A customer shows his Apple Inc. iPhone SE after purchasing it at the company's Omotesando store on March 31, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo : Getty Images/Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
Following the iPhone 7 release date later this 2016, Apple is expected to provide discounts for the older iPhone models that should make the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and the 4-inch iPhone SE even more compelling. The SE starting price, for instance, is likely to slide from $399 to $299.
It has been the business model for Apple in the past years - each time the upgraded editions are rolled out the sticker price for the old devices is pushed down. The price downgrade takes effect across the board, meaning buyers can expect the iPhones, iPads and MacBooks of last year to become cheaper.
For the iPhone 6S and phablet iPhone 6S Plus, the price retreat should leave the tag in Apple Store at $550 and $650, respectively or $100 off for the unlocked version of the handsets, according to 9to5Mac. And like in previous years, the 2015 iPhones will serve as Apple's budget smartphones.
As for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the chance is high that the models will be discontinued, which was the case when Apple rolled out the iPhone 5S in 2013 - mass production of the iPhone 5 was halted.
But what could gain greater interest from consumers - Apple and non-Apple fans alike - is the iPhone SE, which shares nearly the same powerful and premium specifications of the 6S and 6S Plus except for its smaller packaging. If indeed the SE will get $100 price cut for both the 16GB and 64GB variants then buyers will get the chance to snap up any of the models for as low as $299.
The asking price will prove a steal considering the high-end specs headlined by A9 processing chip, 2GB RAM and a 12MP rear shooter. To further sweeten the deal, the iPhone SE is assured of receiving full firmware support - that's getting iOS updates - for at least five years like what Apple did with the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone SE could end up as a sleeper hit for Apple as the tech giant has previously indicated that some 30 percent of existing iPhone users are still on the 4-inch and 3.5-inch profiles. Presumably, they prefer the easier to navigate small display and are likely to upgrade on a more powerful and reasonably priced device, which the iPhone SE would be in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 iPhone launch.
However, the next iPhone with basic storage of 32GB, long wanted by many users, could also prove a game-changer. Or it could be the iPhone SE 2, which is a step up from its predecessor, that 9to5Mac said could be a welcome surprise that Apple would simply drop.
