Tech

Everything we know about the iPhone SE

Antonio Villas-Boas

2016-03-10T17:30:15Z

Apple sent out invitations for an event at its campus on March 21, and among other things, we're expecting the announcement of the iPhone SE.

A few leaks and rumors have emerged in the last few weeks about the iPhone SE's design and features.

Check out the latest rumors:

It'll be called the iPhone SE.

Initially, 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman reported the iPhone rumored to be coming in March would be called the iPhone 5se, not the iPhone 6c as previous rumors stated.

However, Gurman came back with another report after that claiming Apple will call the device the iPhone SE.

It'll have a 4-inch screen.

One of the first rumors of a 4-inch iPhone came from Chinese news site Economic Daily News.

The rumors claimed that Apple had set up a deal with a display manufacturer to make 4-inch screens for a phone.

Since then, the rumors of a 4-inch iPhone have piled on from multiple reputable sources.

It'll look like a mashup of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6.

Leaked schematics of the alleged iPhone SE posted by gadget leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (a.k.a. "OnLeaks") suggest it'll have look a lot like the iPhone 6 on the front and back while donning some iPhone 5 aesthetics on the sides and bottom.

It'll supposedly have a metal back, as well as a front panel with slightly rounded edges like the iPhone 6.

Unlike the 5c, it'll have a metal body.

A report by respected KGI Securities Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac) suggested the iPhone SE would resemble an iPhone 5s.

That conflicts a little bit with the leaked schematics above, as those designs look more like an iPhone 6 than a 5s. But it could also suggest that the iPhone SE will be made of metal, like the iPhone 5s.

It will be very powerful.

ifixit iphone 6s tear down — Source: iFixit. iFixit

Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac came out with a report claiming the iPhone SE would run on the super powerful A9 chip that's currently powering the iPhone 6s.

The A9 chip is insanely powerful for a smartphone chip. Tech publication Anandtech performed benchmarking tests to gauge the A9's performance compared to chips in other smartphones, and the A9 blew the rest out of the water.

If true, the iPhone SE offers a decent value proposition compared to Apple's last "cheap" smartphone, the iPhone 5c.

It'll have features from the iPhone 6s.

Gurman also claimed we'll see a few of the premium features from the iPhone 6s in the iPhone SE, including Live Photos, Apple Pay, TouchID, and voice-activated Siri.

This rumor compliments the rumor that the iPhone SE will run on the powerful A9 chip, as some features need the horsepower it provides to work.

It'll use Apple's latest and greatest camera.

MacRumors reported on another note by Ming-Chi Kuo claiming the iPhone SE would have a 12-megapixel camera like the iPhone 6s.

Earlier rumors pointed to the 8-megapixel camera from the iPhone 5s and 6.

If true, the combination with the powerful A9 chip raises the iPhone SE's value proposition even more.

It'll be cheaper than the iPhone 6.

Ming-Chi Kuo also predicts the iPhone SE will cost between $400 and $500, according to 9to5Mac. That's not cheap by any means, but it's less than the $550 16GB iPhone 6.

That predicted price range is in the same ballpark as the $450 iPhone 5s, which Apple is still selling. It's likely that the iPhone SE would replace the iPhone 5s when it's released.

We expect Apple to announce the iPhone SE on March 21.

Apple sent out invitations on Wednesday for an event on March 21, where we expect Apple will announce the iPhone SE.

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