Apple is in a legal tussle with the federal agency.
By Dileep Thekkethil
As expected, smartphone giant Apple has send invites to media houses for an event that is slated for March 21st, which could see the unveiling of the company’s latest small-screen iPhone – the iPhone SE.
The launch of the new model of iPhone, which will be the first small-screen smartphone that Apple will be launching since 2013, comes at a time when the row between the company and the US federal agency is in an ugly phase.
The US federal agency had asked Apple to provide a security patch so that the agency can unlock any encrypted smartphone. But the Cupertino-based company didn’t budge to the incessant request of the agency, leading to a legal tussle.
Technology experts are expecting an even bigger event as there are possibilities that Apple will be also releasing a smaller version of iPad Pro during its much-awaited launch event on March 21st.
The invite sent to media houses says “Let us loop you in.”
According to various report, the upcoming small screen iPhone SE will sport a 4-inch display and will share the looks of the flagship model iPhone 6S, but with a smaller frame. The device will be powered by Apple’s A9 chipset and will have new features introduced by Apple such as Apple Pay and Live Photos.
It is rumoured that the iPhone SE does not support 3D Touch. Apple introduced the 3D Touch feature in iPhone 6S and 6S Plus and it seems like the company would like to keep the feature exclusive for the two models.
The people who backed out from buying an iPhone has a good news as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kou, who is considered one of the most revered researcher on Apple products, recently said that the electronic giant might slash the price of its two-year-old iPhone model, the iPhone 5S. If the kind of price cut that he predicts come to effect, the iPhone 5S will be available in the Indian market for Rs. 12,000.
In the meanwhile, Kou also said that Apple might place their latest flagship device iPhone SE at a price segment not above $450 (Rs. 30,000).
The new smartphone in the small screen segment is expected to increase the sale of Apple devices as the company will be soon fielding in 4-inch, 5-inch and 5-5-inch segments simultaneously, which is a phenomenon that hasn’t happened for Apple yet.
Even though the company is apprehensive about iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S users buying the new smaller iPhone SE, they are confident that first-time users of Apple, who could be looking for a smaller and affordable product, will purchase the device.
On the other hand, Apple is also launching a smaller version of its iPad Pro, which will sport a 9.7-inch display. Apple introduces the 12.9-inch iPad pro last year along a thin, detachable keyboard and stylus that are sold separately.
The launch of the new small screen models of Apple flagship devices comes at a time when the company is at war with FBI and the Obama Administration over the encryption system that makes the user data unreadable to the third party.
The whole issue started after the federal agency approached apple to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by one of the mass shooters of San Bernardino massacre. Apple CEO Tim Cook who took a defensive stand on the proposal to create a loop for government agencies to unlock iPhones set off an adverse reaction from the agency that has now moved the case to a federal magistrate in Riverside on March 22.
The launch event on March 21 will be held inside the company’s Town Hall auditorium located on its 1 Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino, California. Like all Apple media events, the launch event will kick start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.