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The iPhone SE, which was unveiled a week ago during a special event, is apparently very popular in China. According to a report from CNBC, the new 4-inch smartphone has managed to grab more than 3.4 million reservations, with a little over one day to go before the reservation window closes.

As always when talking about the Chinese market, you’ll see most news outlets report this number as “pre-orders”, however as a general rule in China these don’t work like they do elsewhere. They’re called reservations and no money changes hands before the actual purchase, unlike a ‘western’ pre-order where you generally do pay right when you make it.

This means that many people can reserve a new device, but that doesn’t guarantee that all of them will actually buy a unit in the end. Unfortunately it’s impossible to tell whether that’s the case in this situation too, but it is how things generally go in the Chinese market.

That doesn’t make the 3.4 million amount less impressive, it’s just unclear whether we can already count these as sales or simply the number of people who have shown interest in the iPhone SE.

The same report states that the most popular color version is gold, followed closely by rose gold. The iPhone SE starts at CNY 3,288 in China, which right now translates into $506. Not anywhere near the $399 starting price in the US, but not as high as the prices in Europe have turned out to be either. The handset will be out on March 31, which is this coming Thursday.

Source | Via

One of the big things that inspires me in photography, life, and technology is the ability to “democratize”, to add “access”, and to make things affordable to the masses.

I grew up “lower-working class” (my mom was more or less a single mom, working 3-part time jobs and barely being able to afford rent every month). I lived in anxiety as a kid (I remember being 11 years old, and my mom telling me that we might be homeless next month because my dad gambled away the rent money).

I grew up pretty scrappy, knowing how to make do with what I had. I didn’t have much money at all as a kid (I would sometimes take my lunch money, go hungry for lunch, and use my lunch money to eventually buy sneakers or clothes).

However my savior was technology (specifically my computer). My computer empowered me. Once I got the Internet (AOL 3.0, with a dial-up 38.8k modem) I was able to play free games, download (illegally) early versions of Photoshop and Visual Basic, I self-taught myself web design, programming, had access to tons of “free” information online, and the ability to connect with people half-way around the world.

I always had an artistic bent as a kid, but never was (that good) at drawing or painting. I wanted an artistic and creative outlet… and I was lucky enough that photography found me.

When I was 18 years old, my mom bought me a little Canon SD 600 digital point-and-shoot camera as a graduation present for high school. I was amazed by the technology. I loved how I could create “instantaneous art” and see the results immediately on the back of my LCD screen. I remember old field trips as a kid, when I had to use disposable film cameras, and couldn’t get “instantaneous feedback.”

Digital photography liberated me. I was able to explore the world, and creatively capture the beauty I saw in front of me. With my little digital camera (and laptop I got for college), the only limit I had was my creativity.

Sub-$300 devices for the masses

Flash-forward to 2016. We now live in an insanely amazing world where we can buy essentially mega-computers (smartphones) that fit in our front pockets, that have infinitely more computing power than supercomputers a decade ago, and that cost below $300 (most Android phones). We have laptops (Chromebooks) which also can be bought for $200, which gives us access to the Internet, free online tools, and instantaneous connection across the globe. As long as we have a free Wi-Fi connection and a power outlet the only limitation we have is our creativity and minds. We can no longer blame technology for not being “good enough”; we are our own self-imposed limitations.

Apple just released the new iPhone “SE” (special edition) which is a 4-inch iPhone (smaller than the iPhone 6S/6S Plus) which has the same camera, hardware, and horsepower of the iPhone 6S, all for a starting price of $399 (for the 16GB model).

My God. I think we have finally arrived. Now I truly believe that (at least for most of the masses) we have access to all the digital tools we need as photographers.

First of all, I believe the iPhone 6S camera (now the iPhone SE camera) is more than sufficient for 99% of us photographers. Many of us now upload our photos to Instagram and social networks; where we see the images through a 4 to 6 inch screen. Unfortunately for most photographers, printing photos is a thing of the past. So unless you plan on printing your photos super large, a 12-megapixel camera is more than enough for you.

Secondly, you no longer “need” a laptop, desktop, or a proper computing device. Your smartphone can do almost anything that your laptop/desktop can do. Especially for us photographers, we can use free tools like VSCO to edit/post-process our images.

