Apple unveils new iPhone SE, iPad Air models with 5G and updated chipsets: Digital Photography Review

Today, at its ‘Peek Performance’ event, Apple unveiled a collection of new and improved products, including a new iPhone SE as well as an updated iPad Air that brings the company’s powerful M1 chipset to the Air lineup.

iPhone SE

The first new product from Apple is a new iPhone SE 5G, an entry-level option who want the latest iOS device without breaking the bank. The device remains largely unchanged from its predecessor on the outside, but inside is a different story.

The first difference is the chipset. Now, the iPhone SE has an A15 Bionic inside—the same found in Apple’s iPhone 13 model released last autumn. Also new is 5G connectivity, making it the first time an iPhone SE model has the latest generation in cellular connectivity. Other features include a single 12MP camera (with Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles), a Touch ID home button and IP67 water resistance.

The new iPhone SE will be available starting at $429 on March 18, with pre-orders starting on March 11.

Updated iPad Air

Also new is an updated iPad Air that brings Apple’s M1 chip to the Air lineup for the first time ever. Apple says it’s the same chipset used in the company’s more powerful iPad Pro lineup, making the new iPad Air 60% more powerful than its A15 Bionic predecessor.

A new iPad Air running Adobe Lightroom for iPadOS.

The device is headlined by a 10.9” a liquid retina display with 500 nits of brightness and P3 color gamut coverage. The new M1 chipset features an 8-core GPU and CPU, a 16-core neural engine and helps to power the updated USB-C port that’s 2x faster than the previous iPad Air. Like the new iPhone SE, the iPad Air also gets 5G connectivity shouldyou opt for the cellular version.

The new iPad Air will be available in 64GB and 256GB capacities and start at $599, the same price as its predecessor. Pre-orders start on March 11 and the first units will be available on March 18.