Apple March Event Preview... iPhone 9 & Red Apple Watch

Record Low Price $399 'iPhone 9'
First Red Apple Watch...Product Red
Will a Scissor-Switch Keyboard 13-inch MacBook Also Appear?

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Apple is expected to unveil the 'iPhone 9 (iPhone SE 2)' and Product Red Apple Watch 5 at its spring event this year.

On the 25th (local time), IT specialist media Nine to Five Mac reported that Apple will hold a March event this year to reveal a new iPhone, in addition to its annual June developer conference and September iPhone event. Last year, Apple introduced the second-generation iPod, Apple News, Apple Card, and Apple TV+ without new hardware, but this year, a large number of hardware products including mid-range iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches are expected to be included. Compared to Samsung's Unpacked event held around the same time, Apple's event, which was relatively quiet, is expected to become richer with hardware.

Waited 5 Years... 'iPhone 9' Featuring Touch ID and Home Button

iPhone 9 Rendering Image (Source=mydrivers)

The iPhone 9 is the successor to the iPhone SE, released after 5 years. The price is likely to be set at $399, making it the cheapest iPhone ever. It is reported to be priced $100 lower than the iPhone 8, which is sold at $499.

According to industry sources, Apple will start mass production of the mid-range iPhone next month and launch it globally in March. Bloomberg stated, "Apple's mid-range iPhone will be unveiled in early March, with assembly handled by Hon Hai, Pegatron, and Wistron."

The iPhone 9 will feature a 4.7-inch display and a design similar to the iPhone 8, with thick bezels on the top and bottom. Face ID will be removed, replaced by a home button supporting Touch ID. It is highly likely to be equipped with the same A13 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 11, and the camera is expected to be a 12-megapixel single lens, the same specification as the iPhone 8. The storage capacity is expected to be 64GB.

Rumors about the release of a successor to the iPhone SE have been repeated so tediously that fans have grown weary. Despite many users waiting for a small 4-inch screen iPhone, it did not materialize until now, but Apple seems to have decided to target regions where mid-range phones are dominant. Over the past three years, Apple has released semi-premium models like the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 rather than mid-range phones. Additionally, this fall, four flagship iPhone models are expected to be released: a 5.4-inch iPhone, two 6.1-inch models, and a 6.7-inch iPhone.

Product Red Apple Watch and 13-inch MacBook Pro with New Keyboard Also Draw Attention

Apple Watch Product Red Rendering Image (Source=9to5Mac)

There is also speculation that Apple will add a Product Red model to the Apple Watch Series 5. Product Red is a campaign led by the Red Foundation to fight AIDS, where companies sell products designed in red and donate part of the proceeds to the fight against the disease. Apple is a representative company participating in Product Red, having released red versions of the iPhone 7 and 7+, and iPhone 8 and 8+.

Based on leaked information from Apple's database and foreign media reports, the Product Red model of the Apple Watch Series 5 is expected to be released with an aluminum case and two bands in red and beige colors. Apple has never released a red-colored Apple Watch before, although it has done so for iPhones and iPods.

16-inch MacBook Pro

In addition, there is speculation that a new keyboard will be applied to the 13-inch MacBook. Apple attracted attention by applying a scissor-switch keyboard to the 16-inch MacBook Pro instead of the butterfly keyboard, which was chosen to make the laptop thinner. As more users prefer mechanical keyboards and issues such as input performance, foreign substances, and noise arose, Apple seems to have abandoned the butterfly keyboard. If Apple applies the scissor-switch keyboard to the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air this year, more users will be able to experience the new keyboard. There is also speculation that Apple will introduce a scissor-switch keyboard as an accessory for the next-generation iPad.