Unlikely source seemingly confirms iPhone 9 name, also hinting at an insane pre-sale offer
Whether or not China's coronavirus outbreak will end up impacting the 2020 iPhone release schedule in any meaningful way, it seems pretty much guaranteed at this point that we won't have to wait until September to see Apple unveil its first handset of the year.
Considered by many the logical (and long overdue) successor to 2016's tiny iPhone SE, this relatively compact device has been rumored for a little while to ultimately carry the iPhone 9 label. That would make it more of a direct sequel to 2017's 4.7-inch iPhone 8 than a second-gen iPhone SE of sorts, a theory supported by reputable analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and numerous Asian publications with trusted supply chain sources.
Asia is unsurprisingly the origin (via MySmartPrice) of the latest iPhone 9 leak too, which appears to confirm that fitting marketing name alongside a completely unexpected pre-sale promotion.
Free AirPods with early iPhone 9 orders?!
If we understand correctly what's going on in the two photographs purportedly snapped outside of a Korea Telekom store in Samsung's homeland, the Galaxy S20 could come with complimentary Galaxy Buds+, while the iPhone 9 is to be sold alongside Apple's crazy popular AirPods at no extra charge.
We probably shouldn't rule out the possibility that these images are not real or that they've somehow been manipulated. After all, it's also a little early to advertise an iPhone 9 release widely expected to take place sometime next month. Last but not least, even if the photos itself and the pre-sale bundle deal are legit, it seems highly unlikely that Apple would ever offer something similar in the Western Hemisphere. This is a company, mind you, that doesn't even include a fast charger with the iPhone 11 as standard.
Meanwhile, it's worth pointing out that we're pretty sure Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra pre-orders will come with a free pair of those hot new Galaxy Buds+, as these snapshots also seem to suggest. The same may not be true for the "regular" S20 variant, although that's not really made clear by today's promotional images.
iPhone 9 design, specs, and pricing - rumors and expectations
In addition to (maybe) confirming the official name of Apple's first 2020 iPhone, Korea Telekom appears to have a good idea of how the iPhone 9 will look as well. This largely coincides with what we've heard and seen in recent months, hinting at an almost identical design to that of the iPhone 8.
We're talking a single rear-facing camera, a centered Apple logo on the back, and most likely, a 4.7-inch screen with chunky bezels and a revived home button below it containing a conventional fingerprint scanner. Other rumored specs and features include a state-of-the-art Apple A13 Bionic processor borrowed from the iPhone 11 family, as well as the same battery found on the iPhone 8 that should nevertheless offer better endurance between charges than the iPhone SE.
With the iPhone 8 likely to be discontinued on the heels of the iPhone 9 announcement, the new handset could slot in the same sub-$500 category as its forerunner. There's even a good chance the iPhone 9 will undercut the $450 and up iPhone 8 by starting at $399 in a 64GB storage variant.
Oddly enough, the recommended price of a 128 gig configuration could go unchanged at $499, but surely, that's still not high enough to make Apple consider bundling true wireless AirPods in at no additional cost to boost the compact phone's appeal.
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