Sept. 29--Now that the new iPhone 6S is available, maybe you're looking for ways to show it off via Twitter, Facebook and the like. Or maybe this is your first new mobile since 1998 and you just can't believe you can do social media on a phone.
You can. You really can, and you'll be amazed at what you can do. I'm writing this column right now on my iPhone 6 Plus, and even for someone like me who is immersed daily in this kind of stuff, it never gets old.
The ability to take your social media wherever you go isn't anything new, but I'm always surprised at how many people aren't taking full advantage of the latest technology.
So here are six things to keep in mind as you get social on your shiny new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
If this is your first iPhone 6, you'll love the bigger screen
The regular iPhone 6S has a 4.7-inch screen, while the 6S Plus covers 5.5 inches. While 4.7 inches doesn't seem much different from 4 inches, you'll really notice it when you see that extra row of icons. Yep, a bigger screen means more icons, and if you're anything like me, you'll obsess endlessly over which social media apps go where.
These are the first phones with 3D Touch
It's not clear how each app will take advantage of the new technology, but the opportunities seem exciting. You're used to swiping and pinching, but 3D Touch makes it possible to press, and different levels of pressing, soft and hard, will determine how the phone responds. That means a hard press to send a tweet is not out of the question.
The new iOS 9 comes preinstalled
Apple says there are all kinds of noticeable improvements in the latest iPhone operating system, from better security to better battery life to an even smarter Siri. All of those things can be important whether you're tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming or Snapchatting.
Update your apps right away
Some of you have your iPhones set to do this automatically, but if you don't, you'll want to make sure you have the latest and greatest to take advantage of the new operating system.
Search the social networking section of the App Store.
If you haven't looked at what's new in a while and only have Twitter and Facebook downloaded, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Livecasting apps such as Periscope and Meerkat are a joy to use on these large screens, and it's fun to draw and add emojis in messaging apps such as Snapchat.
Always be careful.
New technology can entice the wrong crowd, so please watch your surroundings. Don't unbox your new iPhone on the sidewalk and start fiddling with it in a place where you could be vulnerable. There are people out there who would rather steal yours than preorder or wait in a long line. So while a new iPhone with new social media choices is exciting, always use common sense before tweeting and sharing.
I won't be upgrading this time around, but I'm sure we'll still discover new things together. Share your experiences, and your questions, with me on Twitter.
What questions do you have about social media? Tweet them to @scottkleinberg with hashtag #SoSocial. He might select yours for use in a future column.
