RELEASE: Apple announces the new, cheaper iPhone SE.
By Michelle Boulos, Staff Writer
The world has watched the tech giant Apple upgrade the iPhone year after year for the past decade: upgrades in software, size, hardware, and technology have become regular and are anticipated by millions. In a media release on March 21, 2016, however, Apple announced its downsize of the iconic phone.
After jumping from four to five to six inch screens, Apple has reintroduced a new four inch phone, the SE, which will be released at the end of the month. Although the size, and the price (starting at $399 without contract) of the phone will decrease, the technology certainly will not.
At the media conference, Apple announced new features on the new phone, such as “night shift” and a more advanced camera.“Night shift,” which is accessible on any phone through software update iOS 9.3, is a particularly exceptional feature. Recent science journals have found that staring at your phone later in the day accounts for a loss of sleep, as blue light prohibits the release of chemicals in the brain which bring about sleep. This setting makes the colors on the screen warmer, adjusting to more orange, red, and yellow tones at the user’s requested times.
The smaller phone size may be more convenient for some, compared to the big and clunky sizes of the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. The SE comes in four different colors, including the newer rose gold tone, released in the 6s last September. The general reception of the smaller size seems to be mixed. Among a survey of Poly students, 56% liked the change, while 44% did not.
This media release was scheduled just a day before a court hearing over issues regarding chaos between the FBI and Apple. The court hearing was canceled the day after the conference, as the FBI has potentially found a way to bypass the blockade. Regardless of this, the new iPhones were released on schedule.
Apple continues to make changes to better fit their customers, a group that is constantly growing. The most important features of the new phone, which can be anticipated to be held in every hand by the end of 2017, are designed for practicality and a convenient lifestyle. Now we can sleep peacefully at night.