Apple's 4-inch iPhone 5SE to come with A9 processor

Apple's long-rumoured 4-inch iPhone - now said to be called the iPhone 5SE - which is likely to be unveiled sometime in March will be powered by the Cupertino giant's current-generation A9 processor (alongside the M9 co-processor), if a new report is to be gone by. 9to5Mac that previously reported that the iPhone 5SE will have the A8 (and M8) chip under the hood now suggests that the phone will instead come with an A9 chip. The A9 processor powers the current-generation iPhone 6S (iPhone 6S Plus). The A8 chip on the other hand powers the iPhone 6 (and iPhone 6 Plus). 
 
Because the next-generation iPhone, aka iPhone 7 will most likely include the A10 processor, Apple wouldn't want the iPhone 5SE (which will occupy the company's fall 2016 line-up) to hone a processor that is two generations old. As such, shipping the iPhone 5SE with the A9 processor inside seems to be the only logical way to go about it. If such is the case, the iPhone 5SE will see a significant bump in performance over the iPhone 6.

At the same time, presence of the M9 co-processor inside the iPhone 5SE will allow the phone to come with an always-on Siri, much like it is on the iPhone 6S (and iPhone 6S Plus). This means Siri will always be on and listening in the iPhone 5SE.

The report further adds that the iPhone 5SE will come in two storage variants: 16GB and 64GB. The iPhone 5S that the phone will replace came in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. Apple will be looking to phase out the iPhone 5S once the iPhone 5SE arrives. The iPhone 5SE will then assume the price tag of the outgoing iPhone 5S.