iPhone 9 Now Likely to Launch by June, Touch ID Support Tipped

iPhone 9, Apple's rumoured budget smartphone, is expected to support Touch ID and the latest iOS 14, an online report has indicated. The smartphone that is also commonly referred to as iPhone SE 2 is likely to come out by June this year and will enable Express Transit, the report added. Although it was earlier speculated to launch in March, several reports have now noted that the iPhone 9's official launch may take place in June - due to the coronavirus outbreak. Apple is yet to make an official statement about its upcoming devices and services.

The latest rumours come from 9to5Mac, which after observing iOS 14 development code, pointed out to a host of new hardware from Apple, including a new iPad Pro and Apple TV remote. The code also indicated the impending launch of AirTags and iPhone 9. The report further indicated that Apple is hoping to push iPhone 6 users to switch to iPhone 9 through enabling Express Transit capabilities. Apple's Express Transit lets users use Apple Pay without requiring authentication like Touch ID or Face ID and is not present in phones such as iPhone 6 series.

Other than the iPhone 9, the next-generation iPad is also speculated to come with a better camera setup. The report indicated that the camera setup will include a time-of-flight 3D sensor, a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens. The iOS 14 code seen by 9to5Mac also suggested that the rumoured AirTag will also be able to play a sound to help users locate their Apple devices.

Previously, reports had suggested that the iPhone 9, or iPhone SE 2 will come with a 4.7-inch LCD panel. It is also likely to pack Apple's A13 chip and have 3GB of RAM. Given the price of its predecessor, we can expect the model to come with a price starting $399 (roughly Rs. 29,200).