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Apple readies ’iPhone 5se’, not ‘6c’, for March/April with curved edges & Live Photos

iphone-lineup

That purported 4-inch “iPhone 6c” floating around the web yesterday? It’s fake, according to sources who have used the upcoming iPhone with a 4-inch display. Instead of releasing a smaller version of the iPhone 6s in order to appease potential customers seeking an iPhone with a screen smaller than 4.7 or 5.5-inches, Apple is upgrading the existing iPhone 5s that was first released in fall 2013. Also contrary to rumors, the device is not a preview of the iPhone 7 as it will mostly retain the 5s’s design and still include a headphone jack…

The new device is internally codenamed “N69,” but the launch name will likely be the “iPhone 5se.” The “se” suffix has been described in two ways by Apple employees: as a “special edition” variation of the vintage 4-inch iPhone screen size and as an “enhanced” version of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, the upcoming “5se” features a design similar to 2013’s flagship but upgraded internals, software, and hardware features that blend the old design with modern technologies from the past two iPhone upgrades.

Sources have provided the following list of “iPhone 5se” upgrades over the 5s:

  • The chamfered, shiny edges have been replaced with curved glass like on the iPhone 6 and 6s lines
  • The same 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera systems from the iPhone 6
  • Support for larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording
  • Barometer for tracking elevation in the Health app
  • An NFC chip for Apple Pay
  • The A8 and M8 chips from the iPhone 6 (update: A9/M9 more likely)
  • Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi chips from the iPhone 6s
  • Live Photos from the iPhone 6s
  • Same Silver, Space Gray, Gold, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line

While Live Photos on the 6s leverages 3D Touch, the “5se’s” screen will be identical to that of the 2013 model and not pressure-sensitive. Apple is utilizing the “5se” as a way to keep up with modern technology and support future major iOS upgrades without competing with the design of the newer and larger iPhone 6s line. Apple hopes that this model could spur additional upgrades over time from those currently sticking to an iPhone 5 or earlier. The current 5s will likely be discontinued, per sources, and the “5se” will take its price point. The new device is currently in production overseas and is planned for a March introduction ahead of a late March or early April release.

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Comments

  1. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    Question.

    When I take a live photo with my iPhone 6S, will the full resolution photo be saved too? I mean the 12MP still image?

    • LOLametro - 8 years ago

      Of course, this is why this feature exists.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        Yes but I once read that live photos are taken at a lower resolution… That’s why I was wondering.

      • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

        @applegettidofsimandjack

        What you read was a bunch of BS FUD spread by this site and others that have nothing better to do than to try and find something wrong with Apple. This site has started doing as much of that as praising Apple, as it generates lots of clicks, and they are bitter over Apple allowing Content Blockers.

    • Abhishek Bansal - 8 years ago

      there is a feature to duplicate photo as a still one from the live photo when you open a live photo click on the share button you will see the duplicate option peace !

    • Abhishek Bansal - 8 years ago

      yes you can when you will open a live photo click on he share button and in the share sheet you will see the duplicate option there will be the option to duplicate as a still photo

      • Dean Davis - 8 years ago

        What do you mean by a “live photo”?

    • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

      Live Photos is just a short video, so in low light situations the image quality is not at the same level as a traditional photo which will accept more light.

      • Stetson - 8 years ago

        Yes, but the Live Photo also includes a single full resolution still photo along with the low resolution video.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        Full resolution and full quality aren’t the same thing. I was inform the OP that Live Photos will not have the same quality as traditional photo. There is NO full quality photo along side the video. It is simply a 12FPS video which a single frame is displayed as a photo. A video will not have the same QUALITY as a photograph.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        Got it now. Thanks!

      • iJonni - 8 years ago

        This is absolutely wrong. As was written below, Live Photos is doing two things at once. The video sensor is capturing a lower quality video (.mov) and a 12Mp photo at the same time. The image you see is the 12MP image. The video is embedded

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        once again you are confusing resolution with quality. Your ignorance is noted. I’m done here

      • Stetson - 8 years ago

        I think you’re a bit confused as well. Yes the quality is reduced. Because the iPhone is taking a video simultaneously, it can’t also use a long exposure time for the still photo like it might normally do.

