Apple is rumored to be readying a new four-inch iPhone for release in the near future. A new report claims the smartphone will officially be called the iPhone 5se and include specs and features similar to those of the iPhone 6.
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014, the pair shared a brand new design and larger displays than previous iPhone models. The iPhone 6 featured a 4.7-inch display, while the iPhone 6 Plus packed in a 5.5-inch screen, giving many iOS fans what they had been craving for years, larger screens like the ones found on Android smartphones.
Some reviewers and customers felt the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus felt oversized and uncomfortable in the hand, and those reactions likely came from users who felt the four-inch display found on that of its predecessor, the iPhone 5s, was the perfect size. The four-inch screen provided an increase in size from the 3.5-inch display used on every previous iPhone since the iPhone 5 released in 2012 and maintained a feature Steve Jobs loved to highlight when comparing the handset to that of its larger Android rivals — it could be used with one hand.
Reports have been surfacing ever since the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, that Apple would introduce a new model with the specs and features of the larger smartphones but bring back the much-loved four-inch screen and smaller design.
Reports surfaced in early January that a prototype of what was reportedly a four-inch iPhone 6c leaked and showed a device with the same overall design of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. A few days later, a new source claimed that Apple was actually planning on releasing an upgraded version of the iPhone 5s.
9To5Mac is now reporting that the new four-inch iPhone will actually be named iPhone 5se, and Apple employees have described the "se" suffix in two ways, "as a "special edition" variation of the vintage four-inch iPhone screen size and as an "enhanced" version of the iPhone 5s."
While the iPhone 5se will retain most of the iPhone 5s' design and overall size, it will have some notable differences. The chamfered edges found on the iPhone 5s have been replaced with the same curved glass displays found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It will also use the same 8 megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel FaceTime camera and A8 processor and M8 co-processor found in the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 5se will gain the Live Photos feature that debuted on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but unlike those models, the new four-inch iPhone will not feature 3D Touch pressure-sensitive screens. The handset will also be offered in the same Silver, Space Gray, Gold and Rose Gold color options as the current iPhone 6s series.
The report claims the iPhone 5se is already in production, will replace the iPhone 5s while keeping its price point and will launch at an event scheduled for late March.
