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Apple ( AAPL ) unveiled a new 4-inch iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro and cut the Apple Watch base price at its spring product launch event Monday that contained few surprises and no “one more thing.” iPhone SE As expected, Apple announced a new 4-inch smartphone called the iPhone SE. Last year, Apple sold over 30 million 4-inch iPhones, so it remains an important market segment for the company. Many people simply prefer a compact smartphone, Apple said. The new handset will replace the iPhone 5S, which was released in September 2013. The new smartphone includes upgraded components including an A9 processor, 12-megapixel camera and NFC technology to enable Apple Pay. The iPhone SE will start at $399 for a 16-gigabyte model. A 64-GB model will cost $499. Apple will begin taking orders Thursday and the handset will ship March 31. It will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of May. Smaller iPad Pro Apple also launched a smaller iPad Pro tablet, as expected. The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro joins the 12.9-inch original, which was launched last fall. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said the company is making a smaller iPad Pro because it wants to serve the largest segment of the tablet market. Apple has sold over 200 million iPads with a 9.7-inch display to date, he said. Schiller also believes the new iPad Pro will appeal to Microsoft Windows PC users. The iPad Pro also supports new accessories including a smaller Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil. Other accessories include a USB camera adapter and SD card reader that plug into the Lightning port. “It is the ultimate PC replacement for all those old PCs in the world,” Schiller said. The iPad Pro starts at $599 for a 32-GB model. Pre-orders begin Thursday and it will go on sale March 31. Apple Watch Price Cut Apple also cut the entry price for the Apple Watch to $299 from $349. It also announced several new watch bands for the Apple Watch, including a new woven nylon band as well as new sport and metal bands. About a third of Apple Watch wearers regularly change their bands, CEO Tim Cook said. Wall Street analysts had said the new products were unlikely to move the needle for the company, predicting no big surprises. As the company’s “Let us loop you in” event started at 10 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Eastern) in Cupertino, Calif., Apple stock was up slightly. The stock reversed lower for modest losses during the event and are currently trading down 0.2% to 105.70. Cook Defends Apple Vs. FBI Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the event by reinforcing the company’s argument that the federal government has overstepped its legal bounds by demanding Apple hack its iPhone security. Apple and the Justice Department are set to square off in a federal court on Tuesday in a criminal case where the FBI wants Apple to develop software to bypass its password security measures. “We need to protect your data and your privacy,” Cook said. “This is an issue that affects all of us and we will not shrink from this responsibility.” Cook also announced that the company had reached a major milestone: more than 1 billion Apple devices are now in use worldwide. Apple executives also announced advancements with its HealthKit and ResearchKit projects and launched CareKit, a framework to build apps that allow patients to take better care of themselves. CareKit will be available in April. Scalper1 News
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