Apple’s most loved product, the iPhone SE, marks the first update to the barebones version in almost two years. The latest indicator of inflationary pressures in the economy is the new iPhone SE, which will be sold for $429. This represents an 8-fold increase over the $399 price tag of the previous version. It was released almost two years ago, during the initial stages of the pandemic. The new iPhone SE will go on sale March 18.
Apple decided to forgo inviting media members and other guests to its in-person events to present its new products. This was as a precautionary measure. Apple instead live-streamed “Peek Performance” from its Cupertino headquarters, California.
Apple’s A15 Bionic chip is the latest iPhone SE. It produces detailed, lifelike images and has a more durable screen. The iPhone SE’s greatest selling points are likely to be its compatibility and low price.
The iPhone SE still offers a significant discount over the iPhone 13’s more expensive line-up. The iPhone 13 is available in four models and costs between $700 and $1,100. They can all be connected to 5G phones, just like the iPhone 12s, which was released in autumn 2020.
Although 5G networks aren’t yet widely available, they proved to be a big draw for iPhone users who wanted to upgrade to older models. According to International Data Corp, the iPhone 13 was a hot product that helped Apple surpass long-time rival Samsung to become the top-selling smartphone in the world during the last three months of 2013.
Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed that the company has attracted more iPhone users since last fall, but did not give specific numbers. Cook stated that the company is excited to see the new iPhone SE continue this momentum.
Pushing services
Analyst Dan Ives at Wedbush Securities expects Apple will sell approximately 30 million iPhone SE models in the next year. This fills a gap among less-affluent customers who have one of the estimated 265 million iPhones older than three-and-a-half years.
Although Apple may not make as much from selling iPhone SEs than it does from the more expensive models, it will give the company more opportunities for subscriptions to music streaming and video streaming services, which have become big money-makers, according to Tuong Nguyen of Gartner.
Nguyen stated that it was all about expanding the ecosystem. It’s always nice when Apple is able to get you to purchase a new phone. It’s even more rewarding when Apple can convince you to subscribe everything, which can turn into recurring income.
Apple’s services division has grown to be a huge business. It generated $68 billion in revenue in its last fiscal year. This is up from $24 million in 2016, which was the first year of its music streaming service. This company’s success with services has also made it a regulatory minefield. Antitrust lawsuits have been filed and legislations proposed to loosen Apple’s control over its iPhone app store. These commissions are derived from digital transactions that are processed on the iPhone.
Apple’s largest gold mine is still the iPhone, which has sales of $192 Billion in its last fiscal year despite production cuts. Apple stated in January that these problems were decreasing as the pandemic eased and suppliers started to catch up with backlogs.
Apple showcased the new iPhone SE and announced that it has reached a deal to show two Friday night baseball games on its video subscription. This is after Major League Baseball resolved a labor dispute that had delayed the start of the season. This deal is Apple’s latest venture into the sports programming market, which has traditionally been dominated long-established TV networks.
Apple also offers a new desktop version for its personal computer, the Mac Studio. It will run between $2,000 and $4,000 per unit. The Mac Studio will also include a premium display screen. It will be available for purchase at $1,600. The iPad Air, the company’s latest lightweight tablet, was also released for $600. All of these computing devices will be powered with Apple’s in-house chips.
