Apple iPhone SE: What the new product announcements mean for you
Apple product announcements never fail to cause a stir, and Monday鈥檚 unveiling of the iPhone SE 鈥� along with updates and price drops for some of its other wares, including the Apple Watch and iPad Pro听鈥� was no exception.
But after the excitement dies down, we wonder听what the latest changes will mean for consumers. We鈥檝e broken down Apple鈥檚 announcement to make it easier to understand what all the new changes mean for you and your pocketbook.
iPhone SE
The company unveiled a new iPhone to its lineup: the iPhone SE. It鈥檚 a 4-inch phone that looks like the iPhone 5S but has the the same processing and graphics performance as the 6S. For comparison, the 6S has a 4.7-inch screen.
The new device听offers听many of the popular iPhone 6S features packaged in a smaller design. These include Apple Pay, Siri functionality, a 12-megapixel iSight camera, focus pixels, true tone flash, panorama pictures, live photos, 4K video and a front-facing FaceTime HD camera.
And just like the iPhone 6S, it will come in a rose gold finish, in addition to space gray, silver and gold.
What it means for you:听If you鈥檙e a first-time iPhone buyer, or if you just prefer smaller phones, the听听provides a great Apple entry point for you. The phone will be available March 31 (orders begin March 24) for a starting price of $399. That鈥檚 the most affordable introductory price ever for an iPhone.
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The iPhone 7 is expected to be announced in the fall, so look for potential听price drops then.
Apple Watch
Apple hinted at a spring lineup of new watch bands in the title of its special announcement 鈥� 鈥淟et us loop you in鈥� 鈥� and the event didn鈥檛 disappoint.
While there鈥檚 no Apple Watch 2 just yet, Apple debuted an assortment of new Apple Watch bands for its original smartwatch, including new colors of the popular sport and leather bands, a black Milanese loop band and a variety of nylon woven bands.
What it means for you:听If you want to give your Apple Watch a new look, you can now outfit it with a new band. These听听are available now听from Apple. The sport and woven nylon bands cost $49 each, and the Milanese loop starts at $149.
But more importantly, the Apple Watch itself is now more affordable than it鈥檚 ever been. Beginning immediately, the Apple Watch starts at $299 (it was $349 previously), making now the time to buy. A year after it was first released, consumers can get an impressive deal on the watch.
Want an even better price? We spotted lower prices at Best Buy, where some听听models are on sale for $249.
Just note that the Apple Watch 2 is expected to come out in the fall, so if you can wait until then, the original Apple Watch price might drop even further.
iPad Pro
, Apple unveiled the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and now the company is debuting a 9.7-inch version of the popular tablet.
The latest iPad Pro includes similar features to the larger iPad Pro in a more affordable package. Features include an adjustable true tone display, an A9X processor, a 12-megapixel camera, live photos and compatibility with the Apple Pencil.
What it means for you:听You can order the new听听beginning March 24, and it ships March 31. The 32GB version costs $599, the 128GB version $749, and the 256GB version $899. While smaller than the 12.9-inch version, this new iPad Pro is $200 more affordable than its larger counterpart, which starts at $799.
The smaller iPad Pro is a great addition to the lineup, but if you鈥檙e a casual user and don鈥檛 need all that processing power, you might be better off with one of the less-expensive iPads, like the iPad Air 2 or the iPad Mini.
Apple TV
Apple didn鈥檛 announce a new听, but it did announce an update to its operating system. With tvOS 9.2, users will be able to speak to their device to search for games and shows, rather than typing. It even works for usernames and passwords.
What it means for you:听If you have a fourth-generation Apple TV, which was released in November, this update is a no-brainer. It鈥檚 free and is available for download.
If you don鈥檛 yet own an Apple TV, which starts at $149, the updated capabilities might make now the right time. And if you don鈥檛 care about the new features, the older听听is still a great product and costs $69.
Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:听courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter:听.听
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