Apple is planning to price its rumored low-cost iPhone at $399, according to a new report out this week from Fast Company.
The site was told by an unspecified source that the iPhone will "likely" sell for $399, backing up a previous report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in October that the iPhone would be available at that price point.
At $399, the new low-cost iPhone will have the same starting price as the 2016 iPhone SE, which is why some people have referred to it as an "iPhone SE 2." Others have been calling it the "iPhone 9," but we don't yet know what Apple will name it.
We do know quite a bit about its specs, though, thanks to numerous leaks. The upcoming low-cost iPhone will be similar in design to the iPhone 8, with thicker top and bottom bezels and a Touch ID Home button.
It will be equipped with the same A13 chip that's available in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and it is said to have 3GB RAM. To keep costs low, it will use a single-lens rear camera, though it's not known if the camera will be the same as the wide-angle camera in the iPhone 11. It could be available in 64 and 128GB size options, and colors are expected include Space Gray, Silver, and Red.
Production on the new low-cost iPhone was supposed to begin in February, but Apple's supplier factories are shut down at the current time due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China. It's not clear if this will affect production plans and if the launch date of the iPhone will be delayed.
Prior rumors suggested we could see the new low-cost iPhone in the first half of 2020, perhaps in March. Apple often holds its first event of the year in March, and if there is indeed a March event in the works this year, we should be hearing about it soon.
The new low-cost iPhone is expected to be a popular iPhone upgrade option for those who are coming from an iPhone 6s or iPhone 7, as the design will be similar. It should also appeal to those who want an affordable iPhone option, those who like Touch ID, and those who prefer smaller form factors, even though it won't be as small as the iPhone SE, Apple's original low-cost iPhone.
