Julie Henne Something happened in the progression of the generations of the Apple iPhone models. Somewhere along the line a number got skipped.
For years, Apple has made perfect sense in naming their very popular cell phones. They started out with the regular old iPhone and each year, they have released a new model entitled the iPhone -whatever number is next-until this year when they released both the 8… and the X. Now, if I learned Roman numerals properly, and I’d like to think I did, then that means they released both the 8 and the 10. Wait, what?
I would like to think that the brilliant minds, who have put out some of the hottest electronic gadgets over the past ten years, know how to count to ten. So, what happened to the 9?
You Skipped One, Apple!
Apple hasn’t said much about the fact that they released iPhones 8 and 10, except to say that the phone was to mark the 10 year anniversary of the iPhone itself. Here’s what we do know, however. Typically, midway through the release cycle, Apple puts out the S version of the current phone. That version should’ve been the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, but that never happened. Apple went straight for the release of the iPhone 8, and the reason why is probably not what you think.
Apple Vs. Samsung
During the time that Apple was gearing up to release the next-gen iPhone, major android competitor, and electronics giant, Samsung started plugging the release of its latest offering in the Galaxy line, Galaxy S8. So think about it, Samsung is releasing a brand new phone, called the S8 and all Apple has to put on the market is the 7S? It’s a numbers game and Apple was scared to lose that one, so instead, they dressed it up a little, and turned what would’ve been the 7S into the iPhone 8, which also explains the dual release of phones this year.
Apple’s claim to fame and the reason behind the popularity of their phone is the fact that they’ve kept things pretty simple over the years. You don’t have to worry about three different phones from the same manufacturer, like with Samsung. Then this year, Apple throws out that model in favor of releasing two phones-very different from each other-in the same year, and they skipped a number.
A Number Skipped
With the tenth anniversary of the phone, of course, it makes sense to name the phone the iPhone X (which Apple says is pronounced 10 –Yes, they actually say that. I’m not just making it up.), but why not just skip the 8, as well and go straight for the win with the 10?
There are a ton of conspiracy theorists on the web claiming that the snubbing of the number nine is very similar to Windows skipping from 7 to 10. The reasons behind this site the lackluster offerings from Windows in the 90s –when we really didn’t know enough to notice their faults –, stating that they wanted to purposefully leave the number nine out of their marketing material so that people wouldn’t be reminded of their previous versions.
While that excuse may work for Microsoft, Apple didn’t have a terrible version 9 of anything, so they can’t really use that reasoning.No one at Apple is willing to say if the next iPhone will continue with the Roman numeral theme and be named the XI if they’ll release a 9 and an XI, or if they’re just going to go back to their roots and just call the next one the 11.
No one will say for sure, so for now, the fate of the iPhone 9 is up in the air. However, with all of the theories and questions surrounding the iPhone 9, Apple may be setting themselves up for a very exciting release. Can’t you just see it now: iPhone 9 –The Forgotten Phone?
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
