All we really know about Apple for the coming week is that the company will be holding an event on March 21. That's it — talks of a new iPhone and iPad are still just rumors.
However, if those rumors turn out to be true (and at this point, they seem quite likely), then it seems Apple is moving toward shrinking its mobile devices. Besides a smaller iPad Pro, the probable star of the event will be a smaller iPhone just like the iPhone 5S. As a result, the price of the iPhone 5S should decrease as well.
The coming of the iPhone SE ("Special Edition") will share similar physical similarities to the existing iPhone 5S still being sold by Apple. The newer, smaller iPhone will retain a four-inch screen, but with updated specs such the latest A9 processor, M9 motion processor, Touch ID, Apple Pay and higher megapixel cameras on both front and rear.
In short, Apple's upcoming iPhone SE should be packing all the best things about the iPhone 6S, just without all the extra screen real estate. If there is one major omission between the two devices, however, it's 3D Touch. Reports reveal the SE model may lack the new feature.
Typical of Apple, storage for the iPhone SE will still start at 16 GB up to 32 GB, and it will come in a handful of colors: Gold, Rose Gold, Silver and Space Gray. Overall, analysts predict the Cupertino company will sell the device somewhere between $400 and $500. Naturally, the price of the iPhone 5S will come down as well to a probable new low, falling between $250 and $350.
Comparing Apple's more expensive iPhones with the plethora of cheaper Android devices wouldn't be fair. However, at such a low price point for what was once Apple's flagship, Apple would be poised to claim a greater share of new customers coming from emerging markets.
It's a similar strategy to what Apple has already undertaken in India. The iPhone 4S was sold in emerging markets even after it was discontinued in more developed markets around the world. Prior to its recent discontinuation in India (presumably to make way for the iPhone 5S and SE), the iPhone 4S cost just about $175. For the time being, Apple's cheapest handset is just around $372.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
