Footage of 'Apple's secret £399 iPhone 9' revealed – but fans say it's FAKE

APPLE is expected to launch a cheap £399 iPhone next month – and a video seemingly showing off the device has appeared online.

The video, originally posted to TikTok, looks like a proper Apple handset at first glance, but some fans have slammed it as a fake.

Apple is keeping its next phone under tight wraps. In fact, we're not even sure it exists.

But a YouTube channel called Sparrow News has uploaded a clip from TikTok of an apparent mystery iPhone.

The handset looks just like an iPhone 8 from the front, but has the back colour of an iPhone 11.

And its sides are squared-off, like all of Apple's handsets from iPhone 4 through to the iPhone 5S.

These strange design choices may be proof of Apple's rumoured £399 price tag.

But most recent leaks have suggested the iPhone 9 will look almost identical to the iPhone 8.

Gadget geeks at Apple fan blog MacRumors pointed out that the handset doesn't match up with the latest leaks.

"It also has an ‌iPhone‌ 4-style design, which is not at all in line with current rumours," they wrote.

And Apple fans posting on YouTube also snubbed the device as a fraud.

"Nothing but a shell on top of an [iPhone] 8. The bump is a dead giveaway," wrote one.

Another said: "You can tell it's fake because the SIM tray is still rounded."

And one observer added: "I think this is a fake, and Apple will not use a light-colour case with black screen on non-full screen phones."

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But others were hopeful that the gadget would turn out to be the real deal.

"Finally, an iPhone with flat sides again," said one user.

"Now all they need is to make another phone with a 4-inch screen and I'm sold."

And one said: "Woah well I'm getting the iPhone 9 and I hope this is it."

There are fears more generally that the iPhone 9 could be delayed.

Apple has warned of iPhone shortages as the ongoing coronavirus crisis affects factories in China.

In any case, we won't know the truth until we hear official word from Apple.

Apple is rumoured to be hosting a special launch event on March 31, though this hasn't been confirmed.

In other news, Apple may be about to release the first "superfast" 5G iPhone.

Find out why conspiracy theories about 5G giving you cancer are wrong.

And read about all the Samsung Galaxy S20 features your iPhone doesn't have.

What do you make of this clip: full-fat phone or just a fancy fake? Let us know in the comments!