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The iPhone 9 will have a better battery life than the SE as Apple goes dumpster-diving

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Jul 06, 2021, 3:11 AM

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The iPhone 9 will have a better battery life than the SE as Apple goes dumpster-diving

By now it's becoming clear that Apple will use the year 2020 as an opportunity to shake up its iPhone lineup and release schedule. Starting with an iPhone SE successor in the spring, it will move to higher-end models for the fall, and even have a 5.4" unit to ship together with the big 6"+ boys.

The real entry-level warrior, however, will remain a 4.7" iPhone 9 that Korean media reiterates today will use as much parts from the iPhone 8 as possible to keep costs negligible, and still command a hefty profit out of a rumored $399 starting price.

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In fact, Apple still sells the iPhone 8 for $449, but when the iPhone 9 hits, the 8 will probably go the way of the Dodo, as it will sport Apple's fastest chipset at the moment, the A13 that powers the iPhone 11 family, and cost less.

Apple iPhone 9 vs iPhone 8 and iPhone SE specs and pricing strategy

Other than the chipset upgrade, and a bit more memory, the iPhone 9 will keep as much of the parts of the iPhone 8 as possible, report supply chain insiders, including the housing and the camera specs.

That goes for the battery capacity, too, as the iPhone 9 will apparently use the exact same 1821mAh battery that is in the iPhone 8 which offers more capacity than the one in the iPhone SE.

Coupled with the more frugal A13 processor that is two generations ahead of the A11, Apple's dumpster-diving for iPhone 8 parts in 2020 may result in a much better battery life than the iPhone 9's predecessor.

By now it probably takes less than a Benjamin to assemble an iPhone 8, and it shouldn't cost much more for Apple to make an iPhone SE replacement that will command a 300% profit margin. Not only that, but the iPhone 9 strategy is probably geared towards giving a gateway drug to the iOS ecosystem to as broad a market as possible, including in developing markets.

Given Apple's focus shift to revenue from auxiliary services like games, apps, TV series and music content, making said gateway drug as affordable as possible with an aura of a new 2020 product may turn out to be one of its best business moves this year.

That's especially if the rumored $399 price materializes, and the iPhone 9 brings iOS access to millions of new for Apple users. What do you think?

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.