This new tech gives any smartphone better 3D Touch than the iPhone 6S

Force Touch launched on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus last year and although some Android manufacturers have also tried the technology - like Huawei with the Mate S - it's still a feature mostly reserved for the top rung of iPhones.

But now a way to bring similar technology to any smartphone has been found. Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to add pressure-sensitivity functionality using ultrasonic waves.

It means you can apply extra pressure to the screen, but it's not exclusive to the display - if you squeeze the body of the phone that will also be picked up.

The speaker on the phone pushes out an ultrasound covering the 18-24 kHz range - the human ear can't pick this up, although your dog may react - and the microphone will detect changes in the sound.

The phone can then sense how much pressure is being applied and where, and work out what you'd like the phone to do.

Easy squeezy

Yu-Chih Tung, one of the creators of Force Phone, said: "I think we're offering a natural interface, like how you turn a knob.

"It's the next step forward from a basic touch interface, and it can complement other gestured communication channels and voice."

One of Force Phone's creators refers to the tech as extra vocabulary between you and your phone.

Exactly what functionality the technology can enable isn't clear yet - but you may, for example, be able to open your messaging app by squeezing the phone hard around the edges.

Force Phone means a brand new technology won't be exclusive to high-end and expensive smartphones - and the functionality could be opened up to those with cheaper Androids.

Don't expect it to be available just yet though. The research is set to be presented to a conference at the end of June, and there's no word of a commercial release date.

The iPhone 5s has apparently been discontinued

Looks like Apple has stopped selling the iPhone 5s as the device is no longer listed on the Cupertino-based company's official website. A quick looks reveals that the phone has been replaced by the newly-launched iPhone SE.

While we are yet to hear an official confirmation on this, the discontinuation shouldn't really come as a big surprise given that the iPhone SE not only looks almost exactly like the 5s, it is of course comparatively more powerful as well.

Released back in 2013, the iPhone 5s was powered by the Apple A7 chipset and sported a 4.0 inch (640 x 1136 pixel resolution display). It featured 8MP rear and 1.2MP front unit, and was available in 1GB RAM and 16/32/64 GB internal memory configuration.

Third party retailer such as Amazon are, however, still selling it.

iPhone SE: 2GB of RAM, old TouchID and selfie cam

So, the new Apple iPhone SE went official yesterday and it's very much an iPhone 6s internals in a 5s body. Well, almost...

As you've probably heard, the SE will not support Force Touch, but on the upside, AnTuTu detected 2GB of RAM - as much as the 6s has and double what the 6 and those before it had.


AnTuTu shows 2GB of RAM on the iPhone SE

For one, the Touch ID sensor is the slower first-generation, unlike the 6s models (first-gen was also used on the iPhone 6).

Another change is the selfie camera - it's back to 1.2MP with f/2.4. That means it's the iPhone 5 selfie camera, the 5s went to f/2.2 and the 6s upped the resolution to 5MP. Retina flash is available, though (yay?).

The iPhone SE uses the M9 motion co-processor but lacks a barometer. This was used for activity tracking as a power-efficient way to estimate how much you've climbed (going up the stairs, for example, before that the GPS was used).

Here's how much the iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7 will cost in Europe

oday Apple has finally made both the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro official, as you may know, after weeks upon weeks of rumors regarding these devices. The company will start taking pre-orders for them on March 24, which is this Thursday, and they will both become available on March 31, one week later.

In case either one interests you but you're in Europe, here's what you are going to have to shell out for the iPhone SE and the new iPad Pro. A word of warning, though: the prices are quite different from the ones announced for the USA.

The 16GB iPhone SE, priced at $399 in the US, will cost you €489 (which translates into $550) if you're in a Eurozone country or £359 ($516) if you're in the UK. The 64GB iPhone SE goes for €589 ($662) in the Eurozone and £439 ($631) in the UK, in both cases much more than the $499 you'll pay in the US.



The iPad Pro 9.7 starts at $599 in the US, with 32GB of storage and Wi-Fi. That same model is priced at €689 ($775) or £499 ($718) across the pond. Move on to 128GB of storage and you'll pay €869 ($977) or £619 ($891) in the EU compared to $749 in the States. The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Pro 9.7 is priced at $899 stateside, €1,049 ($1,179) in the Eurozone, and £739 ($1,063) in the UK.

