There may not have been many exciting mobile announcements during CES Media Days this year, but hey — that’s what leaks are for. On Tuesday morning, Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) teamed up with iGeeksBlog to share the first renders of the rumored iPhone 9 (or iPhone SE 2) design. As expected, the iPhone SE follow-up looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 8 — so much so that you might not be able to tell the difference.
The iPhone 9 will supposedly feature a 4.7-inch display and dimensions of 138.5 x 67.4 x 7.8mm. These are virtually identical to the dimensions of the iPhone 8, but the 2017 phone was just 7.3mm thick.
The one feature that might differentiate the iPhone 9 from the iPhone 8 is the frosted glass rear panel, mirroring that of the iPhone 11 Pro and replacing the glossy glass panel of the iPhone 8. This also likely means that the iPhone 9 will support wireless charging, which is to be expected for most all 2020 smartphones.
Virtually everything else about the phone appears to have been lifted directly from the iPhone 8, including the notch-less LCD display, the reintroduction of Touch ID, the single-lens camera, as well as the shape and size. That said, the internal specifications should see a significant upgrade over the iPhone 8, with an A13 Bionic processor onboard and presumably a more advanced camera than the one on the three-year-old phone.
As for release information, all signs point to the iPhone 9 launching in the first half of 2020. After all, Apple is rumored to have at least four 5G iPhone models lined up for the fall, so it would make sense to give this cheaper model its own time in the spotlight before the iPhone 12 hits later in the year.
