Apple will unveil a new 4-inch iPhone 5SE in March, report says

Apple will unveil a new 4-inch iPhone 5SE in March, report says

Apple plans to show off a new 4-inch iPhone in March, according to a new report. The “iPhone 5SE”— the “se” apparently stands for “special edition” — will be an upgraded version of the 5S. Instead of releasing a smaller version of the iPhone 6s in order to appease potential customers seeking an iPhone with a screen smaller than 4.7 or 5.5-inches, Apple is upgrading the existing iPhone 5s that was first released in fall 2013.

The report from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, says the upcoming device will be based on the design 5S, not the iPhone 7.

Sources have provided the following list of “iPhone 5se” upgrades over the 5s:
• The chamfered, shiny edges have been replaced with curved glass like on the iPhone 6 and 6s lines
• The same 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera systems from the iPhone 6
• Support for larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording
• Barometer for tracking elevation in the Health app
• An NFC chip for Apple Pay
• The A8 and M8 chips from the iPhone 6
• Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi chips from the iPhone 6s
• Live Photos from the iPhone 6s
• Same Silver, Space Gray, Gold, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line

Once the iPhone 5SE goes on sale, Apple will stop selling the iPhone 5S, which first went on sale in 2013. The new handset will cost the same as the $450 5S does now. It’s not clear exactly when the phone will go on sale, but Gurman says Apple will likely introduce the handset at an event in March with the new iPhone going on sale at the end of March or early April.

Gurman notes that Apple is likely hoping a refresh to its smallest phone will help encourage people who haven’t yet upgraded to invest in a new device.