The fact that Apple is still selling the iPhone 6S, a two-year-old phone, is a testament to how good the phone is.
Usually, Apple offers only the previous-generation iPhone after it announces a new model.
But if you compare the specs of the iPhone 8 or the iPhone X on Apple's website, you'll notice that the phones look pretty similar. You'll be telling yourself: "Yep, the iPhone 6S has this, and that, and that."
The main differences are the chips that dictate performance and certain features, as well as a few incremental improvements in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X to things like the display and camera. These are hugely important factors when deciding which iPhone to buy, but the iPhone 6S is still a top contender, especially as it now starts at $450.
Here's why you should consider buying the iPhone 6S instead of the iPhone 8 or iPhone X.
It's more affordable.
It should go without saying that Apple's older iPhones are going to be cheaper than its new ones.
Here's what the new iPhones cost:
• iPhone 8 with 64 GB of storage: $700.
• iPhone 8 Plus with 64 GB of storage: $800.
• iPhone X with 64 GB of storage: $1,000.
However, Apple is still selling the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus for significantly less than the new iPhones:
• iPhone 6S with 32 GB of storage: $450.
• iPhone 6S Plus with 32 GB of storage: $550.
You can even get refurbished models of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus straight from Apple for an even better deal:
• Refurbished iPhone 6S with 64 GB of storage: $430.
• Refurbished iPhone 6S Plus with 64 GB of storage: $510.
It comes in a color that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X don't have.
The new iPhone 8 comes in only silver, gold, and space gray. The new iPhone X comes in only silver and space gray.
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus come in silver, gold, space gray, and rose gold — you can't get an iPhone 8 or iPhone X in rose gold.
It looks nearly identical to the new iPhone 8.
But the iPhone 6S has an excellent design — and you'll find comfort in knowing that the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus look nearly identical to the new iPhone 8 models. Both the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 8 have the same size of bezels around the display and same overall shape, and their screens are the same size and same resolution.
Its metal back won't shatter as easily as the iPhone 8's and iPhone X's glass backs.
The glass backs on the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X allow them to charge wirelessly using the Qi standard. That's great, but it also means they can shatter after a drop, much like the iPhone 4 and 4S could. I had an iPhone 4 with a glass back that shattered even though I had it in a relatively bulky protective case.
The iPhone 6S's aluminum back won't crack like a glass one. It might get dings and dents after a drop, but it's less likely to break or crack than the iPhone 8 or the iPhone X.
It charges just as fast as the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X out of the box.
All the new iPhones come with the same chargers as the iPhone 6S, which means they'll charge at the same speed.
Apple added support for fast charging into its new iPhone 8 and iPhone X, meaning you can charge your iPhone up to 50% in 30 minutes. But you'll have to buy extra accessories — including a USB power adapter with the Power Delivery standard, and Apple's USB-C-to-Lightning power cable — to take advantage of that.
The iPhone 8 and the iPhone X also support wireless charging, but that also requires you buy a separate charger.
It still runs smoothly.
The Apple A9 chip turning the wheels inside the iPhone 6S is still a great performer. I updated my iPhone 6S Plus to iOS 11 last month, and I've hardly noticed any slowdown. Apps might take a little longer to load on the iPhone 6S than they do on the iPhone 8, but it's still perfectly suitable for my day-to-day needs, and I'm very fickle about my apps opening quickly.
On top of the A9 chip, the iPhone 6S still has an incredibly fast Touch ID sensor — so I can unlock my iPhone 6S Plus with minimal delay, which is also very important to me. Face ID, an iPhone X exclusive feature that lets you unlock the phone using the front camera and your face, looks nice. At the same time, I don't anticipate Face ID will make unlocking my phone a drastically easier experience.
Its rear camera is still fantastic.
The iPhone 8 Plus' camera recently overthrew those of the Samsung Galaxy phones as the best smartphone camera — it's truly an excellent camera. It's also an undeniably better camera than the iPhone 6S's. Still, the camera on my iPhone 6S Plus takes incredible photos, and I'm happy to capture my memories with it. Mind you, this phone is only two years old!
It has a headphone jack, while the iPhone 7, the iPhone 8, and the iPhone X do not.
