Do you recall the rumour that claimed Apple’s next generation would be called the iPhone 5e? Well, if you found that hard to believe, here is another, more colourful one: 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is upgrading the iPhone 5s, and that it will name the new 4-inch iPhone “5se”, as in “special edition”.
The moniker ‘5se’ also appeared when MIC Gadget claimed to go hands-on with the model yesterday.
Before you start guessing what the “se” suffix means – is it short for sexy? – here is what Gurman’s sources say about it:
The new device is internally codenamed “N69,” but the launch name will likely be the “iPhone 5se.” The “se” suffix has been described in two ways by Apple employees: as a “special edition” variation of the vintage 4-inch iPhone screen size and as an “enhanced” version of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, the upcoming “5se” features a design similar to 2013’s flagship but upgraded internals, software, and hardware features that blend the old design with modern technologies from the past two iPhone upgrades.
Also, the “iPhone 5se” will likely feature the same curved glass as on the iPhone 6/6s, the same 8 MP camera you find in the iPhone 6, support for larger panoramas, NFC, A8 and M8 (iPhone 6), Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips, live photos, and the four colour options we have with the iPhone 6s line. Don’t take it for granted yet, though; this is what the voices have whispered to Gurman.
With the introduction of the “iPhone 5se” the iPhone 5s will officially become a dated device. The 5se, on the other hand, will feature all the essential technological components to support future major iOS updates.
