Why Apple Never Made An IPhone 9 - Screen Rant

After the iPhone 8 and 8-Plus, Apple skipped the number nine and went right to ten. Also, a Roman numeral was used when naming the iPhone X, which Apple pronounces as ten. This begs the question of whether an iPhone 9 ever existed and, if so, what became of it. A deep dive into Apple iPhone history and naming helps to explain this mystery.

Apple has been making the iPhone since 2007. It used 2G, which was the wireless network standard at that time. The second model moved to the faster 3G data in 2008 and appended that to the name. Next came the iPhone 3GS, starting what would become a pattern of small updates adding an ‘S’ to the name. The iPhone 4, 5, and 6 all had ‘S’ versions. The iPhone 6 and 6S were offered in a standard and larger Plus model. The iPhone 7 continued with the Plus convention but, instead of an iPhone 7S, Apple moved right to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

Related: iPhone 12 Pro Max Vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Is The Extra $100 Worth It?

The iPhone 9 doesn’t exist and the reason was never explained by Apple, but looking at the iPhone’s history and what was happening in the smartphone industry in 2017 can help explain the decision. There have been a total of twenty-four models over the course of 13 years, giving ample opportunity for that number to appear. It would, of course, have been expected after the iPhone 8, but when the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were announced in 2017, the iPhone X launched alongside them. The following year saw the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max, an entirely new naming convention. By 2019, the iPhone 11, Pro and Pro Max were announced, dashing the chances of ever seeing an iPhone 9.

Why Apple Skipped the iPhone 9

In 2017 slimmer bezels were beginning to grow in popularity and Apple needed to offer a solution or be seen as lagging behind. However, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus only offered a bump in specifications, nothing terribly exciting. The home button was still present, requiring the bottom bezel to be quite large. In 2017, it had been ten years since the first iPhone was announced and Apple would have wanted to do something special for the tenth anniversary. The combination of slimmer bezels and the special occasion made it the right time for the iPhone X, the first ‘all-screen’ model from Apple. Having advanced to ten or ‘X’ for dramatic effect, it made no sense to back up the naming count for an iPhone 9.

It’s worth noting that this practice of breaking the numerical naming system and reinventing product names, is not unique to Apple. Microsoft advanced from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 in 2015, skipping nine, just as Apple did a couple of years later, to signify a bigger change than a single generation. Samsung skipped nine in a different way, and this isn’t in reference to the recalled Galaxy Note 9. Rather, the Galaxy S11 was followed by the Galaxy S20. While we may never hear an official reason for skipping the iPhone 9, it isn’t a big surprise given the need for a big change both in design and to signify the tenth anniversary.

Screen Rant Report

Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe

Screen Rant Report

Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Next: iPhone 12 Pro Max Vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: Biggest Apple Phones Compared