$399 iPhone 9 to Launch in March

The first 2020 iPhone is projected to land as soon as March, according to a new report, with the production to kick off in February.

The second-generation iPhone SE, which sources familiar with Apple’s plans referred to as “iPhone 9,” is Apple’s 2020 low-cost iPhone, and it could hit the shelves starting from $399.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has already reached out to a series of suppliers for the manufacturing of the iPhone 9, including Foxconn, Pegatron, and Winstron.

The unveiling could happen in March, the report adds, but the first units should be manufactured next month, as Apple wants to prepare the necessary inventory for the launch.

iPhone 8-inspired iPhone 9

The new-generation iPhone SE will be based on iPhone 8, so it’s expected to come with a 4.7-inch OLED screen, a home button with integrated Touch ID, and a single camera on the back.

Apple, however, will upgrade the specs to an A13 processor, the one that is currently used on the iPhone 11, but features like Face ID and more advanced cameras won’t be used in an attempt to keep the price as low as possible.

The base iPhone 9 could launch with a $399 price tag, which means it would be more affordable even than the model that it’s based on. iPhone 8 is currently sold for $449 at Apple in the United States. At this point, it’s not yet clear what Apple’s plans regarding iPhone 8 are going forward, but there’s a chance the company would retire this model when iPhone 9 launches.

Apple hasn’t yet confirmed the debut of a new-generation iPhone SE, so we should still take such information with a pinch of salt. However, given that the debut of the model is expected in some two months, expect more details to surface anytime soon.