The differences are staggering, but do keep in mind that EU prices include VAT and US prices don't include sales tax. That said, the amount of that tax varies from state to state, and yet it's generally much lower than VAT rates are in the EU. Furthermore, depending on what state you live in and where you purchase from, you might not even have to pay sales tax at all.

Exchange rates may have something to do with this too, Apple officials would surely point out if asked, but for Europeans it is probably going to be hard to get over the sheer shock of these numbers. On the other hand, such price differences have become more and more the norm in the mobile world recently, so maybe they've gotten used to the situation.

Apple iPhone SE official with 4" display and A9 chip

Apple just announced the iPhone SE with a 4" display. The phone features a body almost identical to the iPhone 5 and 5s, but features the latest gen Apple A9 chip with a dual-core 1.85 GHz Twister processor, PowerVR GT7600 six-core graphics and M9 motion coprocessor.



The 4" display rocks a resolution of 1136x640 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone SE also features Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the screen three times brighter when you take a selfie. The 3D Touch feature from the larger current gen iPhones hasn't made its way to the SE though.

The Apple iPhone SE features the same 12MP iSight camera as its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus siblings. Video recording also gets a boost with 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps, and slow motion 1080p 120fps and 720p 240fps support. The front-facing camera is still the 1.2MP from the 5s, and is complemented with the Retina Flash feature. The SE can also record Live Photos like the 6s.

The iPhone SE includes Apple Pay support thanks to the built-in NFC. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor is carried over from the 5s, however, and is not the faster unit seen on the iPhone 6s.



iPhone SE's design is virtually the same as the iPhone 5s', except for a matte finish on the chamfered edges as opposed to mirror finish on the 5s. As far as measurements go, they're also the same as the iPhone 5s with a weight of 113 grams.

The iPhone SE also includes faster connectivity, with support for up to 19 LTE bands and 150Mbps speed along with VoLTE support. Wi-Fi is also faster with 802.11ac support with 433Mbps speed and Wi-Fi calling support.

The best part about the iPhone SE is its price - it starts at $399 for 16GB of storage, while $499 nets you the 64GB version. The smartphone will be available for free with a two-year contract in the US as well as in $17 monthly installments.



Pre-orders commence on March 24, with sales starting on March 31. The phone will be available in four color versions, including the trendy new Rose Gold.

Recreating the iPhones from rumors: the iPhone 7, SE and Pro

Martin Hajek is back with great looking reconstructions of the upcoming Apple phone lineup, based on the partial glimpses we have gotten from the many leaks.

The images cover the new trio - from the small iPhone SE, through the iPhone 7 to the phablet-sized iPhone Pro (aka 7 Plus).

     
Apple iPhone 7

Martin has incorporated all the rumored "knowledge" about the three, including the redesigned antenna lines on the iPhone 7 (the SE will use the 6s design) and the duo camera on the iPhone Pro.

     
Apple iPhone Pro

Even the details we hope are wrong can be seen in the 3D models - no audio jack on the iPhone 7 and Pro, but it's still there on the iPhone SE.

     
Apple iPhone SE

As you probably already know, the iPhone SE is coming on Monday. Apple may announce a new iPad along with it too.

4" iPhone to be called iPhone SE, to come with 16GB storage

You've seen Apple's upcoming 4" iPhone labeled as either 5se or just "SE," but an alleged photo of its retail box suggests the Apple-preferred name is "iPhone SE" (yes, with capital letters, despite going lower case with the iPhone 5s).

The box is also marked 16GB, suggesting that this remains the base storage option. Better than the 8GB iPhone 5c, we guess, and supposedly there will be a 64GB option (again, no 32GB middle ground).



The other kind of memory, RAM, will likely go back to 1GB after growing to 2GB with the 6s generation. The iPhone SE will still use the Apple A9 chipset, though, at least that's what we hear.

It goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway - these boxes are easy to fake. For 100% true info, tune in on Monday when Apple reveals the new 4-incher.

Thanks, Guido, for sending this in!

iPhone 6S deal: save an extra £25 with this 4GB iPhone deal from EE

EE has teamed up with Mobiles.co.uk to offer an additional saving on one of the UK's most popular phone tariffs - £29.99 per month for 4GB data and unlimited everything else on EE.

Using the voucher code iphone25 you can save an extra £25 on the upfront cost of the iPhone 6S 16GB, bringing the price down to £125 from £150. It's not an enormous saving, but this deal is already one of the best out there so it's worth looking at if you want a new iPhone 6S.

