iPhone 6s

Reports indicate Apple is poised to offer significant upgrades to the next generation iPhone camera. The iPhone 6s is expected to launch this fall, packing hardware and software upgrades into the same form factor as the existing iPhone 6. Mobile photography is clearly a priority for Apple considering the award winning "Shot on iPhone 6" campaign that has swept the globe. Camera upgrades have always been highlights of Apple keynote presentations, even when the change does not involve increasing the number of megapixels. This is all set to change according to documents leaked on Chinese site Weibo.

According to the The Wall Street Journal, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is planning for its largest iPhone launch to date this fall when it unveils the next generation iPhone. The company is reportedly planning to order between 85 and 90 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (unofficial names so far) units from its manufacturers, compared to an initial production run of 70 to 80 million for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models last fall.

There have been a lot of iOS 9 leaks over the last few days. So far we have learned that the new iOS will allegedly support older devices such as the iPhone 4s, add a new "Home" app for HomeKit intergration and finally bring transit directions to the Maps app. 9to5Mac sources have also confirmed today that the rumored iPhone 6s will feature the same Force Touch technology as the Apple Watch, MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Apple is said to be testing two configurations of Force Touch technology for the next generation iPhone. Sources told DigiTimes that the new iPhone 6s sensors will be supplied by the same companies manufacturing these panels for Apple Watch. Force Touch makes it possible for devices to discern between a light tap and a heavy press when interacting with the display.

According to the report, a Force Touch sensor layer is likely to be placed below touch panel backlighting. This approach would reduce interference with the in-cell touch panel, however it requires additional components and a new flexible printed circuit design. Another configuration being tested locates the Force Touch sensor directly under the outermost protective screen layer, above the in-cell touch panel.

Normally this time of year is filled with next-generation iPhone rumors, but anticipation for the Apple Watch has pushed interest in Apple's iPhone refresh to the back burner. The few "iPhone 6s" rumors that have surfaced have mostly come from AppleInsider, who today reported that the next iPhone will ship with 2GB of RAM and possibly a pre-installed Apple SIM.

A unnamed "reliable" source claims that the next-generation iPhone lineup will be upgraded from 1 gigabyte of RAM to 2 gigabytes. Apple fans had hoped that the larger iPhone 6 Plus would ship with more RAM when it was released in 2014, but Apple instead decided to expand the RAM embedded in the A8X chip found in the iPad Air 2. The last time the RAM of Apple's iPhone lineup was increased was in 2012 with the release of the iPhone 5.