The Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple, confirmed years of rumors on March 21 by announcing that it will release a powerful 4-inch iPhone SE on March 31. The smartphone will be available from all major U.S. carriers.
Since Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in September 2014, avid fans would rather stick with an older model due to the overall smaller size than upgrade to the latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The iPhone SE has been referred to differently since January - first as iPhone 5e, then iPhone 5se, before eventually settling for iPhone SE.
The iPhone SE was reported to pack the same A9 and M9 processors found in Apple's flagship iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. On March 21, the company held a press event where it launched a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, brand-new Apple Watch bands, and a small and powerful new 4-inch iPhone SE.
Speaking via Apple's official website, Philip Schiller described iPhone SE as "an exciting new idea." He is the company's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
"We started with a beloved, iconic design and reinvented it from the inside out," Schiller said. "The result is the most beautiful and powerful phone with a four-inch display in the world."
According to Schiller, the smartphone comes with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, high-end 64-bit A9 chip with M9 motion co-processor, 12MP iSight camera with True Tone flash, longer life battery, 4K video, Live Photos, Wi-Fi and faster LTE, and Touch ID with Apple Pay. Users who want a smaller phone will be thrilled with iPhone SE.
With regard to availability, pricing, preorders, and release date for iPhone SE, the company will start accepting preorders for the iPhone SE on Thursday, March 24 via its online store and release the phone on March 31. The 16GB iPhone SE has a price tag of $399 full retail price, while the 64GB model will cost $499. The tech giant is offering four carrier choices besides a SIM-free option - AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.
The smartphone will be available in the same four-color configuration as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The colors are Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, and Gold.
According to CNET, AT&T is the only U.S. carrier to give pricing details through its AT&T Next program. The 16GB starts at $15 activation fee, $13.30 monthly for 30 months, $16.63 per month for 24 months, or $19.95 per month for 20 months.
Users should expect seeing similar installment prices from other major carriers and once information from T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon trickles in, we will give an update. Meanwhile, watch the clip below for more information: