Apple iPhone 5s
Apple has sent out the invites for its March 21 event that is rumored to out both the iPhone SE and a smaller iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch screen. While the attention is trained more on the new 4-inch iPhone, analysts are saying that the iPhone 5S selling for as low as $250 could steal the thunder off of the new device.
Packing the same screen profile but boasting of fresher and more powerful hardware, headlined by the A9 processing chip and the M9 motion co-processor, the iPhone SE is tipped to eventually bump off the 2013 Apple flagship iPhone 5S. But certainly there will be stocks to remain prior to the actual 5S retirement.
Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, according to Apple Insider, is predicting that to speed up the iPhone 5S cleanup process the tech giant will significantly reduce its starting price tag that currently stands at $450 in Apple Store. As the result of the iPhone SE intro, the 5S could start selling for as low as $250, Munster said.
His forecast aligns with the earlier readings coming from KGI Securities analysts Ming-chi Kuo. Known for his mostly accurate predictions on upcoming Apple products and services, Kuo said that the new 4-inch iPhone will sell below the $500 mark and will likely match that of the present 5S basic selling price of $450.
In such case, the KGI analyst is convinced that the tech giant will keep the 5S on its active product catalog but with a more compelling price point. The mark down to be seen on the 5S could be as high as 50 percent, Kuo said, leaving the new iPhone 5S starting price at $225 or within the range offered by the new Piper Jaffray report.
The iPhone 5S remaining on active circulation for an extended time makes sense, Apple Insider said, pointing to the iPhone 4S as a precedent. Apple still sells the 3.5-inch 4S and has made a mark on markets where the pricy new iPhone models are hard to reach by most consumers.
Also, selling the iPhone the 5S with the new models but at a reduced price will allow Apple to satisfy a market segment that still prefer small devices, largely due to the design that is optimized for one-hand use.
And while the iPhone 5S hardware specs, bannered by the 64-bit A7 chip, will slightly lag behind it newer siblings Apple is likely to support the device beyond iOS 9 and 10, which should be reasons enough for buyers to forget about the slightly boosted up iPhone SE.
