In 2013, Apple released two new iPhone models in the same year for the first time. Then, two years later in 2015, it would release another two new iPhones simultaneously, this time with two different display sizes. Now in 2016, it looks like Apple is changing things up yet again, with not one or two but three brand new iPhone models planned for release.
While the stars of the show will undoubtedly be the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus expected to debut this coming September, it looks like the first new iPhone of 2016 will be unveiled long before that. And although the new iPhone SE is eagerly anticipated by many Apple fans, there’s at least one missing feature that may put a damper on things for some users.
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The rumor mill has been cranked up to full volume ahead of Apple’s upcoming iPhone SE announcement. We now likely know when the event will take place, we know what the new iPhone will look like, and we know just about everything there is to know about the new model’s specs and price.
About those specs…
Leaks suggest the iPhone SE will be a fairly capable smartphone, complete with a 64-bit A9 processor, a 12-megapixel camera with support for Live Photos, NFC and Apple Pay support, up to 64GB of storage and more. And of course, it will feature a smaller 4-inch display to satisfy users who haven’t upgraded since Apple increased its screen sizes in 2014 with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Interestingly, though perhaps expectedly, Apple’s new iPhone SE will not include the most exciting new feature the company introduced alongside its most recent new iPhones. According to a leaked image posted by French Apple blog Nowhereelse.fr, the display assembly from the upcoming new iPhone SE does not include the hardware required to support 3D Touch.
The French site is known to regularly post early photos of components destined to make their way into iPhone models that have not yet been released, so the odds that this rumor will pan out are very high. 3D Touch, which monitors the force applied with each tap and swipe to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus’ display, will apparently be reserved for Apple’s premium iPhone models for the time being, though it certainly could make its way to less expensive models at some point.
Apple’s new iPhone SE is expected to be unveiled during a press conference on March 21st, and it should launch sometime soon after.
