Apple sold a good number of iPhones in 2019, thanks to the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR – the low cost options. The company appears to have been so impressed that it’s now considering adding an even cheaper model to its iPhone lineup.
The rumour mill suggests that Apple is soon to release the forgotten iPhone 9. Apple went directly from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8 and the roman number iPhone X in 2017, completely obliviating the iPhone 9. However, the company now appears to have a strategy in place to release the forgotten phone.
Low-cost is the key to certain markets
The iPhone SE released in 2016 was a big success, at least not immediately but after going through several price cuts, it turned out to be a very popular phone with the masses. Apple was able to pack the latest hardware for a low price by using an old “tried & tested” design which didn’t require the company to invest in R&D.
Similarly, Apple is reportedly using the design of the iPhone 8 (which originated with the iPhone 6 in 2014) for the iPhone 9 while packing the latest internals from the iPhone 11. It is expected to be powered by Apple’s latest A13 Bionic chip coupled with 4GB of RAM. It will also very likely have a display similar to the one found on the iPhone XR or the same display from the iPhone 8.
As the design of the iPhone 8 is being recycled for the creation of the iPhone 9, it’s pretty clear that it won’t support the use of FaceID but will rather rely on TouchID for authentication & payments. Also, the design will be outdated with rather large bezels on the top and the bottom.
However, if the price is actually low then the design and the lack of FaceID can be justified. The internals of the device will keep it up and running for years to come. It will basically be a flagship phone with an outdated design and lacking some niceties.
