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iPhone 9 release is reportedly coming soon, but iPhone 12 likely delayed

Published Mar 19th, 2020 12:57PM EDT

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  • iPhone 9 mass production has begun, according to analyst and reliable leaker Jon Prosser.
  • Prosser also confirmed that the iPhone 9 Plus will launch alongside the iPhone 9, which has yet to be officially announced by Apple.
  • As for the 5G iPhone 12, Prosser believes that Apple’s 2020 flagship phone will be delayed until at least November at this point.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

As we near the end of March, it’s clear that whatever spring event Apple had planned for this month is not happening as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop Apple from announcing a few new devices this week. On Wednesday, Apple revealed a new iPad Pro and a discounted MacBook Air, both of which we assume would have been highlighted at a spring event, had the virus not turned the world upside-down.

The star of the show, though, was nowhere to be found. Multiple reports have suggested that Apple had been forced to delay the release of the iPhone 9 (or iPhone SE 2, depending on who you ask), as supply chains all over the world are being disrupted by the outbreak. As such, we didn’t expect to see the sequel to 2016’s iPhone SE any time soon, but a reliable source now claims that the phone has just entered mass production.

According to analyst Jon Prosser, Apple has begun iPhone 9 mass production. In a follow-up to the tweet below, he claimed that Apple is working with Chinese manufacturer BYD to speed up production:

Earlier this week, Prosser explained that the toilet paper rolls in his tweets represent the reliability of the leak, with five rolls being 100%. It is also worth noting that Prosser predicted that there would be new Apple products this week last Sunday, which came true when Apple announced the iPad Pro and MacBook Air on Wednesday.

All of this is to say that Prosser has proven to be a reliable source of leaks, and if he’s confident that the iPhone 9 is being mass-produced, it’s probably safe to assume he’s right. It also means that we are probably still a few weeks out from an announcement, but if Apple is confident that it can build up enough supply to meet the inevitable demand that will follow for an iPhone rumored to cost $399, a reveal might not be too far out.

Prosser also confirmed that the leaked iPhone 9 Plus is real, and will launch alongside the iPhone 9:

As for the bad news, when asked about the 5G iPhone 12 delay report that has been making rounds, Prosser said that the flagship phone is “majorly delayed,” and that we might not see it until November. Apple typically reveals and releases its latest flagship iPhone in September, but the pandemic might force its hand in 2020.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.