Having to make do without the physical press conference that usually accompanies its product launches, Apple Inc. today used a newsroom post and a YouTube video to unveil the long-rumored iPhone SE, which will become available for order on Friday starting from $399.

The iPhone SE will hit the market with one of the lowest price points of any Apple handset in recent memory. It’s a move that could put the company in a better position to drive device shipments as consumer spending contracts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch display framed by prominent bezels on the top and bottom that are larger than the edges of Apple’s pricier models. Another notable difference: There’s a physical Touch ID sensor at the bottom for unlocking the device. It’s a practical addition since the Face ID facial recognition system that Apple’s higher-end devices use doesn’t always work when people are wearing masks or their faces are otherwise obstructed.

But although the iPhone SE’s chassis and appearance diverge significantly from its standard-size siblings, it runs the same silicon under the hood. Apple has equipped the device with the latest-generation A13 Bionic chip that powers the 2019 iPhone lineup. A company spokesperson elaborated in a statement to TechCrunch that the company hasn’t dialed down the chip’s performance for the smaller form factor.

Apple’s software engineers have used the extra horsepower to boost the iPhone SE’s photographic capabilities. The device packs only a single 12-megapixel back camera on account of the lowered price point, but it digitally boosts image quality using Smart HDR, a machine learning feature that combines multiple shots into a single photo. There’s also support for the Portrait Mode from the iPhone 11 lineup that focuses the lens on the faces of the people in a picture.

In the video capture department, meanwhile, the iPhone SE’s camera can record with 4K resolution at 60 frames per second like Apple’s flagship iPhone 11 Pro Max. Automatic cinematic video stabilization, another feature enabled by the A13 Bionic chip, helps keep the shooting angle stable to provide an additional improvement in video quality.

Rounding out the iPhone SE’s core specifications is a 7-megapixel front camera, compatibility with the latest Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking standard and wireless charging support. There’s also a Lightning port for standard charging cables. 

The base $399 model comes with 64 gigabytes of storage. Apple will also offer 128-gigabyte and 256-gigabyte versions of the iPhone SE that will go on sale for $449 and $549, respectively.

With its $399 starting price, the iPhone SE isn’t likely to contribute much to Apple’s hardware margins. However, the device’s accessibility compared with standard iPhone models could help the company bring aboard more new customers that it then could target with its iOS-exclusive services. Those services, which include the Apple TV+ streaming platform, were already a major focus of Apple’s growth plans before the coronavirus pandemic and may take on additional significance now that consumers are spending more time at home.

The company’s Services division closed the most recent quarter with revenues of $12.71 billion, up from $10.87 billion a year earlier. Apple’s total sales climbed 9% in the three-month period to $91.8 billion. 

Photo: Apple