iPhone 6s video shows working display and logic board of Apple's new smartphone

A leaked video claiming to show assembled parts of what is expected to be Apple's next smartphone reveals the iPhone 6s display and logic board assembled into a semi-working handset. The video, and accompanying images, seem to reiterate the thinking that changes to the iPhone 6s will mostly be internal.

Apple is widely expected to refresh its smartphone line-up in the coming weeks (as it does every year around this time) with 9 September the date being speculated for the company's big reveal. It is expected to show off updated versions of its two flagship models, with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sticking to Apple's normal update cycle of incremental improvements following a major update last year.

The video, which was published by MacRumors and likely comes from the supply chain in China, shows what is claimed to be the 5in display of the iPhone 6s connected to the smartphone's logic board. The video shows the handset powering on, but only showing a gear icon on the homescreen rather than booting up iOS.

The leak brings together several previous pieces of information which have leaked out about the new smartphone though obviously it is hard to verify just how accurate this video is. What is even more interesting than the video however are the images published alongside it by the Apple news website.

Networking speed upgrade

These images indicate that one of the major areas of improvement in the iPhone 6s will be in relation to networking speed. The images show that Apple is planning to use a new chip from Qualcomm which will increase 4G speeds while reducing the amount of powered needed. Additionally, Apple will use Qualcomm's WTR3925 radio frequency transceiver chip which is built on a smaller – and crucially more power-efficient – 28nm process (compared to 65nm in the iPhone 6). MacRumors says the change will also "eliminate the need for a separate companion chip (WFR1620 on the iPhone 6) for carrier aggregation, which combines separate spectrums into a single faster connection to increase data speeds and network capacity".

Elsewhere the leaked video gives some indication that Apple may be considering introducing the Force Touch technology on the iPhone 6s. Force Touch is the technology first seen on the Apple Watch and allows the system to measure the pressure of a user's touch, activating different features the hard you press.

The leaked images show a change in the way the shielding on the rear of the display is attached, with it being glued in place rather than screwed. While this is far from a confirmation of the presence of Force Touch, it is an interesting change nonetheless.

The Apple rumour mill is an industry all of its own and we are likely to see an increasing amount of leaks in the coming weeks ahead of the launch next month. Apple is typically better than any other major manufacturer at prevent leaks, but in recent years it seems to have softened it approach to those doing the leaking. Back in 2010 when Gizmodo got its hands on an iPhone 4 prototype and published details of the device, it found itself barred from all Apple events for the next four years.