        However the video and the photo are two separate pieces. The video is not 12MP, the still photo is. There are two separate files (video and 12MP still) in the Live Photo file format.

    • Stetson - 8 years ago

      The live photo is a full resolution 12MP still image plus a short lower resolution video wrapped together. So you can definitely still see and share the full 12MP still.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        http://9to5mac.com/2015/09/28/bad-low-light-photos-iphone-6s-live-photos/

        You may want to browse the comments in this thread as there are several people who detail the reality of Live Photos image quality being degraded. Le Super Flux is particularly informative.

      • Stetson - 8 years ago

        Yes, performance can be worse in low light because of the reduced exposure time, but it’s still the full 12MP resolution.

        It isn’t just a snapshot from the low resolution video, if that were true it wouldn’t be 12MP. You can definitely see the difference in quality between the video and the still image in a captured Live Photo, the still image is a separate full resolution (but reduced exposure time) still.

      • Stetson - 8 years ago

        To quote Le Super Flux “The 12MP quality is not affected indeed. It’s the image quality that is”

        So there is still a 12MP still along with the lower resolution video.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        Are you retarded? I SAID ITS THE IMAGE QUALITY

      • Stetson - 8 years ago

        “Live Photos is just a short video”

        “There is NO full quality photo along side the video. It is simply a 12FPS video which a single frame is displayed as a photo.”

        Those are both incorrect.

        A Live Photo is both a low resolution video and a separate full resolution (12MP) still photo.

        That still photo does have reduced quality over a non-Live-Photo because it is taken with a reduced exposure time.

      • Stirling Robert Campbell - 8 years ago

        Nope, I don’t think you’ve used Live Photos at all.. They are full quality, still image is produced and turning live off doesn’t improve photo quality either…

    • kevicosuave - 8 years ago

      I think some people are trying to argue instead of trying to explain and understand what others are saying. The short answer to your question is, yes, a full resolution photo is taken with the video. They’re wrapped together and you can upload/print/email/etc… the full resolution photo.

      Now, full resolution isn’t necessarily the “best image possible”. The 12MP still image that is taken with the video has certain constraints around it. One constraint is the (shutter) speed at which it can take a picture. It can’t do a longer exposure since it needs to take pictures within 1/12 of a second. If that’s not enough time to let in enough light, it’s going to compensate with a higher ISO which is going to lead to more noise/grain in the image.

      (just a technical note here, I’m saying within 1/12 of a second because the frame rate is 12 fps. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the shutter speed is 1/12, just that it can’t exceed that).

      So here’s the thing, in shots with enough light, the ISO will be at its lowest even within 1/12 exposure. Translation: Live Photos taken with adequate light will be indistinguishable from normal standard stills.

      You may not ever notice a difference between the Live Photo still and a normal still even in lower light situations, but if quality is more important to you than the feature and you want to make sure to get the best quality then disable Live Photos for the shot.

    • iamanai - 8 years ago

      The still photo that you can export and just look at is a 12MP photo. When you press on the photo and it animates, that’s 8MP. So it’s a hybrid of both.

  2. danielballance - 8 years ago

    You know, honestly, for those comfortable with iOS (vice another mobile OS), but don’t want/need the latest and greatest “golly gee whiz” features, this will actually be a pretty solid experience. I know a decent number of people (namely iPhone 5/s/c holdouts) who would love this.

    • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

      That’s me exactly. I have a 5C and this would be a nice bump up. Of course that assumes the 5C dies in the next year. If not I’ll just keep using it, even if it won’t load iOS10.

    • John Smith - 8 years ago

      Danielle –

      Agreed, I know people who are waiting for this.

      I totally agreed with Apple when they finally came out with larger screens on the iPhone 6, and I know a lot of people want that. But Apple is now right to address the market of people who just did not want the size. It’s not even about price for some people, they just didn’t want the size and they will upgrade to to get newer tech.

      Good move, Apple.

  3. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    It won’t cost less than 600$. iPhone 5e will have the exact same main goal as iPhone 5C, trying to boost flagship iPhone sales.
    I saw lots of documentaries about marketing and something that came up quite often if the tricks companies use to get you to buy something. They did multiple tests, one of which I will explain here.

