Rumours have been flying around for a couple of months now, about a new smaller iPhone that Apple is planning to launch soon. The smartphone is, according to several reports, an upgraded version of the iPhone 5S. While older claims stated that the smartphone would be called the iPhone 5se, it seems Apple might just drop the ‘5’ from the figure.
The ever trustworthy Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac reports that, in a order to avoid confusion among customer regarding the regular iPhone 6 and so on lifecycle, Apple mught just drop the “5” from this new 4-inch device and call it just “SE”.
The iPhone SE (Special Edition) was initially reported to be a stripped down version of the iPhone 6S and was expected to be called the iPhone 7C. Later reports made it clear that this new smartphone wouldn’t come under the ‘C’ genre.
As far as we know, the smartphone is going to be powered by an A9 processor along with an M9 unit for fitness tracking and always-on “Hey Siri” support. It will also feature Live Photos, an upgraded 8-megapixel camera system, an NFC chip for Apple Pay and other goodies that you could come to expect from any latest smartphone. It is expected to come in 16 and 64 GB variants. The only thing that separates this new iPhone from other smartphones in the market today is its screen size.
While most manufacturers today are opting for an increase in screen size, Apple seems to be receding in this respect. The upcoming phone is said to go back to 4-inches in diagonal screen size (that’s like three years into the past).
The new iPhone, if named the SE, will be the company’s first non-numbered smartphone. It will also be logically removed from a yearly update cycle. The iPhone SE is expected to replace the iPhone 5 in the market.
The Cupertino company will apparently be showcasing this new iPhone at an event planned for the 15th of March. Roll out of the device can be expected for as soon as the 18th of the same month.
