At the Peek Performance event, Apple announced its new iPhone SE, which, like its predecessors, is a lower-cost version of the flagship group. As expected, the phone has an updated A15 Bionic quad-core processor and supports 5G cellular standards.
Despite this, the phone still retains the home button at the bottom of the screen for Touch ID, and it has a single rear camera.
The new iPhone SE is available in red, black and white colors, and has a 4.7-inch Retina HD screen covered with glass.
- Apple says it’s the strongest glass in a smartphone on the front and back. But that’s not the same glass across the back of the iPhone 13.
- The iPhone SE also comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The company promises better battery life thanks to the efficiencies from the A15 Bionic and iOS 15.
- Despite the presence of a single 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 lens slot, the company said that the iPhone SE has a new camera system, adding things we saw on the iPhone 13 such as Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion for better processing.
- And like the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone SE is made from some recycled materials. According to the company, it uses 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the Taptec motor and acoustic magnets, 100 percent recycled tungsten in the Taptec motor, and 100 percent recycled tin in the main logic board solder. The company has also changed its packaging so that it no longer uses an external plastic wrap.
The iPhone SE is available in 64, 128 and 256 GB capacities, with a starting price of $429 in the US. Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and more than 30 other countries and regions can pre-order iPhone SE starting Friday, March 11, with availability beginning Friday, March 18.
Apple announces iPad Air with M1 processor
After nearly a year and a half since its last update, the iPad Air is receiving an update. And while its design hasn’t changed much, new features across the 5G tablet include a brighter screen, optional 5G connectivity, and a significant performance boost.
And since the previous iPad Air was Apple’s first tablet to feature an edge-to-edge display, a power button with an integrated TouchID sensor, and the flat-side chassis that Apple used in later iPads (like the iPad Pro and iPad mini), the device’s exterior doesn’t need much of modifications.
As a result, the company focused in the device version for the year 2022 on equipping the latest iPad Air with refurbished components.
- And the iPad Air’s ultra-wide front camera gets a new sensor that supports Center Stage, which uses machine learning to automatically track and follow your head and keep you properly in frame during FaceTime calls.
- For those who need fast mobile data, an iPad Air with optional 5G can also be had.
- But on the inside, the biggest update is the addition of the M1 chip, which should give the iPad Air a major boost in performance, putting it on par with the more expensive iPad Pro line.
- Thanks to its new processor, the company claims that the new iPad Air is now twice as fast as a Windows laptop at a similar price.
- And it looks like the tablet’s storage didn’t get an upgrade in size. And the base model still comes with a 64GB SSD or 256GB if you pay for more storage.
- The screen size of the device is 10.9 inches, with a peak brightness of 500 nits. The tablet still works with a host of accessories. Including the Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio.
- The iPad Air is available in five colors, starting at the same price as the previous model: $599, with the new 5G model priced at $749.