    They offered 2 different sizes of popcorn portions. One small and one large portion with the small portion costing 5$ and the large portion costing 8$. What happened? Nearly 90% of the people visiting the movie theatre who wanted popcorn, ordered the small size. Why? Because they saw quite a big price difference between the small size and larger size.

    What did the ‘testers’ do afterwards? They added a medium portion of popcorn, priced at 7$. What happened? Nearly 80% of people wanting popcorn now ordered the large portion. What happened? People saw a small price difference between the large and medium sized portions and so they ordered that one, completely forgetting about the small size.

    Apple did the exact same thing when they launched iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. The iPhone line-up was:

    iPhone 4s: 399$
    iPhone 5C: 599$
    iPhone 5S: 699$

    • $549 for the basic version is my guess.

    • ericisking - 8 years ago

      But with the small popcorn, you just get less popcorn, i.e. less quantity of the same stuff (popcorn). With the iPhone, ‘smaller’ is a desirable feature for some people, and it’s not strictly about quantity (sure, you get ‘less screen’, but that’s not the same thing). The people who want a smaller phone are not going to buy an iPhone 6S Plus because of the price difference.

    • iJonni - 8 years ago

      Actually these prices are wrong. They launched at

      4s: 399
      5C: 499
      5S: 599+

      Each would get $400 credit from a carrier (at the time) reducing the price to

      4s: 0.01 w/ contract
      5c: 99
      5S: 199+

      At least these were the US prices

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        You sure? Hmmm I’m pretty positive of the prices I mentioned but anyway, I know ib Europe that was the case. Off contract it was 399, 599, 699.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Your example is irrelevant because if Apple didn’t release the iPhone 5C then it would have been the iPhone 5 for the same price as the iPhone 5C.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        iPhone 5, in the minds of people was already a year old. While the 5C was a new phone with another design. I don’t care about the fact that the specs were the se as iPhone 5, because of the new body, people considered the 5C as a new phone.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      The trick of the 5c wasn’t to sell more middle phones – it was to sell more of the 5s. If Apple didn’t do the 5c they would have had the 5 in the spot. The 5 and 5s would have looked so similar (almost the same size popcorn) that not as many people would have seen the value in spending more for the 5s. The 5c didn’t look like the popcorn they wanted so they were more likely to get the 5s. The 4s wasn’t even really in the equation really. I guess following your analogy it would have been a stale bag of popcorn that was left in the seat from the last showing… (not saying it’s a bad phone but most people aren’t at all interested in the 2 year old model)

      Apple does have a similar problem of the 5 /5s with the 6 / 6s and 6 plus / 6s plus. They look alike. Instead of differentiating superficially with the case color I think Apple will differentiate with size. Sell more of the 6s because people want the larger phone.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Uhh if that was their reasoning then where is that phone at the launch of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 6S which are identical to their predecessors in design?

        The 5C was to sell more to kids due to color, and durability.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        Smoothies, I think they just needed to figure it out. The 4/4s was only their second time with the same device body. It was really bashed in mainstream media for “not being different enough” from the 4s. If the 5 stuck around I think we would have heard a lot of the same about the 5s. Instead all we heard was how much of a “failure” the 5c was and how much better the 5s was selling. People are superficial.

        if the 5C was to sell more to kids due to color, and durability than why isn’t that needed now? The 5c is not even for sale as a cheap durable phone and instead this 5se will be another aluminum phone. The other point against this argument is that the 5c was still too expensive when it came out to be for kids it wasn’t until the 6 came out that I noticed more kids with it since by then it was “free on contract”. All of the ads for the 5c were focused on creative and unique adults. Basically being like “you aren’t getting a low end phone – just one with personality.”

        Since the 4.7″ screen is now the normal and desired size Apple can use the screen sizes to differentiate between models – keeping a 4″ line around and shrinking the year old chips down to fit. This way they avoid the slack they got from the 5c as being “cheap” but the screen size is a very visceral reason many people would opt for a 6s. It’s much easier to grasp the difference than trying to explain the benefits of a feature like force touch.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        Yeah that is what I’m saying. Well said.

