- Apple may skip ‘iPhone 19’ for ‘iPhone 20’ name.
- This follows a 2017 skip of ‘iPhone 9’ for iPhone X.
- New iPhone releases might shift to twice yearly.
Apple is reportedly planning to skip the “iPhone 19” name entirely, jumping straight to iPhone 20 as part of a broader effort to reset its naming structure ahead of the device’s 20th anniversary.
The move echoes a decision the company made back in 2017, when it skipped “iPhone 9” and launched the iPhone X to mark the product’s 10th year. Industry analysts now suggest a similar strategy is in play, with Apple also restructuring when it releases certain models throughout the year.
How Has Apple Skipped Model Numbers Before?
This would not be the first time Apple has bypassed a number in its iPhone lineup. In 2017, to mark the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, Apple skipped “iPhone 9” and instead launched the iPhone X, using the Roman numeral for 10, alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
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According to Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol, who spoke at a conference in Seoul, Apple’s roadmap through 2027 tells a similar story. In the first half of 2027, Apple is expected to launch the “iPhone 18e” and “iPhone 18.”
Then, in the second half of that year, the lineup is expected to include a next-generation iPhone Air, “iPhone 20 Pro,” “iPhone 20 Pro Max,” and a second-generation foldable iPhone, with no “iPhone 19” anywhere in that sequence.
What Is Driving Apple’s Decision To Restructure Its iPhone Lineup?
The skip is closely tied to the iPhone’s upcoming 20th anniversary, which Apple appears to want to mark with a clean, milestone-friendly number. Beyond the naming, Apple is also rethinking its release calendar.
Both The Information and supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in May that Apple was considering a biannual launch schedule, spreading new device releases across both halves of the year rather than concentrating them around the traditional September window.
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Omdia notes that Apple expects some demand softness from this shift and may temporarily reduce iPhone panel orders by around 20 million units.
In the longer run, foldable iPhone shipments are expected to offset that dip. The iPhone 17 lineup is widely regarded as the last to follow Apple’s traditional release pattern.
