Apple Gets Smaller But Retains Horsepower With 9.7-Inch iPad Pro, iPhone SE
Apple announced the availability of two new devices; the iPhone SE and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE is essentially a 4-inch clone of the iPhone 6s, and it features the same A9 processor introduced in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The iPhone SE has the same graphics performance as the 6s and 6s Plus with an embedded M9 coprocessor. Basically, Apple decided to make its most powerful iPhone yet even smaller.
| Device | iPhone SE |
|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A9 (with M9 Coprocessor) |
| Storage Options | 16 GB, 64 GB |
| Cameras | 12 MP iSight (Rear Facing), 5 MP Facetime (Front Facing) |
Pricing | $399 (16 GB), $499 (64 GB) |
The 12 MP rear-facing camera can capture 4K videos, which can be edited right on the device (similar to the iPhone 6s). The front-facing 5 MP camera features a Retina Flash, which momentarily brightens the screen to improve picture quality in low light.
Starting at $399, Apple heralds the new iPhone SE as the lowest introductory price for an iPhone in the company’s history.
9.7-Inch iPad Pro
Apple also introduced a tinier version of its iPad Pro, now offering a 9.7-inch version of the productivity tablet. It features a new True Tone display, which uses four-channel sensors to dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the ambient light around you.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also features an A9X processor. Apple claims that the 12 GPU cores in the embedded M9 motion coprocessor makes the device more powerful than an Xbox 360. The new display is smaller, but with a resolution of 2048×1536, it keeps the same pixel-per-inch rating as the 12.3-inch iPad Pro (264 ppi). For the first time ever, the company is offering a 256 GB variant (the 12.3-inch iPad Pro also gains this storage option), and Apple also has LTE versions of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
The cameras on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are also better than its predecessor, offering a 12 MP iSight rear-facing camera and a 5 MP Facetime (front-facing) camera (compared to the 12.3-inch iPad Pro’s 8 MP and 1.2 MP cameras, respectively). The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro also weighs less than a pound (0.96 lbs to be precise).
Both the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE will be available for order on March 24 and will begin shipping on March 31. The iPad Pro and iPhone SE both come in space gray, silver, gold or rose gold.
