Apple (AAPL) on Wednesday announced its long-anticipated sequel to its low-cost iPhone SE, which happens to be called the iPhone SE. Based on the design of the iPhone 8, the SE will start at $399 when it hits the market on April 24.
Unlike the current-generation iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the new SE will feature a smaller 4.7-inch Retina Display. The iPhone 11 comes with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina panel, while the iPhone 11 Pro has a 5.8-inch Super Retina screen. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, meanwhile, sports a massive 6.7-inch Super Retina screen.
The iPhone SE is the spitting image of the iPhone 8 in design and shape, meaning it also includes Apple’s older, though much-loved, Touch ID fingerprint reader. Unfortunately, it also means the phone won’t include Apple’s Face ID face scanning technology.
Though the outside of the SE features the 2017 iPhone 8 styling, the inside gets the same processing power as Apple’s current iPhone line-up. That means the handset will be powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic processor. Available storage includes a base of 64GB, with the option to upgrade to 128GB or 256GB.
The SE is also dust resistant and can withstand being dunked in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
In terms of the SE’s camera, don’t expect the double or triple-lens layout found on the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro. Instead, the SE gets a single-lens camera, though it’s been significantly upgraded from the shooter offered on the iPhone 8.
Apple has a 12-MP wide-angle camera similar to the main camera found on the iPhone 11, so you can expect the same kind of high-level image quality when capturing shots in everyday settings. Don’t expect to get the kind of impressive ultra-wide angle photos or telephoto images you can with the iPhone 11 line up, though.
A new phone amid coronavirus shutdowns
The iPhone SE comes at an important time for Apple. The company’s stores are closed around the world with the exception of in the Greater China Region amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, and it has said that stores in the U.S. will remain shuttered until further notice.
The SE itself, however, should play into Apple’s plans to step up its presence in the world’s next largest smartphone market: India. The country is increasingly purchasing smartphones, but Apple has struggled to step up its offerings there. The reason? Price.
Apple’s devices have traditionally been too expensive for many of India’s consumers, but the $399 SE should address a good piece of the potential market there.
CEO Tim Cook said during the company’s investors meeting in February that it was opening its official online store in the country this year, with a physical presence headed there in 2021. The current iPhone 11 is available to consumers through a deal with HDFC that drops the price from $900 to $500, making it far more affordable, but the $399 SE will still be far more appealing when it hits stores there.
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