Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Why didn’t Apple get rid of numbering and call the X iPhone Pro?

Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Nov 14, 2011
24,910
32,630
I still don’t get the 8 vs 10 (X) naming strategy. Especially when on the inside the 8 shares most of the same tech as the X. Had they dumped the numbers and gone with iPhone > iPhone Plus > iPhone Pro it would have neatly fit into good > better > best marketing and wouldn’t have made the 8 seem like an inferior device. And it wouldn’t have made people question why the 8 exists. Eventually the OLED screen would filter down to the iPhone and iPhone Plus and the Pro would get something else that was bleeding edge. To me this marketing is just plain confusing. What happens next year? Do we get an iPhone 9 that is faster than this years X? How confusing would that be? Does the X become XI? Or is it X forever now?
 
  • Like
Reactions: dtdt123 and MaciMac100
What logic lurks in the heart of Apple, the Cook knows.

X aka 10 for 10th anniversary ?

8 moniker is an aberration, why not 7s that would be in line with release naming since 3g/3gs, 4/4s

Will X be a moniker for all oled screen iphones? Next Xs or X1 or X.1, X2, Xs2.......?

Leaving 8s,8,9s for the next few generations of non oled screen iphones?

oled screens will be in short supply, likely for years as new plants and production can ramp up and processes with higher yields are developed. Limiting them to highest end phones.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Apple will do and why, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
 
Last edited:
I have no idea what Apple did here also. I’m sure they are now scratching their head for the naming strategy of their next year’s devices.
 
Pretty simple. X is roman numeral for 10th anniversary as others have stated. People over analyze sometimes. Lol
 
Just when we got rid of X in Macs to a better, simpler MacOS... they bring it to iPhones!

iPhone > iPhone Plus > iPhone Pro
That sounds good and not confusing to customers.

However, iPhone X is still better name than "The new Ipad" in 2012. :confused:
 
Last edited:
Stang69 said:
Pretty simple. X is roman numeral for 10th anniversary as others have stated. People over analyze sometimes. Lol
Click to expand...

I think the TS knows that. But he’s just wondering why Apple still went ahead with this naming strategy when they know full well they are, firstly, making the 8 seem inferior because they are seemingly 2 generations apart and, secondly, creating a problem for themselves for next year’s iPhones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaciMac100
Because naming a smartphone ‘Pro’ is among the most idiotic things their marketing team could ever possibly do.
 
AppleZombie said:
Because after the Xs it will be called the Apple Phone
Click to expand...
Lmao. You cannot call an iPhone ‘Apple Phone’. Think about it.

No really. Seriously. Think about it.




iPhone is what it will be for it’s entire existence in this universe. Why? Simple: branding. Iphone the name is worth billions of dollars. Changing it would be categorically horrible for sales.
[doublepost=1506184250][/doublepost]
358547 said:
For now Pro means "it supports the pencil", so I think we'll have to wait at least one generation.
Click to expand...
I knew it hahaha. I knew people would still think that Apple would one day call an iPhone ‘Pro’ even after this year. So crazy
 
Infiniverse48 said:
Lmao. You cannot call an iPhone ‘Apple Phone’. Think about it.

No really. Seriously. Think about it.




iPhone is what it will be for it’s entire existence in this universe. Why? Simple: branding. Iphone the name is worth billions of dollars. Changing it would be categorically horrible for sales.
[doublepost=1506184250][/doublepost]
I knew it hahaha. I knew people would still think that Apple would one day call an iPhone ‘Pro’ even after this year. So crazy
Click to expand...

Yeah youre right..
 
Ask their marketing people. I'm sure they went with what they thought people would best respond to.
 
There may be an “iPad for pros” but I don’t see why there should be an “iPhone for pros”. What kind of “pro work” would you do on an iPhone?
 
I don’t ever want to hear anyone say it will be called ‘pro’ ever again. People have been saying it will be called that since before the iPhone 6 came out. It’s never going to happen.
 
Rogifan said:
Had they dumped the numbers and gone with iPhone > iPhone Plus > iPhone Pro it would have neatly fit into good > better > best marketing and wouldn’t have made the 8 seem like an inferior device.
Click to expand...

Rule #1: Apple won't drop the numbering scheme.

The numbering scheme reminds consumers there is an annual cadence of iPhones. The annual release cycle represents two-thirds of Apple's revenue. An iPhone 8 is superseded by iPhone X. And the X will be superseded by 11.

An iPhone Pro may sound great for some people, but it's terrible from a marketing perspective. To sell new phones, Apple needs to age the old phones.

Do you have an iPhone Pro (2017) or iPhone Pro (2018)? It works in the iPad and Mac because the technology in those products doesn't refresh quickly enough to warrant an annual release cycle. In that case, Apple doesn't want to emphasize to consumers the age of the product.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9594864
Stang69 said:
Pretty simple. X is roman numeral for 10th anniversary as others have stated. People over analyze sometimes. Lol
Click to expand...
But a 10th anniversary phone makes no sense. iPhone X isn’t a special edition.
[doublepost=1506189379][/doublepost]
Infiniverse48 said:
Because naming a smartphone ‘Pro’ is among the most idiotic things their marketing team could ever possibly do.
Click to expand...
Ok don’t call it Pro then. But still get rid of the numbering scheme.
[doublepost=1506189456][/doublepost]
Morpheo said:
There may be an “iPad for pros” but I don’t see why there should be an “iPhone for pros”. What kind of “pro work” would you do on an iPhone?
Click to expand...
Then call it something other than Pro. But get rid of the numbers.
[doublepost=1506189658][/doublepost]
JPack said:
Rule #1: Apple won't drop the numbering scheme.

The numbering scheme reminds consumers there is an annual cadence of iPhones. The annual release cycle represents two-thirds of Apple's revenue. An iPhone 8 is superseded by iPhone X. And the X will be superseded by 11.

An iPhone Pro may sound great for some people, but it's terrible from a marketing perspective. To sell new phones, Apple needs to age the old phones.

Do you have an iPhone Pro (2017) or iPhone Pro (2018)? It works in the iPad and Mac because the technology in those products doesn't refresh quickly enough to warrant an annual release cycle. In that case, Apple doesn't want to emphasize to consumers the age of the product.
Click to expand...
This is the only logical argument for a numbering scheme. But Apple’s going to go from iPhone X (roman numeral) to iPhone 11? And then iPhone 8 to iPhone 9 which will have better technology than the iPhone X (which Apple is referring to as iPhone 10)? And theres nothing confusing about that?
 
edlex said:
10th anniversary special edition
Click to expand...
Is the 10th anniversary thing really that interesting to anyone? Seems like 99% of consumers will consider it a mildly interesting factoid and nothing more.
 
frou said:
Is the 10th anniversary thing really that interesting to anyone? Seems like 99% of consumers will consider it a mildly interesting factoid and nothing more.
Click to expand...

Certainly it was important to Apple. They created a new phone to honor it.
 
edlex said:
Certainly it was important to Apple. They created a new phone to honor it.
Click to expand...
So if 2017-2007 didn't happen to equal a nice round number they would have given up trying to compete on the high end with Samsung?
 
frou said:
So if 2017-2007 didn't happen to equal a nice round number they would have given up trying to compete on the high end with Samsung?
Click to expand...

That's definitely a possibility. Apple has always been very slow and methodical when introducing new tech into their products.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back