Here is why we could see the Apple iPhone 9 unveiled tomorrow

A couple of weeks ago, Apple simply announced that it was launching a pair of new iPad Pro tablets, an 11-inch model and a 12.9-inch model. It also unveiled the Magic Keyboard Case that includes a trackpad and attaches to both the 2020 and 2018 iPad Pro tablets with the use of magnets. And now, we have a clue that Apple is about to quietly announce the sequel to the iPhone SE. The latter was launched on March 31st, 2016 and was created in response to rising smartphone prices and larger sized handset displays. The iPhone SE used the body of the two and-a- half-year-old iPhone 5s, added the most up to date iPhone chipset, and was priced at $399 and up. The device was a hit.

Today, a photo shared by a Best Buy employee with MacRumors shows that the electronics retailer has received a shipment of Urban Armor Gear cases for a 4.7-inch 2020 iPhone. If legit, this indicates that the iPhone SE2 could be introduced very soon, quite possibly tomorrow. The device has been dubbed the iPhone 9 because it will reportedly use the iPhone 8 design including a 4.7-inch LCD display with a 750 x 1334 resolution. Instead of being powered by an A11 Bionic SoC, the iPhone 9 could have the A13 Bionic under the hood; that is the same SoC that powers the 2019 iPhone 11 line. We also expect to see a 50% hike in memory from 2GB of RAM to 3GB. And since it will borrow the iPhone 8's design, it will sport the Touch ID biometric fingerprint scanner instead of Face ID.

The iPhone 9 is rumored to be priced at $399 and up with the base model equipped with 64GB of storage. Originally, there was talk about a new product event scheduled for March 31st, but the COVID-19 outbreak seemingly has forced Apple to make a simple announcement instead. Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International sees Apple ringing up 25 million to 30 million iPhone 9 units this year. Apple could generate nearly $12 billion in revenue for the budget-priced device if sales do come in at the high end of Kuo's range. With the economic mess that will be left in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, a lower-priced iPhone packed with a powerful chipset and iOS 13 could perform well in the marketplace.

The big question, one that there seems to be contradictory answers for, is whether Apple will be able to unveil and release its 5G 2020 flagship iPhone 12 series on time. With China in the early stages of recovery and contract manufacturers starting to ramp up their assembly lines, Apple hopes to begin production of the 2020 iPhone models in July. We could see as many as four different iPhone 12 variants according to Kuo, including a 5.4-inch iPhone 12, a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Plus, a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and a 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four will feature an AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate providing buttery smooth scrolling; with the display refreshing up to 120 times per second, video game animation will look much better.

The standard models could be equipped with Wide and Ultra-Wide cameras while the "Pro" models will add a Telephoto camera and a LiDar time of flight sensor. The latter, which debuted on the new iPad Pro units, will deliver more precise depth measurements for improved AR capabilities and more. And yes, the new 2020 iPhone handsets will have a Qualcomm 5G mobile chip on board making these phones the first offered by Apple with support for the next generation of wireless connectivity.

The hike in battery capacity was a big hit with buyers of the 2019 iPhone units and Apple is expected to do it again with the new models. The only difference though is that between the faster refresh rate and the support for 5G, any hike in battery capacity could already be accounted for.