Hot Tech of the Month: iPhone 6S

This September, the brand new iPhone 6S took centre stage at the San Francisco launch event. As we all know, Apple dominates the marketplace (in the last seven years, it’s sold half a billion iPhones alone), so when a new product comes out, it’s naturally a big topic of conversation in the tech world.

Firstly, what does the new iPhone offer that others don’t?

Perhaps the most talked about change is the introduction of 3D Touch technology. Described as a “right click” for mobile, it works in a similar way to Force Touch on the Apple Watch. Each time you apply some pressure to the screen it results in a pop-up window in front of a blurred, translucent background. This means you can “take action on apps without even having to open them”, according to Apple executive Craig Federighi. For example, pushing on a calendar entry will show you more information about it and pushing on an email opens a preview of the message – pushing harder actually opens it.

It’s also said to be more durable, thanks to its entirely new aluminium case: “the same alloys used in the aerospace industry.” Anyone who has ever suffered from a smashed screen will also be pleased to know that the iPhone 6S’ glass is “the strongest in the industry, made with a dual ion exchange process.” To the naked eye, however, the phone looks almost identical to 2014’s iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6S has a much-improved camera, and has an entirely new technology in the form of Live Photos – short bursts of moving images and sound. When you take a picture, you are actually capturing one and a half seconds before and after your press the shutter button; pressing the 3D Touch screen essentially “brings the photos to life.”

Apple also states that WiFi is twice as speedy on the new phone, meaning people can access the Internet faster than ever.

So what does all this mean to marketers?

Marketers will have to expect an impact on their email marketing metrics as a result of the “Peek” 3D Touch option. If glancing at a preview counts as an opened email, read rates should witness a considerable lift. On the other hand, click-to-open rates may see a decline if users are only previewing and not clicking through on any call-to-action. The trick here is to recognise that metrics may shift as a result of this new feature and take these factors on board. Marketers may need to rethink how they intend to entice and engage email recipients by providing valuable content and relevant subject lines to make them want more than just a preview.