Apple has unveiled the iPhone SE, its new 4-inch smartphone with the power of the iPhone 6s, but in the body of the iPhone 5s.
The iPhone SE has the rear camera of the iPhone 6s, the front camera of the iPhone 5s, and boasts the A9 processor of the latest flagship iPhone.
Live Photos, 4K video recording, and slow-motion video are all supported by the SE.
The iPhone SE also has Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor and support for NFC and Apple Pay.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 are also included.
The SE does not support 3D Touch, though, a feature which is still exclusive to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
The device is available in two models, priced as follows:
- 16GB: $399
- 64GB: $499
Colour options available are: Silver, Gold, Space Grey, and Rose Gold.
Compared to the iPhone 5S that precedes the new SE at the 4-inch size, Apple’s new smartphone has faster LTE, faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac), better battery life, new microphones, and the significant addition of Apple Pay support. Having sold 30 million 4-inch iPhones in 2015, Apple clearly considers this an important market that it needed to address with its latest specs and capabilities and that’s what the iPhone SE aims to achieve.
“Many, many customers have asked for this,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during Apple’s launch event. “And I think they’re going to love it.”
Orders will open on 24 March, and the phone will be available on 31 March.
South Africa is not on the list of launch countries, but Apple said the SE would be available in over 100 countries by the end of May.