Apple’s smaller iPhone… with a price that’s still rather large
APPLE has listened to its customers and come up with a smaller iPhone.
The price, however, is anything but – with the new SE model costing £359.
While Apple’s most recent phones had seemed to suggest bigger was better, with the 4.7in 6S and 5.5in 6S Plus launched last September, this latest model will see the size shrink back down to 4in.
Apple’s head of iPhone marketing, Greg Joswiak, said the firm had sold 30million 4in iPhones in 2015 and it hopes to repeat that this year with the SE model.
‘ Some people simply love smaller phones,’ he said.
‘Some people asked us, some people even pleaded with us, please keep the 4in products in our line-up. Today we’re going to do just that and we’re going to make it a lot better.’
It is effectively a replacement for the iPhone 5S, which had a UK starting price of £379 for the 16GB version, rising to £419 for the 32GB model.
The SE – special edition – is £20 cheaper at £359, however it also contains several upgrades in technology and design.
Analysts suggest a cheaper price may appeal to parents faced with youngsters demanding their own phone.
But, in reality, most would much rather be able to give their children an iPhone that can withstand the rigours of daily life without the screen breaking or the handset failing because it got wet on the journey to school.
The iPhone SE will be available in colours of silver, space grey, gold and rose gold, with both 16GB and 64GB storage options and a slightly larger battery.
British consumers will pay considerably more than their US counterparts, where the starting price for the 16GB handset is $399 – £278. Part – but not all – of the £81 price difference can be explained by the fact UK consumers have to pay VAT sales tax at 20 per cent.
The new model includes a 12-megapixel camera as well as 4K video recording, and an upgraded A9 processor that will make it speedier.
It also comes with Apple Pay, which allows users to pay for purchases by tapping the handset on a till receiver in a similar way to contactless bank cards.
And it has ‘Touch ID’, which can use fingerprint recognition to access the handset rather than a PIN code.
Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said: ‘iPhone SE is an exciting new idea – we started with a beloved, iconic design and re-invented it from the inside out. The result is the most beautiful and powerful phone with a 4in display in the world.
‘Everyone who wants a smaller phone is going to love iPhone SE.’
The company will start taking orders for the new phone on Thursday and it will be available from March 31.
Details were revealed at a media event streamed from the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The company also revealed a series of new Apple Watch accessories, as well as new versions of its iPad, which improve the speed and camera design.