Apple releases 4-inch iPhone SE

The iPhone SE has been announced.

And it is both small and mighty.

The 4-inch handset boasts the same A9 chip and the same embedded M9 motion co-processor as Apple’s flagship 4.7-inch phone, for double the CPU performance of the iPhone 5s, which was Apple’s last 4-inch handset. The new phone also packs the same graphics capabilities of the larger iPhone 6s, meaning it has three times faster GPU performance compared to the iPhone 5s.

Apple’s newest handset features a 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with support for 4K video and 30 FPS. The device also features a 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera with a True Tone Retina Flash feature that lights up the display of the iPhone significantly more than usual, just before a photo is captured.

Where communications are concerned, the iPhone SE offers improved LTE and 802.11ac, Wi-Fi with speeds topping out at 150 Mbps and 344 Mbps, respectively. The device supports up to 19 LTE bands and also comes with iOS 9.3, Apple Pay, VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, new microphones, Live Photos support, always-on “Hey Siri” voice activation, and improved battery life.

The iPhone SE will be available for preorder on Thursday, March 24th and begin shipping on the 31st. The first wave launch countries will include the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Prices begin at $399 for the 16GB version, while the 64GB version will cost $499. A two-year contract is free for the 16GB version and financing starts at $17/month for the same model. Four colors are available with matte chamfered edges: Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold.

The new iPhone SE will be available in over 100 countries by the end of May.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via MacRumors