  4. It’s not surprise they are not going for the name “iPhone 6c”. In fact, I’m surprise Apple have ever at one point consider calling it “iPhone 6c”
    If you try to pronounce the phase “6c” in Cantonese (“6” in Cantonese, “c” still in English), it sounds like “eat sh_t” in Cantonese.
    Consider Cantonese is still a major language for a part of China with lots of middle and upper class (including Hong Kong, the city where iPhone is resell back to China, and ), the place where Apple parts suppliers concentrated, and also the North California’s China Town, I have to suggest whoever once said he/she has a “source” working on the project, saying saying it might be called “6c”, is just having a voice in their head.

    • *Just say it out loud to check, the problem is you say “6c” in English. My apologies.
      So the problem is worse: the day after the release, every news outlet will clip the moment Tim say “we introduce iPhone 6c”, and everyone who have ever learnt Cantonese will heard he say “we introduce iPhone eat sh_t”

  5. Cliff C (@CliffRC82) - 8 years ago

    #savechamferededges

  6. cuberonix - 8 years ago

    So if it’s getting Live Photos, will there be an update to enable that on the iPhone 6 as well?

    • Charlypollo - 8 years ago

      Obviously not, since live photos requires a super special processor, with material extracted from the surface of an asteroid and covered in unicorn tears, to allow the phone to make 3 seconds videos, something that the 1+ year old and obsolete iphone 6 doesn’t have. I have one, and I try to hide it since I feel embarrassed to carry such an old phone.

  7. crichton007 - 8 years ago

    Mark does it again! 9to5Mac is a great site! Keep up the great work!

  8. yoLegi (@yolegi) - 8 years ago

    1gb ram?

    • mzaur8 - 8 years ago

      I’m curious about this too. I upgraded from 6 to 6s recently and the difference is huge. No more reloading apps or tabs in Safari. iOS is also noticeably snappier, although this may be from the upgraded cpu. Really hope Apple puts 2gb in this thing

  9. louie tran - 8 years ago

    I guess they have a bunch of A8 chips they needed to get rid of. Otherwise a waste of R&D

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      These will be second generation A8 chips, like those found in the iPad Mini 4. I’m sure of that.

      • b (@therealdesib) - 8 years ago

        Its still an A8, just higher clocked – not much of an upgrade over the A7. It likely won’t have the same clock speed either given the thermal constraints posed by a 4″ device enclosure relative to the size of the iPad Mini 4. Having 2GB of RAM however would be some fantastic news. The A8 is still a fantastic chip when paired with 2GB of RAM, as evident by the Mini 4. But if it only has 1GB of RAM, it would be a disappointment.

        Still, I’m sure this phone will provide an excellent value for those who picked up an iPhone 5c or 4s in 2013-14 looking for a new 4″ device. I know a few people still using an iPhone 4, and this might end up being the phone they’ve been holding out for!

  10. Blake Barton - 8 years ago

    It amazes me that this article came out about 30 minutes ago and we have comments from 13 hours ago. Anyways, I don’t see why Apple is going to start a new branched model with “se”. There’s already the main numeral version, an “S” version with updated internals, and the “c” version tailored to those not willing to pay large amounts for a phone. It just makes logical sense to assume this upcoming phone will belong in the “c” category. I also don’t see this phone being significant enough to have a “special edition” branding in the first place…save that for a Hermes version or possible version similar to the Edition watches

    • Ian Hoar - 8 years ago

      > It amazes me that this article came out about 30 minutes ago and we have comments from 13 hours ago.

      It’s the same bug on their sister-site electrek.co. Time stamps are hard coded/relative to a static time. Been waiting for someone to notice.

  11. Daniel (@ioxwave) - 8 years ago

    I think it’ll be called the iPhone 7 Mini, tbh

    • ericisking - 8 years ago

      No, it definitely won’t.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      No. However, it should be called iPhone 6 Mini.

      • b (@therealdesib) - 8 years ago

        Agree with this. “5se” is a cumbersome name. 6 mini makes more sense, and is straight to the point (and perhaps more appropriate given the rumours of this phone’s internal and external design)

  12. needforsuv - 8 years ago

    wheres the 4se
    also i think it’ll be based more on the 6s because of the ipod lol
    5th anniversary anyone
    and 10th iphone next year…

  13. tohaklim - 8 years ago

    I would buy a 4′ flagship. This? Nope

  14. kpom1 - 8 years ago

    6 Mini would have sounded better to me, but otherwise, this seems like a good move. It keeps the 4″ model relatively up to date and makes the entire line compatible with Apple Pay. If the rumor is that the 6 is still selling well, there’s no real need to put the 6S hardware into the smaller model.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      iPhone 6 Mini sounds a million times better. What would you rather tell someone you have, an iPhone 5se or an iPhone 6 Mini? Apple’s marketing team is getting really pathetic at this point.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      If the rumor is that the 6 is still selling well, there’s no real need to put the 6S hardware into the smaller model.

