Apple goes small for new iPhone, iPad

Apple went small on March 21 -- cutting prices as well as screen size -- as it unveiled a new iPhone and iPad aimed at first-time buyers and customers in emerging markets.

The new launches came as the FBI moved to postpone a high-profile court battle with the US government on encryption and data protection, saying it may have a way to break into an iPhone at the heart of that case.
 
On March 20, "an outside party demonstrated to the FBI a possible method for unlocking (Syed) Farook's iPhone," prosecutors said in a filing asking a federal judge in Southern California to delay a hearing set for Tuesday.
 
"If the method is viable, it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple Inc. set forth in the All Writs Act Order in this case."  

Apple chief executive Tim Cook stressed that protecting privacy is an obligation the tech giant "will not shrink from."          

A new iPhone SE will debut at $399 for US customers without a contract subsidy, a significant cut from the price of Apple's larger iPhones.
 
Apple sold 30 million of its other small-screen iPhones in 2015, company vice president Greg Joswiak said, showing that many customers like the compact size -- despite the trend toward bigger displays.
 
"Some people really love smaller phones," Joswiak told the low-key event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, unveiling the aluminum handset with upgraded specifications and other features including Apple Pay.
 
"In some countries like China, for a majority of these customers, it is their first iPhone."  

The new iPhone model has strong potential in international markets beyond China, particularly in India, according to Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin...