iPhone SE Rumors, Features And Release Date: New Model Predicted To Have Risky Future

By Jenn Loro - 21 Mar '16 07:40AM

This Monday, Apple will hold its highly anticipated March 21st event where tech buffs, analysts, and observers expect the unveiling of some devices including a mid-cycle iPhone update labeled as the 'iPhone SE'.

Compared to Apple's last two smartphone generations, the 4-inch 'special edition' device is smaller than iPhone 6 and its variants but with almost the same features but at a more affordable price.

Although tagged as a cheap gadget by some, the palm-sized phone is not exactly cheap. The price is predicted to hit around $450 or slightly higher.

Let's look at some of the rumored specs that people expect to see during the event in Cupertino.

Notable Specs and other key features

According to a round-up report by The Telegraph, iPhone SE is expected to have almost identical dimensions of its earlier cousin, iPhone 5 and 5s models that also had 4-inch screen and boxy frame and shape. Unconfirmed reports also mentioned of some iPhone 6 features included in the device. The gadget supposedly comes with a 12 MP camera, 4k video recording, upgraded A9 processor, and Apple Pay support. As for storage offering, Apple may stick with the 16G. No 3D touch feature are expected but could include live photos.

Pros and Cons

Although leading smartphone makers are gunning for bigger screen size (phablets) these days, midsized phones actually account for nearly 50% of the global market according to a report by Recode. The market size of small phones can make the iPhone SE still quite attractive. While Apple prided itself as the leader in the high-end phone market, the mid-cycle replacement is meant to offset plummeting sales in months ahead of the release of the next flagship device. Also, a lower-priced special edition iPhone can capture a significant share in emerging markets where most people could afford only sub-$200 phones.

However, analysts also noted that expectations have been diluted with little room for a 'wow moment'. Most people have been accustomed to Apple's 'next big thing' unveiling of devices in its events. Sadly, iPhone SE doesn't seem to represent something new or something radical for tech consumers as mentioned in a report by Forbes.

Is iPhone SE risky? Well, it depends on how things unfold after the device becomes available for public consumption.