An image of a rumored update to Apple’s iPhone line has been leaked online—maybe.
A person on Apple forum “One More Thing” has posted an image to the site, claiming that it’s the rumored 4-inch iPhone that Apple will reportedly announce in March. While the user has said it’s likely the iPhone 6c, rumors abound that Apple (AAPL) will instead call its new 4-inch iPhone the iPhone 5se.
The smartphone is posted alongside the iPhone 5s and appears to be nearly the same size, suggesting it does in fact come with a 4-inch screen. The phone also appears to come with a similar button layout to the iPhone 6 line, including volume buttons on the left and the screen lock on the right. There’s also a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It’s hard to tell, however, if the smartphone is real or whether the image has been modified in any way.
Apple, of course, has remained tight-lipped about any plans surrounding its iPhone line, but the company has been rumored to be working on a new 4-inch iPhone for months. According to a report on Friday from 9to5Mac, Apple will hold a special press event in March, where it will announce the iPhone 5se. The “se” will stand for “special edition” or “enhanced,” according to the report. The handset, which was previously thought to be called the iPhone 6c, could be announced alongside an updated Apple Watch.
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The iPhone 5s launched in 2013, and is still available for free on a two-year contract or $450 unlocked. The iPhone 5s similarly features a 4-inch screen, but has quickly become outdated in a mobile world dominated by higher-end handsets, including the likes of Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus. The iPhone 5se could be an attempt by Apple to keep a 4-inch handset on the market, but boost its internal features to spark interest in the smaller screen. It’s unknown what the iPhone 5se would cost.
Regardless, the iPhone is critical to Apple’s business. During its fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 26, Apple generated $51.5 billion in revenue. The company’s iPhone accounted for $32.2 billion of that. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPad business was down 20% year-over-year, and its Mac operation could muster only 4% growth. Revenue in the iPhone business, on the other hand, was up 36% year-over-year.
For more, read: Here’s What Apple Will Announce in March
The iPhone’s importance to Apple’s business has not gone unnoticed by analysts, who have grown increasingly concerned with Apple’s heavy reliance upon the smartphone. It’s also possible that Apple’s rumored plans to launch a new iPhone in March is an attempt to boost smartphone sales while it waits to launch its bigger update to the handset later this year with the iPhone 7.
For more about iPhones and their popularity, watch:
While rumors have been swirling around Apple’s reported plans, it’s still important to take all of the reports and images with the proverbial grain of salt. Apple is notoriously secretive about its plans and declined to comment on the image leak. Still, the forum user that leaked the image has a somewhat reliable track record: In 2013, it leaked images of the iPad Air that ultimately proved real. It’s unknown, however, how the user obtains the devices, though he did say in his latest posting that the iPhone 5se has come via Vietnam.
Regardess, we may have to wait until March (if not later) to see if he’s right this time around.
