What to expect at Apple's spring event: A smaller iPhone is just the beginning

Apple is getting ready to deliver a throwback.

That will likely be the headline following the March 21 product event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The widely anticipated 4-inch iPhone (possibly called the iPhone SE, though iPhone 6C and iPhone 5SE are in contention) will probably not move the bar on innovation. Instead, it will ensure that the company ably fills the “small and affordable” smartphone check box.

Why? Because it’s an important market and, it seems, some people still really love their iPhones small.