      If the 6 is still selling well they should replace that price point with a new device that doesn’t compete with the 6s in form factor. People who’d settle for the 6 to be cheap will have to think if they really want that larger display for an extra $100 to get the 6s. Screensize is the most tangible feature on a showroom floor. If when they release this they drop the 6 and 6 plus I think it’d be smart.

      • sequinedcrisis - 8 years ago

        They actually are going to be discontinuing some phones. It’s said that the 5s will be discontinued in March around the time of the release, and the 6, 6+, 6s, and 6s+ will be discontinued when the iPhone 7 comes out in September this year.

    • John Smith - 8 years ago

      6 Mini – Totally agree.

  15. cdm283813 - 8 years ago

    I find this silly. Why not make a smaller iPhone 6s with a 4 to 4.3″ display but with the same specs? Call it iPhone 6s mini. Just let the iPhone 5 monicker die a slow death along with that A8 chip. Should be going forward not backwards. My iPhone 6s is one of the fastest phones on the planet. Don’t gimp a new model out the gate. I will have no interest in it.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      Unless they can’t do that without a significant redesign (dropping the 3.5mm jack and other internal changes) and we are waiting for that to happen in the fall.

      With the rumors of Apple testing multiple device designs I’m still hopeful to see a more interesting 4″ device. I think the 4″ has the most to gain from dropping the jack. With the 6 and 6+ being the most main stream I could see them keeping the port on that phone while the wireless headphone market expands.

      The lineup could be fancy cool single port 4″ (like macbook), outdated but really reliable 4″ (macbook air), and then top of the line beasts 7 and 7+ which I could see keeping the port or not since they have more room. (macbook pros).

  16. baussie - 8 years ago

    A8 chip? Seriously? Which was released back in 2014? The same with the camera? No, thanks.

    What if I am not looking for a budget phone and I just want a 4-inch phone that has the latest specs? I don’t need bloody live photos, I just want to have the latest chip and 2GB of RAM so my phone does not become terribly slow in 2 years with the new iOS release.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      We won’t get a 4″ phone with the latest specs. That’s like asking for an 13″ MBP as powerful as the 15″ one.

      I think we are going to see that the big phones split off to be the “pro” models and the smaller phones are nice looking but less powerful.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        No offense but that makes no sense. The 13″ MBP isn’t as powerful because of multiple reasons, one being that professionals are more likely to want the additional screen space, and the more important reason is that it is physically much smaller, and therefore it has less heat dispersion, less battery, and less room for bigger chips.

        The 4″ iPhone could on the other hand, easily get iPhone 7 specs. The only things it couldn’t do that the iPhone 7 could, would be to house a larger speaker, and larger camera module, due to internal space.

        There will never be an iPhone ‘Pro’ it would be a horrible horrible naming scheme for an iPhone. There is and never will be a such thing as a smartphone for professionals. Smartphones will be advanced yearly as much as Apple can, and they will be purchased by everyone, for everyone.

        There are numerous reasons why Apple wouldn’t do a 4″ iPhone 7. One, is like above, they couldn’t fit every feature like they can in the bigger phones, like the iPhone Plus can fit a few more features than the iPhone, it would fit fewer still, and then you get in trouble with naming. Moreover, there could be a problem supplying components for 3 separate screen sizes. A10 chips for all 3.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        It makes sense to me.

        The pace of improvement in phones is outpacing general consumer interest in those improvements. So you split it up. Big phones continue to get more powerful, have the best camera, and battery (and maybe ports) while smaller phones get thinner and more portable and kind of level off on the other things. Eventually people will wonder why they’d want to spend more money on a clunky big phone when they could get a sleeker one.

        The people that will continue to care about those speck improvements and don’t mind spending more money are the “pros.” Same people who want/need a 13″ macbook pro over a macbook air.

        This 5se or whatever will be the macbook air of iphones I guess – a good all-rounder but not interesting. The 6s and 6s+ are the pros. What I want is for Apple to make something more like the macbook of iphones. A 4″-4.7″ device that pushes in the extreme opposite of the “pros”.

        Call it pro or not it doesn’t matter – it is what it is. I said pro because both the ipad and macbooks use that naming. The iphone is the odd calling it plus and even with the macbook Pro and ipad pro you don’t need to be a pro to appreciate those benefits – especially if you have the money.

  17. iphonery - 8 years ago

    I’ve upgraded every year since the 3gs, till the 5s. Thanks to the Apple Watch, this has been the longest iPhone model I’ve used since new. It helped that I wasn’t too excited with the design and size of the 6/6+ when they first came out. Honestly, iPhone 7 will have to be a work of art to convince me to upgrade.

  18. enderhxc - 8 years ago

    Seems there may be a small typo here: “Same Silver, Space Gray, Silver, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line.” Silver is listed twice. Just wanted to give the heads up. Thanks for the informative article.

  19. RP - 8 years ago

    I’ll be honest, that it looks more like a 5 than the 6 is a big plus for me. I am more likely to buy it now than if it looked anything like a 6. I have stayed away from the 6 like the plague.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It’s supposed to look like the 6 though. According to the rumors.

      • RP - 8 years ago

        If it looks like the 6 I’ll skip it. I have two lines, I’ll keep my 5s on one line and a new 7plus on the other.

  20. ScreenPhiles - 8 years ago

    I like it. I have always been against phones that are so massive that you might as well just get a tablet and be done with it.

  21. jmush (@jmush) - 8 years ago

    Whenever you see Mark Gurman post, it is time to sit up and pay attention.

  22. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

    hahaha – Mark steps in an now we can finally agree to drop the “6c” idea. I’ve been saying that since the start of all these rumors but I’ll reserve a real I-told-you-so until I see what happens in the fall.

  23. how can you use live photos without 3d touch?

  24. how can you use/take live photos without 3d touch??

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Well taking them is easy but using them, don’t know. Frankly, they shouldn’t put that as a feature on a non 3D Touch device.

  25. kijijigod - 8 years ago

    Wow, it is just like 1994 again…. So many models with IBM-like part numbers… The core message is lost, the product lines are confused and quality diluted…. Focus groups steering the product development…..

    Tim is a great operations guy, Jony is a great designer… But no one has the vision for the future any more….

    Apple is beginning to be the new Samsung. Where can I find the new Apple?

  26. Paul Allen (@starxd) - 8 years ago

    I’m trying to figure out what about this makes it an upgraded 5s vs. a smaller 6? It has the internals of the 6, and by removing the chamfered edges and replacing them with curved glass, it would seem to have the design language of the 6 (much more so than the 5s)… so other than the 4 inch size, what about this has anything to do with the 5s? I also really question this rumored name. In the year that Apple will release the iPhone 7, it seems strange to come out with a phone called the iPhone 5 anything. That makes it seem more outdated than it actually is, since its internals will be from the 6.

    Something about all of this just doesn’t add up.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Exactly correct, which is why iPhone 6 Mini sounds orders of magnitude better.

      Seriously I’m not getting this phone, but I’d feel so much better telling someone I have an iPhone 6 Mini as opposed to an iPhone 5se. The device is a mini iPhone 6 if all of these reported specs and design is true.

    • b (@therealdesib) - 8 years ago

      The reason it’s hard to figure out is because the 6 is already, essentially, an upgraded 5s.

      Honestly, its a bit disappointing the internals of this new “5se” phone are the same as the 6…as the A8 was a paltry upgrade over the A7 to begin with. The CPU architecture is the exact same, right down to the pipeline design and cache. I still remember when the A8 die shots came out and iPhone chipset geeks learned of how similar it was to the A7 when dissecting it….what a disappointing day that was for many of us hoping for at least a mediocre leap in power…what we got was essentially a repurposed A7 on a smaller process, made more efficient with a slightly higher clock, though more attention made to the GPU design…but little else…the chips even used the exact same type of RAM and quantity….what shame that whole week was when we learned of the A8. It was a very good upgrade over the A6 and below, but when compared to the A7, “deflating” is an appropriate word to use when learning of the internals. That is why it is disappointing to learn this new 2016 model may very likely use an A8, which itself was barely more powerful than it’s 2013 predecessor. The A8 is still a powerful chip, but compared to the A7 its a small upgrade; the A7 is still very capable today…so why does it make sense to upgrade the 5s to this? Unless you can sell the 5s for the same price it would cost to upgrade to this new phone….or feel the difference is worth a feature such as Apple Pay (which I don’t care for, perhaps why it would not appeal to me but would to others who enjoy Apple Pay).

