The name has no relation to Apple’s pricier and larger handsets, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It doesn’t have an immediate link to the device it replaces either, the aging iPhone 5s from 2013. The inclusion of an “E” for the first time in Apple history has left many fans stumped as Apple’s naming scheme appears to have taken a turn for the worst.
After the company concluded its live event, the meaning of “SE” became a popular topic of discussion on Twitter. A number of different theories were put forward, ranging from the credible such as “Smaller Edition” and “Smaller Experience” to the less serious.
Suggestions included the iPhone “Senseless Edition,” “Still Expensive”, “Standard Edition” and “Super Encrypted,” the last supposedly designed to antagonise the FBI. The controversy was soon put to rest though as Apple’s senior vice president of marketing confirmed the official name to Fortune journalist Jason Ciprani.
According to Apple, the iPhone SE should be referred to as the “Special Edition.” It hasn’t provided an explanation of what makes this smaller, lower-cost iPhone so “special” though and the revelation has done little to clear up the confusion surrounding the naming scheme.
It will be interesting to see how Apple markets any potential successor to the iPhone SE. It may have to introduce another brand or risk launching a “Special Edition 2” and undermining the supposed reputation of the current device. The “special” status of SE is still a point of controversy as it has no extra features over the iPhone 6s aside from its design, almost entirely borrowed from the three-year old iPhone 5s.
The handset’s four-inch display is powered by Apple’s 64-bit A9 processor, creating what Apple claims is the most powerful four inch phone in the world. The bar isn’t exactly set high though as small-screened phones have dramatically waned in popularity after the past few years.
The iPhone SE has a 12MP camera capable of shooting 4K video, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, iOS 9.3 and support for Apple Pay mobile payments. The device is essentially a heavily upgraded iPhone 5s that has been brought up to speed with modern flagship standards.
The phone will be available to pre-order in select markets worldwide from March 24 and will begin to ship to customers on March 31. Wider availability will begin in May. Apple expects initial sales to be strong as four-inch devices are still a popular part of its line-up. The company shipped over 30 million 4-inch iPhones in 2015.
