Just when it looked like the iPhone 9 might be ready to deliver the cheap iPhone shoppers on a budget have been waiting for, Apple may have hit the pause button on releasing this iPhone SE replacement. The ongoing coronavirus crisis has not only hampered Apple's ability to produce the phone, it's also made a phone launch unfeasible at a tim when the virus continues to spread.
Still, we expect to see the iPhone 9 eventually. And when we do, we're looking for a device that combines iPhone 8-like looks with the iPhone 11 power. Apple dropped the iPhone SE back in 2018, but the iPhone 9 (or iPhone SE 2, as some people are calling it) should give fans of smaller phones something to get excited about.
If the leaks prove true, the iPhone 9 could make our list of the best phones. Here's what we know so far about the iPhone 9, including the possible release date and price, as well as the features to expect.
iPhone 9 latest news (updated March 12)
- Sources inside and outside of Apple say that the iPhone 9 launch is off for now because of the coronavirus outbreak.
- Code from iOS 14 has reconfirmed the existence of the iPhone 9, spelling out that the handset will incorporate a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and support Apple Pay Express Transit mode, which expedites transactions when using your phone to pay for transit rides.
iPhone 9 release date: Delayed indefinitely
Most of what we know about the iPhone 9 comes byway of a pair of investor notes from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who was exppecting Apple releasing the iPhone 9 (or the iPhone SE 2 as he continues to call it) in the first half of this year. A post by Twitter leaker Evan Blass showed a timeline reportedly from a US mobile carrier with the iPhone 9's launch date identified as mid-March.
iPhone-Ticker.de, a German blog, provided the most definitive date for the iPhone 9's launch, predicting an Apple event on March 31, followed by the phone hitting stores by April 3. If that timeline's correct, we'd expect Apple to send out invitations for such an event by mid-March.
All that was before the coronavirus began to sweep across the globe. Apple's iPhones are assembled in China, and that part of the world was the first to be hit hard by the disease, with factories reducing output and shutting down to stop the virus' spread. Multiple reports have raised the possibility that iPhone 9 production could be impacted. A report from Bloomberg quotes an Apple supply chain expert who suggests the iPhone 9 launch could be pushed back by a few months due to both supply issues and weakened demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Now sources inside and outside the company are saying that Apple has put the iPhone 9 launch on hold while health official work to contain the coronavirus in the U.S. and elsewhere.
iPhone 9 name
Originally, rumors of an iPhone SE successor surfaced with the phone being called the iPhone SE 2. But Apple might have a different name in mind.
Newer rumors point to Apple settling on the iPhone 9 as the name for its new compact phone, in large part because the upcoming handset reportedly adopts the shape and design of the iPhone 8. Then again, a few case makers like Totallee have started taken pre-orders on accessories for the new phone using the iPhone SE 2 name — so who knows?
Just to add to the confusion, there's another possible name, and it comes from Front Page Tech, which reports that a source claims the new phone would just be called the iPhone. No numbers, no letters — just iPhone.
iPhone 9 price
Trying to determine a price for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 9 could be difficult, but all signs so far are pointing to the fact that it’ll be the cheapest model on store shelves.
Apple’s current cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 8 first released in 2017, costs $449 after a series of price cuts. The iPhone SE had a starting price of $399 and dropped to $349 over time..
Another note from Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo puts the price of the iPhone 9 at $399, the same as the launch price for the original iPhone SE. That’s $300 cheaper than the basic iPhone 11, and would be a $50 discount on the iPhone 8, the phone that the iPhone 9 is allegedly based on.
$399 also happens to be the same price as the Google Pixel 3a, another cut-down version of a premium phone, and likely the device Apple is trying to target.
iPhone 9 design and display
Ming-Chi Kuo's October analyst note claimed that Apple's iPhone 9 will look nearly identical to the iPhone 8. Kuo also said that Apple will maintain a 4.7-inch display in the iPhone SE successor, with a 5.5- or 6.1-inch model potentially coming later in the year.
It's expected that Apple is going to keep the hefty bezels around the iPhone 9 screen, as well as the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the front. However, another prediction from Kuo says that the larger iPhone 9 Plus/iPhone SE 2 Plus will use a power button-mounted fingerprint scanner, meaning that the home button won't be needed.
What might that look like? Some iPhone 9 renders posted by leaker @OnLeaks on iGeeksBlog suggest a phone that looks pretty much like the iPhone 8, only with some minor design tweaks to distinguish the two models.
However, other reports suggest a different look, like this video from Weibo that suggests the iPhone 9 will look more like the iPhone X, complete with a notch. BGR also obtained images of what the site said could be the iPhone 9’s design, which points to a device nearly identical to the iPhone X, but with squared-off metal rails like the iPhone 4/original iPhone SE.
t's this design that the attractive unofficial render of the iPhone 9 below looks to be based on, which looks awesome but doesn't fit with the story told by the other leaks. This could also be the larger phone that Kuo claims is coming later in the year alongside Apple's other iPhone 12 releases.
According to another report from The Elec, LG Display will be the likely supplier for the iPhone 9's screen. The report said that the panel was undergoing last-minute quality checks ahead of production.
More recently, a video has surfaced claiming to show the iPhone 9 in action. It's not entirely in line with rumors we've been hearing about the phone, so there's good reason to doubt whether the phone in this video is the real deal.
iPhone 9 specs
In a potentially interesting move, Apple may not want to cut the power in its iPhone 9. According to Kuo, the company will bring the same A13 processor that powers its iPhone 11 lineup to the iPhone 9. Add that to 3GB of RAM, and it might have solid performance.
Aside from that, Kuo didn’t have much to say about Apple’s spec plans for the iPhone 9. According to a rumor from Mac Otakara, there’s a possibility of Face ID making its way to the handset, but aside from that, the rumors are so far scant on Apple’s specs plan.
Unlike the four iPhone 12 models expected to launch in fall of 2020, the iPhone 9 won't have 5G connectivity, Kuo says. That would allow Apple to offer the new phone for much less than this fall's iPhone releases.
iPhone 9 wishlist: What we want
An iPhone SE successor is certainly long overdue, even if the current coronavirus crisis makes a launch right now unfeasible. Although Kuo has given us a good sense of what we can — and cannot — expect from an iPhone SE sequel, there are still some things we’d want to see.
Even with rumors pointing to Apple using an iPhone 8 design, it would make sense for Apple to bring Face ID to the iPhone 9. The company has been offering this feature for years, and it’s proven to be easy to use. Offering it in the iPhone 9 could boost the device’s appeal.
Apple should also be careful not to skimp on the iPhone 9’s camera. Sure, it won’t have the same sensors as the iPhone 11 Pro, but it should at least offer a good-enough experience that the pictures won’t look out of place against other iPhones.
Ultimately, the iPhone 9 needs to take as many cues as reasonably possible from the higher-end iPhone 11 lineup and offer plenty of colors for those who care about style. And when it’s all said and done, it should be a device that can last and perform well for at least a few years without becoming obsolete.
Hopefully, that’s not a tall order.