The fact that it's on EE, the UK's most popular network, is an extra bonus!

iPhone 6S deal in full:

This deal is available for one week:

iPhone 6S 16GB | £150 £125 upfront | Unlimited minutes and texts | 4GB data | £29.99pm
This is a really great iPhone 6S deal on the 16GB model with EE, and with the magic voucher code iphone25 you can even save an extra £25 on the upfront cost, making it £125 instead of £150. Then it's just £29.99 per month on EE, with 4GB data and unlimited everything else.Total cost over 24 months is £844.76

Get this deal from Mobiles.co.uk: Space Grey | Silver | Rose Gold | Gold
Voucher code: iphone25

iPhone 6S vs iPhone 6S Plus: Apple's latest smartphones go head to head

Apple's latest two superphones have a lot in common, but they're far from identical - and in many ways they're aimed at quite different users. And with the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus both carrying a hefty price tag, it's vital that you make the right choice and avoid buyer's remorse.

So how does Apple's compact champion compare to its beastly blower? And which is the right phone for you? We've put the two handsets head to head to give you all the facts and figures, and help you choose.

Design

In a lot of ways, the design of the iPhone 6S is very similar to that of the iPhone 6S Plus. Both phones have a metal chassis crafted from '7000 series aluminium', a material designed to make the handsets stronger than their predecessors.

Both also have the same overall shape and appearance, with a rounded body, and antenna lines running along the back. They also come in the same selection of colours: silver, gold, space grey or rose gold.

But of course their dimensions differ. The iPhone 6S is 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm, while the iPhone 6S Plus is 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm. That makes the iPhone 6S Plus significantly larger than its sibling, and a little thicker, and in practice it's slightly more unwieldy to use, especially with one hand.

The iPhone 6S Plus is also heavier, at 192g, while the iPhone 6S is just 143g. You'll likely feel that difference in both your hand and your pocket.

Display

At 5.5 inches the iPhone 6S Plus has a larger screen than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6S. There are merits to that larger screen, as movies and games look great on it, and you can also fit more on the display when browsing the web and using apps.

On the flip side, it makes it more awkward to use the phone one-handed. Unless you have massive mitts you'll probably be forced to operate it with two hands much of the time, or just write off the extremities of the screen as a lost cause. The iPhone 6S, meanwhile, is small enough to use comfortably with one hand.

The size isn't the only difference between these two displays - the 1080 x 1920 iPhone 6S Plus screen is also higher in resolution than the 750 x 1334 iPhone 6S display. Despite the larger screen size the 6S Plus also has a higher pixel density, at 401 pixels per inch, while the display on the iPhone 6S is just 326 pixels per inch.

So the screen on the iPhone 6S Plus is sharper, and therefore slightly better overall. But both handsets have great displays, producing bright, vibrant colours, and both benefit from Apple's innovative - but so far underused - 3D Touch feature.

Power and performance

The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus each have a 1.84GHz dual-core Apple A9 processor and 2GB of RAM, so they offer almost identical performance.

The A9 supposedly provides significantly more power than the A8 chip in the iPhone 6 andiPhone 6 Plus, but with those phones still delivering slick performance the real world difference is negligible.

The key thing to note here is that, aside from the occasional bit of slowdown when loading or exiting apps, both the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are almost impeccably smooth operators. Down the line the iPhone 6S might prove a little nippier as it's got fewer pixels to power, but that's not likely to cause a noticeable difference.

Camera

There's little between the phones here too. The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus both have 12MP snappers on the back and 5MP cameras on the front.

Both phones are highly competent shooters, but the iPhone 6S Plus has the edge as it features optical image stabilisation to reduce camera shake, which causes blurred shots.

Battery life

Neither of these phones are exactly known for their battery life, but the iPhone 6S Plus is the better of the two.

Its 2750mAh juice pack is bigger than the 1715mAh one in the iPhone 6S, and despite having a larger phone to power it's also longer lasting, with Apple quoting up to 24 hours of talk time on the 6S Plus, against just 14 hours on the 6S.

The difference in battery consumption when it comes to internet use, video and audio playback, and standby times are similarly striking. Both phones will typically need a daily charge, but the iPhone 6S Plus should more comfortably see you through to bed time.

Price and availability

The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are both widely available, but you'll pay a premium for Apple's larger handset. It starts at £619 (US$749, AU$1,229) for the 16GB version, with the price rising to £789 (US$949, AU$1,529) for the 128GB model.

