Apple clarifies iPhone SE's price in India will be Rs 39,000, not Rs 30,000; launching on April 8

All those thrilled by the pricing of Apple's latest iPhone -- iPhone SE -- here's a dampener. The all-new iPhone will be available in India at a starting price of Rs 39,000 and not Rs 30,000 as previously reported. According to the company, iPhone SE's price was erroneously mentioned as Rs 30,000 in the first press release.

The company on Monday unveiled the smaller, cheaper iPhone aimed at reversing a decline in worldwide sales of its most important product.

Read also: iPhone SE: Has Apple got the price right?

iPhone SE has a 4-inch (10-cm) screen and represents Apple's second bid for the crowded mid-tier market after an unsuccessful foray three years ago. The new phone, with Apple's vaunted A9 chip, is much faster than Apple's previous attempt at an entry-level phone, launched in 2013. The iPhone SE is expected to arrive in India in April for a starting price of Rs 39,000. Other specifications of the device are 12MP rear camera, 1,2MP front camera and Touch ID. It runs the updated iOS 9.3 operating system. It will be available in Silver, Gray, Gold, Rose Gold colours. The smartphone will be available in the country in April.

The new iPhone boast faster LTE and Wi-Fi speeds and improved battery life.

Analysts had said before the event that a phone priced below $450 could be competitive with other mid-tier rivals, mostly running Google's Android system, and make an impact in emerging markets and China, the world's biggest buyer of smartphones.

Read also: Apple’s new iPhone SE: 10 best features

Apple is hoping the cheaper model will stimulate overall iPhone sales, which it expects to decline this quarter for the first time since it essentially created the smartphone market nine years ago.

The more compact phone design comes after it expanded the size of the screens in its high-end iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones in 2014 to as large as 5.5 inches. That was broadly seen as an attempt to match rival Samsung Electronics with its large-screen Galaxy phones.

Before the launch at Apple's leafy Cupertino, California headquarters, chief executive Tim Cook defended the company's refusal to comply with a US court order to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in a December attack in San Bernardino, California.

Apple has a responsibility to protect customers' data and privacy, Cook said, adding that Apple "will not shrink from that responsibility." His statement was greeted by applause from the audience.