iPhone SE 2020

Alleged ‘iPhone 9’ hands-on video makes the rounds on TikTok, but it’s not real

Chance Miller | Feb 19 2020 - 10:37 am PT

Reports indicate that we’re just a month away from the official announcement of Apple’s long-rumored low-cost iPhone 9. Ahead of that announcement, sketchy rumors and images are starting to gain traction, and this year, they have a new platform: TikTok, which is where a so-called iPhone 9 video is gaining popularity.

On the visual short-form video sharing app TikTok, a video claiming to go hands-on with the so-called iPhone 9 has gained traction. In the video, we can see an iPhone 8-like device, but with a slab-sided design reminiscent of the iPhone 4. The video has since been downloaded from TikTok and shared on Twitter.

What we’re actually seeing here is possibly a clone device running a skinned version of Android. It could also be a custom housing case on a completely different iPhone model. If this were a legitimate iPhone prototype, it would almost certainly have a “Proprietary and Confidential” warning on the lock screen

The supply chain source of the video is likely conflating rumors of the iPhone 9 and iPhone 12. The iPhone 9 is expected to be nearly identical to the iPhone 8 in terms of design, with a rounded 4.7-inch form factor. The iPhone 12 is expected to feature a boxier design similar to the iPhone 4.

What’s more interesting, however, is seeing iPhone rumors gain traction on the TikTok platform. In general, iPhone supply chain leaks have surfaced via platforms such as WeChat. TikTok, however, provides a new, more accessible form for leakers.

But TikTok also targets a much younger audience than many other social media platforms. This audience generally won’t know how to decipher the “iPhone 9” device in this video from what we really expect. This will likely make it easier for these types of videos to go viral, hence why we are trying to debunk it.

This video, in particular, provides some nice eye candy, but there’s nothing at all to suggest it’s a legitimate iPhone prototype. It’s pretty to look at, but it’s nothing more than an imagination.