Apple Reveals Smaller Phone

Apple confirmed a badly kept secret of the tech world on Monday: It's rolling out a 4-inch phone called the iPhone SE. The Wall Street Journal reports that the $399 price for the 16GB version is the company's lowest ever for a new phone. The 64GB version will cost another $100. Orders start Thursday, and it will ship next week. "It looks like the iPhone 5S, Apple's last 4-inch phone released in 2014, but has the same processor and graphics performance as the iPhone 6S," notes CNN. Other highlights of Apple's rollout:

• Smaller iPad Pro: Apple unveiled a 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro, with pre-orders starting on March 24, reports BGR. A 32GB model will be $599, with 128GB and 256GB models available for $749 and $899. The new Pro is a smaller version of the 12.9-inch Pro, notes the LA Times, though Gizmodo doesn't think the model is "very new or improved."
• Cheaper watch: The price of the Apple Watch is dropping from $349 to $299; the company is introducing a new nylon wristband and more color choices for the bands, reports AP.
• Quick assessment: "The iPhone reboot makes more immediate sense: Apple is just expanding the lineup of an already popular device," writes Farhad Manjoo at the New York Times. "The iPad is a trickier thing. With the new Pro devices, Apple is essentially trying to figure out what the iPad is for. It’s an open question whether it succeeds."

(More Apple stories.)