Apple’s Upcoming iPhone SE to Bring 5G Speeds for People ‘Who Just Want an iPhone’ – CNET

Apple iPhone 13 Pro — The new iPhone SE isn’t expected to be Apple’s only product announcement Tuesday. The company’s also rumored to be prepping new iPads with updated designs, faster chips and potential wireless charging support. In addition it’s expected to update its Mac Mini, the 9 computer that’s a little smaller than a coffee table book, meant to plug into a separate screen, keyboard and mouse.
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From its introduction in 2007, Apple’s iPhone has been known as a premium device, with a price tag to match. But on Tuesday, Apple is expected to turn its attention to its lowest-cost smartphone instead.
Unlike the 9 iPhone 13 or ,099 iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone SE isn’t meant to wow with cutting-edge features like super bright screens, room-sensing lasers or macro photography so much as it’s meant to satisfy for a far lower price of 9.

Apple’s likely iPhone SE upgrade comes at a time of international turmoil. The company’s event will be broadcast from its headquarters in California, about 6,000 miles away from Ukraine, the country at the center of Europe’s largest war since World War II. And the fighting, caused by Russia’s unprovoked invasion, comes as the world is still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus continues to spread amid global vaccination efforts, infecting more than 52 million people over the past month alone, killing more than a quarter million. Business leaders, who’ve navigated supply chain nightmares, employee health and increasing inflation, say they’re still unsure when life will return to normal.
“It’s an iPhone for people who don’t want all the bells and whistles — they just need a phone, and that’s what it ticks the boxes on,” said CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.
But the iPhone SE may yet draw some of the most attention when the event is over, by representing not just the lowest-cost iPhone, but also the last of the company’s lineup to run on 5G wireless.

All that may add up to another moment for Apple’s iPhone SE to shine even more.
Apple’s iPhone is its most important product.

Hey, Siri, give us a hint! — Apple hasn’t tipped its hand about what this upcoming iPhone SE will have, but it’s expected to support 5G wireless as its standout feature. That may seem like old news to anyone who’s been carrying a 5G phone for the past couple of years. But it could entice people who’d otherwise balk at buying a phone that costs about the same as an average month’s rent.
James Martin/CNET

Pushing 5G

CNET reviewer Patrick Holland called the 2020 iPhone SE “the most value for your dollar of any phone Apple sells” when it debuted.

Hey, Siri, give us a hint!
CNET Apple Report “The first iPhone SE was a hit with many customers who loved its unique combination of small size, high-end performance and affordable price,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s former head of marketing, said in a press release when announcing the most recent iteration, two years ago.