Thirdly, our smartphones are also publishing devices. In the past, photographers had to print their images if they wanted their images to “exist” in the real world. Nowadays we can upload our photos immediately to social media networks. direct message them to our friends, or view on our devices for our own enjoyment.

What more do you really need?

At $399 you have access to the iPhone SE’s top-of-the-line smartphone camera, computing device, and workstation. You can take photos, edit and process them, and publish them instantaneously.

Think about what we needed in the past (even with digital technology): we needed to buy a $1,000+ digital SLR, buy a $1,000+ laptop, and have access to an Internet connection at home ($50+ a month).

Much earlier in history, we needed film, chemicals, and technical know-how to make images. The barrier to entry was a lot higher.

Now photography is truly democratized for the masses. And as technology jolts forward, smartphones (and cameras) will just keep getting cheaper, technology will be faster and more powerful, and access will become ubiquitous to everyone around the world.

The Apple iPad Air 2 got discounted to $400 – that’s $100 off its original price.

But if that’s still too rich for your blood, the Daily Steals offer of a refurbished iPad Air 16GB (original) for $250 might be something you’re interested in. You can knock $10 off the price with the honest coupon code CHEAPSKATE10.

If you’re nervous about refurbished hardware, you can get one from Apple for $280. Apple’s refurb program offers more variety too, the Daily Steals offer is for the 16GB Wi-Fi model only, while Apple’s site has everything up to 128GB with AT&T LTE. Refurbished iPad Air 2 start at $340.

Source | Via

Well, that was quick. Apple has just announced the iPhone SE and the smartphone won’t be officially launching until next week. However, someone in China apparently already had the smartphone long enough to pass it through AnTuTu’s usual battery of diagnostics. Presuming this is the real deal, we are looking at a 4-inch monster that is almost really exactly like the iPhone 6s in specs. Here, that means exactly the same amount of RAM and almost the same 130,000-ish overall score.

Apple has never been one to focus on the geeky aspects of tech specs. Case in point, it never really details the battery size or amount of RAM inside its devices, preferring, instead, to dwell on how long the battery will last each day. Luckily, a few other parties, like iFixit and AnTuTu, are more than willing to spill the beans.

The iPhone SE is veritably the iPhone 6s in the 5s’ size and clothing. Pretty much all the specs, save things like Touch ID, 3D Touch, and resolution, are on par with the most recent, larger iPhone. It is no surprise then, to see AnTuTu confirm that 2 GB of RAM is indeed present inside as well. That definitely puts a lot of punch inside this small device.

That punch can also be seen in the iPhone SE’s overall score. AnTuTu gives it a mark of 134,358. It is actually slightly above AnTuTu’s score for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, averaging at 132,620. Given how the iPhone SE has less pixels to push with its 4-inch retina display, that’s not exactly surprising. The smaller iPhone does outrank the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus’ 80,554. And just to stir up the hornet’s nest, the Samsung Galaxy S7 scores 125,288 or around 105,000, depending on which processor you are testing.

Apple definitely made an expected but still controversial move when it finally unveiled the iPhone SE, giving those who loved the design and size of the iPhone 5s something to hold on to for the future. And if benchmarks like these are any indicator, it will be a bright future for them.

VIA: Weibo

Apple just announced the iPhone SE with a 4″ display. The phone features a body almost identical to the iPhone 5 and 5s, but features the latest gen Apple A9 chip with a dual-core 1.85 GHz Twister processor and PowerVR GT7600 six-core graphics.

The 4″ display rocks a resolution 1136×640 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone SE also features Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the screen three times brighter when you take a selfie. The 3D feature from the larger current gen iPhones hasn’t made its way to the SE though.

The Apple iPhone SE features the same 12MP iSight camera as its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus siblings. It comes complete with 4K video recording. The front-facing camera is 1.2MP and is complemented with the Retina Flash feature.

iPhone SE’s design is virtually the same as the iPhone 5s’, but the Home button has gotten smarter with Touch ID and Apple Pay support. As far as measurements go, they’re also the same as the iPhone 5s with a weight of 113 grams.

The best part about the iPhone SE is its price – it starts at $399 for 16GB of storage, while $499 nets you the 64GB version. The smartphone will be available for free with a two-year contract in the US as well as in $17 monthly installments.

Pre-orders commence on March 24, with sales starting on March 31. The phone will be available in four color versions, including the trendy Rose Gold.