8 Big Changes To Expect From The New iPhone When It Launches On March 15

Apple now seems near-certain to launch a new iPhone this spring - with widespread predictions of a launch event in San Francisco on March 15.

The new machine will be cheaper, and similar in size to the old iPhone 5S - and will be called the iPhone 5SE (for Special Edition), rumours suggest.

Authoritative Apple blog CultofMac says it is ‘pretty sure’ a new 4-inch handset is coming.

The move also makes sense: the past quarter saw iPhone sales growth of just 0.4%, the slowest rate in the history of the Apple smartphone.

In China, even fake Apple stores are closing due to low demand, Reuters reported - with customers switching to cheaper local brands such as Huawei.

Could a new, cheap iPhone model turn things around? Here’s what to expect from Apple’s latest handset.

1) It will cost around £200 less than iPhone 6

Rumours suggest that the new phone will take the place of iPhone 5S in Apple’s lineup - and retail at the same price (from £379), according to 9to5Mac.

When it launches, Apple will retire the old iPhone 5S.

2) It will go back to the four-inch screen size of iPhone 5

Apple hopes to win back people who have held off upgrading to the larger, more expensive iPhone 6 and 6S models.

3) It’ll be much faster

While the screen will look similar, it’ll be much zippier under the bonnet, with a new A9 chip - similar to the one in the new iPhone 6S.

4) It’ll have Apple Pay

The chips inside the new phone will have an overhaul - and it will include an NFC chip, used to power Apple Pay.

5) It’ll be curvy - and colourful

Various rumours have suggested that the phone could have a coloured, plastic finish - but sources now suggest that it’ll be curved, similar to iPhone 6 and 6S.

It’ll also come in the same finishes: Silver, Space Gray, Gold, & Rose Gold.

6) The camera will have been tweaked

The phone will offer an 8-megapixel camera, similar to the one in iPhone 6, according to Chinese sources.

But it’ll offer some advanced features, such as autofocus for video recording, and ‘Live Photos’.

Live Photos - introduced with iPhone 6S - capture video and sound along with a still image, and are a little like animated GIFs.

7) It WON’T have the new ‘3D Touch’ screen

The 3D Touch screen was introduced with iPhone 6S - and allows users to do a ‘deeper’ press to summon-up additional menu options.

The new, cheaper model won’t have it - and will just have a normal touchscreen.

8) It will still have a headphone port

Apple is widely predicted to replace the traditional headphone socket with new headphones which plug in via the Lightning port.

This will probably be introduced with iPhone 7, though, later in the year - and is unlikely to debut on a cheaper, low-end model.

Apple won’t want to rock the boat with this one - so it’ll almost certainly still have a traditional headphone socket.