The hot list – September 2015

Big news in the tech space: Twitter is trialling a poll function. But there seem to be some teething problems. There’s no support for third-party apps and polls don’t display in embedded tweets. If you want some tech with a little more polish, read on

The hot list – September 2015

iPhone 6s / 6s Plus

Hardware

The launch of an S incarnation of the iPhone typically involves scarcely more than the introduction of a new feature and some slight spec increases. But the 6s and 6s Plus have a little more magic to them than that. Finally bringing Force Touch – here rebranded 3D Touch – to the iPhone, Apple has created a smartphone input gesture as revolutionary as multi-touch was before it. Essentially making the phone pressure sensitive, 3D Touch adds a whole new dimension to the way users can control the iPhone. Coupled with this comes a whole bunch of performance improvements, along with the introduction of Live Photos and 4K video, making the 6s look like a decent step up from its predecessor.

 

iPad Pro

Hardware

The first thing anyone is likely to notice about the iPad Pro is that it’s big. Very big. At 12 inches, it’s not far off the Macbook Pro in terms of size, although it’s quite a bit thinner and lighter. There’s no hiding that this is very much a tablet with designs on the desktop, something reinforced by the number of peripherals Apple is investing in, such as an external keyboard and the Apple Pencil below. But whilst the iPad Pro is certainly a step up from the majority of other tablets, it’s nowhere near Macbook Pro territory, which means it might take power users a little more convincing to drop their laptops just yet.

 

Apple Pencil

Hardware

At the launch of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs ridiculed smartphones’ reliance on styluses; cue much ridicule a few weeks ago when Apple announced the release of the Pencil for the aforementioned iPad Pro. However, its detractors have rather missed the point: rather than intending it to be a general input device, Apple is hoping that Pencil will help turn the iPad into a device capable of rivalling Wacom’s graphics tablets. The Pencil can detect position, force and tilt, which will enable artists, illustrators and designers to sketch away to their hearts’ content.

 

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

Hardware

Already a striking device, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has become even more attention-grabbing in its latest incarnation the S6 Edge+, growing from 5.1 to 5.7 inches. In terms of both performance and camera, this is still one of the best phones on the market, although it is true that its battery life leaves a little to be desired. But the real deal breaker is arguably the price, which is enough to make even an oligarch’s eyes water. Coming in at £750, the S6 Edge+ makes the £619 iPhone 6s Plus look cheap by comparison. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Russell
Josh Russell
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