News
U.S. electronics giant releases iPad Pro with slightly smaller screen, price tag.
Apple on Monday unveiled a smaller, cheaper iPhone in a bid to inject new growth into its smartphone business.
The iPhone SE will be available in select markets (see below for a full list) from 24 March, with prices starting at US$399 for the 16 GB version.
Unlike Apple’s previous attempt at a low-cost iPhone – the brightly-coloured iPhone 5C – the SE looks very similar to its premium-priced stablemates, only with a smaller, four-inch screen. Its 12-megapixel camera can shoot 4K video.
"We started with a beloved, iconic design and reinvented it from the inside out. The result is the most beautiful and powerful phone with a four-inch display in the world," said Philip Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, in a statement on Monday.
In January, Apple reported flat iPhone sales in the three months to 26 December, and warned that it expects shipments to fall in the current quarter. The iPhone SE, with its smaller price tag and its March shipping date, is designed to stop the rot early.
"Apple must decrease the entry price of new iPhones to sustain growth in China," said Ronan de Renesse, lead analyst, consumer technology at Ovum, in a research note.
He said China now accounts for a quarter of Apple’s revenues, but it is becoming more competitive and growth has stalled.
"The iPhone SE offers very high specifications for a low price, which is essential to appeal to Chinese consumers," he said.
In addition to a new iPhone, Apple also launched a new version of the iPad Pro that comes with a smaller, 9.7-inch screen, and a lower starting price of $599, which is $200 cheaper than its 12.9-inch big brother.
It is also due to ship in select markets from 24 March.
Apple also cut the starting price of the Watch by $50 and showed off some new straps.
The iPhone SE will launch in the following countries on 24 March: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the U.K., U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S.
It will be rolled out in more markets in early April.
