Always an innovator, Apple Inc. is trying something new again: a cheaper iPhone. Earlier this month, the company announced that it is unveiling a new generation of the Apple iPhone SE. Offering an array of solid features—such as a good quality camera and the same fast processor of the iPhone 11 Pro—at a starting price of only $399, the smaller, budget-version SE is the company’s hope for reviving lagging sales.
As Apple churned out its nearly annual new models, its prices for the novel gadgets rose dramatically. Recent versions came with four-digit price tags, and consumers finally began to feel wallet fatigue. Sales of iPhones hit a plateau and in some markets, they even dropped significantly—as much as 60% in China, a huge market for Apple. With Android and Google phones selling for half that cost, Apple may have priced itself out of the market.
In addition to the lower price, the next generation SE offers a technological upgrade from the original 2016 SE. It features a pocket-sized 4.7-inch Retina HD (high definition) screen, Touch ID for security, and three “fashion” colors: silver, black, and red. It’s water and dust resistant, and, to many users’ delight, it brings back the familiar “home” button that was absent from the iPhone X and newer models.
“The first iPhone SE was a hit with many customers who loved its unique combination of small size, high-end performance, and affordable price,” said Phil Schiller in a press release. He is Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new second-generation iPhone SE builds on that great idea and improves on it in every way including our best-ever single-camera system for great photos and videos—while still being very affordable.”
Customers responded enthusiastically to the revised option. Base and mid-range versions of the SE were sold out at Apple’s website on Friday, the day shipping the new phone began.
(The new Apple iPhone SE 2020 is a revised version of the budget-priced SE 2016. It offers price-conscious consumers an iOS option that’s comparable to Apple’s cheaper competitors, Android and Google. Apple Inc.)
