Apple unveils iPhone SE with 4in screen and specs to match iPhone 6S

Firm aims to meet demand for more compact smartphones

Apple has unveiled a new 4in iPhone, the iPhone SE, that boasts almost the same specs as its bigger iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus cousins, but starting from just £349.

Despite being a smaller phone the iPhone SE has the same A9 processor and same 12MP iSight camera, which includes the ability to shoot 4K video. It also features the TouchID fingerprint technology found in the newer iPhones as well as support for Apple Pay.

Prices for the device start from £359 for the 16GB version in the UK while the 64GB version costs £439.

Orders begin on 24 March and it will go on sale from 31 March including in the UK as well as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, US Virgin Islands and the US.

Apple said the iPhone SE was aimed at new users of iPhone devices, many of whom often choose its smaller 4in devices first, rather than the newer 4.7in and 5.5in devices.

Tim Cook said, unsurprisingly, that he was very excited about the new device: "I'm really excited about iPhone SE - many, many customers have asked for this and I think they're really going to love it."

While the launch of the device has echoes that of the less-than-spectacular iPhone 5C, analysts noted that its high-end specs and reasonable entry price of $400 mean that it may have a far better chance of appealing to buyers.

The device comes in four colours: space grey, gold, rose gold and silver.

Apple also announced that the new iOS 9.3 software update is available immediately, meaning new iPhone SE owners can update to the latest version of iOS out-of-the-box.