Last week, Apple reportedly took the decision to delay the iPhone 9 for up to six months because of weak demand in the smartphone market. But after further analyzing the situation in recent days, Apple has reportedly had a change of heart. 

The iPhone 9 has finally entered mass production

Initial iPhone 9 production is believed to have started in late February, around two weeks behind schedule due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdowns across China. Things went as planned and it was set to be followed by mass production in early March, yet this never happened.

The A13 Bionic is currently Apple’s newest and most powerful smartphone chipset. That will still be the case in June of this year, but delaying the iPhone 9 until then would give Apple only three months to boast about it in marketing campaigns before the A14 Bionic debuts in September.

Delaying the iPhone 9 until September, on the other hand, means the budget smartphone would launch with an outdated chipset. This, in turn, would make it seem like a less compelling package to consumers.

This thought process, according to one of Jon Prosser’s reliable sources, is why Apple has now changed course and decided to proceed with the iPhone 9 launch in the near future as originally planned. 

Apple is working with a new supplier to speed things up

Apple typically relies on Foxconn and Pegatron in addition to an extensive parts supply chain when it comes to iPhone production. To ensure it can meet demand at launch despite the mass production delay, though, Apple is said to be working with BYD in China to “spread out production and move faster.” 

There’s no word at the moment on what sort of launch schedule Apple is now aiming for. The company was initially targeting an unveiling on Tuesday, March 31, and a release the following week. 

This could still be the plan, although Apple may also choose to delay it by a couple of weeks. That might lead to the launch coinciding with the reopening of Apple Stores across the globe, a move that would undoubtedly help boost demand at launch. 

Apple iPhone 9 features, pricing, release date

For those of you that aren’t yet aware, the entry-level iPhone 9 with 64GB of storage is expected to retail at $399 in the United States and the 128GB version will reportedly cost $449 at launch. 

Leading the way on the inside is going to be the A13 Bionic, as mentioned above, coupled with 3GB of RAM and iOS 13.4 straight out of the box.

If the 4.7-inch model is too small, rumor has it Apple is developing a large iPhone 9 Plus-like model with a 5.5-inch display. It’s unclear if it will launch alongside the standard model or at a later date, but the specs should be largely the same and pricing could start at $499.