With the iPhone 7 expected to follow the normal release schedule with an announcement sometime in September, Apple fans would be forgiven for thinking they have little to look forward to – but the latest rumours out of Cupertino suggest that the company might have something else for us to get excited about!
You see, hot on the heels of the more affordable iPhone 5C, Apple are strongly tipped to be producing a new handset aimed at the same market in early 2016.
The 5C was released to mixed success. Apple don't release individual sales figures for their handsets – but Tim Cook's admission that the company overstocked the handsets, coupled with a lukewarm response from the tech press, suggests that it wasn't the raging success we've come to expect.
That said, there's still a huge potential market of people who want a more accessible but still cutting-edge iPhone – and lately, rumours have started to trickle out surrounding a semi-update in the form of the iPhone 5SE (known elsewhere as the iPhone 6S).
As far as we're concerned, a new handset from Apple is always worth getting excited about – and as a self-proclaimed fanboy, I’m here to keep you up to date and let you know what the rumour mill is saying!
Firstly: Why now?
With the 5C having failed to set the world on fire, you might wonder why Apple are even bothering with a 'spin-off' handset. And the main reason, it seems, is size.
Apple's latest handsets, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, are noticeably larger than the previous generation, featuring 4.7” and 5.5” screens respectively, as opposed to the 4" screen seen on the iPhone 5 series.
For that reason, the options for those wanting a smaller handset are a little slim. Apple stopped selling the iPhone 5C last year, and the only other iPhone available is the 5S – which was released all the way back in September 2013!
With that in mind, it seems the time has come for an update to Apple’s entry-level device, bringing the specs (roughly) up to speed with the iPhone 6, but staying with a smaller handset and a smaller price.
The Name
At first, it was expected that this exciting new release would be called the iPhone 6C,in keeping with the iPhone 5C.
More recently, though, we've heard that it's more likely to be called the iPhone 5SE, reflecting a slightly different design philosophy to the 5C, which was of course very similar in appearance to the regular iPhone 5 series phones aside from its coloured cases.
As for what it means, it could be either ‘Special Edition’ or ‘5S Enhanced’. We can’t quite decide – but whatever it stands for, the iPhone 5SE sounds good to us!
The Features
The iPhone 5SE won't feature the same high-end hardware seen on the latest 6S and 6S Plus handsets – but it'll still hold its own.
Sporting an 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera, the 5SE will have the same cameras used in the iPhone 6 – not the latest models, but still remarkably good snappers in their own right, and certainly a distinct improvement over the hardware seen in the other iPhone 5-series devices.
As mentioned above, the 5SE will eschew the multi-coloured cases seen on the iPhone 5. Instead, Apple plan to keep the colour range in line with all of their other current devices and offer Space Grey, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold variants of the 5SE.
As expected, the device will come with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner – and, as such, will support Apple Pay. It will also allow you to add a number of different cards to the Wallet app, to use in your favourite stores at the touch of a thumbprint!
What else is New?
Although the new device is the same size as an iPhone 5S, the 5SE will have the same rounded edges as the iPhone 6, which should offer a smoother experience when holding the device.
In addition, the 5SE will see support for Apple's much-touted 'Live Photos', which were a key feature of the 6S series– but unlike those devices, you won't be abe to activate these living images with 3D Touch, as there will be no support for this ultra-fancy feature on the 5SE.
Currently, we're not certain which processor the device will use: it might be the A8 found in the iPhone 6 or the A9 found in the 6S. Either way, though, this will be a healthy improvement over previous 4” devices – and those used to the lower-priced iPhones will surely notice a difference.
When will we see it?
The whispers surrounding the new device are certainly hotting up – and rumours are even circulating that production of the iPhone 5SE has already begun.
Whether that's true or not, we expect to hear more details about the official release date during Apple’s next big event in March of this year. If Apple follow the trends they’ve set at previous events like this, the iPhone 5SE should be on sale very soon afterwards!
There’s typically only a small amount of time between rumours circulating and a new Apple device hitting the market – so whatever happens, it’s unlikely we’ll be waiting until September for this new smartphone.
Those are the rumours we feel have the most merit – although there are plenty of more interesting (and less likely) rumours floating around the Internet! If you’ve heard a particularly juicy rumour that you want to share, do post it in our comments section below.