Rumours of the iPhone 9, erstwhile known as the iPhone SE 2, have been at an all-time high. After almost four years, Apple is expected to come up with an affordable iPhone model to fend for itself against the growing number of midrange Android phones from various other brands. So far, it has been said that the phone will be based on the older iPhone 8 but will get the latest internals from Apple. However, a recent leak now suggests otherwise.
The iPhone 9 is still said to retain the iPhone 8 body but everything else about it is going to be upgraded. The internals have been known for long to get an upgrade but Apple will now focus on getting rid of the smaller 4.7-inch display. Hence, the iPhone 9 is set to get a bigger display but in the same body size as the iPhone 8. According to Macotakara, Apple is upgrading the display to a bigger 5.4-inch size.
With this upgrade now scheduled, the iPhone 9 could appeal to more smartphone buyers this year than existing as well as upcoming mid-range Android phones. Will this be the ultimate phone to buy for less than Rs 50,000?
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iPhone 9: What we know about it so far
Design
The iPhone 9 will succeed in the footsteps of the iPhone 8 when it comes to design. The newer model will retain the older iPhone 8’s design. That means those who loved the compact design of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 will have a new iPhone to buy in 2020 with similar dimensions. However, the recent leaks now suggest that iPhone 9 will only retain the dimensions of the iPhone 8 but will change everything else, especially with regards to the display and cameras.
Display
The 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 8 is small by today’s standard and even affordable Android phones have started offering bigger screens with slimmer bezels. Hence, Apple is now said to upgrade the display to 5.4-inches without changing the dimensions of the phone. That means the display will be taller and have noticeable bezels on the top and bottom. Apple is getting rid of the TouchID system in favour of a FaceID system and that allows the company to expand the display massively.
On the other hand, Apple may even miniaturise the iPhone 11’s display from 6.1-inches to 5.4-inches, complete with its thick bezels and the iconic notch on the top to hold the FaceID sensors. Rumours also suggest an IPS LCD panel similar to the iPhone 11 to keep the costs low.
New security upgrades
The iPhone 9 is said to get rid of the TouchID system in favour of the newer FaceID system. Removing the TouchID sensor helps Apple expand the display and moving to the FaceID system will help Apple bring the iPhone’s unique portrait mode and Animojis to the masses in a cheaper package.
New chipset, more power
Even though the iPhone 9 will be cheaper, it will still get the modern firepower that the iPhone 11 series gets. The phone is expected to get the A13 Bionic chipset with possibly 3GB RAM. This will make the iPhone 9 more powerful than any of the midrange Android phones relying on Qualcomm chipsets.
Better camera (s)?
The 2020 upgrades to the iPhone 9 will also extend to the cameras. Rumours suggest there will only be a single camera at the back to keep the costs low but it will use the new sensors from the iPhone 11 series. The camera will be bigger than the iPhone 8’s camera and one can expect similar single-camera performance as the iPhone 11 series. The front camera could also use the newer 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera from the iPhone 11, which could bring in ultra-wide selfies in landscape mode.
Longer battery life?
There’s still no information on whether the battery life is going to get an upgrade from what the iPhone 8 offered. Chances for Apple to fit a bigger battery are slim given that the dimensions of the iPhone 9 will stay the same as the iPhone 8. However, the more power-efficient A13 Bionic could end up stretching the battery to the end of a day with moderate usage.
Most importantly, will it be affordable?
All new iPhones command a premium at the launch and we expect the same case with the iPhone 9. Given that Apple is engineering a new kind of display, chances are that it could be priced just under Rs 50,000. In that case, Apple could either phase out the iPhone XR or just have the iPhone 9 as its entry-level iPhone model across global markets. Apple may also go aggressive with its pricing to take on OnePlus and Samsung by pushing the iPhone 9 in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment.
[“source=indiatoday”]
