Speculations are rife that Apple will unveil its new 4-inch iPhone 5se at an event on March 15. (Photo : Reuters)
For quite some time now, the Internet is flooded with speculations and rumors regarding the launch of a 4-inch iPhone. Now that Apple has confirmed that the company's next launch event will be hosted on March 15, both tech enthusiasts and experts are expecting that the purported device, dubbed as iPhone 5se, will see the light of the day on the said occasion.
While speculations are rife that the Cupertino-based tech giant is aiming to launch a host of its products, including the iPad Air 3, a 4-inch iPhone and the next-gen Apple Watch, 9to5Mac says that Apple is yet to confirm this. Nevertheless, Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac, who has been closely following Apple Inc. for years and has excellent contacts in the company, claimed that the iPhone 5se will certainly be unveiled on March 15.
According to a previous report in The Verge, Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst who has correctly predicted many Apple product launches earlier, believes that the Cupertino-based tech giant has been planning to launch a 4-inch iPhone in early 2016, and the device, which bears resemblance to the iPhone 5s, will pack an A9 processor.
Ku had further stated that the purported iPhone 5se would be equipped with the 3D Touch screen, which was introduced on the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, and later incorporated into the Apple Watch. He also predicted that Apple is likely to ship anything between 20 and 30 million units of the iPhone 5se in 2016.
According to the website, Apple is keen to boost the sales of its 4-inch iPhone and, hence, plans to replace the existing iPhone 5s with an iPhone 5se. It further stated that the new 4-inch iPhone will pack an A9 chip and sport superior cameras. In addition, the device is also expected to include support for Apple Pay and taking Live Photos.
Under the hood, the purported iPhone 5se, which was earlier called iPhone 6c, will pack revamped hardware, while the exterior will more or less be the same as the iPhone 5s. However, the purported device will be less shiny compared to its predecessor and may come with somewhat curved edges.
Recent rumors suggest that the iPhone 5se will carry the same price tag as its predecessor, the iPhone 5s, and the starting price is expected to be $450. However, the downside of the device will be that it will have just 16 GB native storage, which is considered too low.
Watch a leaked video of iPhone 5se below:
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