New iPhone 6S images show updated NFC, 16GB base storage, fewer chips + design tweaks
storage Chris Smith / BGR : Huge Leak: iPhone 6s Might Not Fix the Worst Thing About the iPhone 6 István Fekete / iPhone in Canada Blog : iPhone 6s Logic Board Images Reveal Updated NFC Chip, 16 GB Flash and More Rajesh Pandey / iPhone Hacks : Leaked iPhone 6s motherboard reveals new NFC chip, 16GB base storage, and more Christian Zibreg / iDownloadBlog.com : Analysis of ‘iPhone 6s’ logic board suggests improved NFC, 16GB base model and more James Kendrick / ZDNet : Top iOS news of the week: Apple Music, Apple owners more loyal than Samsung's, better battery warranty Joseph Keller / iMore : iPhone 6s said to add new NFC hardware, feature fewer components than previous generations Igor Bonifacic / MobileSyrup.com : Leak suggests iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be able to capture 4K video Mike Clark / NFC World+ : Next iPhone to get NFC upgrade? See also Mediagazer
Context & Ripple Effects
This leak lands mid-week in a run of iPhone 6s internals reporting: two days after 9to5Mac detailed a new Qualcomm chip expected to double LTE speeds, leaked logic board photos now put the NFC controller, flash capacity, and component layout on the record before Apple says anything.
The consequential claim is the 16GB flash sitting on that board. Paired with the leaks pointing to 4K video capture, it sets up the storage question that September coverage would settle: Apple keeping the same 16GB/64GB/128GB tier structure even as the camera gets more demanding.
First-order effects
- Buyers of the entry-model iPhone 6s get an updated NFC chip and a simplified logic board, but the leaked 16GB base means the cheapest tier absorbs the full weight of new camera capabilities.
- Apple enters the launch cycle with its bill-of-materials story already public: fewer board components suggest consolidation, while the NFC refresh signals continued investment in the payments hardware path.
Second-order effects
- The 64GB tier becomes the practical minimum for buyers who want 4K recording, quietly shifting mix — and revenue per unit — up the storage ladder without Apple changing the sticker price of the base model.
- Rival Android flagships can attack the 16GB floor directly in launch-season comparisons, turning a component decision Apple made months ago into a marketing liability.
Third-order effects
- If base-tier scarcity persists through a 4K-capable generation, storage becomes a structural upsell lever rather than a spec that tracks capability growth — until sustained criticism forces a reset in a later redesign.
- Fewer-chip boards point toward increasing integration in iPhone internals, concentrating value in single suppliers' silicon rather than discrete components.
The trend: Smartphone makers are holding base storage flat as capture quality climbs, converting a spec freeze into an upsell engine.