Underwhelming

[Jonx]

With all the rumors being absolutely spot on, I don't know what you were expecting. It's an improvement to the previous generation and lays the ground work for further improvement, possibly removal of hardware home button year or two down the line.

 

[sterl320]

Fair comment I suppose but I just feel that Apple has made much greater leaps and has had better innovation in the previous year. Honestly not trying to troll or anything but really what stood out besides force touch? They did not wow me in anyway. They didn't show me anything I haven't seen before. I understand this seems like another "I'm underwhelmed / disappointed" thread but I'm honestly asking did anything blow you away or wow you in such a way that you would move onto any of the new products? For me the answer is no

But this is a "S" cycle upgrade, so comparing it to a number cycle upgrade is unfair. The biggest feature the last "S" cycle upgrade had was Touch ID, and fingerprint scanning was done years before that as well.

 

[Jimmy James]

I don't understand the need for drastic annual change. This is the same complaint every year and look at the amazing devices this evolution has brought us. The level of performance and excellence was almost unthinkable 5 years ago.

I consider the modern smartphone one of the most incredible technologies the general public utilizes. And it continues to improve every year. I couldn't be happier with what I already have and they keep adding more gravy every year.

 

[ToddH]

Apple generally takes things that have already been done and they do it their way. Typically their way works a lot better looks a lot better and functions better. Yes the 12 megapixel camera has been around but I doubt you'll find another smart phone that has as clean of an image has the iPhone will. I am excited about the phone because of the 12 megapixel. Finally the sensor size has been increased. I take a lot of photos with my iPhone and I try to make them as professional looking as possible. So, just because it has been done already, doesn't mean that it's going to look the same on Apple's version, it will be better!

 

[Four oF NINE]

I found the comments from Michael Simon at Macworld most relevant:

Even with the same design, Apple’s “S” model phones have always been game-changers in their own right—Siri on the 4s, Touch ID on the 5s—and the iPhone 6s continues that tradition. Where other smartphone manufacturers are trying to push the boundaries with bigger models every year, Apple uses its “S” models to innovate inwardly, focusing its efforts on carving out a strong foundation for the future of its mobile ecosystem and letting the user experience trump the design.

The addition of 3D Touch means more to the future of iOS devices that the iPhone 6’s larger screen did, adding a new dimension to multi-touch and opening up the screen in bold new ways. Much like you could see the future implications during the Siri demo, watching Federighi show off 3D Touch only scratched the surface of what it will be able to do.

On the Apple Watch and 2015 MacBook, Force Touch is a neat feature that adds a layer of convenience, eliminating keystrokes and mouse clicks on the Mac and compensating for the lack of screen real estate on the Watch. But while everyone assumed it would be a “me, too” feature that offered little in the way of excitement, the implementation on the iPhone is wildly more innovative, to the point where Apple felt the need to rename it. 3D Touch isn’t just a gimmick to distinguish the iPhone 6s from its predecessor—it’s an entirely new input method that puts all phones before it on a short path to becoming obsolete.

Much like Siri (which was the 4s’ marquee feature) has matured into a technology powerful enough to control virtually every interface we use, in a few short years 3D Touch will be as transformative as multi-touch was, expanding the capabilities of iOS beyond today’s boundaries and limitations. It’s the kind of feature that seems so obvious, so simple in retrospect that using a device that doesn’t have it (like, say, the iPhone 6) will seem foreign and antiquated. It’s not just a reason to upgrade, it’s a leap forward in the evolution of iOS.

Second coming
While its competitors are still scurrying to out-innovate Apple with curved screens and wireless charging, Apple is sticking to a very regimented schedule of iteration. And while the likes of Samsung and Motorola may think the “S” year offers a chance to jump ahead in an off year, it’s actually the sequel models that have defined the iPhone and set the course for future revisions.

Apple’s “S” phones can’t be reduced to a better camera and speedier processor. They’re the real innovators, and while the iPhone 6s might not have stolen the show yesterday, you can bet that 3D Touch will be at the forefront of everything that’s coming next.

So, when everyone is gearing up next September to see what the iPhone 7 will look like, Apple will already be thinking of how it will become even better. Even though it’s dressed in the same boring clothes as last year.

http://www.macworld.com/article/298...nes-are-a-bigger-deal-than-they-may-seem.html

You may not realize this but this is a very big feature and a very big update. More at the link.