• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
TechApple

Why I’m not upgrading to the iPhone 6s Plus

By
Rick Broida
Rick Broida
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Rick Broida
Rick Broida
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 25, 2015, 8:42 AM ET
Photo by Jason Cipriani
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Another September, another new iPhone. As a tech writer and unabashed iPhone fan, I’ve upgraded models every time Apple (AAPL) trotted out a new one.

Every time, that is, until this year.

See, about a year ago I ponied up a staggering $849 for the iPhone 6 Plus (with 64GB). The outlay hurt, but I was dying for a bigger screen and eager to free myself from the shackles of the two-year carrier contract. For $849 I would own the iPhone outright, and because it came unlocked, I could take it to whatever carrier was offering the best deal on service.

One year later, I remain a mostly happy iPhone 6 Plus owner. I love the big screen and battery life, love the cameras, and love the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. I don’t love the ridiculous placement of the power button—which is exactly opposite the volume buttons—and sometimes I wish Apple would stop adding to the already bloated iOS, but overall it’s good.

Along comes the iPhone 6s Plus, which would cost me another $849. Here’s a rundown of the new model’s key selling points, and why they’re not worth the upgrade.

Camera

The iPhone 6 Plus already had “the best camera we’ve ever made,” Apple CEO Tim Cook gushed in 2014, but the 6s Plus apparently has an even better one. It’s equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor that can shoot 4K video. Oh, and there’s that Live Photos thing that captures “animated photos,” an utterly pointless feature I suspect most users will try once and then never use.

Like most folks, I have zero need for 4K video, and my current camera does a terrific job.

Faster processor

I roll my eyes every time Apple talks about 2x-faster this and 70%-faster that. I don’t play a ton of games, so I don’t particularly care about GPU performance. And every iPhone I’ve owned in the past several years has seemed plenty fast. Never, ever have I remarked, “gee, this phone is slow” to friends or family.

3D Touch

I’m all for convenience, for faster ways of accomplishing repetitive tasks, but 3D Touch —the Apple Watch-like feature that responds to “light” and “deep” presses of the screen —sounds like work. It literally adds a third dimension to the OS, so instead of just tapping and swiping, now I have to remember which features require a light press and which need more force. Whoops, wrong one. Now I go back? And press again? Wait, which one did I do the first time? I feel like somewhere Steve Jobs is throwing a major tantrum over this.

The 6s Plus also employs something called 7000 Series aluminum—ostensibly to keep the phone from bending if you sit down on it—but I don’t keep my 6 Plus in my back pocket, so I’m good.

Make no mistake: I wouldn’t turn down any of these features. If someone handed me an iPhone 6s Plus free of charge, I’d squeal with nerdy delight. However, there’s no way I’d pay $849 for it, especially considering that a growing number of Android phones—such as the Moto X Pure and OnePlus Two—offer comparable hardware for half the price. There just aren’t enough compelling features in Apple’s new phone to warrant the upgrade.

It’s not worth the upgrade

The deeper argument, the one that undoubtedly keeps Apple, Samsung (SSNLF), and other companies’ execs up at night, is that no one really needs a new phone anymore. We’ve reached a tipping point, where most of us have phones that are fast enough and have large enough screens. That’s why the last few iterations of the iPhone, Galaxy, Moto and the like have delivered only incremental improvements; there’s nowhere left to go.

In fact, the only real reason to upgrade any smartphone is to get a new battery, because after the one-year mark, most rechargeables start to lose some capacity. By the time you hit two years, you’ll be lucky if your battery can give you a full day. Of course, iPhone batteries are famously non-replaceable, though the same is also true of a lot of Android phones. Frankly, that sucks, and anyone seeking to squeeze the maximum value from their smartphone investment should choose a model that has an easily replaced battery.

For now, I’m hanging onto my iPhone 6 Plus and my $849. No doubt there’s an iPhone 7 in the works for next September, and I can only hope that Apple manages something more exciting than a faster processor and better camera.

Find out why writer Jason Cipriani thinks users should upgrade their iPhone.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For more about Apple, check out the following Fortune video:

About the Author
By Rick Broida
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

How Home Depot is rebuilding retailing with AI
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How Home Depot is rebuilding retailing with AI
By John KellJune 24, 2026
2 hours ago
bob
AIbooks
Robert Wright sees an ‘earthquake’ coming from AI that goes far beyond jobs: ‘cultural, political, personal, family, psychological’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
2 hours ago
A man wearing a red and black jacket and a red hat walks down a hallway lined with servers.
InnovationChina
For the first time since 2017, it’s China, not the U.S., that has the world’s most powerful supercomputer
By The Associated PressJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy scion and sardonic social media star, loses in bid for New York state assembly
PoliticsPolitics
Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy scion and sardonic social media star, loses in bid for New York state assembly
By The Associated Press, Danny Peltz and Anthony IzaguirreJune 24, 2026
4 hours ago
Matt Garman
Successthe future of work
Amazon exec says AI won’t wipe out white-collar jobs—and is hiring 11,000 grads and interns, and has more developers than 2 years ago to prove it
By Preston ForeJune 24, 2026
4 hours ago
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani 3 for 3 on his ‘better Democrats’ endorsements: ‘Put working people back at the heart of politics’
PoliticsNew York City
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani 3 for 3 on his ‘better Democrats’ endorsements: ‘Put working people back at the heart of politics’
By The Associated Press, Jesse Bedayn, Thomas Beaumont and HUMERA LODHIJune 24, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
Economy
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
By Jacqueline MunisJune 24, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
Real Estate
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
By Sydney LakeJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.