Apple will reportedly release an iPhone 5se to bump up its smartphone sales. The smaller 4" iPhone is rumored to have an A9 processor but no 3D Touch feature.
Rumors of Apple releasing a smaller iPhone are ramping up. These speculations could be true since a smaller iPhone model could help bump up iPhone sales. According to International Business Times, the growth of iPhone sales has reached a plateau and started to decline this quarter. Apple will reportedly address the issue by launching a cheaper and smaller iPhone to tap to a larger market in India and China.
iPhones make up most of Apple's sales. CEO Tim Cook said that previous iPhone models have made significant contributions to the company's market success. Statistics from mobile analyst firm Mixpanel revealed that around 30% of Apple iPhone consumers worldwide are still using earlier models like the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S.
Known Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that a smaller iPhone will be released in 2016 to fulfill customer demands for smaller phones. The 4" iPhone may be called the iPhone 5se and is rumored to launch on March 15 alongside the iPad Air 3. Earlier reports named the device as iPhone 6C, iPhone 5C, and iPhone 7C. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac believes that the smaller 2016 iPhone will be called iPhone 5se, an enhanced special edition of the iPhone 5s.
The Motley Fool reported that the iPhone 5se may run on Apple's A9 processors similar to those in the iPhone 6s. Other reports say that the 2016 4" iPhone will be powered by earlier A8 chips instead.
The iPhone 5se might be equipped with 1GB DDR3 RAM like the iPhone 6. It could also have a minimum storage capacity of 16GB and a variant sporting 64GB memory. For power, the 2016 4" iPhone may rely on a 1642 mAh battery which is larger than that of the iPhone 5c but smaller than the iPhone 6.
Apple's 3D Touch will likely not be included in the iPhone 5se since it is a premium feature found in the latest iPhone models, says PC Advisor. However, the smaller iPhone may support Live Photos and Apple Pay.
Mac Otakara, a Japanese website, predicted that the iPhone 5se will be available in various colors such as silver, space gray, bright pink, gold, and rose gold. The 2016 4" iPhone may sport the same cameras offered in the iPhone 6.
