Hidden code in latest iOS beta reveals that an exciting new feature will work with the iPhone 9

Earlier today, we passed along possible dates when we might see the Apple iPhone 9 unveiled and released. The sequel to the "more affordable" iPhone SE is now expected to be introduced on April 15th and released one week later. The phone was originally rumored to be announced today but the COVID-19 outbreak has forced Apple to make recent new product announcements online as it did with the new 2020 iPad Pro models earlier this month.

We feel confident that the device is going to be available soon, especially after a Best Buy employee shared a photo of a new case for the 4.7-inch iPhone 2020 that was just received by the retailer. The iPhone SE was developed as a cheaper iPhone and also featured a smaller 4-inch screen for those who didn't like the larger screen sizes offered on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus (4.7-inch and 5.5-inches respectively). In the same vein, the iPhone 9 will use the same body belonging to the iPhone 8. As a result, it will have a 4.7-inch LCD display carrying a 750 x 1334 resolution. Apple is upgrading the chipset to the A13 Bionic, the same SoC that powers the 2019 iPhone 11 family. And it is hiking the  amount of memory by 50% to 3GB of RAM from 2GB.

Compared to the latest models, the iPhone 9 might seem like an antique with its Touch ID fingerprint scanner, old school 16:9 aspect ratio, and smaller capacity battery. It also won't be protected from water beyond light rain or a small splash. But priced at $399 for the 64GB model, it puts an iPhone into the hands of many consumers who need a new phone but might have some financial issues because of the coronavirus outbreak.

No, the iPhone 9 won't support faster 5G connectivity, but thanks to strings of code discovered by 9to5Mac in the just-released iOS 13.4.5 beta, the low-priced model will support CarKey. This is a feature rumored to be coming with iOS 14 that will allow iPhone users to remotely unlock and start up their car with their handset. CarKey is expected to be first offered on an upcoming BMW model. After all, the car manufacturer was the first to embrace CarPlay.

CarKey could use NFC or Apple's UWB (ultra-wideband) chip to work. While code discovered last month seemed to indicate that the feature would only work with iPhone models sporting Face ID, the newly found code mentions CarKey being compatible with Touch ID. The code points out that CarKey can be used without biometric authentication if the phone has no battery life and can use Express Transit Card technology. This technology allows for the use of Apple Pay at a transit station without having to unlock the device. The code related to this article says that the Express Transit Card feature "may be available when your iPhone needs to be charged," suggesting support for power reserve.

The bottom line is that the code indicates that there is a device with Touch ID that supports CarKey and Express Transit cards with power reserve. No iPhone ever introduced, not even the iPhone 8 series, has that combination. And that leaves just one possibility-the iPhone 9 is that phone which means that it supports CarKey. Another snippet of code reads, "Your device does not support Car Key" possibly indicating that older models will not be able to use it.

TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously forecast that Apple could sell 25 million to 30 million units of the iPhone 9 this year which could translate into an additional $12 billion of revenue for the company.