Apple CEO Tim Cook kicks off an Apple event on Monday, March 9, 2015, in San Francisco.
That will likely be the headline following the March 21 product event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The widely anticipated 4-inch iPhone (possibly called the iPhone SE, though iPhone 6C and iPhone 5SE are in contention) will probably not move the bar on innovation. Instead, it will ensure that the company ably fills the “small and affordable” smartphone check box.
Why? Because it’s an important market and, it seems, some people still really love their iPhones small.
If you’re wondering who wants a 4-inch iPhone when there are some excellent (albeit larger) choices like the 6S and 6S Plus, just look around at all those still clutching an iPhone 5, 5s or 5C. You may even spot a few iPhone 4 and 4S owners, too. They’ve been itching to upgrade but have little interest in a phone that might feel too large for their hands or pockets. The "iPhone SE" is designed for them.
Forrester Research VP and Principal Analyst Frank Gillette certainly sees the need for a 4-inch iPhone. “It’s really clear that they need to keep a small-screen iPhone in the lineup.... At this size, it’s the lowest price. It’s hard to imagine they’d do away with that."
Though most experts I spoke to expect the iPhone SE to feature last-generation technology (A8 chip, 8-megapixel camera and no 3D Touch, but Touch ID will make the cut), there's an outside chance Apple will test out at least one new idea. What if, for example, this new iPhone doesn’t have an audio jack?
Most people believe Apple is toying with the idea of dropping the headphone jack for the iPhone 7. If Apple begins its purge with this product, it'll have to include a new earbud design as well — one that uses the Lightning port (it could even be the first pair of “Beats Earbuds”). It’s an unlikely, but not altogether impossible idea.
Unless all the pundits and prognosticators are wrong, the 4-inch iPhone will also be the centerpiece of next week’s event. Even if you aren’t in the market for a 4-inch iPhone that still offers the newer iPhones' curvy good looks, every new iPhone is an event.
New tablet directions
Apple’s iPad business has flatlined and some are questioning the relevance of the category, but don’t expect Apple to step back from it. Next week, it should unveil a new iPad flagship.
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment