Dubai: Apple to start taking pre-orders for its all-new four-inch smartphone - iPhone SE – from March 29, and the device will be available at the stores starting April 5.
Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO of Emax, told Gulf News that the new devices will force many iPhone 5S users to replace their old devices, besides those who prefer to have a small device in their hand.
According to research firm IHS mobile and telecoms team, 29 per cent of the iPhone models in active use are iPhone 5 models with four inch screens, and 23 per cent are even older iPhone models with screens sized just three and half inches.
The new smartphone is having the same performance as the iPhone 6S with A9 chip and motion co-processor, 4K video, 12MP iSight camera (panorama up to 63MP) and great battery life. It runs on updated iOS 9.3 operating system. It will be available in silver, space gray, gold, rose gold metallic finishes.
The new iPhone boasts faster LTE and WiFi speeds.
Bhatnagar said the 16GB is priced at Dh1,699 and the 64GB at Dh2,099.
The device will be available on Apple store for Dh1,649 (16GB) but did not mention the price for 64GB.
iPhone SE will be available in early April in Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guernsey, Jersey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and UAE.
Apple-designed accessories including leather cases in black and midnight blue will be available for Dh149, and Lightning Docks in colour-matched metallic finishes are currently available from Apple’s retail stores for Dh199.
Ian Fogg, senior director and head of the IHS mobile and telecoms team, said that the device is a very competent smartphone targeting an underserved market segment and Apple must find ways to get all current smartphone owners to upgrade from their “good enough” existing smartphones.
