Apple has priced the 4-inch iPhone SE at $399 for the 16GB model — aiming to make deeper inroads into the emerging telecom markets like India and China.
The 64 GB version of the phone will cost you $499.
Both smartphones will assist Apple to push volumes and improve market share in a bid to compete with Samsung. Last year, Apple sold 30 million 4-inch iPhones.
ALSO READ: Apple’s new iPhone faces challenge measuring up in China, India
The US-based technology major also launched a 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
The cost effective iPhone SE will be available in four colours including sleek rose gold colour, the company announced at the packed auditorium at its Cupertino, California-based headquarters.
The iPhone SE will be available in 100 countries including India by the end of May and will go on full sale on March 31.
The smartphone is a mix between the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 generations of devices with size and design of iPhone 5S and the specs and capabilities of the iPhone 6S.
Like iPhone 6S, the new device will have a 64-bit A9 processor and M9 motion co-processor. iPhone SE can play games as brilliantly as Apple’s current flagship, plus it supports hands-free Hey Siri prompting.
The camera is also carried over from the 6S – it is the same 12-megapixel iSight camera with a true tone flash. With its new image signal processor it has the ability to shoot Panorama up to 63MP, 4K video (1080p up to 60 fps) and slo-mo up to 240 fps.
The phone is claimed to have an improved battery life, Bluetooth 4.2 and new microphones.
Compared to the iPhone 5S that precedes the new SE at the 4-inch size, Apple’s new smartphone has 50 percent faster LTE than 5S, faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac) and the significant addition of Apple Pay support.
The device supports Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling and runs on the newly-launched iOS version 9.3.
The new iOS 9.3 operating system includes a night mode that reduces blue light and automatically shifts colours to the warmer end of the spectrum at night helping the user sleep better.
“Many, many customers have asked for this,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during Apple’s launch event. “And I think they’re going to love it.”
iPad Pro
Apple also launched a new lightweight 9.7-inch iPad Pro which is touted as 40 percent less reflective than an iPad Air 2.
It also features a new technology called True Tone Display, which measures the color temperature of ambient light and adjusts the display to match. Like the iPhone SE, Pro also takes advantage of iOS 9.3’s new blue-light reduction feature for late-night use.
It is powered by the A9X processor and has a similar four-speaker system. Apple said it is twice as loud as the Air 2. The new tablet is compatible with the Pencil stylus introduced last year.
Other accessories include a new Lightning-powered SD card reader and USB camera adapter.
For pictures, the new iPad Pro steps up to a 12-megapixel rear camera, complete with focus pixels, dual-tone flash, and Live Photos.
iPad Pro can shoot 4K video, has a 5MP FaceTime camera and retina flash.
Apple also revealed a new smaller version of the Smart Keyboard accessory for the device.
The new iPad Pro will be available in four colours – space grey, silver, gold, and rose gold – and three size capacties, ranging from 32GB on up to 256GB.
The 32GB model will cost $599 while a 128GB version will be available for $749 and the 256GB top of the line for $899. LTE options will cost $130 more.
The company also dropped the price of it wearable watch to $299 (Rs 19,295) and launched new bands.
The company displayed a new space black version of the milanese loop, new colours for the sport and leather bands and a new woven nylon band. The new nylon band features a four layer construction and will come in seven different colours.
IANS
