone 6 down 10% and perhaps another 20-30% before the year ends.

Nothing is confirmed but if you’re looking to get the most out of your trade-in, you’ll need to keep a close eye on trade-in values because they’ll almost certainly fluctuate in September.

7 Exciting iPhone 6s Specs

iPhone 6s Display Specs

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The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will likely feature the same screen sizes as the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus, but this doesn't mean that the display will be exactly the same.

One major upgrade for both the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6s display that rumors show is on the way is a new way to touch the screen. Force Touch allows a display to detect a harder press and know that you want to do more than a normal tap.

This could work like it does on the Apple Watch. A normal press on the iPhone 6s display could hit a specific button, but a harder press could activate secondary controls or more options. This is not a long press, just a more forceful one. Multiple rumors suggest Force Touch is coming to the new iPhone specs list and there is even a hint in the iOS 9 code.

Other than that upgrade count on the following iPhone 6s display specs;