Apple Inc is gearing up to launch iPhone 9 this year, and whether or not it’ll go by that specific name is not known. We’re expecting a new all-screen mobile phone closer to the price of the iPhone 8 than the price of the iPhone X.
Of course, we are not expecting a new flagship phone in the form of the iPhone 11 (iPhone XI) with a Sept launch window. However, those who are holding out for a device that is more affordable from Apple Inc shouldn’t look further than the 2018 iPhone 9. Here are the rumours and latest news about the iPhone 9 price, specs and release date:
iPhone 9 Release Date
It is easy to guess the release date of the iPhone 9 because Apple rarely wanders off from its usual launch pattern. Apple Inc always announces the release of a new iPhone beginning of September: on a Wednesday or Tuesday. That means we are expecting to see the brand-new iPhone 9 revealed either on Tuesday, 11 September or Wednesday 12 September.
For the actual date of release, Apple prefers in mid-September on a Friday: usually, around the twentieth day of September. This year, the release date is expected to be on Friday, 21 September.
Name
Some tipsters are claiming the next iPhone is going to be named iPhone 8s. It is a prediction that makes sense because Apple has previously used the suffix ‘s’ to indicate incremental updates to the existing models of the iPhone (for instance, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s), and that is something 2018 could surely offer.
However, it is more likely that Apple will simply discard the numbers altogether – just like it happened with the iPad 3, it was named ‘the new iPad’ when it was released in 2012. Also, a similar naming scheme was used for the Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad 2018, which was released in April. The following are some possible names we expect for the next-gen iPhone:
• iPhone 2018
• New iPhone
• iPhone 8S
• iPhone 9
Design, Specs and Features
Detailed leaks about iPhone 9 will not surface for a while, but people can guess a lot about the phone, given the phone industry predictable nature.
For starters, Apple will definitely upgrade its next mobile phone with a brand-new custom-built processor. In 2017, there was the Apple A11 Bionic chip (it was around 25% faster than the previous version). Thus, for 2018, people should see an even quicker Apple A12 chip placed inside the iPhone 9. Also, the phone is set to have a screen size bump.
The old iPhone 8 had a dinky 4.7-inch display; analysts say we expect the iPhone 9 to have a huge 6.1-inch screen. This will be achieved by borrowing the design of the new iPhone X, a big screen touching every edge of the phone.
Research suggests that consumers are moving towards devices with larger screens. Given Apple is now capable of fitting a screen measuring 6.5 inches in a much smaller phone given the reduced bezel, then it will not be a surprise to see that device in 2018. Furthermore, another analyst states that there is a huge demand for phones with big screens in China, and that is a country Apple want to increase sales in.
The drawback is that analysts say that the iPhone 9 is going to use a traditional liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen instead of the more advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen from the 2017 iPhone X. Generally, OLED panels display a broader range of colours, and it offers improved contrast; however, they are expensive plus hard to make.
iPhone 9 Price
The trend of ballooning costs of smartphones looks set to continue. Analysts expect the prices of smartphones to rise in 2018, especially with the pound devaluation.
The iPhone 8 was the most expensive entry-level flagship mobile that Apple has ever released, costing 699 pounds at launch, which was a huge jump from the preceding year. That price tag is expected to grow further for the new iPhone 9: we should expect a retail price of approximately 800 pounds.