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Is Apple’s New iPhone Simply Called ‘iPhone’?

This article is more than 4 years old.

We think we know a lot about Apple’s all-new budget iPhone, including its familiar design, exciting specifications and, of course, that highly appealing price tag. But what if we were all wrong about its most fundamental aspect?

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In a fascinating exclusive still-vociferous YouTuber Jon Prosser has today revealed that we shouldn’t expect Apple to release an iPhone SE2 or an iPhone 9 at all. Instead, he reports that Apple is going to give us the most logical name of all: “According to this source, the name isn’t iPhone 9, it’s not iPhone SE2, it’s just iPhone,” says Prosser. “Similar to how the base model iPad is just called iPad.”

02/21 Update: a new Bloomberg report reveals Apple may not only be shaking up its approach to iPhone branding, the company is also considering making fundamental changes to how iOS works. Starting with iOS 14, Apple is understood to be willing to allow users to replace the default apps with third party alternatives. This would mean apps like Gmail or Outlook could become the default email service over Apple Mail, Google Maps could replace Apple Maps, Chrome could replace Safari, etc. This could be a deal maker for many users as the platform's infuriating insistence to open every email, every address, every URL and more in Apple's own apps makes life frustrating for anyone not fully aboard with every Apple service. Platform lock-in is thought to be Apple's primary motivation for avoiding this for so long, but Apple's position now looks so dominant that it's prepared to throw users a bone in order to attract more customers and avoid anti-competitive criticism. And you know what, it might just work.

02/23 Update: Apple's leaks keep coming. Following a major code leak inside the first beta of iOS 13.4 revealing CarKey, the company's plan to let you unlock your car with your iPhone or Apple Watch, the second beta has now turned up further details. Spotted by MacRumors, code with iOS 13.4 beta two spells out that users will be able to send CarKey access to your vehicle via Messages though, for obvious reasons, it cannot be shared in group conversations. Sharing access to your key remotely will concern some users, but the access granted is dependent on biometric authentication via Touch ID or Face ID - unless users specifically grant an 'Express Mode' which can be used in emergencies. Apple is partnering with car manufacturers and third party accessory makers for CarKey and it could come to market as soon as next month. More detail on this potentially game-changing feature can be found here.

If correct (and Prosser does warn that this is a new source), I think this would be an extremely smart move on Apple’s part. After all, iPhone SE2 sounds almost as bad as iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 9 sounds underwhelming given the iPhone X launched already in 2017. In addition to what Prosser notes about the iPad naming scheme, the same is true of AirPods and iMac as well. 

That said, this isn’t a slam dunk because as recently as 2019 Apple discontinued the perfectly named Macbook, leaving users with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the entry-level Apple TV is called Apple TV HD and the less said about Apple’s naming schemes for the Apple Watch, the better. Could naming the iPhone 9 just ‘iPhone’ signal a desire to right these wrongs? It would certainly be a pleasant surprise.

In addition to this, Prosser’s source (who claims to work at Apple) states that the new iPhone (see how that rolls off the tongue) will be priced at $399 for 64GB and $450 for 128GB. This makes both price points intriguing options, with the former a perfectly usable amount of storage at a great price and the latter a tempting upgrade for anyone who simply can’t afford a more expensive model. 

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Building on the recent Nikkei warnings about iPhone supply, Prosser’s insider also states that the ongoing spread of the Coronavirus has Apple in two minds about holding a formal launch event on 30/31 March for the new iPhone. That said, it seems to be odds on to go ahead for two reasons. First, it has remarkable symmetry to the original iPhone SE launch (31 March 2016) which suggests careful planning, and second Apple is expected to launch next-gen iPad Pros as well which suggests to me that Apple will hold its nerve. 

Moreover, despite its aged design, the new iPhone/iPhone 9/iPhone SE2 is a phone which deserves its time in the limelight. Given its lower screen resolution, its A13 chipset means it is likely to be the fastest smartphone in the world. The rear camera is understood to be based on the superb premium camera in the iPhone 11 and the Pixel 3a can compete in this price bracket but gets blown away in terms of raw horsepower. 

No, this new iPhone won’t have the head-turning features of the 2020 iPhone 12 like its 120Hz OLED ProMotion display, long-range 3D camera, and MacBook Pro-rivalling Apple A14 chip but it will deliver Touch ID and that is a dark horse to return in the iPhone 12. So yes, the new ‘iPhone’ is worth getting excited about - whatever its name. 

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