iPhone 6s Teardown: 1715 mAh Battery, Taptic Engine X-Ray, 3D Touch Display

iFixit is in the process of taking apart the brand new iPhone 6s. While the internals aren't arranged too differently from the iPhone 6, there are some major visual differences worth noting. These include the new Taptic Engine, a smaller battery and the 3D Touch display.

iphone6steardownr
The most instantly recognizable difference is the smaller battery. While Apple's 3D Touch video previously confirmed that the iPhone 6s would carry a 1715 mAh batter, which is smaller than the iPhone 6's 1810 mAh battery, iFixit's teardown provides further confirmation.

Another major visual difference comes in the presence of the new Taptic Engine, which takes up a large amount of space below the battery and is likely to account for the smaller size of the iPhone 6s' battery. iFixit blasted the Taptic Engine with x-rays, providing a peek into the oscillating mechanism under the aluminum shell.

tapticenginexrayrThe new 3D Touch display weighs 60 grams, making it 15 grams heavier than the iPhone 6's display. Much of the weight comes from the additional capacitive sensors Apple installed into the display backlight. Additional changes to the display include a reduction in cables and a slightly different LCD plate design. Other than that, iFixit notes the 3D Touch display and previous displays "seem pretty similar".

iFixit's iPhone 6s teardown is ongoing and this post will be updated if significant discoveries are made.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
135 months ago
X-rays? Lame. Let me know when they shoot it with gamma rays. I want a thicker, more powerful green iPhone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nyy8 Avatar
135 months ago
Still would rather have a slightly thicker phone with a larger battery. But not going to beat a dead horse.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
135 months ago
You wouldn't like that phone when it's angry...

If it means an even higher Geekbench score then bring it on!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
greytmom Avatar
135 months ago
4 posts and no whining about the battery yet? Where is everyone?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bpeeps Avatar
135 months ago
It looks pretty pink still.
Is this gonna happen in every post now.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
135 months ago
Not really sure about buying an iPhone 6S yet....

Btw the Pope lives a few miles from my home.
Been at the popes house and neighborhood, beautiful architecture.
Woytola used to live there then.

Hope they changed the sign on the door:-)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)