What really convinced Apple to issue a new 4-inch version of its flagship smartphone that reportedly will be called iPhone 5SE on release date? A new report said that the tech giant is betting on the likelihood that some 300 million iPhone users will jump to the new device the moment it becomes available.
As of March 2015, buyers across the globe have snapped up around 700 million iPhones, according to The Verge. And by the end of the year, more than 100 million units were cleared on the back of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus that hit the market in the last quarter of 2015.
Roughly, some 800 million iPhones have sold since the smartphone debuted in 2007. In the latest Apple earnings report, company CEO Tim Cook mentioned an interesting nugget of information - that an estimated 60 percent of active iPhone users remain in the 4-inch and 3.5-inch versions of the handset.
A related report by Mixpanel indicated that indeed a sizeable portion of iPhone fans have yet to join the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone club. The research group, however, has provided a relatively modest but still mind-boggling statistic - nearly 40 percent of active iPhone users have opted not to upsize for unknown reasons.
The Mixpanel data, per a report by BGR, suggests that over 300 million iPhone users are considered as holdouts. As two iPhone generations have already arrived since the last 4-inch model, the 2013 flagship iPhone 5S, it seems safe to assume that these users prefer the small form-factor and one-hand-use design of the legacy iPhone models. This could mean that a gold mine is waiting to be tapped by Apple should hundreds of millions decide to upgrade to the next iPhone.
And the 4-inch iPhone 5SE could finally convince to these holdouts to give in. If the rumors will prove correct, Apple is giving them all the reasons to take plunge. The device is said to rock the same iPhone 5S screen profile but the slim look and design of the iPhone 6S.
Inside, it is believed that the 5SE will mirror most of the 6S specs and features. The main engine is A9 processing with the 2GB RAM provision given to the current flagship. The camera prowess, however, is iPhone 6-era - 8MP on rear and 1.2MP on front but the key killer 6S features will be largely present on the iPhone 5SE.
The best part and likely the biggest attraction of the iPhone 5SE is the price tag. Reports said the device will sell starting at the current price point of the iPhone 5S, which is $450. And the device release date is likely to happen in the next few weeks following its March 2016 official unveiling.