Report claims iPhone 9 is now in its testing phase

iPhone 9 render
iPhone 9 render (Image credit: OnLeaks / iGeeksBlog)

What you need to know

  • A Chinese media outlet claims the iPhone 9 has now entered its testing phase.
  • That's according to yesky.com, which cites industry chain sources.
  • The phone is also reportedly pegged to shift more than 30 million units.

A report from a Chinese outlet claims the iPhone 9 has entered trial production, in advance of mass production touted to begin in February.

According to the report:

Today (28th), according to the latest news from the industry chain, Apple has started the trial production of the first iPhone this year. The official mass production will take place in mid-February, and the new machine launch is expected to be this year It will take place in March, when it may debut under the name of the iPhone 9.

As Gizchina notes:

Testing phase is the last step before mass production kicks off. In this phase, the handset is rigorously tested for quality in terms of both hardware and software. Plus there are some additional tests such as drop test, bend test and water tests carried out to check out how the device behaves.

The report suggests that the new iPhone will go into production mid-February, in time for a March launch, expected to debut under the name "iPhone 9".

The report claims that the same industry source has also suggested that the total iPhone 9 order volume may exceed 30 million units and that its low price may propel Apple to over 200 million iPhone shipments this year.

Whilst we can't verify this report for certain, it does corroborate a previous report from Bloomberg which stated that Apple suppliers were gearing up to assemble the new low-cost phone in February. That report also pointed to a March launch.

Previous December reports from Ming-Chi Kuo had suggested the iPhone 9 would already in production by January, but he also pointed to a March launch for the device.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9