Apple Announces New iPhone SE

Apple finally unveiled their long rumored budget iPhone today, during their Spring Keynote. The iPhone SE is the latest entry into the iPhone family, combining the power and performance of the iPhone 6S, with the size and portability of the iPhone 5S.

For months the internet was ablaze with speculation as to what this new iPhone would bring to the table. Many experts pegged the phone to essentially be a blend of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 6, but it looks like Apple jammed as much into this device as possible. That means you’ll get the same 4 inch screen, and the smaller body as found on the 5S, with the powerful A9 processor and 12MP iSight camera. Apple also added NFC and a secure element to allow compatibility with Apple Pay. In short, Apple stuffed all the innards from the 6S into an iPhone 5S shell. It feels a bit like a pacifier for those Apple fans who may have jumped ship due to the larger stature of the newer iPhones, but one has to wonder if this is a preview of what’s to come in the fall with the announcement of the iPhone 7.

Perhaps the most surprising part of all this, is Apple got super aggressive with their price on the iPhone SE. The iPhone SE will start with at 16GB of storage and will retail at $399. That immediately places the iPhone SE into the same territory of the Nexus 5X and the Moto X Play. Need more storage? You can grab the 64GB model for $499. Aggressive pricing for what is sure to be Apple’s “budget friendly” iPhone offering.

The iPhone SE will be available for preorder starting March 24th, and will be available for sale starting March 31st.