There’s no iPhone 9 because Apple skipped the number to celebrate the original iPhone’s 10th anniversary in 2017, launching the iPhone X (pronounced “ten”) instead, signifying a major redesign with an all-screen display and Face ID, creating a clear break from the numbered iPhone 8 series. The “X” marked a milestone and a new design era, making the number 9 seem too incremental and confusing after the “10”.
Here’s a breakdown of the reasons:
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10th Anniversary:The main reason was to commemorate the first iPhone’s launch in 2007, with “X” (Roman numeral for 10) highlighting the decade milestone.
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The iPhone X introduced a bezel-less screen, Face ID, and no home button, a huge leap from the iPhone 8, so a new number felt appropriate.
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Marketing & Branding:Skipping 9 prevented it from seeming like a minor update between the iPhone 8 and the revolutionary iPhone X, positioning the X as a significant “future-forward” device.
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Avoiding Negative Connotations:Some speculate that avoiding the number 9 might have been strategic, as it can have negative meanings in some cultures (like Japan), though this is less certain.
In essence, the iPhone 9 would have felt like just another number, while the iPhone X felt like a fresh start, a narrative reinforced by the later release of the iPhone XR, which effectively served as the “budget X” and filled the conceptual spot of a potential iPhone