Apple is heavily rumoured to be preparing for the launch of the Apple 9 sometime in March itself. And new reports based on supply chain feedback is claiming the phone might be ready for mass production starting in February itself.
The above timelines are of course rumours at best but is quite understandable if the phone is indeed set for a launch in March. Also, the new iPhone 9 is believed to be a low cost version that will be aimed at emerging markets such as India.
As it is, Apple has always struggled in India despite it being the second largest smartphone market in the world. And the reason for that is the price sensitive nature of the Indian market where the high priced iPhones have always struggled to find traction.
Hence, the new iPhone which is being designed on the likes of the iPhone SE that Apple had launched back in March, 2016. Cut back to the present and the new iPhone 9 would be following a similar strategy, that of using a chassis of an older iPhone to save costs and packing it with the latest specs.
For the iPhone 9, it is the iPhone 8 that would serve as the base design, which means thick bezels at the top and bottom as well as a physical home button down south. Rumour has it that the home button will be accommodating Touch ID which would mark the return of the feature that we thought has drifted into oblivion, with the more advanced Face ID being the future.
The upcoming iPhone 9 will also be running the latest iOS 13 and may have a glass back to allow for wireless charging even though that will also make the phone that wee bit thicker. However, given that the iPhone 8 comes with a single lens rear camera, it remains to be seen if the iPhone 9 continues with the same or if Apple has a few surprises there.
Among the other specs that are being associated with the iPhone 9 include a 4.7-inch display along with what surely could be the icing on the cake is the fitment of the latest A13 Bionic chip. The latter could be superfluous as the iPhone 8 surely won’t be needing that much of processing power. That said, no one is going to complain having extra power to boot and will be a performance monster if the A13 is included in the picture.
As for the all important pricing, the new iPhone 9 is expected to retail for around the $430 mark, which again is in the vicinity of what the iPhone SE was priced when initially launched. As of now, the iPhone 8 happen to be the most affordable version and is priced $449.
However, the affordable pricing or updated internals apart, the phone’s dated looks can be a huge deterrent in finding buyers considering the plethora of competing Android phones available in the same price bracket and sporting the latest specs. Those include the likes of the new Galaxy Note 10 Lite, S10 Lite, OnePlus 7T, Nubia Red Magic and so on. The competing phones are better styled and will no doubt pose a tough challenge to the iPhone 9 when launched.
