Hey Apple, finally get rid of the numbers!

There are only a few weeks left before the changing of the guard for the iPhone 12 is imminent. Much is already known, but of all things the name of the new Apple cell phone causes serious frowns. In the current weekend column I plead: Forget these numbers! Who can still see through that?

Apart from a few exceptions, Apple issues progressive numbers for its new iPhones on a regular basis. In the meantime we have reached number 12, but already in September it strikes 13! Or is it not? There are increasing voices in the rumor mill that, according to Apple, would like to move away from the expected naming, instead there is one “IPhone 12s” in conversation.

iPhone 13, iPhone 12s: Hey Apple, why not just iPhone?

Apple used the “S-Class” before to refer to a rather performance-optimized, non-revolutionary hardware update. This year the mental constitution of some people could also play a role, the so-called “Triskaidekaphobia”. The connoisseur understands this to mean the superstitious fear of the number 13which is also the reason why we look in vain for the 13th floor in hotels or sit in rows 12 or 14 on the plane, but not in between. But why should Apple of all people be guided by superstition? Well there is a good reason.

And that can be found in a current one survey, the A exciting mood shows. Should Apple actually call the new cell phone the iPhone 13, this could prevent a little over 18 percent of customers from accessing it. Given the choice In the end, 74 percent of those surveyed would prefer a name other than “iPhone 13”. Right at the front, the desire to finally bury the names, because the simple majority of 38 percent would simply call the new smartphone iPhone, with the year in brackets – i.e. iPhone (2021). We already know the logic from Mac and iPad and I would agree with it.

By the way: “iPhone 12s” is even less popular than “iPhone 13”, only 13 percent would choose it, and even more would it be surprisingly called “iPhone 21”. Which I wouldn’t really understand, because with the year as a direct sequence of numbers you don’t necessarily contribute to clarity.

This iPhone got by entirely without numbers or additions. See in the video we the true original:

Apple should just be consistent

As already mentioned, in my opinion, Apple should make the numbers disappear altogether. The confusion and the special names with letters appended to them would finally have had their day. If you want to differentiate, just indicate the model year in the worst-case scenario. With the Mac and MacBook, this has worked without any problems for many, many years. Are we honest the number doesn’t appear anywhere on the product anyway. So why then insist on it in brand communication? Just be consistent and forget the numbers for good.

I mean, In some cases, Apple already does the same with the iPhone. In concrete terms, this is the case with the iPhone SE, there is a first and a second generation, but this distinction has not made this distinction in the official product names. In the future it would be logical if there was just an iPhone, an iPhone mini, an iPhone Pro, an iPhone Pro Max and, if you like, an iPhone SE – that’s it. There is no need to complicate it, my point of view.

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are solely the views of the author and are not necessarily the position of the entire GIGA editorial team.