Just when it seemed like the internet had finally moved on from obsessing over Apple’s iPhone naming conventions… here we go again.
iOS 19 vs. 26
To be fair, I don’t actually hate today’s report that Apple will rename its operating systems to reflect the release year. Or rather, the following year. Cars do it. Samsung does it… OK, that’s pretty much it. But it’s not that strange.
Once we get past the initial awkwardness of jumping straight to iOS 26, skipping a handful of version numbers along the way, I’m pretty sure it’ll start to sound natural sooner rather than later.
But if Apple really is moving in that direction, it only increases the pressure to do something about iPhone naming. The idea of iOS 26 running on an iPhone 18 already sounds disconnected, and a few years from now, that mismatch is probably going to feel even worse.
Perfect timing?
I wrote recently about how Apple’s rumored move to replace the “Plus” variant with an “Air” model could give it a perfect opportunity to clean up the rest of the lineup, too, retiring “Pro Max” and going all-in on “Ultra.”
This would bring iPhone naming in line with the rest of Apple’s new top-tier branding names, like Apple Watch Ultra, the M-series Ultra chips, and CarPlay Ultra.
The truth is, back when we started creeping toward awkward names like iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who figured Apple would eventually drop the numbers entirely and adopt the MacBook Pro-style naming (which, to be fair, has had its own versioning issues).
But as time and iPhone releases marched on, I had made peace with the current numbering idea. As goofy as it once sounded, we’d all gotten used to it and have more pressing things to worry about in our lives.
But now, in a world where the software might imply 2026, but the hardware still says 17… yeah, that might start to feel a bit weird all over again.
Cue the podcast discussions.
So what could Apple actually do here?
The first option is pretty obvious and the most likely: nothing. Apple keeps the current iPhone naming convention, while its operating systems go on to adopt a unified, year-based convention.
The second option is to flip the switch on the name change for the iPhone as well. iPhone 26 comes out in September alongside iOS 26, and there’s no doubt as to which are the current phone models or system versions. Except, maybe, from September through December. But if people can figure this out about cars, they can figure this out about iPhones.
The third option is both my favorite and the least likely for all the obvious reasons: Apple ditches iPhone numbering altogether. Marketing name? iPhone, iPhone Air, iPhone Pro, iPhone Ultra. Actual product name? iPhone (2026), and so on.
The problem is that, contrary to Macs, Apple keeps selling previous versions when it releases new ones. So, while everyone knows you can walk into an Apple Store and buy the current MacBook Pro, it wouldn’t be so simple for iPhones.
And then there’s the elephant in the room: the iPhone 16e. Apple just launched a model whose whole pitch is that it’s the entry-level iPhone, clearly labeled by number. Could Apple release an… iPhone E? I hope not. Sixteeny is cacophonic enough.
Whether Apple decides to change the iPhone name this year, next year, or never, the rumored year-based OS name change will be more than enough reason for people to agree, disagree, or scoff at the idea of restarting these discussions all over again. Where do you land? Let us know in the comments.
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