      That said, if you have an older phone – with an A6 or lower chipset, this would be a good upgrade

      This new 4″ phone seems to be a mostly lateral move to get NFC in every new handset, and have a new 4″ model in the market for those with older iPhones (5/5c and before) holding out to upgrade.

      If you have a 5s, don’t get this. It is a solid update for those with A6 devices or lower though.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        My guess is it will use the second generation A8 if that’s any consolation to you. See iPad Mini 4 chip page.

  27. stevelawrence - 8 years ago

    Any word on capacity options? I have a 16GB 5s and I would totally go for this, but I’m done with 16GB and want at least 32GB. If they bring this out in only 16GB (and I would not put it past them) then I’m out.

  28. Tim Dent - 8 years ago

    What they need to do is fix the damn bugs. For who knows how long not, too long, I have not been able to search my iMessage text and go right to the message. This is absurd.

  29. Calling it “5se” seems to make sense when looking at it as a successor to the “5s”.
    But what will next years small/entry level iPhone be called then, “5see” since there’s no small 6-series model?
    I’d find “6c” with c for compact or “6e” for entry level more appropriate which could be followed by “6sc” or “6se” or “7c” or “7e”.

  30. animatedude - 8 years ago

    i’m interested in a NEW 4-inch iPhone but NOT IN APRIL when you know for sure iPhone 7 will come out 5 months later, it doesn’t make sense. This should’ve been released back in Nov/Dec.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Ideally if they had the components they should have waited, and released it alongside the iPhone 7 calling it iPhone 7 Mini, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus. No one wants older specs if they can get newer specs.

  31. rjhall90 - 8 years ago

    This is very saddening. After getting the 6, I started to find all sorts of issues where I couldn’t stand the screen size. A lateral move to a smaller iPhone wasn’t what I wanted. 8MP camera is just awful. Why do that? Give your customers OPTIONS. The 6S and 6S Plus shouldn’t feel like different tiers of quality and neither should this new disaster.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      The 8mp camera is great. The iPhone 6/6Plus cameras took superior photos to the 6s/6s Plus camera.

  32. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    Not enough letters in the title. Might I suggest iPhone 5Seº˚¬xbbbb2.

  33. Personally I think this is a great idea! Its not a phone intended for upgrading to from the iPhone 6/6S as Apple will most likely be releasing an iPhone 7 later this year but I think a smaller phone with some of the latest iPhone improvements is a great way to bridge a potential gap in the market for people who haven’t upgraded to the newer models – especially those in my position who would love the new improvements that come with the latest iPhone 6S but don’t want to upgrade due to how big the phone is! The only thing about this phone that I’m disappointed in is the lack of 3D touch capabilities as that is something I thought was innovative of the iPhone 6S but that’s not going to stop me from upgrading from my iPhone 5S to 5SE when my contract is up later this year. It’s a feature I’ve lived without before and would be willing to live without for another couple of years because I’m not convinced I’d use it as much as I think I would and it would be more of a ‘look what I can do with my phone’ feature than anything else! At least with this updated iPhone 5S we’d still have a better camera, Apply Pay capabilities and Live Photos which is more than enough to convince me that upgrading to this from my iPhone 5S is worth it!

