iPhone 9: what we’d like to see

The iPhone 9 was skipped over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple isn’t going to bridge the gap between the recently launched iPhone 8 and iPhone X in 2018.

We could finally see some iPhone 8 Plus features come to the theoretical 4.7-inch iPhone 9 with a September 2018 release date, while we also see an iPhone X2 available in two sizes.  

While we currently don’t have any solid information on the iPhone 9 at this point, it will likely be a continuation of the traditional iPhone design – one final step before Apple completely merges the old with the new, bezel-free look brought by the iPhone X.

Until we know more about the iPhone 9, the article below will act as a wishlist of sorts, comprised of features that we really want Apple to double-down on for 2018’s flagship smartphone.

What we'd like to see

A Home button, one last time

What once was a hardware staple for the iPhone is well on its way out. If you buy an iPhone X, you’ll get a glimpse into Apple’s home button-less future, which is now, well, its present.

After some adjustment time, most will forget about the trusty button’s absence in the iPhone X, but it’d be a nice send-off if Apple kept the home button for one last appearance in the iPhone 9.

AirPods included

Apple is ahead of most smartphone manufacturers in that it includes a set of earbuds in each and every box. But once the headphone jack disappeared in the iPhone 7, you could either listen to music with the Lightning-connected EarPods or charge the phone, but not both.

While it’s unlikely, it’d be a dream come true if the iPhone 9 came with AirPods included in the box. Apple’s easy-to-lose but beloved wireless headphones would be a huge selling point for the next iPhone.

This way, you can enjoy some tunes wirelessly while your phone is charging.

Wireless charging

Apple’s investment in wireless charging is young, though it’s essential enough that we’d be pleased to see it show up in the iPhone 9.

Moving from the iPhone 7 to the 8, enabling the wire-free charging feature required Apple to make the phone’s back all-glass, as to allow the charging signal pass through the device.

Keeping this feature hints that the iPhone 9 might not look all that different from what’s available today, and will likely be just as easy to break.

AMOLED display

Apple reportedly lacked the resources to put AMOLED displays in any phone except its new iPhone X. Give the supply chain about six to eight months to calibrate and Apple should see about using the impressive display tech in the iPhone 9.

It’s a bit baffling for the company to dodge including a AMOLED display in the iPhone 8, only to reserve it for the high-end iPhone X. We’d like to see the richer colors and deep blacks that only this type of screen can provide to come to the next iPhone, namely the iPhone 9.

Dual rear-facing cameras

The iPhone 9 will feature a set of dual rear-facing cameras – that much is almost certain. However, as it has done in the past few years, Apple will only include it in the plus-sized model, the iPhone 9 Plus.

It’d be an awesome move for the company to give this feature to those who don’t want to shell out plus-sized dollars, but still want all of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s nifty feature. 

Adjusting portrait lighting and shooting photos with depth is great to have on your phone as a DSLR replacement. And as Apple continues to pour its efforts into these competitive features, it’d be wise to homogenize the results from its broad range of devices moving forward.

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