Debut of iPhone SE
Apple unveiled the four-inch iPhone SE on March 21. Similar in exterior design to the iPhone 5S, the new product has a performance comparable to the iPhone 6S based on its A9 chip, M9 motion coprocessor, 12-megapixel camera, etc. The price of the 16 GB model starts from US$399, about 60% of the prices of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S.
Apple released the cheaper iPhone 5C back in September 2013 but its sales volume was less than expected as consumers were not satisfied with its plastic body and downgraded specifications. However, the iPhone SE has been improved in terms of design and specifications while the price has been lowered, implying that Apple is much interested in the market of cheaper smartphones.
Analyst Amit Daryanani at investment bank RBC said that at least 10 million units of the new product are likely to be sold this year to allow Apple to reach a sales revenue of US$5.5 billion.
In contrast, another industry source mentioned that success of the four-inch model is rather doubtful with more and more consumers opting for large-screen smartphones and a large number of low-end smartphones already being supplied by Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.