Wesley's Tool-Box

After getting my brand new iPhone 6S Plus on its launch day in Japan, I brought it to Korea soon after. As the family enjoyed the Chuseok holidays, my daughter Celine was given the honour of opening the box of this latest iPhone. This might be becoming an annual tradition.


Compared to last year, Celine handled the unboxing much better. She definitely knew what she was supposed to do now. In the box was an iPhone that was almost exactly identical to what she unboxed last year. She happily took it out of the box to show it to everyone in the family.

Looking at the box itself, the size has not been changed in any meaningful way. What's different now is that the front side now displayed a full-colour representation of the phone contained within instead of a minimalistic embossed shape seen with the 6 and 6 Plus. I think this looks much better. Not only does it look more stylish, it's easier to distinguish between the differently coloured models thanks to the distinctively colored drawings on the screen area. This rose gold model sports what appears to be a red goldfish.


Inside the box is much more in line with the expectations. Other than the phone itself, the included accessories and documents were more or less the same as the last year's model. But lifting the phone, I could immediately tell that it was slightly heavier than my iPhone 6 Plus. Maybe this was because I had been using it for more than a full year. The spec sheet points out that it's 20g heavier, and this was due to the 3D Touch feature in the screen. The added weight isn't too much of an issue yet, but it's something I'll be feeling around in the weeks to come.


Now for the colour of the rear shell. This is the first time an iPhone got the rose gold colour option, and preorder trends suggested that it was the most popular. This seems to be a repeat of last year for the new colour; gold coloured 6 and 6 Plus was very popular last year as well.

Rose gold is, in a way, a shiny version of pink. Some men have wondered if the colour was too feminine for them. Looking at it in person, though, it doesn't seem to feel anything like that. The hue is actually subtle and does not look "light" or "blatant" - it has a similar atmosphere as the regular gold version. It should go well with anyone regardless of their gender.


Meanwhile, the gold colour has not been changed from 6 to 6S. So having rose gold version is the only way to immediately show that you have the latest gadget. I suppose that may partially explain the popularity. Looks is only the tip of the iceberg for this hardware update, though...