10 features you should expect in the new iPhone

iphone 5s
Nicole Kasper/Flickr (CC)

In case you haven't heard, Apple's introducing a new phone next week. And it's not even September!

Advertisement

On Monday, Apple is expected to introduce a new iPhone called the "iPhone SE." Originally people believed this phone would be called iPhone 6c, until 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman said the name would actually be "iPhone 5SE."

So, what is the iPhone SE?

Here's what you need to know before Apple unveils this new phone on Monday.

Advertisement

It will have a 4-inch screen.

iPhone 5S welcome message
Steve Kovach/Business Insider

According to Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson, there are about 200-250 million people who still own an iPhone with a 4-inch screen (either the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S). It's not clear why those people don't have a newer phone; maybe they find newer phones too expensive, or maybe they simply prefer a smaller screen size. Either way, the return of the 4-inch iPhone — the first model of its kind in about three years — will be Apple's way of appealing to those tens of millions of customers.

It will look nearly identical to the iPhone 5S.

iPhone 5S back
Steve Kovach/Business Insider

The 4-inch screen won't be the only similarity the iPhone SE has with the iPhone 5S. In fact, 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman says the iPhone SE will look "identical" to the iPhone 5S, with its round volume buttons, volume button on top of the phone, and chamfered edges along the outside. It will even have the same speaker and microphone locations (at the bottom of the phone), and the back of the phone will also look identical with metal in the center and glass on the top and bottom.

Advertisement

The iPhone SE will actually fit into existing iPhone 5S cases!

iPhone 5S finger print
Screenshot

Since the dimensions of the two phones are reportedly identical, anyone who owns an iPhone 5S will be happy to know their case will work with this new 4-inch iPhone.

It'll be just as powerful as the iPhone 6s.

iphone 6s ifixit
iFixit

Though this phone might look like an iPhone 5S, its performance will blow away any current iPhone 5S owners. Gurman says the iPhone SE will feature the A9 chip and M9 coprocessor from the iPhone 6s, which will let people activate Siri simply by saying "Hey Siri."

Advertisement

It'll be able to handle Apple Pay.

apple iPhone apple pay
Apple/Screenshot

Unlike the iPhone 5S, the iPhone SE will reportedly come with Apple Pay, which lets you pay for goods simply by placing your phone near a special transponder and holding your thumb on the fingerprint sensor ("Touch ID") to authenticate the purchase.

It'll have an incredible camera.

iphone 6s camera
Tech Insider/Antonio Villas-Boas

Aside from the Galaxy S7 Edge, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have some of the best cameras ever put in a smartphone. Luckily for prospective owners, the iPhone SE will come with the same 12-megapixel camera with 4K video support as the iPhone 6s. We're guessing that means it will also support Apple's Live Photos feature, which captures moments before and after each shot to make your photos come alive when you touch them.

Advertisement

Its wireless connections should be much better.

iphone 5s
Steve Kovach/Business Insider

Gurman says the iPhone SE will have improved connectivity hardware for both WiFi and cellular connections. We're guessing it'll have the same setup as the iPhone 6s, which offered support for more LTE bands (including superfast LTE Advanced), and WiFi connectivity that was twice as fast as previous models. 

It'll only be available in two storage configurations.

iPhone 5s
Wikipedia/Paul03798

The iPhone SE will only be available in 16 GB and 64 GB flavors, and the 64 GB model will probably be $100 more. If you're thinking of buying this phone, we recommend buying the 64 GB model. As we've explained many times, 16 GB just isn't enough space for most people. You'll want more storage so you can listen to music, take plenty of pictures, and download apps without getting annoying notifications to make more room on your phone.

Advertisement

It'll come in the same colors as the iPhone 6s.

iphone 6s colors
Apple

You'll be able to buy an iPhone SE in four colors: silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold.

Advertisement

It'll cost $450 to start.

iPhone 5S box
Steve Kovach/Business Insider

Since the iPhone SE will replace the iPhone 5S in Apple's current iPhone lineup, the SE will start at $450 for the basic 16 GB model. We're guessing the 64 GB iPhone SE will cost $550.

We'll get the official word on the iPhone SE at Apple's media event on Monday. Tech Insider will be in attendance and covering the event throughout the day.

Apple iPhone
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.