The iPhone 6S isn't exactly cheap either though, at £539 ($649, AU$1,079) for the 16GB phone and £699 ($849, AU$1,379) for the 128GB version.

Verdict

The choice between the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus largely comes down to whether you want a phablet or would prefer something more compact.

That distinction aside, the iPhone 6S Plus has the edge in a number of areas, thanks to its larger battery, a sharper screen and optical image stabilisation. But it's also significantly more expensive, and a little awkward to use with one hand.

Ultimately, however, these are both four-star phones, and the best Apple has to offer - at least until the iPhone 7 arrives.

iPhone sales are reportedly on the decline, but why?

Apple has had some tough times recently. iPad sales have been down, Apple Watch didn't set the wearable industry on fire, stock prices have been dropping steadily - shares are at the lowest point they've been since August 2014 - and the Wall Street Journal has reported that the company is "scaling back" orders for iPhones, apparently due to lower sales.

According to the WSJ article, the decreased orders from Apple resulted in layoffs at Foxconn, Apple's China-based manufacturing partner, during the typically busy holiday season. Additionally, the article cites Japan's Nikkei newspaper, claiming that Apple is slashing manufacturing of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus by 30 percent compared to previous expectations.

The drop in expected sales is a far cry from the record-setting launch of Apple's latest smartphones back in September 2015, which saw the company sell more than 13 million units of iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in three days. It's possible that Apple's simply a victim of its own success, with most of its sales this time coming up front instead of spreading out over the following months. Or is the reported sales drop due to stiffer competition? Regardless of the cause, there's no indication at present that Apple is cutting forecasts for the expected release of iPhone 7 this fall.

As is typical, Apple declined to discuss its sales forecasts with the WSJ. The company has, however, chosen to issue a press release touting the recent successes of the App Store over the holidays, which generated $1.1 billion from apps and in-app purchases in the two weeks between December 20 and January 3, including a record-setting $144 million spent on Jan. 1.

Apple's iPhone sales picture should become more clear with its next quarterly earnings call, which is scheduled for January 26.

January Sales' best iPhone 6S deal: save £100 on the 64GB model with code TRXMAS64

Update: this deal was scheduled to end after the first week of January but it's been extended - woohoo! We're not sure how much longer this great deal will last though, so our advice is: get it while it's still going because it won't last forever and it's still by far the best iPhone 6S deal out there.

If you're looking for a new iPhone in the January Sales, this deal is for you. It was introduced by O2 and Mobiles.co.uk (owned by Carphone Warehouse) just before Christmas but we're hearing the deal will run for at least another week in the January Sales.

While it lasts we think this is the best iPhone deal in the UK. It allows you to use a voucher code to save £100 on the upfront cost of the superior 64GB version of the latest iPhone 6S. That discount allows you to get the iPhone 6S 64GB cheaper than the 16GB version so it's hot.

After the £100 is discounted, you'll pay just £75 for the phone instead of £175, and then £31 per month for a great 4G contract with O2. For your money you'll get unlimited calls, unlimited text messages and 3GB data - enough for 99% of people.

We've had a look around at Carphone Warehouse, Mobiles.co.uk, Mobile Phones Direct and e2save.com as well as all the network sites (EE. O2, Three, Vodafone and more) and this is simply the best iPhone 6S deal out there right now - it really is staggeringly good value and it's set to run for another week.
The TRXMAS64 iPhone 6S deal in full:

iPhone 6S 64GB | £175 £75 up front | Unlimited calls | Unlimited texts | O2 4G | 3GB data | £31pm | £819 total
Use the voucher code TRXMAS64 at the checkout to save £100 on the superior 64GB version of the iPhone 6S and pay £75 upfront instead of £175. Then you'll be on a 4G contract with O2 which offers unlimited calls and texts and 3GB data for £31 per month. Total cost of this deal over two years is £819.
Get this deal in Space Grey
Get this deal in Silver
Get this deal in Gold
Voucher code: TRXMAS64
A quick comparison...

The next best deal on the iPhone 64GB is at Mobiles Phones Direct - but there you'll be paying £45.75 more in total (not to mention a hefty £384.99 up front), and for just 1GB data instead of 3GB.

The absolute cheapest way to get hold of an iPhone 6S on contract is this deal also at Mobile Phones Direct - going for that deal would save you £34.75 - but you'd be getting the 16GB version of the phone instead of the 64GB version, and 1GB data instead of 3GB. Cheaper yet, but far less value in that deal.