As expected, Apple unveiled a new 4-inch iPhone today, dubbed the iPhone SE.
Pre-orders begin Thursday, March 24 and the iPhone SE arrives on March 31, starting at $399 for the 16GB model; a 64GB version will be $499. Those re-upping a two-year contract can get it for free, while those on installment plans will pay $17 per month for 24 months
The device brings iPhone 6s features to a phone the size of the iPhone 5s. There's a 64-bit A9 chip with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. That's the same processing performance as the iPhone 6s and double the speed of the iPhone 5s. It also offers the same GPU performance as the 6s, which is three times faster than the 5s.
That M9 coprocessor means the iPhone SE supports fitness tracking via the Health app and hands-free "Hey Siri."
There's a 12-megapixel iSight camera that supports panorama shots up to 63 megapixels and a front-facing HD camera with Retina flash to boost your selfie game. The device also captures 4K video and supports Live Photos like its larger counterparts. There's a Touch ID button for fingerprint authentication and payment via Apple Pay.
Apple also promised LTE speeds that are 50 percent faster than the 5s and more LTE bands for better global roaming, as well as support for voice over LTE and high-speed Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi calling.
Why release another 4-inch iPhone? While the "vast majority" of Apple customers "prefer" larger iPhones, the 4-inch model is still an important part of Apple's business, Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPhone, iPod and iOS Product Marketing, said during a Monday event in Cupertino. In fact, Apple sold over 30 million 4-inch iPhones in the last year.
These customers "simply love smaller phones," Joswiak said. Some, meanwhile, might be buying their first smartphone and want something less cumbersome than iPhone 6s or 6s Plus.
The phone should arrive with iOS 9.3, an update that adds features like Night Shift, which will adjust the blue light your device gives off based on time of day and GPS location to help you fall asleep. It will also let you add a fingerprint or passcode to the Notes app and provides app suggestions in the Health app, among other things.
Also today, Apple dropped the starting price of the Apple Watch from $349 to $299 and added new band options: a woven nylon band in several bright colors, as well as new colors for the sport and leather bands and a space black Milanese loop.