The iPhone 9 price in Nigeria is undetermined since the iPhone 9 and 9 Plus are rumoured iOS smartphones that never materialised. Apple aficionados might consider the price of the iPhone XR in Nigeria, the most affordable iOS mobile device currently available.

Is the iPhone 9 coming out?

No, the iPhone will likely never be released, since Apple skipped this number in the series. The iPhone is currently in its thirteenth series as of September 2022.

Is there an Apple iPhone 9 alternative?

The closest you can come to the iPhone 9 is the iPhone XR, which was introduced in October of 2018. It is essentially the phone that the iPhone 9 would have been if it had been released with that moniker.

It is several hundred dollars less expensive than the current flagship 13 Pro MAX model and hence has inferior specifications. Its camera lacks the telephoto lens of the more costly model, and the XR's bezel is thicker owing to its LCD screen as opposed to the XS's OLED display.

Why was there no iPhone 9?

Apple did not explain why it failed to release the iPhone 9. However, hypotheses have been rampant about the factors, and we have highlighted three of the most significant:

1. It was the iPhone's tenth anniversary

The iPhone X was introduced in November 2017 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the gadget. The Roman numeral for ten is X. Additionally, it is the only iPhone with a Roman numeral in its name.

It would be quite weird if Apple utilised the iPhone 9 to commemorate 10 years of iPhones. The number discrepancy might generate even more confusion, so it made more sense to forego the iPhone 9.

2. To indicate a significant iPhone upgrade

The iPhone X reflects a drastic overhaul that has evidently been in the works for some years, which was a key factor in the company's decision to abandon its naming convention. 

It boasts an entirely new design and improved technology, making it a significant improvement over its predecessor, the iPhone 8.

On prior iPhones, the home button was no longer located in the bottom centre, and Face ID, Apple's reportedly most secure face recognition security mechanism, replaced Touch ID. 

The screen is also almost bezel-free, with the exception of a contentious notch at the top that houses the TrueDepth camera system required for Face ID. Similar to Microsoft's transition from Windows 8 to Windows 10, Apple utilises the X's leap to symbolise its advancement over prior incarnations. The iPhone X represents the brand's future and the foundation for future models.

3. Simply Better Marketing

It has also been purported that if the 8, 9, and 10 models were introduced within a year of one another, it would encourage buyers to see the 9 model as a viable alternative for the middle of the road. 

This would encourage individuals to wager on 9 rather than 8. In other words, skipping the iPhone 9 is a little marketing attempt to increase sales of the two new models rather than dividing them into three parts.

One of the other explanations indicates that they may have been hesitant to use the number nine because of its bad associations in Japan. The number 9 sounds close to the Japanese term for "suffering" or "torture" and is therefore considered unlucky.

Oddly enough, it is not inconceivable that this was a legitimate consideration. In 2018, with a 56% market share in Japan, the iPhone outsold all other smartphones by a wide margin.

Given that Apple's nearest rival, Sharp, had just a 9.8% market share over the same time period, it is natural that Apple would want to prevent losses in this lucrative industry.

What iPhone comes after the 8?

Apple unveiled the iPhone X at its September 2017 Keynote with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

The X model was produced to commemorate the iPhone's tenth anniversary and is part of the eleventh generation of smartphones marketed by the company.