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iPhone X Plus, Xs, X2, iPhone 9? Exactly What Will Apple Name Its 2018 iPhones?

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Apple iPhone X is a name we know well, but it stayed secret almost until the day CEO Tim Cook revealed he had “One More Thing” up his sleeve. This time last year, I had a go at guessing the name of the upcoming flagship.

David Phelan

The first name I lighted on was iPhone X. Clever me.

I guessed that the new phone was so different from the series that preceded it that iPhone 8 wouldn’t be used for this new beast. Even cleverer me.

But then, because the iPhone X wasn’t the tenth iPhone but the eleventh, I decided iPhone X wasn’t the right name after all. Not so clever, woefully pedantic, me.

I went through a bunch of other ideas and finally plumped for iPhone Pro.

Ah, well.

So, why should you trust me this year, you might ask?

Well, you needn't. But I am that little bit older and wiser, perhaps. A recent report has suggested different conclusions from the ones I've come to, by the way, but I'm not sure I really believe it.

As you know, the latest rumors suggest there will be three iPhones announced some time in early September. Let's look at them in turn and give them names.

David Phelan

1. Successor to iPhone X

As Forbes' Gordon Kelly reported back in January, the current iPhone X looks likely to be canceled when the new iPhones are released. Apple's usual way of doing things is to keep last year's model in the range at a lower price, historically a clever way of meaning there was an iPhone for the more budget-conscious, less fashion-forward customer.

But it seems that this year, that won't happen. Well, Apple currently has the largest selection of iPhones it has ever ranged: iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 8 and iPhone X, to list them in the order in which they launched. Additionally, all but the iPhone SE and iPhone X come in regular and Plus sizes.

So it may be that adding three more cellphones meant some had to vanish. And, remember, last year was the first-ever year that Apple launched three phones at the same time so, in a sense, it's no surprise that the rules will be different this time around.

And if the iPhone X is replaced by something identical-looking but more powerful, then Apple can offer an upgraded iPhone while keeping it at the same price as the current model, or dropping it.

What, then, should it be called?

The rumor mill has many names up its sleeve, from iPhone X2 to iPhone Xs. I don't think it'll be either. Assuming the rumor of a larger-screened iPhone X is true, it's not going to be called iPhone X2 Plus when there wasn't an iPhone X Plus, surely?

Similarly, I think iPhone Xs is a real non-starter. I mean, how do you pronounce it? There's already a tendency for people to call the current model the iPhone X (like the letter) instead of the Apple-correct iPhone Ten. So it risks being pronounced iPhone Excess. Even if you say X as ten, it still doesn't sound great. Sorry, what was that? Oh, I thought you said iPhone Tennis.

I think the answer is more straightforward. If the iPhone X current model is being retired, then there's a name going spare.

So, much as I would love the new phone to be called iPhone 11 or iPhone XI, so Tim Cook can finally say, "These phones go to eleven", I think it's not to be.

I mean, I'd like it, just because I love the thought that one of the most advanced pieces of electronics in the world has a moniker including antique Roman numerals.

But maybe I can get my wish anyway… because I think the successor to the iPhone X, the next 5.8in model, will be: iPhone X.

David Phelan

2. Super-sized iPhone

The second iPhone in the rumored new line-up looks like being similar to the current iPhone X but with a bigger, 6.5in display. A Plus-size model, then, likely to be about the same size as the current iPhone 8 Plus but with a screen that's a whole inch bigger, rather in the way the iPhone X is roughly the size of the iPhone 7 but with an inch or so bigger screen.

This sounds fantastic, balancing a huge screen with a manageable phone size.

As for names, well, since the first super-sized iPhone, Apple has added the word Plus to the name.

In which case, there's only one serious contender here, though it depends on the smaller version not being called the X2 or Xs. Assuming that's the case, I think this phone will be called: iPhone X Plus.

Apple

3. New 'budget' iPhone

This is the trickiest because, like the iPhone X last year, this phone takes the company in an entirely new direction. It looks like this phone will be more affordable than the others (though low-cost would be pushing it) not least because it will have an LCD screen instead of pricier OLED as found on the iPhone X. It will become the entry-level iPhone in the new range, with a single camera, it seems, but with Face ID instead of Touch ID.

There are several names to be considered here. First, there's iPhone 9. It makes sense, it's the logical successor to last year's iPhone 8 and indicates that the phone is less high-end than the X and its Plus model.

But there's something not quite as straightforward to be releasing the iPhone 9 a year after an iPhone with 10 in its name. Still, if the next iPhone X is still called iPhone X, then there's still a logical progression. The new iPhone 9 will be announced at the same time as the new iPhone X. I'm tempted to believe iPhone 9 is the answer here.

But.

Gordon Kelly has suggested that this handset might be simply, iPhone. I like this and think it's a strong contender. After all, the latest iPad and MacBook have the exact same names as last year's models.

Or maybe there could be another naming convention altogether. Such as iPhone Lite, iPhone Touch, say.

Perhaps it could get a name that recognizes its part in the iPhone X range. So, how about iPhone Xc, reminiscent of the iPhone 5c? After all, there are rumors of bright colors in this iPhone, too.

I'm not sure it sounds quite right. Ten-see sounds wrong and if you say the X as an X, then the new name almost sounds like ecstasy, which really doesn't work.

So, I'm saying this phone will be: iPhone or, at a pinch, iPhone 9. 

David Phelan

It's only weeks now until the big reveal at the Steve Jobs Theater, probably, and I'm not banking on having scored three out of three.

I'll update this post if I hear of any persuasive leaks or have a winning idea. Do check back or please click the Follow button on my contributor's page to follow me here at Forbes.

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