It’s largely expected that we’ll see a new iPhone 7 in 2016. However, Apple may also have a third new iPhone planned for 2016, with the rumor mill suggesting that a new 4-inch model may be coming.
According to a new report from 9to5Mac, Apple is prepping a new 4-inch iPhone that could be announced in March and then launch in late March or early April. The device allegedly carries the codename “N69,” and it’s expected to launch as the “iPhone 5se,” suggesting that its a refreshed version of the iPhone 5s.
This iPhone 5se will reportedly have curved edges like the iPhone 6 rather than squared ones like the iPhone 5s. Other iPhone 6 parts that are expected to appear in the iPhone 5se include 8-megapixel rear and 1.2-megapixel front cameras, an NFC chip for Apple Pay, and the A8 and M8 processors. Meanwhile, the iPhone 5se will reportedly also offer Live Photos, Bluetooth 4.2, Voice over LTE, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, all of which are found in the iPhone 6s. The iPhone 5se is expected to be available in Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold colors, just like the iPhone 6s.
One other tidbit worth noting is that while the iPhone 7 is rumored to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, this iPhone 5se will reportedly include that jack.
This iPhone 5se sounds like a mixture of the iPhone 6 and 6s, but with a 4-inch screen that’s quite a bit smaller than the 4.7-inch screen found on the 6 and 6s. It’ll definitely be a nice update to the iPhone 5s, which launched in late 2013. That said, the device isn’t going to be on par with the iPhone 7, meaning that iPhone 5se buyers will miss out on upgraded specs and 3D Touch. For folks that absolutely can’t move from a 4-inch to a 4.7-inch display, though, the smaller iPhone 5se screen could be worth the trade-off.
Would you buy the iPhone 5se if today’s rumor holds true?