Apple has officially launched their recently announced 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The devices are now available for purchase from Apple’s retail stores alongside various carriers. For customers who have preordered the devices, you should being to receive your new iPhone and/or iPad today in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, United Kingdom, and, of course, the United States. In fact, some customers were reporting that their devices began shipping as early as yesterday.
Here’s everything you need to know about the release of Apple’s latest products!
iPhone SE
What is it: Apple saw a market for 4-inch phones because of the nice, compact size, one-hand-ability, and constant want from customers as they sold over 300 million 4-inch phones just last year, so they decided to revamp the previous 4-inch phone they offered, the iPhone 5s, by upgrading the specs of the device while still maintaining the comfy 4-inch form factor the 5s had. They also decided to call it the iPhone “SE”, which presumably stands for “special edition”.
What are the specs: Apple basically packed the iPhone 6s’ specs into the body of the 5s. The new iPhone SE sports a 4-inch 1136×640 Retina display, an A9 processor with an M9 motion co-processor embedded inside the chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 12MP camera capable of shooting 4K video, Live Photos, a Retina Flash for taking selfies with the front camera, a larger battery, Apple Pay support, and iOS 9.3.
Where can I get it: Right now, the iPhone SE is available from Apple directly on their website, however T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are all taking orders for the device as well. You can now also visit Apple’s retail stores and carrier’s brick-and-mortar locations to pick up an SE.
How much does it cost: The iPhone SE off-contract with 16GB of space will run you $399, while 64GB of storage costs $499 which is a decent price when considering the specs of the device. When locked to a two-year contract on any of the carriers above, you can get the handset for free, however that’s with 16GB of space, while for 64GB, you’ll be paying around $49 which, again, isn’t bad at all.
9.7-inch iPad Pro
What is it: Last year, Apple announced and released the 12.9-inch iPad Pro which they targeted to people who wanted to replace their current laptop or desktop, and while some people now simply use it as their main machine, a gigantic iPad, in most cases, wasn’t the answer they were looking for when it came to portability, which ultimately lead to some customers steering away from Apple and headed to somewhere like Microsoft. And once Apple recognized that, they decided to make a smaller, more portable version in their world-famous 9.7-inch form factor that they hope will attract those could’ve-been-customers.
What are the specs: The new iPad Pro sports an A9X processor with an M9X motion co-processor embedded inside alongside a Smart Connector for connecting accessories such as a Smart Keyboard which has been optimized for the smaller 9.7-inch form factor the new Pro features, Apple Pencil support, a 12MP rear camera which is capable of shooting 4K video (which actually protrudes a bit which will no doubt cause some new controversy), a 5MP front camera, and a True Tone 9.7-inch display which Apple says can automatically adjust tones and colors displayed depending on the room environment. The display is also 40% less reflective when compared to the Air 2 alongside being 25% brighter, making it “the brightest tablet ever” according to Apple. The screen also works very well with iOS 9.3’s Night Shift mode.
The new Pro also packs in quad-sterio speakers, making it one of the best tablets out for listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game. And interestingly enough, the new tablet also comes with always-on “Hey Siri” detection, something I wasn’t expecting personally.
Where can I get it: You can pick up the new iPad Pro directly from Apple either online or in-store alongside Best Buy. Carriers also have the tablet up for sale, however it’s mainly on the company’s websites. You can, however, visit an Apple store to pick up the new iPad and purchase a data plan right there on the spot for the carrier of your choice who offers plans for it.
How much does it cost: For WiFi-only, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro starts at $599 for 32GB of storage, while 128GB will run you $749 and a whopping 256GB will cost $899. For WiFi + cellular, the tablet starts at $729 for 32GB, while 128GB costs $879 and 256GB runs for a hefty price of $1,029.
Will you be picking up an iPhone SE or 9.7-inch iPad Pro? Let us know what your plans are in the comments and discuss it amongst other readers!
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