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iPhone 9 Plus leaks in iOS 14 code, report says

The company's rumored new phones seemingly borrow some features from the iPhone 11.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Abrar Al-Heeti
apple-iphone-11-0011

Some features of Apple's rumored lower-priced phones were reportedly leaked. 

Angela Lang/CNET

Apple is working on a larger version of the rumored iPhone SE, which could be called the iPhone 9 Plus, according to a Monday report by 9to5Mac. Snippets of iOS 14 code reportedly hint at the new device and some of its features. The less expensive iPhone 9 devices will seemingly run with the A13 Bionic chip, which is also used in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro . They'll also feature a home button similar to that of the iPhone 7, which is powered by a taptic engine that makes it feel like you're clicking a button, even though there's no moving hardware. 

The phones will also have Touch ID instead of Face ID, according to 9to5Mac. They'll reportedly be compatible with Apple Pay and the Express Transit feature, and they'll be able to scan NFC tags in the background, which is something the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and the iPhone 11 are capable of doing.  

The names of the rumored iPhone 9 and 9 Plus aren't official, as the former could also be called the iPhone SE 2. Apple is expected to announce the devices in the spring.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Watch this: What to expect from the iPhone 9