Apple Just Launched Its Cheapest Smartphone Ever – iPhone SE
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
|---|
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2016, March |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Coming soon. Exp. release 2016, March 31 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 113 g (3.99 oz) | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | |
| – Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
| DISPLAY | Type | LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 4.0 inches (~60.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels (~326 ppi pixel density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes |
| PLATFORM | OS | iOS 9.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A9 | |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 16/64 GB |
| CAMERA | Primary | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 1/3″ sensor size, 1.22 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video and 8MP image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps | |
| Secondary | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm, 720p@30fps, face detection, HDR, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular |
| SOUND | Alert types | Vibration, proprietary ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | v4.2, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | v2.0, reversible connector |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email | |
| Browser | HTML5 (Safari) | |
| Java | No | |
| – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic – Siri natural language commands and dictation – iCloud cloud service – iCloud Keychain – TV-out – Maps – Audio/video player/editor – Organizer – Document viewer/editor – Photo viewer/editor – Voice memo/dial/command – Predictive text input |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 1642 mAh battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 240 h (2G) / Up to 240 h (3G) | |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (3G) | |
| Music play | Up to 50 h |
| MISC | Colors | Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Price group | 8/10 |
With the launch of the new 4-inch iPhone SE, Apple has done quite a bit to upend its “new, older, oldest” lineup strategy. For some time now, the newest iPhone has been on sale for $649 (before discounts) with last year’s model $100 less expensive and the one from the year before slotting in at $449. The SE breaks from tradition in two critical ways for Apple. First, it uses nearly the same hardware inside as the current year’s iPhone 6s. This isn’t just a phone for people looking to save money. Second, the starting price is $399 — where no iPhone has gone before. There’s a lot to unpack here about why this is so important for Apple and consumers, so let’s get to it.
Price… point
Which brings us to the new pricing. At $399, the iPhone SE is not cheap in a world where sub-$100 Android phones are available and strong products like the Moto G can be had for just $200. But it’s a bargain for Apple. This isn’t just a >10% price cut on Apple’s entry product, it’s that combined with a move to make the hardware essentially state of the art. With Apple itself expecting the current quarter to see lower iPhone sales year over year — for the first time ever — the move to lower pricing can only be interpreted one way: Apple is trying to increase market share.
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