    • b (@therealdesib) - 8 years ago

      If these rumoured internals are true, I recommend you think about it before you take the jump as you might end up wasting an upgrade (along with subsequent 2 year contract) for a phone that will mostly be the same as the one you already have. The A8 is very similar to the A7, so much so that even during its development it was coined as an “enhanced cyclone” (the cyclone is the codename for the A7), as the CPU’s are almost identical in terms of form and function on a technical level right down to the architecture of the chips, and with respect to the GPUs, the GX 6450 in the A8 isn’t a significant enough upgrade over the GC 6430 in the A7 as they are both “Series 6” PowerVR GPU chips…the same family or the same generation to put it in other words, and at their core they are identical despite design differences. I have yet to see a graphically intensive game or app that the A7 cannot handle which the A8 can. There wasn’t a new generation GPU until the 7 series used in the A9 in the iPhone 6s. Further, it may likely use 1GB of RAM just like the 5s currently does. Further, the camera in the iPhone 6 is almost identical to the one in the iPhone 5s – if this phone uses the iPhone 6 camera, that is. The 6 did bring enhancements with a better aperture for lower lighting pictures though. The major camera breakthroughs tend to come with the “S” models, the exception being the iPhone 4 from the 3GS had a very significant camera upgrade (at the time).

      I do not say this to tell you to not upgrade, but rather to help inform you before you do decide, as if I was in your shoes and I didn’t understand what powers these phones, I would be upset to learn that I essentially wasted an upgrade and a 2 year contract for a device which is more or less the same as what I had before.

      If these rumoured internals are true, then there are certain features that make it attractive in choosing it over the 5s, lets say if you were coming from an iPhone 5/5c or earlier model, but if you own an iPhone 5s I would think twice…I am also not sure what your carrier’s upgrade/contract plan is, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be locked in until March/April 2018 with a phone that is not really much of an upgrade. Just some friendly tech info to help inform you before you commit to a new contract!

  34. hoyty (@hoyty) - 8 years ago

    Isn’t this similar to current gen iPod Touch? 4″ screen with iPhone 6 internals?

    • b (@therealdesib) - 8 years ago

      Hopefully not the exact same internals, as the iPhone 5s is actually a tiny bit more powerful than the 6th gen iPod touch :P

  35. scarant66 - 8 years ago

    can someone please help, is the 5c def the best iphone for rural areas, no stores are selling these anymore, so the only place is online, prices vary so much, the phones seems to be genuine, but the accessories are generic? not sure why this is the case , 16gb are selling from $300, will i be getting the real deal or stay well away from ones online??

  36. SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

    Goes to show that so many features reserved for flagship phones are not necessarily impossible on earlier models.. live photos are technically even possible on a 4S.. Apple could make it a long press gesture.. same goes for 3d touch.. long press app icon and the menu could appear.. with added ability to delete the app from said menu.. all this means soft-blocking of features is in play.

  37. SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

    does this mean that every 3 years, we will have a new SE model come out?.. 2018 will have the iPhone 6SE?

  38. Moumita Nandy - 8 years ago

    what will be the price range of iphone 5se??????

  39. Sujan Singha - 8 years ago

    it will be just like i phone 6 just fucked i phone 5s and they have a child named called i phone 5se :p

  40. Kamal Namasudra - 8 years ago

    When it would release and what would be price?

  41. Jared M. Gingerich - 8 years ago

    The 5s is damn good phone, it marked the moment Apple blew by the competition in chip manufacturing, and they haven’t looked back. I for one will be glad to see a smaller option with more advanced features, assuming it isn’t the same price as the base 6s model.

  42. Lawrence Jones - 8 years ago

    question:
    I have a Verizon iPhone 4s and I don’t upgrade until this upcoming April. Would I be able to upgrade to the 5se by that time my upgrade is due?

  43. Finally, a reasonably sized *NEW* smartphone from Apple. #TheseThingsShouldBeGettingSmaller

  44. julianps - 8 years ago

    So, different internals and different externals but still “based on the 5s”?

  45. Alen Francis - 8 years ago

    Can I trade my iPhone 5s for the new iPhone 5se?

  46. sword2pen - 8 years ago

    Brilliant name. Said no-one ever.

  47. myjobrating - 8 years ago

    Apple is no longer can keep secret information on future updates, unfortunately. Now it is not such a surprise as before, even before the announcement everyone knows that in the new will, and with what characteristics. He lost all the magic.

  48. Xavier (@Lora27Xavier) - 8 years ago

    Wait so will there be a headphone jack for the 5 se or not.

  49. disneynutblog - 8 years ago

    Soooo…does this mean I can get a feature-packed phone without the annoying malleability? Sign me UP!

  50. Shadman Shahid - 8 years ago

    I heard a news about 5s that if this version come to market then 5s price will be $200 is it true or not??? can you please help me out on this news??